08.27.2018. August 27th, 2018. Kevin Owens sits in the middle of the ring, with the face of defeat and sadness.
He looks as if he’s contemplating what he wants to say on the mic and while looking towards the universe, with the tone of being broken, he utters the phrase “I quit”. He exits the ring and Kevin Owens was never seen again…………… until the following week where he actually returned.
What he DID do was tweet out several photos; the first set highlighting accolades such as his debut on NXT, beating up John Cena, winning the IC and Universal championship. The next set featured some of his low-points (mainly were just of Strowman beating the hell out of Owens). Now to me, this was a complete waste of using Owens properly and how beneficial he can be to the company, as opposed to a guy you toss into a lumberjack group.
I believe I have the plan on how to properly book the Canadian Destroyer known as Kevin Owens.
We start where we saw Kevin Owens last (ignoring that he came back) and go from there. Kevin Owens quits Raw, and more importantly WWE, and we do NOT see him for months, specifically until Royal Rumble. In this time, it’s an odd way to fantasy book considering hard to book someone whose is not on WWE. During the time he is away, Braun Strowman has built a faction that dominates the WWE. This will come in later.
Kevin Owens starts to show up at indie events and is wrestling. Wrestling because he’s lost his love for the sport of professional wrestling, not “sports entertainment”. Kevin has embarked on a quest to rediscover his love and why he puts his body on the line for the WWE universe each and every week. He goes back to his roots.
Fast forward to January 27th, 2019. It’s Royal Rumble night. The Rumble consists of a few returns, a couple debuts but the magic starts early at entry 2. Buzzer sounds and the fans wait for anticipation, we hear a familiar “OHHHHHH” of Sami Zayn’s theme, having him come out to a resounding pop. Returning from TWO torn rotator cuffs (on each shoulder), and Zayn gets the iron-man duties of going through the entire Rumble. Zayn is outlasting everyone, until entry 28’s theme hits; It’s…Braun Strowman?! The same Braun Strowman that successfully defended his Universal championship earlier that night? Yes sir/ma’am! Braun decimates 2/3 of the ring, spending extra time on Zayn. Three minutes go by and entry 29 enters and it’s!……..Titus O’Neil….Yeah, so he enters and doesn’t trip this time! Hey look at that! Small victories! Anyways he gets annihilated by Strowman and is promptly thrown out. Strowman is looking as dominant as ever, and he’s strutting around the ring acting as such, and then the countdown for number 30 begins. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. *Buzzer sounds* and we hear a familiar guitar riff.
It’s Owens. It’s Kevin Owens. It’s Mr. Wrestling. It’s the Canadian Destroyer. He walks down with intent and purpose. He is staring directly at Strowman. He’s walking down with the face we haven’t seen on him in quite sometime. He slides into the ring; the crowd is thunderous around him, in complete support of Kevin Owens. He beelines for Strowman, showing a new sense of zero fear, throwing everything he has at him. Strowman pushes him off but Owens shrugs off the push, and plants Strowman with superkick that almost kicks Strowman’s beard off. He hits him with another superkick that stuns Strowman into the corner, thinking he can rest only to be hit with a HELLUVA kick from Zayn! As Strowman stumbles out, dazed from being brained from kicks, Owens and Zayn toss Strowman into the ropes and Owens hits his patented Pop-up powerbomb, only to have Strowman to get up right away but as he pulls himself up with the rope, it’s Owens and Zayn that clothesline Strowman over the top, eliminating the big man from the Rumble. Before any sort of reunion can commence, Reigns immediately throws Zayn over and before he can catch his breath, Owens snaps, superkicks Reigns 3 times, Pop-up powerbombs him and sends Reigns over the top to the floor, winning the Royal Rumble!
Mr. Wrestling is back. The Canadian Destroyer is back. Kevin Owens is back, and is the 2019 Royal Rumble winner.
First Raw back, Kevin is in the middle of the ring and the crowd is chanting “WEL COME BACK. WEL COME BACK” Kevin is visibly taken back from this. He retorts with:
“I came back, not because of the universe, but because he’s rediscovered his purpose in WWE and that is to become the head of the company. The workhorse of the WWE, I am the guy that is going to take this company, put it on my DAMN BACK and TO BRING IT TO NEW HEIGHTS. I AM THE 2019 ROYAL RUMBLE WINNER AND I AM COMING TO TAKE BACK WHAT IS MY TITLE. I am SICK of EVERYONE BACK THERE THAT THINK THEY’RE ENTITLED TO OPPORTUNITIES. I DON’T THINK. I TAKE. I CAME BACK AND TOOK THE RUMBLE. STROWMAN, YOU AND YOUR DESTRUCTORS ARE GOING TO BE ANOTHER HURDLE THAT I AM NOT ONLY JUMPING OVER, I AM BLOWING IT THE HELL UP WHILE I DO IT.
DO NOT CROSS ME.
DO NOT THINK YOU CAN STOP ME.
I AM NOT THE SAME KEVIN OWENS AS I ONCE WAS.
I AM MORE DANGEROUS.
I AM MORE CHAOTIC
I. AM. VIOLENCE.”
He throws the mic down emphatically and leaves the ring; crowd is losing their mind. As the weeks progress, every match Kevin is in, he wins dominantly. His arsenal is more diverse. He wins matches with different finishers. He’s been reborn essentially.
Fastlane rolls around, and Owens is booked in a tag match with his best friend Sami Zayn. They take on Authors of Pain and during the match Zayn suffers an injury at the hands of Rezar, specifically from the “turnbuckle death valley driver” move that both members of AoP have made famous. Owens notices the injured Zayn, and it almost as if seeing his best friend hurt or being attacked makes Owens snap. Owens superkicks Rezar twice, into the corner, hits him with two corner clotheslines and a corner-cannonball for good measure. Owens slides out of the ring to attack Akam and in impressive fashion, is able to get the big man up for a powerbomb on to the ring apron. Slides back into the ring, and hits Rezar with a pumphandle neckbreaker, immediately picking him up and hitting the pop-up powerbomb on Rezar for the win, all the while Zayn was taken back due to injury. Owens spends no time celebrating in the ring, and darts to the back to check on his fallen brother.
News breaks that Zayn is going to be out for a month, and Owens is fuming and looking for a fight. Elias comes out and says that all Owens needs is music to relax his mind and soul, and as Elias strums a SINGLE note, Owens immediately attacks Elias and proceeds to decimate Elias’ guitar.
After the Raw following Fastlane, Owens isn’t heard from till the Raw before WrestleMania. No one knows why but when Owens comes back, he clears the air as to why he had disappeared.
“When I was gone, I went to be with my family. My family is why I fight. The more I fight and the more championships I win, the better my family is off in the end. It’s always for them, but I needed clarity. I needed to rejuvenate my mind and where I think. Being with my fa-“
Owens is interrupted by Strowman and as Strowman walks to the ring, he retorts with “For a man that claims he is violence, he sure is a soft bitch for his family. Guess that makes two, considering you and your wi-” Owens’ eyes widen and he snaps back with the following:
“Listen you big, dumb, son of a bitch. I do not care what you have to say about me. I don’t. You watch your mouth. I don’t care for your size. I don’t care your power. You ever try to mention my wife or children again, I will not only end your career, I will go to prison and be given the death penalty for what I’d do to you. You will not survive. You will not endure. You will be nothing. I will eat your heart.”
Strowman goes to speak into the mic, only to be met with a superkick and hit with a quick Pop-up powerbomb, slides out of the ring like the opportunistic man he is.
The day arrives. It’s WrestleMania. There’s a certain buzz in the air and the show delivers.
It’s main event time.
The match everyone has been waiting for.
Strowman vs. Owens.
Monster vs. Destroyer.
Strowman makes his way to the ring, but as soon as he gets on to the ring apron, he is hit off it from Owens. Owens bounces off the ropes and hits an over-the-top plancha on to Strowman, immediately bouncing up and throwing Strowman into the steel stairs. The match hasn’t started yet so Owens is taking full advantage of it. Owens gets chairs and kendo sticks out, beating the hell out of Strowman, striking the big man in the knees, legs, arms, ribs, and even a couple headshots. Owens goes for a ring-apron powerbomb but Strowman blocks it, chokeslamming Owens on to the ramp.
Strowman rolls Owens body into the ring, goes to pin him but Owens kicks out at the two-count. Insulted that he didn’t get a three count, Strowman picks Owens up and hits him with a Yokosuka cutter, but again only gets a two-count. Infuriated, Strowman is getting into the referee’s face about it, allowing Kevin Owens to recollect himself, and catch Strowman by surprise with a fury of fists, superkicks and cannonballs.
Owens shockingly hits a pumphandle neckbreaker but elects to not cover him and instead goes for the kill. He’s signaling for the Pop-up powerbomb, and as he goes for it, Strowman counters by going over, only to be met with (you guessed it) a SUPERKICK, and Owens hits the Pop-up powerbomb. Strowman staggers to his feet but is met with another Pop-up powerbomb, but Strowman rolls out of the ring. Owens senses his moment, rolls out with Strowman and hits him with a ring-apron powerbomb, stunning the big man. Owens rolls Strowman in, climbs to the top rope, hits the frog splash, gets up, climbs the OTHER turnbuckle, and hits a swanton bomb on Strowman. Owens goes for the over and Strowman, with strength from out of nowhere, kicks out at ONE, starts to get up, screaming at Owens, and Owens looks at the crowd, looks at Strowman, gives Strowman an emphatic middle finger, superkick, and one last Pop-up powerbomb is hit on Strowman.
One.
Two.
Three.
Kevin Owens is your NEW Universal Champion.
The moment is met with confetti from the roof, the adulation from the crowd. With tears in his eyes, he’s met with his best friend Sami Zayn. The two embrace in a hug in the middle of the ring.
They exit the ring.
They start to walk up the ramp.
And then, it happens.
BAM!
Zayn SLAMS Owens body into the ramp. Starts to beat the crap out of Owens.
Zayn has snapped. Zayn looks like a man possessed.
Zayn picks up Owens and says to the lifeless, FORMER best friend “You knew this was coming. You deserved this.”
Zayn places Owens head at the corner pole, stands back and hits a helluva kick, connecting with Owens head and the pole.
Zayn stands over Owens’ lifeless body, with the title in his hand, raises it over his head and then drops it and walks away.
SO, you’re still with me here? This is how I’d run the storyline of Kevin Owens quitting, coming back, and set-up the storyline for post-Mania.