WWE Rumor Roundup - Kevin Owens' move retired for being dangerous, 6-Time Tag Team Champion returning in 2021, Big Braun Strowman news - 19th December 2020
Welcome back to another edition of our daily WWE Rumor Roundup. The company is getting ready for the TLC PPV, and all the focus is currently on rebounding from last week's all-time low RAW ratings.
In addition to the backstage reactions to the RAW numbers, several other stories were also discussed fervently across the internet.
A popular Kevin Owens move was retired by himself due to its unsafe nature. A top WWE Superstar from RAW will be a free agent in August, but WWE is already working on locking him down to a lucrative new contract.
Braun Strowman has been away from the WWE for a few weeks, but the Monster Among Men looks set to make his return based on his social media activity. An injured former Tag Team Champion is also expected to return to the ring in 2021.
Let's cover each story in detail. Here is the latest WWE Rumor Roundup:
#5. Kevin Owens retired a signature move himself; why he would have never done it in the WWE
Kevin Owens has one of the most diverse move sets in the WWE as the former Universal Champion can do it all. He can go the aerial route while also having the power moves in his arsenal to shut an opponent down.
Kevin Owens used the Steenalizer as his signature move before he signed with the WWE, and it's one of the most destructive maneuvers to watch if you haven't seen it already.
During a recent interview with Fightful.com's Sean Ross Sapp, Kevin Owens revealed that he decided to retire the Steenalizer himself. Do check out the video above for the full conversation.
Kevin Owens said that there were a few close calls when he delivered the move, and he had concerns about the well-being of the performers who were on the receiving end. KO said that he would not take the move himself as it was quite dangerous to execute.
Here's a video of Kevin Owens (then known as Kevin Steen) performing the Steenalizer.
In the end, Owens made the call to retire the move for good. KO also said that he would have never done the Steenalizer in the WWE as the Superstars work four to five times a week, and having such risky moves isn't conducive to the long-term prospects of a performer.
"I retired that one myself, actually. I had a couple of close calls where everybody I gave it to was fine, but I felt like it was too close that maybe it wouldn't have been fine. And I would be upfront with everybody I was going to give that move to that, 'Hey, it's kind of crazy. I wouldn't take it. So, (laughs), if you don't want to take it, tell me.' And I've never had anybody tell me no. And, you know, most times it was fine. And, I mean, it was literally fine every time. But, I felt that a couple of times, it was a close call, and it's just not worth it in the end. So, I retired that one myself. But yeah, it is obviously something I won't do in the WWE because you know we do this, or at least we used to this four or five times a week, every week, and it's not a move you want to give people that work that hard and put their bodies through that much punishment on a daily basis, you know."
Kevin Owens is currently scheduled to face Roman Reigns in a Universal title match at TLC.