Can Kevin Owens be the alpha heel in the WWE?
Kevin Owens doesn’t like you. In fact, he can’t stand you. The silver-tongued bully isn’t interested in making friends, and has even less desire to acquire fans. All Kevin Owens wants is to beat people up, and he doesn’t care if you like it or not.
This is what a pro wrestling heel should be, and KO is at the very top of his game. No one is more devious, no one is more vicious, and no one is more heartless. Owens wants to be the best and he will go through everyone in his path in order to get there. Nothing matters except getting the win.
When was the last time an antagonist was this good at his job? The only modern day example is Seth Rollins, and he was an anomaly himself. Both men care more about getting heat than looking cool or trying to get a pop from the crowd. Drawing that hate, and forcing fans that want to respect them actually boo them, is a rare gift indeed.
Owens is a master at the process, and he has been from the day he entered WWE. But despite how good he was, the fact is he’s getting better. He has assimilated well in the WWE machine, and that is very impressive, especially since some had not even given him a chance in the very beginning.
As good as he is in the ring, and as good as he is on the mic, Owens does not look like the typical WWE Superstar. Vince McMahon’s company has always been known as the land of giants, and Owens has never fit that category. But the indie star continued undeterred, and in the post-Daniel Bryan WWE, KO had more than a slight chance to succeed.
But timing was everything, as is always the case. Owens could not be forced upon fans because hate can turn to disinterest very quickly. No one wants an indifferent reaction, and that is especially true for someone as talented as Owens is. Getting heat was the most important part, and that should always be the case for any talent entering a new environment.
That is exactly what Owens did. He came into NXT and he turned the volume up. He dominated everyone he crossed paths with, and he mocked every fan that dared to cheer for him. He heeled out beyond belief, and he did so while the main roster anxiously awaited his arrival.
But when he finally got there, he hit a massive roadblock by the name of John Cena. WWE’s top guy seemed like the ideal introduction for KO to fans not familiar with him, and it all began on a very good note. Of course one win was all Owens got, and Cena ultimately won the feud. Some believed John would do the honors in the end, but this wasn’t about KO getting the win.
It was about getting him in, and establishing him in the minds of fans. When that happened, Owens found acceptance and he quickly became a top heel for the company. But the question is has he become the top heel of the company? Seth Rollins is still on the shelf, The League of Nations has disbanded, and Triple H is missing in action.
Owens is pound for pound the best choice to fill that role, as no one can do what he does right now. When the situation calls for someone to get evil mean and nasty, Owens is the man that gets booked. He doesn’t shy away from it, he embraces it and that makes him more of a credible heel than anyone else in the WWE locker room right now.
He’s not suave like Wade Barrett, he’s not slick like The Miz, and he’s not sinister like Sheamus. Kevin Owens just wants to fight on his terms, and he doesn’t care if anyone in the building likes him or not. He is a throwback heel in every sense of the word, and right now WWE needs much more of him not only on TV, but in the main event as well.
That main event slot is perhaps coming sooner rather than later, as KO has supposedly been booked against Brock Lesnar in an upcoming match in Hawaii. If that rumor does indeed become fact, it will be the first time that Owens has stepped into the big money match since he worked Cena. This could very well be the true test of whether or not he has what it takes to headline a major event. But that all depends on how this match goes.
If Brock were to run straight through Owens, as he does every other talent he works, then KO’s cause will not be served at all. It will push him a step back instead of forward, and once again he will find himself in a spot that prevents any growth. This is a dream match for many fans, but if it’s a massacre, it will become a nightmare.
Owens deserves more than that, and WWE owes him more than that. The company has a prime candidate to become a top heel that can draw money, and that should be exploited. Kevin Owens is ready to conquer, and not even a beast should be able to stop him.
Tom Clark can regularly be found on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here