WWE
Thoughts From The Chubby Guy: Could Kevin Owens Be The *NEW* Guy?
Hello readers,
Greg Black here, and it has been AWHILE since I’ve written one of these TFTCGs. Sheesh, what has it been, like a year or two? Wow, and a lot has changed here, first and foremost, the website’s name, used to be “ThaSportsJunkies101.com”, but now? We’ve shortened the name down. But, as the title suggests, I am here to write about Kevin Owens, who was recently “injured” on Monday Night Raw.
Now, forgive me for playing favorites here, I have been a fan of Steen’s (for those who didn’t know, he wrestled under his real name “Kevin Steen” in the indies) work since the Indies. And while I wasn’t following his work the entire time he worked there; his work in Ring of Honor was what really caught my attention.
His rivalry with “El Generico” (Sami Zayn) was the stuff of legend, Steen’s rise to the World Championship division was meteoric. Owens’ match with Davey Richards for the ROH title (regardless of Richards’ opinion of it) was pretty damned entertaining. (Just to cover a small amount of it…)
Plus, watching Kevin Steen/Owens work in the indies (from what I did see) was a joy to behold. Steen/AJ Styles in House of Hardcore was incredibly good. Better than their first few WWE matchups, by and away.
So, now that I’ve finished with the proverbial “fanboying“, where does this take us? I know you’re asking that.
How can Kevin Owens be ‘The Man’? First, let’s talk about Roman…
Alright, so if you have been living under a rock, it’s quite obvious that the WWE is desperately trying to get their fans behind Roman Reigns. And the results? Well, they’re kind of mixed, and that is putting it gently. Fans have been giving Reigns the kind of treatment that John Cena earned over the early to mid-2000s. But, where Cena earned that from overexposure, well… Reigns kind of earned it only slightly because of it.
I’ve mentioned this in a previous article, which unfortunately has since been lost (but, I may have it in my documents, I’ll have to look). In that article, I compared Roman Reigns’ push into the spotlight to that of Hillary Clinton’s push in the Democratic Party’s center stage, and how both pushes were actually counterproductive to their initial stay in the public eye.
Man, I’ve really got to see if I have that in my documents, I would love for all of you to read it.
Anyway, the WWE Universe originally took to Reigns when he was the silent part of The Sheild. The muscular balance to Dean Ambrose‘s brawling and Seth Rollins‘ high-flying. And at the time of Daniel Bryan‘s run for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Reigns was the second choice for fans to get behind in the Rumble.
A Royal Rumble which saw Batista win outlast 29 other superstars, eliminating Reigns at the end.
Since dropping the ball with Reigns, the WWE has been trying and somewhat accomplishing getting Reigns over with the fans. Hell, if Brock Lesnar’s run with the Universal Title is any indication, it’s actually helped to cull the booing.
But, what does that all have to do with Owens?
Do you guys remember when Kevin Owens first won the Universal title? He was, and technically, still is a heel (until the WWE decides otherwise). But, when he won, that pop from the crowd was mind-bogglingly loud, especially for the fact that Owens was a heel when he won. When Owens won, it was because of interference, because Triple H turned on Rollins.
And during his run, Owens was constantly cheered by the Universe.
Then again, there are a lot of opinions in the WWE Universe, a lot of which gets on Vince McMahon’s nerves.
Beachballs, anyone?
And for someone who doesn’t physically fit the ideal look that McMahon likes to promote; you know the look, the “baby Arnold Swartzenegger from the 70s” physique, minus the pot smoking, Owens stands tall.
Kevin Owens has more of the “everyman” physique if you include chubby guys. And to some, that’s one of his biggest setbacks.
Owens has always been able to go, as a big man, he would astound fans with his agility. He was like that in the indies, and that hasn’t changed in the WWE.
One thing that can be said about Kevin Owens is that when you need someone that can go in that ring, He. Can. Go.
But, why does that make him potentially the *NEW* guy?
Another good question, and a good way to bring the opinion into focus. Kevin Owens has shown that he can not only sway the audience with his charisma but, can also keep them at the edge of their seats with his physicality. He makes it a point to give the audience 100% of himself whenever he goes out there.
And that’s not taking away from other talents that he shares the ring with, not in the least. But, he has shown that when it comes to entertaining the fans, he can hang with the best. He’s hung in there with the likes of a John Cena, of Triple H, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, and the like.
He’s no slouch, and he’ll show it night in and night out. And has done so for his tenure with the WWE. He did it with ROH, PWG, pretty much wherever he’s gone.
And if you think that Owens is done for, no, he isn’t. Last week, he was “taken out” by Bobby Lashley, in what many felt was a double-turn. With Lashley attacking Owens’ leg, Owens would be written off of TV to take care of a real injury to the same knee.
How to do it…
Giving Owens time to heal, which it was recently implied that he may need up to half a year to recover; now is the time to build Kevin Owens up as a face. The story already writes itself, with the Lashley attack, and his run of bad luck leading up to the injury. A smart man would look at that situation, and easily see him being left in his thoughts; spending time with his family and reevaluating his past actions.
With the right build-up, he could become this generation’s Steve Austin, the loveable anti-hero that everyone tunes in to watch. He can compel and command an audience with both his work rate and his promo skills. Owens can easily transition to that of an ambassador for the WWE while he is injured. He has the charisma to do it, and it’s obvious that the McMahons see that in him.
So they just have to pull the trigger to make it happen.
As we’ve seen, he has no issue pulling out the big bumps when it is necessary for it, but also knows when not to overdo it.
In my honest opinion, they have the next guy sitting there on their injured list. They just have to give the ball to him.
Then again, they also have several other talents that can be “The Guy”, but they just want Reigns to be that guy; heh, isn’t that something?
Anyhoo, that’s my take on Kevin Owens, a guy with great talent, great charisma, but has setbacks that kind of work against him.
Then again…
The WWE also learned their lesson in the early-90s and had to relearn that lesson in the 2000s; that lesson is that you don’t just want one guy to represent your entire brand. Because if they are the only face that is recognizable to fans outside your brand, if that guy gets injured, well…
It won’t be good. They’ve wised up to the game and built up several talents that they can attach their name, and brand too.
They aren’t called WWE “Superstars” for nothing…
And with that…
It’s time to close this off. KO is a hell of a talent, no doubt in my mind, and has a bright future with the company if he can stay healthy. With what he has done so far, he has Hall of Fame written all over him, and it’s still pretty early in his WWE tenure.
I wonder if Sami will be the one to induct him. Meh, time will tell. Thanks for reading, and remember to follow us on…
Social Media:
Follow us on Twitter: @T101Sports and @T101SportsWWE
And Follow me: @GregNecroBlack
Also, don’t forget that TSJ 101 Sports is now on YouTube: TSJ 101 Sports TV
I’m also on YouTube and can be found here: Gregory Black
Photo credit to Miguel Discart, via Flickr.
