WWE fans can expect to see more of their favorite Superstars on both Raw and SmackDown as the brand split is considered to be finished.
In 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split, five years after merging Raw and Smackdown’s rosters into one collective.
According to Bryan Alverez who spoke on Wrestling Observer Live, WWE is doing away with the brand split, and fans can see more Superstars appear on both brands.
“They haven’t officially said anything, but the brand extension is essentially done. Half of the Raw crew is going to be on SmackDown Friday. Cody’s going to be there, I think Seth is going to be there. They’re just going to do whatever.”
Bryan Alvarez
Andrew Zarian followed up on this, saying that a WWE source told him that while the company doesn’t plan on officially announcing the end of the brand split, there will be far more crossover going forward.
Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens have all been advertised for this Friday’s SmackDown though it’s unclear if they’ll appear on the broadcast.
In addition to this trio, Roman Reigns is also able to appear on both Raw and SmackDown due to his place as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
The Usos are also able to appear on both Raw and SmackDown after unifying both brands’ tag team titles following their win over RK-Bro last week.
Kevin Owens attended MegaCon in Orlando this past weekend. He was in attendance for a fan signing. Also appearing during the festivities was a former WWE Universal Champion.
That person was none other than Adam Scherr, formerly known as Braun Strowman in WWE.
Here’s an image of Kevin Owens and Scherr sharing a fun moment when they ran into each other. The pic is courtesy of Reddit user CenturionElite.
Great reunion photo of Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman.
Back in 2018, Owens and Scherr had a feud on WWE TV. At one point, Scherr tipped over a portable toilet with KO still in it. The aftermath wasn’t pretty.
Scherr was released by WWE back in June 2021. Budget cuts were used as a reason for his walking papers.
Owens has remained on the WWE roster and even headlined night one of WrestleMania 38 against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the May 9 episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes challenged Theory for the WWE United States Championship. During the match, Jimmy Smith mentioned that Cody may have had ring rust since he hadn’t been in WWE in six years.
Corey Graves was quick to correct the comment and while he didn’t mention AEW, he did say that Cody has been active over the years.
KO wasn’t about to let Jimmy forget that line on the May 16 episode of Raw. Owens was a guest commentator during a match between Ezekiel and Chad Gable.
Owens had the following zinger for Jimmy:
“Just like you said Cody Rhodes hadn’t wrestled in six years. That was ridiculous, too. Thankfully, Corey was here to put you in your place.”
For the most part, Jimmy has settled in nicely with his role as the play-by-play commentator on Raw. If anything, he’s been far better than Adnan Virk but Jimmy was more of an MMA guy than a wrestling aficionado.
This likely caused the slip up unless he was told by someone in the “Gorilla Position” to say the line and he ended up getting roasted for it anyway.
Kevin Owens doesn’t think he’d be where he’s at in his professional wrestling career without Triple H.
Owens was recently interviewed by TalkSport, and during the conversation, touched on “The Game’s” impact on his career. “KO” had nothing but praise for Triple H, saying he’s all about growing the industry and giving people a chance.
“I wouldn’t be here without him That’s all that comes to it. When you say full stop, that really is it. Nobody has done more for me than Triple H in my career.
“There was always this reputation about him, right? I always thought he was really good at what he did and to me, he always elevated the shows he was on and the people he was working with so I never really got that vibe of the reputation.
“I wasn’t surprised when I met him that he was a guy who was all about growing the industry and giving people a chance.
“He proved my assumptions right many times over the past few years and a lot of us – a lot of us – wouldn’t be here without him.”
Triple H was a big part of Owen’s first World Championship victory storyline. In August of 2016, Triple H turned on Seth Rollins to assist Kevin Owens in winning the Universal Championship.
It was Owens’ first World Title victory in WWE. Since, Owens has gone on to do a tremendous amount under the WWE banner. He’s a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a three-time United States Champion, and, as aforementioned, an ex-WWE Universal Champion.
Owens was also one-half of one of the most iconic segments in WrestleMania history. At WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas, Owens welcomed WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin back to the ring.
“KO” and Austin competed in a No Holds Barred match to close out Night One of “The Show Of Shows.” The pair put on an extremely entertaining segment on “The KO Show,” which led to Owens challenging Austin to a match.
MJF has been the talk of the town and in 2024, he’ll be the biggest story in wrestling.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a top heel in AEW and even though he’s a star now, the 26-year-old hasn’t even scratched the surface. Many see Plainview’s finest as a major player in the industry for years to come.
While AEW has its golden goose for now, things could change in 2024. That’s when MJF’s contract with the company will expire. Reports have claimed that MJF is a bit unhappy with Tony Khan after a chat regarding taking media interviews without permission.
While that ultimately could turn out to be nothing, Maxwell has teased testing the market both on and off-air. It’s left many wondering if MJF will be making the big jump to WWE.
If he does, here are five WWE superstars who would be perfect opponents for him:
The Miz
(via WWE)
You knew this was coming, so might as well get it out of the way now. If WWE signs MJF, he’s bound to have a program with The Miz. Wrestling fans have long made comparisons between the two.
It makes sense. After all, both characters have a sense of entitlement, enjoy the finer things in life, and think they’re better than everyone else.
Heck, CM Punk even referred to MJF as a “less famous Miz” during their AEW feud.
MJF and The Miz have actually exchanged pleasantries. Back in late 2021, Maxwell appeared on SiriusXM’s Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha and he expressed his belief that Miz is “tremendous” as a performer.
Miz returned the favor, telling Peter Rosenberg that MJF is no copycat. Miz also said he feels MJF has done a great job in a short period of time.
Kevin Owens
(via WWE)
When you think of Kevin Owens, you don’t think of the prototypical WWE superstar.
KO is so good that he ended up being a Swiss army knife for Vince McMahon’s empire. You can put Owens in any role and he’s going to succeed.
For a feud with MJF to work, however, there’s no doubt that Owens will have to play the babyface role. Maxwell would thrive in this situation being the snotty, rich brat running down the hardworking Owens who was never meant to grace the cover of GQ Magazine.
As a heel, Owens has a way of making the audience hate him. As a face, he’ll make the WWE Universe love him. He’d be the perfect good guy in this feud.
This would be a home run.
John Cena
(via WWE)
This one is a bit tougher to pull off since John Cena is a busy man these days with Hollywood.
With that said, this would be a fantastic rivalry.
When you think back to Cena’s feuds with the likes of AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, and others, he always brought straight heat on the mic. He and MJF would have some memorable verbal battles and the match would also likely deliver.
As he proved during his rivalry with Styles, Cena does a great job handling programs with stars who had been established in another promotion. He knows how to hit close to home with his words and sell the audience on the significance of the match.
If MJF ends up in WWE and Cena’s schedule allows for it, this match is a must.
Roman Reigns
Photo: WWE.com
Roman Reigns is easily the top star in WWE today.
Ever since transitioning to his “Tribal Chief” character, his stock has soared. Reigns has been such a dominant force that he’s running out of legit contenders on TV.
If MJF enters WWE and feuds with Reigns, fans will get the added bonus of witnessing Maxwell and Paul Heyman go at it on the mic. Much like Cena, Heyman knows how to make things more personal and he’d likely do the same for an MJF-Reigns storyline.
The idea behind Reigns’ character is that he thinks he’s in “God Mode.” All of the opposition are supposed to fear him but MJF is quick-witted and would greatly challenge the “Head of the Table” in promo battles.
The question is, will Roman Reigns be around in 2024 if MJF makes the jump?
Reigns has signed a new deal to take fewer dates and some question whether or not he’ll be on his way out of WWE sooner rather than later should Hollywood come calling.
Cody Rhodes
This one is a no-brainer.
There is simply too much history between MJF and Cody Rhodes to ignore. The two had been booked as best friends on AEW TV until Maxwell turned on Cody by booting him in the nether regions.
The two ultimately collided at the AEW Revolution PPV back in Feb. 2020. MJF emerged victorious, putting an end to their rivalry although it definitely felt like there was some unfinished business that would be addressed after some time passed.
Cody made the shocking jump to WWE at WrestleMania 38 back in April. For WWE to book a high-profile feud with two of AEW’s golden boys would probably be a huge feather in the cap of company officials.
There’s no doubt Cody would push for this to happen if WWE snags MJF and he’d likely get his wish.
When Kevin Owens first joined WWE, he knew right away he did not want to end up like Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler has accomplished quite a bit under the WWE’s banner; including two World Heavyweight Title wins, six Intercontinental Title runs, two United States Title victories, a Money In The Bank ladder match win, and so much more. However, despite all his accolades, Ziggler, along with many others, believe he was underutilized.
Upon joining WWE in 2014, Owens spotted how frustrated Ziggler was with his position in the company, and knew immediately he did not want to end up in the same boat. “KO” explained during a recent interview with Corey Graves on “WWE After The Bell.”
“He’s a guy I respect a ton, and I don’t think I’ve ever told him this but he’s one of the guys that I would look at and be like, ‘I don’t want to be like Dolph,’” Owens said. “In the sense that he’s so good and I would see him so frustrated because he’s so good and he feels like he should be doing more, and he was right.
“I remember thinking, man, I don’t want to be like that. This was when I was first [in WWE] in 2014-15, I was like, I don’t want to be like that, I want to come to work and I don’t want to be frustrated all the time.
Owens went on to explain that he’s not a fan of the “you’re in the wrong business” line, finding it too cliche. Instead, he believes some people just have different perspectives, and with enough hard work and persistence, it will all pay off. It certainly did for Ziggler, who found himself winning the NXT Championship not too long ago.
“But guess what, when you’re passionate and hungry and know you’re good, which is what he is, it’s inevitable. It’s going to happen to everybody.
“If you don’t go through that at one point, I’m not going to say you’re in the wrong business because that’s cliche and I don’t believe that, maybe you just have a different perspective, but the hunger to do more and to be able to contribute to the show as much as you think you should or could, that’s normal.
“But it’s important to eventually find that perspective to enjoy it because that’s my thing. I was like, man, Dolph never really seems to enjoy himself. And then that shifted, I’ve seen him now completely differently.”
Ziggler eventually dropped the NXT Championship the night after WrestleMania 38 on Monday Night RAW. He hasn’t wrestled a match on TV since. As for Owens, he’s coming hot off an epic No Holds Barred match with WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania.
Owens welcomed Austin back to the ring for the first time in over 19 years. Now, after suffering a loss to “The Texas Rattlesnake,” Kevin Owens is in the midst of a program with Elias’ new persona, Ezekiel.
The celebrity match at WrestleMania 38 between Sami Zayn and Johnny Knoxville worked out so well that even Kevin Owens wants in on the fun.
Earlier this month in Dallas, Knoxville topped Zayn in a No Disqualification match at “The Showcase Of The Immortals,” and it actually ended up being one of the more entertaining matches of the entire weekend. That wasn’t the only celebrity performance from WrestleMania that weekend. Logan Paul also stepped into the ring, teaming up with The Miz to defeat Rey and Dominik Mysterio in tag team action.
Paul actually greatly impressed the professional wrestling community with his performance throughout the bout. During an appearance on Corey Graves’ “WWE After The Bell” podcast, Kevin Owens discussed the possibility of participating in a celebrity match of his own.
Owens named his favorite actor, Matthew McConaughey, as his desired celebrity opponent. “KO” said he saw McConaughey backstage at a WWE event once, and got the feeling that he’s the kind of guy that would want to step into the squared circle and do things the right way.
“I did interviews before WrestleMania and people were asking me ‘if you could pick a celebrity to have a match with, like Sami’s doing this weekend, who would it be?’ He’s my favorite actor, which happens to be a coincidence but a few years ago Matthew McConaughey came to a show and he was backstage.
“I didn’t get to meet him because there was a lineup of people waiting to talk to him so I didn’t get to see him. I remember not long after that he talked about how he’d love to do something in WWE. I don’t know him, I don’t know him at all but to me he seems like the kind of guy who would be coming in to do it right and have a blast. People like that to me are welcome in our industry any time.”
While Owens would love to wrestle a celebrity, he certainly had the experience of a lifetime in his own WrestleMania match this year, welcoming WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin back to the ring for the first time in over 19 years.
Owens and Austin battled it out in a No Holds Barred match to close out Night One. However, when it was all said and done, “The Texas Rattlesnake” left Texas victorious with a stunner.
Kevin Owens got the opportunity of a lifetime at WrestleMania 38 earlier this month.
Owens headlined Night One of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas against WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. The match was Austin’s first-ever match since retiring after WrestleMania 19 in Seattle over 19 years ago. Initially, the match was advertised as a special “KO Show” segment. Instead, Owens ended up challenging Austin to a No Holds Barred match on the spot – which Austin accepted.
The pair battled all over the arena before Austin ultimately pulled out the win with a stunner. It was an incredibly nostalgic way to end the first night of “The Showcase Of The Immortals.” Recently, Owens was interviewed by Metro News and discussed his reaction to finding out about the match in Vince McMahon’s office.
Owens admitted he dropped a few expletives in front of the boss when he first heard the news.
“Vince told me a little while ago. My reaction was quiet jubilation because I was in Vince’s office, but I may have said a few swear words to him – positively [swearing]! It was really surreal,” Owens said.
“It’s funny, ’cause I was a fan of his from the start. He came in as the Ringmaster, and even he would probably say it wasn’t a great time in his career. I loved him as The Ringmaster! And then he became Stone Cold and he was on another level.
“KO” added that he understands there are a ton of other Superstars that WWE and Austin could’ve chosen for this opportunity, and he’s honored to have been selected.
“To get to be the one to do it, there’s a lot of very talented and competent WWE superstars out there. For me to be the one in this situation, it’s a huge honor and I don’t take it lightly.”
While Owens’ feud with Austin seems to have come to an end, the former WWE Universal Champion is now locked in a feud with Ezekiel, who he is likely to go one-on-one with at WrestleMania Backlash.
Kevin Owens can’t turn to his own friend Sami Zayn when it comes to his conspiracy theory on Ezekiel.
Ezekiel has only been around for two weeks and he’s already been a thorn in the side of Owens. On the April 4 episode of WWE Raw, Owens ranted about how he went into his WrestleMania 38 match with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin injured.
This prompted Ezekiel to hit the ring. Kevin Owens claimed that the new upcoming star is actually Elias. Ezekiel insisted that Owens was mistaken and that he is actually Elias’ brother.
Kevin Owens Gets No Help From Sami Zayn
While Owens is convinced that Ezekiel is actually Elias, he hasn’t exactly done a good job of convincing others. He couldn’t convince Tommaso Ciampa during the April 11 episode of Raw and he can’t even convince Sami Zayn.
“There’s leaves growing out of his GD arm! Think!!!”
Owens has been calling for Ezekiel to take a lie detector test on the April 18 episode of Raw. It’s quite the extreme measure from KO. After all, Ezekiel does have some pretty damning evidence that he’s telling the truth.
Kevin Owens is undoubtably one of WWE’s biggest stars. So much so that the company made it clear they wanted to keep KO around by re-signing him to a new contract recently. Also, Owens got the opportunity of a lifetime at WrestleMania 38 this past weekend, serving as WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin’s first opponent back inside the ring in over 19 years.
Of course, Owens lost to Austin in front of the Dallas, Texas crowd, but it was a great WrestleMania moment that will live on in infamy. While Owens is still very much in the prime of his professional wrestling career, he does think about what’s next for him once he makes the decision to walk away from the squared circle once and for all.
Speaking to MackMania recently, Owens admitted he has an interest in doing commentary or working backstage after his time in the ring comes to a close.
“Once I’m not in the ring actively anymore, I really think I’ll just hopefully have a role backstage somehow. Or even maybe do commentary,” Owens said (via Wrestling Inc.). “Those are all things I really enjoy. So, I don’t see myself going anywhere. And hopefully, I can help, you know, people that are here now. And people that are here in the future like, like others that are helping me now, you know?”
Now that Owens’ program with Steve Austin has come to a close it will be interesting to see what WWE has planned for him next. He was part of a segment on Monday Night RAW this week that helped re-introduce Elias to the WWE Universe, however, with a complete gimmick change, and the new name of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel claims to be Elias’ brother, and has taken over all of Elias’ social media accounts as well. Perhaps Kevin Owens and Ezekiel could be working against each other in the coming weeks.
Kevin Owens has spoken out on Triple H’s retirement.
HHH revealed to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that he has a defibrillator in his chest due to heart failure. As a result, he has officially retired from in-ring action.
Owens grew close to HHH during his time in NXT. The bond followed him all the way to the main roster when Triple H handed KO the WWE Universal Championship back in 2016.
Kevin Owens Wanted To Wrestle Triple H
Appearing on The Ringer‘s MackMania podcast, Kevin Owens lauded Triple H for doing so much for him in his career and revealed he wanted to wrestle “The Game.”
“Obviously, it sucks that he didn’t get to retire in the ring the way he should have but he’s obviously making the best decision for himself and his family. So, nobody can — that’s not a bad thing, that’s a good thing. I selfishly — he’s done more for me than anyone’s ever done in my career.
“I can say that safely and I always wanted to get in the ring with him. I always wanted to wrestle him. I got to team with him a few times, which was awesome. Never got to be on the opposite side of the ring and now I know I won’t get to.
“Honestly, people would ask me a lot about, ‘Well, who would you like to face at WrestleMania?’ My answers were always, I’d love to have a singles match with Sami Zayn, that happened last year. I’d love to be in the ring with Finn Balor at WrestleMania because next to Sami he’s the guy I’m the closest with, so I’d love to share that experience with him.
“And then obviously, I never thought it would be remotely possible but being in the ring with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania is incredible. Besides those three answers, if I could’ve had a dream WrestleMania match it would’ve been with Triple H.”
Please H/T SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.
Young Bucks React to KO Using Their Pose After RAW
As noted, Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes went one-on-one in a dark match following last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW as it went off-air. The match began with a handshake and hug between Owens and Rhodes, but it was “The American Nightmare” who emerged victorious when it was all said and done. Even The Rock’s mother, Ata Johnson, got involved in the match at one point.
However, another interesting spot saw Owens taunt Rhodes while he was down on the mat, using All Elite Wrestling (AEW) stars, The Young Buck’s, signature pose. As a result, The Young Bucks updated their official Twitter page, placing “Whaddup Kev” in their bio. Check out the pose, and a screenshot from the Bucks’ bio, below.
Kevin Owens has also responded, updating his own bio:
New Match Added to Tonight’s NXT
A new match has been announced for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT, which will also feature fallout from Stand & Deliver. WWE has announced that Nikkita Lyons vs. Lash Legend will take place on the program.
It has also been confirmed that New NXT North American Champion Cameron Grimes will speak on the show. Grimes won the title at Stand & Deliver in a Ladder match this past weekend against Grayson Waller, Solo Sikoa, Santos Escobar and Carmelo Hayes.
Check out the updated lineup for tonight’s show below:
New NXT Champion Bron Breakker returns following title win on RAW
Tony D’Angelo and AJ Galante continue Stand & Deliver celebration
New NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez vs. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne
New NXT North American Champion Cameron Grimes speaks out
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin stepped back into the ring for one more time with Kevin Owens as the former Universal Champion’s guest on his KO Show at WrestleMania 38.
After Owens cut a short promo about the pathetic state of Texas, Austin came out in a t-shirt, shorts, and knee braces. Austin questioned Owens wanting to have a conversation after talking trash and looking like a jackass. Owens wondered why Austin never moved from Texas. Owens lied about wanting Austin on his show and he tricked him because he wants a fight. Owens challenged him to a no holds barred match. Austin said he had his first match in Dallas and he could have his last match in Dallas.
A referee came out. Austin put the boots to him and hit a clothesline before Austin was sent into the ring post. Owens with a suplex on the concrete floor. Austin drove Owens up the stage on the ATV and they brawled. Owens hit a stunner for 2. The finish saw Owens miss a chair shot and it hit him in the face after bouncing off the top rope. Austin with the stunner for the win.
It was first reported in February that WWE had made a significant overture towards the Hall Of Famer for an in-ring return in his home state of Texas. Austin, one of the biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business, has not wrestled in 19 years as he decided to retire due to neck problems. That match came against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Over the years, Austin had shot down any past rumor that he would be willing to come back.
Owens had been talking trash about the state of Texas for months leading up to the event until March 7th when he cut an in-ring promo about the WWE Hall Of Famer and how he was a broken-down man and a shell of his former self. Austin later accepted Owens’ invite to appear on the show in a promo filmed out in the desert that was praised by many where he promised to open up one last can of whoop-ass.
What are your thoughts on Austin’s return? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Kevin Owens thinks it’ll be hard for him to top what he will be doing at WrestleMania 38.
Owens is set to have “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as a guest on The KO Show. The two won’t be exchanging pleasantries. It’s been said that this segment will be a “fight sequence.” The fracas will go down on night one (April 2) of WrestleMania 38.
Kevin Owens’ Biggest Moment
During an interview with Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Kevin Owens said that out of all of his career highlights past, present, and even future, nothing will top his segment with Austin.
“Well, it’s the biggest thing I’ll ever do in my career, I think, because of obviously who it’s with. I think I have plenty of left in my career afterwards, but as far as the magnitude of the moment, I’m in there with Stone Cold, Steve Austin at WrestleMania.
“It’s going to be hard to top that one. I’m really trying to take as much time as I can to enjoy it because that’s something I haven’t been great at before, because I was always worried about what’s next, trying to get bigger, trying to get further.
“A lot of moments in my WWE career that I’ve accomplished are lost on me because I wasn’t able to enjoy them in the moment. I’m really trying to make sure I don’t make that mistake this weekend.”
SEScoops will be providing coverage throughout WrestleMania weekend. Be sure to join us on both nights for results and video highlights.
Kevin Owens has shared when he found out that he’ll be working with Stone Cold Steve Austin for Wrestlemania 38 on Apr 2.
Since the Feb. 7 episode of Monday Night Raw, WWE and Owens had begun their tease for a confrontation with Austin. During the show, Owens made it a point to talk about Texas in his promos. Fightful Select reported on Feb. 14 that WWE made a “significant overture” for the WWE Hall of Famer to have a match at Wrestlemania 38. Owens has now confirmed that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon told him about the plans in January.
In an interview with TVA Sports’ Patrick LaPrade, Owens shared how he found out he’d be having a feud with Austin. LaPrade transcribed the following quotes.
“Usually, in November, I start asking questions to try to find ideas and see if they have ideas,” said Owens. He explained, “But this year, I took a different approach. I had just signed my contract, I had my history with Seth Rollins, so I thought to myself that I was in a good position.”
Owens say she was “super happy” when he learned that he’d be working with the one and only Stone Cold Steve Austin at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
“So, I started asking questions in January, and when I spoke to Vince, he was the one who told me that his plan was to bring Austin back for a night and that would be with me. I was super happy. When it’s not 100% announced, things can always change. But one week before the event, I fully realize it, and I can’t wait.”
Will Kevin Owens and Stone Cold Have a Match?
It has remained unclear whether Owens and Austin will have a match at Wrestlemania 38. The company wanted a match, but it’s unclear if Austin agreed to wrestle. WWE has promoted Owen and Austin’s confrontation as a segment on Wrestlemania 38: Night One. However, that could also change the day of the event.
Austin and Owens’s promo also points out that it could just be a fight. The active WWE superstar pointed out on the recent Raw episode that he would harm Austin if he felt he disrespected him. It seems that an actual match between the two may not happen.
If Austin were to have a match on Apr. 2, it would be his first match at Wrestlemania in 19 years. While Owens is excited to be in a program with the “Texas Rattlesnake,” a segment may disappoint wrestling fans. Although Austin’s return in front of a live WWE crowd could make a great Wrestlemania moment.
It was revealed back in December that Kevin Owens had re-signed with WWE, a move that surprised some at the time.
After winning the WWE Universal Championship and feuding with John Cena early in his WWE career, Owens slid down the card and hadn’t received the same kind of push since. He seemed like a prime candidate for a change of scenery and a move to AEW.
Then he re-signed with WWE for a lot of money, and now Owens finds himself in a WrestleMania program with none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. It’s hard to fault him for his decision.
In an interview with ESPN, Owens explained how, ultimately, it was Vince McMahon who convinced him to stay with WWE.
“A big part of it, honestly, was that Vince McMahon made it pretty clear to me that he wanted me to stay,” Owens said. “And, you know, I’ve been in WWE for seven years at this point. You know, I have a lot of friends everywhere else in wrestling, but there is a whole side of WWE that people don’t get to see, whether it’s the production crew, you know, the camera people, the stage manager, the creative team, all these people.
“They’re all very special people and you know, they’re a part of my family. My extended family now. My professional family, if you want to call it that. So that, those were all factors that, that, that led to me, you know, staying put, because Vince made it clear he wanted me to stay. It feels like my home and all those other people there that, you know, if I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t get to see anymore and that was just like, you know, it just seemed like the right move. That’s really all there is to it.”
“Vince made it clear he wanted me to stay.”
Kevin Owens
Despite some comments made by Ronda Rousey during an appearance on Ellen on Tuesday, reports continue to indicate that Kevin Owens and Steve Austin will main event night one of WrestleMania 38 this weekend.
Be sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. This week’s show features a full preview and predictions for WrestleMania 38: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Kevin Owens has a very special moment coming up at WrestleMania 38 as he steps in the ring with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It happened when after weeks of disrespecting the “Texas Rattlesnake”, Owens invited him to be a special guest on the KO Show at the Grandest Stage Of Them All.
To further taunt Stone Cold, Owens impersonated him on the March 21st episode of Raw by wearing his signature attire and bald cap. Owens recently appeared on ESPN’s DC & RC, where he said that he loves to piss off Stone Cold fans with his impersonations.
“You know, it’s really funny because that’s really not the kind of stuff I’m used to doing. Like that’s happened before right, where one of the wrestlers would dress up as someone else, one of their rivals, whatever. Like, The Miz did it a few years ago, DX have done it, a couple of people have done it and done it pretty well but it felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone a little. I figured that was the most impactful thing I could do going into this match or this confrontation, whatever you wanna call it and it ended up being a lot of fun. I think I pissed a lot of people off which was delightful.”
Kevin Owens was also asked how does it feel to be imitating Stone Cold as one of his biggest fans. He was also asked if he ever thought it would lead to him facing his idol when he started doing the Stunner and what makes him ready to face his icon.
“Yeah, it’s really unreal to find myself in this position. But what’s funny is, I gotta tell you when I first asked him if I could use the Stunner as my finishing move and he gave me a blessing, it meant a lot to me personally and professionally coming from him, Owens said. “I looked up to him for the longest time. But I did figure that, if at some point, he was to come back, the logic would be that he’d be involved with the guy that’s doing the Stunner. I think I played the long game here a little bit and it worked out in my favor. “
As Stone Cold Steve Austin prepares to return to the WWE scene this weekend at WrestleMania 38, it looks like he’s going to get the brightest lights of all on Saturday night.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the KO Show featuring Austin will headline night one of WrestleMania this weekend. Many had assumed the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey would close the show.
Last year, Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks headlined one night, so it was assumed that a women’s match would also headline one of the nights this year. However, that does not appear to be the plan as of right now.
In addition to Meltzer’s report, a Reddit user who has broken several wrestling stories in the past has also confirmed that Owens/Austin is the plan for the main event slot during night one. That user indicates that Belair vs. Becky Lynch will open night one.
During tonight’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW, Owens commented on his segment with Austin this weekend. He said that if Austin tried anything out of the ordinary with him, Owens vowed to stun him and pour beer on his body.
Night two of WrestleMania 38 will be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. Here are the cards for both nights of WrestleMania as it stands right now:
Night One
WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair
The Miz and Logan Paul vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio
Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match The Usos (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
Seth Rollins vs. An Opponent of Vince McMahon’s Choosing
KO Show Featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin
Night Two
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match Queen Zelina and Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan vs. Natalya and Shayna Baszler
Anything Goes Match Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn
Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory
WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match RK-Bro (c) vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy
Edge vs. AJ Styles
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
WWE Championship vs. WWE Universal Championship – Winner Take All Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (c)
As you prepare for WrestleMania, be sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
WWE RAW Superstar Kevin Owens was reportedly set for an in-ring promo during this week’s episode of SmackDown, but it was pulled.
Fightful Select recently reported that Owens was listed internally as having an in-ring promo on the show, but a video package ran instead.
They noted: “Kevin Owens was listed for an in-ring promo internally, but a video package ran instead. It was to be produced by Jason Jordan.”
The video package that would end up airing showed Owens challenging Stone Cold Steve Austin to confront him at WrestleMania 38.
Austin would of course accept the challenge, and The Rattlesnake is now set to appear on the show.
Kevin Owens WWE SmackDown
What Stone Cold will eventually end up doing remains to be seen, but we will see the Hall of Famer at the show.
It is not currently known why WWE opted to remove Owens from appearing live on the show, but the video package sold the story of the confrontation well enough anyway.
It is also not known if we’ll see Steve Austin on RAW or SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 38. It’s likely however that WWE will opt to keep the former WWE Champion off-screen until he appears in Dallas, Texas.
Steve Austin will not be wrestling a sanctioned wrestling match at WrestleMania 38. Plans for his physical involvement are being described as a “fight sequence.”
After weeks of speculation, WWE finally kicked the Steve Austin & Kevin Owens program into high gear this week. Owens called out Austin at the conclusion of Monday’s Raw. He ran down the state of Texas once again and invited the Texas Rattlesnake to be his guest on a special WrestleMania-edition of the KO Show.
Austin accepted Owens’ invitation in a pre-recorded video promo. Austin delivered a promo that shows he hasn’t lost a step when it comes to opening up a can of verbal whoop-ass. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer shed some light on what Steve Austin will do at WrestleMania.
Austin has reportedly agreed to do a “fight sequence” at WrestleMania, indicating his physical involvement will be more than just a stunner or two. Austin has been working on his cardio conditioning and knows fans will have high expectations for his “first physical confrontation in 19 years.”
Jim Ross on Steve Austin’s Return
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross commented on Steve Austin’s return on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast.
“He and I have talked,” said Ross, “but at the time we talked, he didn’t know what he was going to do and he didn’t sound overwhelmingly enthusiastic about it.”
JR says Steve Austin is a perfectionist. He keeps himself in good physical condition. He can still cut a great promo and he can do a photoshoot looking like the Stone Cold fans remember.
Austin has turned down multiple offers to return over the past 19 years. If he were to agree to one more match, Ross feels that Austin would want at least 6 months to train and get himself into the shape he’d be satisfied with.
Stone Cold Steve Austin has accepted Kevin Owens’ invitation to be his guest on the KO Show at WrestleMania 38.
At the conclusion of this week’s WWE Raw, Owens came out and cut a promo about wanting to have the biggest KO Show at WrestleMania. Since WrestleMania 38 takes place from Texas, he wants a low-life Texan to be his guest.
Owens said no thanks to JBL, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels. He said he has the perfect guest in mind. Someone who is a broken shell of himself and just drinking beer all day.
He knocked this person for having bad knees and wearing braces. He asked if this person would need a walker to get out of the ring. He said that he would like to give this person a Stunner people would talk about for years and pour beer on him. He said that he doesn’t think he has the guts to show up.
Of course, Owens said he was talking about Stone Cold Steve Austin. He officially called out the Texas Rattlesnake to show up at WrestleMania.
With WrestleMania 38 taking place from Arlington, TX, it was a foregone conclusion that Stone Cold would be at WrestleMania in one capacity or another.
Back in February, news broke (via Fightful) that WWE had made a “significant overture” towards Austin to come out of retirement at WrestleMania. This seemed like a long shot, and thus far it does not look like Austin will be wrestling a sanctioned match. Instead, this will be a talking segment that will almost certainly lead to Austin exacting revenge on Owens.
On Tuesday afternoon, Steve Austin accepted Kevin Owens’ invitation.
“19 years ago, I wrestled my last match in a WWE ring,” said Austin. “After three Rock Bottoms, 1-2-3, I lost the match. And for 19 years, I’ve had to live with that defeat, knowing my time was up. Kevin Owens, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for waking something up inside me that I’ve kept buried for 19 years. Ever since you started running that mealy mouth of yours, talking about the state of Texas, the great state of Texas, you got my attention. And why would you want to do that, Kevin?”
“I can think of two reasons. One, you are one dumb son of a bitch. Two, you are fixing to get your ass kicked by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Whether you want to call this the KO Show, a match, a fight, a brawl, whatever. I will guarantee you this. In Dallas, TX, where I started my career, at WrestleMania, Stone Cold Steve Austin is gonna open up one last can of whoop ass on you, Kevin Owens. And that’s the bottom line ’cause Stone Cold Said so!”
Watch Steve Austin respond to Kevin Owens’ WrestleMania challenge:
Kevin Owens got the opportunity of a lifetime when he faced Edge last year. This cage match took place during the traditional post-Christmas Madison Square Garden Live Event on December 26. According to Owens himself, it was a match he will look back upon very fondly for a long time.
The former Universal champion talked about this during his interview with Ryan Satin on Out Of Character. Kevin revealed that he only got two days’ notice to prepare for the bout. He claimed that he certainly hopes to get a rematch with the Rated R Superstar, but even if he doesn’t, he will still look back at the MSG match very fondly:
“Man, that was awesome. We had two days’ notice. I found out on Christmas Eve, that that’s what was gonna happen. That was a real thrill. We’ve been talking about wrestling each other for so long since he came back. Who knows if we’ll get to do it again. I certainly hope we will get to do it again. But even if we don’t, main event of MSG in a cage and we rocked it, it was a lot of fun. Great times. [It’s] something I [would] look back on very fondly for a very long time for sure.”
Kevin Owens Got Emotional During Edge’s Retirement
The match was even more special for Kevin Owens because, at one point, he thought he will never get to wrestle Edge after his retirement in 2011. Owens has said that Edge’s return was one of the top 5 wrestling moments for him. During the talk, he recalled both, the time Edge retired, and then when he made his triumphant return during the 2020 Royal Rumble:
“I remember sitting on my couch watching him retire thinking it’s so awful it’s happening to him. I felt for him so much. Not just that but at the time I was so so hungry to get to WWE and get to wrestle so many of these guys, and he was just being taken off the list. So, to get to go back and then to get to move forward in the future and now get to [not only] wrestle him but just seeing him return was an unreal moment. I am so happy I was there for that.”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
It was reported in December that Owens had signed a new multi-year contract with WWE as his previous contract was set to expire at the end of January. The deal is reportedly for three years and in the range of $2-3 million per year.
Owens was asked whether re-signing was a fairly easy decision to make. “I mean, WWE really didn’t let me think about it much in terms of — they made it clear they wanted me to stay.”
Owens then opened up on having the contract talks directly with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
“No,” Owens said. “Vince McMahon, I dealt with Vince directly and he made it clear he wanted me to stay, and we made an agreement right then and there. It wasn’t — I’m a big believer in…my career is going to go the way it goes and I’m going to do my best with it. I’m there now for a couple more years and I’m going to do my best to get opportunities and knock them out of the park and reap the benefits. As I’ve documented before, there’s ups and downs to this thing — to WWE, to wrestling, to the industry. I feel like I’m on a really great upswing right now and I’m enjoying what I do, like I’m really enjoying myself a lot lately. So that’s great, and hopefully it keeps going that way. If it eventually stops feeling that way and I feel like I’m on the downswing, then it’s up to me to try to find a way back up. I’ve always taken that outlook. Yeah, I’m really having a great time these days.”
Owens has been recently trash-talking about Texas on WWE TV and social media, which is reportedly due to him facing Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38. This would mark Austin’s first match in 19 years if he does come back.
Kevin Owens is one star who always goes above and beyond when it comes to fan interaction. He not only interacts with fans in the arenas, but Owens takes the time to respond to people on social media and other such places whenever he can. Turns out, it was a wrestling veteran who inspired this trait of the former world champion.
The former NXT champion told this story during his most recent appearance on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast. He recalled how he used to email Lance Storm to ask for advice. Despite his busy schedule, the former WCW star would always respond to him. That has made him want to do the same for the next generation of wrestlers:
“I remember I would email Lance Storm through his website, and ask for advice. And he would always answer. I didn’t do this every week or anything, but I did it a few times. And he would answer me. He doesn’t remember doing this. But to me, that was so huge. You know, that he will take the time to answer me. Just this, for all he knew, just this silly kid who has a dream and probably won’t make it. Maybe he will, but come on. He’s a busy guy who’s on the road. He had a family when he would come home, but he still took the time to do that. That really went a long way for me.
So that’s just him, a performer responding to somebody that hopes to one day reach what he was accomplishing at the time. But then I realized, that helped shape kind of something that I wanna be. I wanna be a positive influence on the people that are gonna be doing this after me. “
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
In recent weeks, Kevin Owens has been saying a lot of things that are sure to piss off “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Owens and the Texas Rattlesnake are believed to be facing off at WrestleMania this year, and Owens has been saying a lot of things that could be paving the way for Austin’s return.
Owen’s has been antagonizing all of Texas in recent promos. With Texas both being Austin’s home state and the host of WrestleMania this year, it seems as though WWE has already started building the angle between the two of them.
He recently took a specific jab at Victoria, Texas. Austin spent much of his childhood living in Edna, Texas, a small town about 30 minutes away from Victoria.
Steve Austin has been known to drink a few “Steveweisers” in his day. Granted, he does seem to spill a lot of beer when he drinks them. Still, his association with beer is well-established. Kevin Owens recently let it be known that he is not a fan of beer.
Austin may have to return in order to defend beer’s good name. Owens has also been using the Stunner in recent years. That could play into the rivalry between him and Austin as well.
Owens also took a shot at Dallas, Texas recently.
"Going to @WrestleMania with my best friend as Tag Team Champion is so good, it actually makes it bearable that WrestleMania is happening in that hellhole known as Dallas, Texas." – @FightOwensFightpic.twitter.com/tAgOdjhEED
On Friday, February 25th, Kevin Owens reflected upon his main roster debut. Owens defeated then-United States champion John Cena at Elimination Chamber. Owens says it was an unforgettable moment, but wishes it took place anywhere but Texas.
Unbelievable moment. I’ll never forget it. It’s something I’ll look back on fondly forever but there is a dark cloud around that memory, just one thing I wish I could change…
I wish it would have happened anywhere but Texas ???
