Surprise heel turn & attack on Hall of Famer, major brand change? - 4 possible directions in WWE for Kevin Owens in 2024
Kevin Owens is one of the greatest wrestlers in modern WWE history. Not only has he been tremendously successful in the Sports Entertainment juggernaut, but The Prizefighter had already found success on the independent scene for years prior.
In World Wrestling Entertainment, Owens won the coveted NXT Champion, United States Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and even the Universal Championship. Most of these title wins were many years ago. However, he also won gold in 2023.
Kevin headlined WrestleMania 39 Night 1, teaming up with Sami Zayn to battle The Usos. The Canadian duo won the Unified RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Titles in the main event of WrestleMania. This marked the second straight year Owens headlined The Show of Shows.
While 2023 was certainly successful for the former Ring Of Honor World Champion, 2024 could be even better. In this article, we will look at a handful of directions Owens' career could take, including notable rivalries and re-living his past by revisiting his old stomping grounds. What might The Prizefighter do?
Below are four possible directions in WWE for Kevin Owens in 2024.
#4. He could turn heel and attack Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio is an icon in professional wrestling. For well over a decade prior to first joining WWE, Mysterio found success in Mexico, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and even World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
The WWE Hall of Famer found even more success in World Wrestling Entertainment. He won numerous World Titles and even the 2006 Royal Rumble Match. Simply put, Rey Mysterio is one of the most famous wrestlers in history.
Interestingly, Kevin Owens and Rey Mysterio have never had a one-on-one match. Owens has battled Rey's son, Dominik Mysterio, but the two legends are yet to have a proper singles match. 2024 could see Kevin turn heel and feud with the icon so the pair can finally have a series of matches. A vicious attack could be the perfect start to their story.
#3. Kevin Owens could feud with LA Knight
LA Knight is the biggest success story of 2023. He began the year serving as fodder for the now late-great Bray Wyatt. Fans saw his incredible mic work in that feud and began to gravitate towards The Megastar at a rapid rate.
By the time SummerSlam rolled around, The Megastar was arguably the most over babyface in the entire company. He even went on to battle Roman Reigns in the main event of WWE Crown Jewel 2023 in Saudi Arabia.
A popular babyface needs quality heels to feud with. Kevin Owens turning heel could also be effective for a feud with Knight, just as it would be for a feud with Rey. Owens could get the best out of the former Million Dollar Champion and help him reach even greater heights.
#2. He could stand up to AJ Styles
AJ Styles is back in WWE! The former World Champion had been away from the company's programming ever since Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso brutally beat him down backstage on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown a few months ago.
Upon his return, however, The Phenomenal One had an attitude. He wants revenge on Roman Reigns and The Bloodline for both the assault and for taking over WWE, but he also attacked LA Knight. Styles blamed The Megastar for stepping over his body to get opportunities after the attack.
The former TNA Wrestling star is seemingly a heel moving forward. If that's the case, he'll need quality babyfaces to wrestle. Kevin Owens and AJ Styles aren't strangers and have battled in the past. With this dynamic, however, their matches could be even more interesting. Perhaps it will happen in 2024.
#1. Owens could return to WWE NXT
Kevin Owens joining WWE was a major surprise to a lot of fans. Many believed that The Prizefighter didn't have the look the company wanted. Even if he made it through the doors, many believed he would never make it on TV. Kevin Owens certainly wouldn't get a push, or at least, that was the prevailing theory.
As anybody watching WWE today knows, Owens shut down all doubters by being an instant success. He took over NXT immediately and dominated the brand until he moved up to the main roster. He even held the coveted NXT Championship.
While Owens hasn't been part of the NXT brand in the better part of a decade, he has made occasional appearances. In fact, he even appeared at NXT New Year's Evil. There's a chance that the grumpy Canadian will decide he likes the former black & gold brand. From there, he may return to NXT full-time and even chase the NXT Championship once again.