9-time champion to leave WWE immediately after dethroning Cody Rhodes at Survivor Series? Exploring potential swerve
WWE might be planning a major twist for Cody Rhodes' Undisputed Universal Championship at Survivor Series. His next opponent might pull off a heist if he succeeds in his attempt. The American Nightmare is headed toward a bitter feud with one of his closest pals in the company. The superstar is no ordinary talent but a nine-time champion.
It's none other than Kevin Owens. Kevin Owens always had Cody's back, and the two shared good relations. Even when Rhodes had asked the former WWE Universal Champion to fight him for the championship at Bash in Berlin, he initially refused. KO later accepted Cody's proposal but lost the match. Afterward, they embraced each other, and there was no tension between them. However, things turned sour when Owens attacked The American Nightmare backstage after Bad Blood PLE.
Initially, it wasn't known what triggered Owens, but it's believed that Rhodes's partnership with Roman Reigns could have led to The Prizefighter's fury. He has not been allowed on SmackDown since then. He somehow appeared on SmackDown on October 11 to give his side of the story, but his mic was cut off. Cody Rhodes, too, came out to settle his score with KO, but the security stopped them. In that melee, Randy Orton came out asking Owens to stop. However, Kevin hit the veteran out of frustration, which led the Viper to give it back to Owens.
Here's the bigger picture: Kevin Owens is now poised to face Rhodes for the Undisputed Universal Championship at Survivor Series. However, there's a twist in the tale. The company might be repeating something it did nearly 14 years ago.
Since Kevin Owens' contract is expiring, he might be booked against Rhodes. After winning the championship, he could leave the promotion, as CM Punk did at Money in the Bank PLE in 2011.
KO is a one-time NXT Champion, one-time Universal Champion, three-time United States Champion, and a two-time Intercontinental Champion. He has also won the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships once each with Sami Zayn.
WWE can book Kevin Owens' contract expiry into storyline
It has been reported that Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes' match is locked for the big event. Rhodes also hasn't lost a single championship fight since WrestleMania 40. However, someday, he has to, even for a while.
That might happen at Survivor Series. Kevin Owens' contract is nearing expiry, and there has been no update on a new deal. In that case, WWE can turn his contract expiration into an angle and get him to leave the company in a similar way to CM Punk.
Although the chances of this happening are bleak, when it comes to throwing surprises, you can't guess the WWE. The company, especially under Triple H, has been doing out-of-the-box things.
Similarly, there are good chances that Randy Orton will come out and attack Owens, thus spoiling his game. In a video on social media, Owens also spoke about how hurt he is by Orton and that he didn't expect this from him. The two brutally clashed in the SmackDown parking lot on October 11.
It would be interesting to see how Rhodes' WWE title is booked at Survivor Series. Indeed, there will be some surprises as The American Nightmare has successfully defended his title at all the PLEs since WrestleMania 40.
But before that, there is the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia on November 2, and Cody is facing the World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther. What if Owens spoils Rhodes's party? And what if Randy Orton does this? We must wait and watch.