We are currently witnessing a new era in the WWE, which is something that very well may save the show and its followers. Triple H’s little baby has begun to spread its wings and has injected a new life into a stale show. The idea of NXT has evolved into a brilliant science to develop wrestling stars with the inclusion of some past and familiar faces. I am honestly tired of people treating NXT as a different brand or its own separate entity. It’s all a part of the WWE and will continue to build into the foundation of its future.
One of its brightest stars, WWE NXT Champion Kevin Owens, has made a huge impact since he arrived in on the scene. In 2011, there had been stories circulating around the internet world about a wrestler named Kevin Steen from the Ring of Honor organization who was cutting some of the best promos in wrestling and was gaining a huge following as an anti-authority figure. While watching Steen’s character grow inside of ROH, the average wrestling fan knew it was only a matter of time before his opportunity would present itself within the WWE. Kevin Steen became Kevin Owens when he made his WWE debut at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, which was arguably the most electrifying show of 2014.
There were still many questions that surrounded the up and coming superstar that needed to be answered. How would his style fit into the ring? Would he continue to own the gimmick of standing up to authority or would his whole makeup be changed? Who would he rival on the main roster? Some of these questions were answered when he debuted on Monday Night Raw during John Cena’s US Title Open Challenge and ended up delivering a pop-up powerbomb to the WWE’s most heralded player. Not since The Shield debuted by tossing Ryback through the announce table at Survivor Series 2012 has someone made this kind of impact. Standing face-to-face with the promotion’s biggest star before laying Cena out and stomping on his United States Championship says that WWE sees big things in Owens’ future.
There has been plenty of speculation around the industry that Owens has major supporters in big positions within the WWE. While he may not look like the prototypical athlete, he has everything the company wants in a top guy, and perhaps most importantly, it appears that he has the backing of Triple H. There have been whispers that Owens, Zayn, Neville, Finn Balor, and Hideo Itami all represent Triple H’s master blueprint that he looks to carry the WWE for many years to come.
This brings us to The Elimination Chamber PPV, which is basically another effort for the WWE to gain more subscribers to its network. As much as I was excited to see the chamber come back, the lackluster effort of how it was put together left me wondering how interesting it really would be. R-Truth, why? It almost has the same enthusiasm as the skimmed down version of the King of the Ring. These are 2 prestigious PPV’s that have been gutted and renewed for reason still unknown. Obviously, this is just my opinion. Anyone else agree?
This is why Owens was catapulted to the main show instead of waiting until SummerSlam as originally thought. The idea is that Owens is helping to build NXT while working with Cena, but he is also bringing a lifeline to a show that is desperately seeking a new direction. We already know he will be working with Samoa Joe after the PPV. The question is, Will he drop the title to Joe, or any other NXT superstar for that matter, as a way to establish his permanent role within the main roster? The question is not if, it’s when and who.
Owens could very well be the company’s next megastar. He’s everything that wrestling fans love. He’s a burly guy who can do things that cruiserweights can do. On top of that, he can arguably cut the best promo in wrestling at the moment (aside from Paul Heyman of course). I am sure he will have his haters, but Owens can do it all. We’re currently in the midst of a new era in WWE, and it’s one that we have been waiting to see for a long time. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Kevin Owens!
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