Kevin Owens has been off of WWE programming for a long time. Injured later in 2018, the Superstar has missed time to have surgery and recover. We started seeing “returning soon” clips recently. On this past Monday Night RAW, we got to hear from the man himself-sort of. Owens recorded a clip at a bowling alley and said he was about a month away. He seemed happy. He seemed light hearted. He seemed like a babyface. So…what should WWE do with Kevin Owens?
I will first make the case to keep him heel, just for the sake of putting it out there. Kevin Owens is a great heel. The man has EVIL tattooed on him, after all, so he certainly embraces the heel persona. A great heel is a good thing to have, and while WWE has heels, not all heels are created equal. With someone who had recently been a heel leaving (Ambrose), and other heels being flip flopped with too much regularity (Elias, Strowman), you could easily argue WWE needs a reliable and strong alpha heel. However, they could also (finally) get Bray Wyatt back onto television and address some of the gap with the Eater of Worlds, too.
So, you want Kevin Owens as a babyface? I actually do. I kicked that thought around several times before. If you watch footage of him, when it’s not RAW or a PPV, you can see more of him than the character. I remember watching a WWE Network piece between Graves and Owens. They were discussing their tattoos. I remember thinking just how likable Kevin Owens came off. i can easily see him doing well as a babyface. Seeing the vignette on RAW made me very happy, because it seems folks within WWE are thinking the same things.
So, what could you do with a babyface Owens? What should WWE do? This is the million dollar question, isn’t it?
Per the Owens video on RAW, it sure seems like he’s going to stick on the red brand when he returns. This is significant, if only because it kills my one dream scenario. The scenario? Well, it involves the SmackDown brand. Imagine a scenario where, at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber, a heel retains the WWE Championship. Now, really, to retain it, this would imply Daniel Bryan. Alternatively, what if Samoa Joe finally got his main roster world championship? That one is actually my favorite option. Imagine Samoa Joe, destroying all comers and defending his newly won WWE Championship. He comes out on SmackDown and cuts a promo, declaring he’s run through anyone and everyone that matters on the SmackDown roster. There is no one left to challenge him at WrestleMania.
And then Kevin Owens’ music hits. The Kevin Owens Show has arrived on SmackDown. Owens challenges Joe at WrestleMania, for the WWE Championship. Maybe it’s just me, but that could be a really entertaining match to watch. I dare say it could potentially steal the show.
The other, also blue brand, scenario? AJ Styles wins the title back at Elimination Chamber. WWE has been, off and on, teasing a possible heel turn from The Phenomenal One. Perhaps we finally get that, and instead of Joe in the heel role, we get AJ Styles being challenged by Kevin Owens at WrestleMania. I think that match is similarly intriguing, and could also have the potential to steal the show.
If i were to keep Owens on RAW, I don’t think there’s as juicy a scenario for him to dive into. With Seth Rollins already booked to challenge Brock Lesnar in New Jersey, the Universal Title is off the table. Assuming WWE keeps the Intercontinental Championship on Bobby Lashley, there could be something to do there, however. This might be the angle, especially if WWE wants to consider even having Sami Zayn return as a babyface (assuming they return and are still on air best buds). This already has a backstory, considering WWE linked Zayn being written off TV, to an attack by a then newly turned heel Lashley.
Kevin Owens versus Bobby Lashley could be intriguing, especially with a title involved. I am biased to a point, of course, but I think moving Owens to SmackDown and challenge for the WWE Championship has more appeal.
WNZ readers, how would you book Kevin Owens upon his return?
