Delaying wholesome reunion, sabotaging dream WWE rivalry - 4 reasons why Kevin Owens should NOT turn heel while feuding with Cody Rhodes
Over the last few weeks, WWE fans have been eagerly anticipating a heel turn by Kevin Owens. However, that might not be a good idea right now.
At the 2024 Bash in Berlin Premium Live Event, Kevin Owens will be challenging his ally, Cody Rhodes, for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Unlike most of Owens' previous world title storylines, this one is not driven by sheer animosity between the opponents. Rather, it was Cody's wish to grant KO a title shot as a sign of gratitude for watching his back against The Bloodline.
While the foundation of this program has been built on mutual respect, the WWE Universe is adamant that won't remain the case for long. It is a common belief that it is only a matter of time before Owens betrays yet another one of his allies.
While that would make their rivalry tremendously more gripping, there are multiple reasons why Kevin going back to his heel persona is not a good idea. Below are four of those reasons.
#4. It would lessen the impact of Randy Orton's rumored heel turn
Since the night Cody Rhodes 'finished the story' and became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania XL, fans have been waiting for the dream feud between The American Nightmare and his former Legacy teammate, Randy Orton.
Throughout Orton's illustrious wrestling career, he has never shied away from turning his back on the people closest to him. Cody Rhodes could be the next person to find out how one can never trust The Viper. The 14-time World Champion sneakily glancing at The American Nightmare's title multiple times could not be a coincidence.
Despite the heartbreak that a potential Orton heel turn would give fans, the excitement for an intense Orton-Rhodes rivalry could not be higher. The only thing that could prevent this program from being an all-timer is if Kevin Owens turns heel on Rhodes first.
If the Canadian star reverts to his villainous persona soon, a potential Orton heel turn against Cody would face the risk of appearing too repetitive.
#3. It could make fans start questioning Cody Rhodes' smartness
The reason for Cody Rhodes' on-screen character working as well as it is has to be how multi-dimensional he is. Yes, multiple elements of his presentation are a throwback to the top babyfaces of the past. However, he has applied some refreshing changes too. One of those is his ability to instantly sense when he is being set up.
On the Road to WWE WrestleMania XL, The American Nightmare did not fall into Roman Reigns' trap when The Original Tribal Chief assured him that there would be no interference from The Bloodline during their face-to-face segment. However, just like fans, Cody instantly sniffed out the insincerity and brought his allies along. That ended up being the right decision as Reigns secretly had the rest of The Bloodline in position to jump The American Nightmare.
Thus, Kevin Owens' changing mannerisms over the last couple of weeks and subtle signs indicating that he is gearing up to launch a severe beatdown should have the Undisputed WWE Champion on high alert.
If, after all these signs, Cody allows himself to be caught off-guard by his challenger's potential betrayal, that would make his fans question his smartness. That would not be a good look for the person who is currently in one of the greatest world championship runs of all time.
#2. KO should not lose his first feud after reverting to his Prizefighter persona
Kevin Owens' work as the ruthless Prizefighter during his NXT run was in a league of its own. Over the last few years, Owens has hesitated in fully committing to his trophy-craving persona, but that could change throughout his rivalry with Cody Rhodes.
If that is the case, fans will rejoice, ignoring a glaring problem. When Kevin first unleashed The Prizefighter in NXT, it was during his debut night. He cut his best friend, Sami Zayn's, celebration short by laying waste to him, shortly after the latter had finally fulfilled his quest to become the top champion of the then-black and gold brand.
In their first match against each other, The Prizefighter totally pummelled Zayn and became the NXT Champion. The bookers did not hesitate once to strap the rocket to Owens' back right off the bat, and that elevated The Prizefighter's stocks to unimaginable heights.
Now, the problem with the WWE Grand Slam Champion bringing The Prizefighter back to compete against Cody is that there is hardly any chance he will win the title right now. It is all but a guarantee that Rhodes won't drop the belt until he fights Randy Orton and/or The Rock. So, The Prizefighter losing his first match after reverting to his old persona could seriously hurt his prospects of becoming the blue brand's top heel.
#1. The WWE Universe would have to wait even longer to see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn reunite
Over the years, the WWE Universe has enjoyed watching Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn beating the living daylights out of each other, as well as being each other's biggest supporters.
The duo became the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions in the main event of Night One of WrestleMania 39, which was a huge reward for everyone who had supported the uber-dedicated Canadian wrestling veterans. However, their run as a babyface tag team did not last through 2023 since Owens got drafted to SmackDown.
Since then, WWE has shown that the two continue to be on good terms, as evident from their heartwarming interactions at WrestleMania XL. With rumors floating around about Roman Reigns bringing back the original Bloodline to wage war against Solo Sikoa's version of the faction, fans have been hopeful that Sami and KO would once again join forces since they would both be on SmackDown.
However, if the former United States Champion turns heel before Sami's potential return to Friday nights, their reunion might have to wait a bit longer. That could also disappoint a large number of fans.