Indie veteran possibly more valuable to WWE than Kevin Owens, according to former manager
Former WWE manager Jim Cornette recently spoke about Kevin Owens' standing in the company compared to his peers. The star is currently part of the SmackDown roster.
Owens and Sami Zayn started their careers at around the same time. They worked through the independent circuit as Kevin Steen and El Generico before making it big in WWE. Their rivalry over the years has reached epic proportions and the two have become highly successful singles stars in the company.
This week on the Jim Cornette Experience, the veteran claimed that Sami was possibly pegged higher on the WWE roster than Kevin Owens. He felt that Zayn was the more likable of the two and fans naturally gravitated towards the former Intercontinental Champion. Cornette also pointed out that Sami was comparatively better on the mic and seemed to be more motivated than his friend.
"I think Sami Zayn is more important to the WWE than Kevin Owens is right now. I think longer term he's got more upside, the people like him in a more genuine way rather than just cheering cannonballs into people's faces. At this point, I think his promos are better, he's more motivated." [From 3:00 - 3:24]
Kevin Owens is in a complex storyline on SmackDown
Over on the blue brand, the relationship between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes has been rocked after The American Nightmare decided to team up with Roman Reigns to take down The Bloodline.
This week, the cracks became wider as KO initially refused Cody's help, opting to team up with Randy Orton instead. Later, when the champ did show up to help his friends, the plan backfired, allowing The Bloodline to pin Owens for the win.
Owens was irate after the loss and almost came to blows with Cody Rhodes before Randy Orton stepped in and calmed things down.
If you use any of the quotes, please credit the Jim Cornette Experience and add an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcript.