When WWE veteran revealed his role in Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens being pushed as top guys despite their size
For a very long time in WWE, the main event spots in the company were strictly reserved for wrestlers with a specific look. The modern-day pro wrestling industry is seemingly kinder to performers of different sizes, and the change would not have been possible without one man: Mick Foley!
The hardcore legend broke the mold of what a main-eventer should look like in WWE when he became a world champion during the Attitude Era. Pushing Mick Foley as a legitimate top guy was a far cry from Vince McMahon's usual approach of presenting talents with chiseled physiques.
In hindsight, Foley significantly altered how fans and WWE officials perceived wrestlers who didn't essentially have the looks to be one of the company's premier talents.
The situation has changed for the better over the past decade as the likes of Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens have been presented as massive stars, with both tasting world championship glory.
While speaking on his podcast in November last year, Mick Foley admitted that opening the door for guys like Wyatt and Owens was his biggest contribution to the wrestling business.
"Probably expanding people's ideas of what a big star could look like. That was probably the biggest," said the WWE Hall of Famer. "I think I expanded — opened the door for guys to follow, like Kevin Owens, like Bray Wyatt, who might not have gotten a look as a star. I'd like to think my lasting contribution is that I think I treated people well when I was on top, and that goes back to remembering how I was treated in Memphis." (H/t Robert DeFelice)
What's in store for Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens on the road to WWE WrestleMania?
It's that time of the year again when WWE gets ready to offer its biggest storylines on the grandest stage of them all. WrestleMania is a platform that features all the prominent stars, and it's obvious that both Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt will also be involved in a big way at the event.
The latest SmackDown episode saw the return of the Firefly Fun House, in which WWE dropped another teaser for Bray Wyatt's new feud with Bobby Lashley.
The pairing might seem off on paper, but Triple H's team seems set to explore a unique rivalry between Wyatt and Lashley, who should ideally have a singles match at WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens' creative direction looks a little more well-defined as he is expected to reunite with Sami Zayn eventually. While KO is currently reluctant to trust his real-life best friend, the Canadian duo will likely get back together based on their recent booking decisions on TV.
Owens and Zayn could potentially headline the first night of WrestleMania 39 in a tag team championship match against The Usos. Are you hyped about the planned matches for Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens? Sound off in the comments section below.