Kevin Owens will challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Sunday night Universal Championship TLC pay per view.
They’ve met before on pay per view, and one of the best games of their career against each other happened at the Royal Rumble in 2017. That game, which Owens won, was also for the Universal title, but the roles have reversed – Reigns is now in heels and has his belt, while baby Owens watches to get over the camp.
One of the best keepers in the world, Owens – who is 36-year-old Kevin Steen – has consistently confirmed that he belongs in the main event. Reigns is one of the most exciting areas of his career, and he benefits greatly from working with talent like Owens. In just a few weeks, he has helped expand Reigns through this program, which has also featured Jey Uso and Paul Heyman, leading to some incredibly engaging promos. Owens and Reigns now have the opportunity to take their story to the next level in the game of Records, Drivers and Chairs at TLC.
Talking to Fun with pictures, Owens spoke about his current program with Reigns, the opportunity to return to NXT last month for a statement, and his long – term goals in WWE.
Courtesy of WWE
Justin Barrasso: Even if you’ve worked with Roman Reigns before, this mainstream story feels so new. The dueling promos have added a lot, especially since it has given you the opportunity to go one-on-one on the microphone against Paul Heyman. It also lets you work with Jey Uso. What do you think of the program? And would you like it to expand further TLC?
Kevin Owens: I absolutely enjoyed it, especially making stuff with Paul. I’ve worked with Roman before, but there’s a different perspective and feel to the whole story. It is good to do it in this situation now with the roles reversed. I had never done anything with Paul, so got a chance to talk orally with him Speaking of Smack, and that’s fun. Paul is unlike anyone on the son, so it’s a lot of fun and keeps you on your toes. I hope this continues.
Also having Jey Uso get involved, who is someone else I never got a chance to do much with, he has added a lot. We’ve never done anything together before, and it’s great to get stuff with new people, and we take everyone who’s watching something they’ve never seen before. As far as I’m concerned, this could definitely expand TLC. We’ll see how that all works out.
Barrasso: Jey Uso has excelled in singles roles. He and his brother Jimmy are so established as a tag team, but clearly he has a lot to offer as a single star as well. Is it what he has been able to achieve over the last few months?
Owens: I’m not surprised at all. I never knew how talented he and Jimmy Uso are. In fact I had to have a one-on-one game years ago with Jimmy on Main event while Jey was out with an injury. Like you said, those guys are so talented together as a tag team, so that’s how we think of them, as a tag team. They’ve been around so long, and they’re incredibly talented. So it ‘s no surprise to see Jey doing very well.
As soon as Jimmy returns, and gets the same kind of opportunity, he will show his greatness to everyone, too. These guys are a lot more than just tag team keepers. They are exceptional actors. It ‘s been great to see Jey get this opportunity. He’s also a really good guy behind the scenes, so whenever something good happens for a good guy, it makes him even more special.
Barrasso: It ‘s a meaningful story creation that leads to lasting moments in wrestling, and this story has been incredibly engaging. As you enter this game Tables, Ladders and Chairs at TLC, is the goal to add to the arc of a typical Roman story while staying true to your character?
Owens: Of course we have to make sure that we end up where we need to end up with the story. We need to do that too by bringing a hell of a game that people are going to enjoy watching. For me, since we started the ThunderDome, and even before that in the Performance Center, with no really live crowds to feed or get feedback after hearing their ideas, my thing has been recognition of the production team. They’ve been here for a long time, and they’ve seen it all. So when I do something and hear some of our camera boys, or some of our boys from production say, “Hey, that was great,” it’s been a huge success. I use them as a barometer for what I do now. If they like what I do, after seeing everything they’ve seen, I’m doing something good.
The immediate response you get is not usually from a crowd, but I get a very quick response from those guys now, and they are good at telling talent whether they are doing well or what can make them better. Their experience is unparalleled, so I’m getting into this game hoping to host a night out for them and all at home.
Barrasso: You have also made a guest space to report for NXT broadcast the night before Thanksgiving Day. Adding your voice to the show, especially with your history in NXT, he provided proof and a little extra electricity to the show. I know you still have a lot of endless business in the ring, but would you ever consider a more permanent reporting career?
Owens: I’ll go whenever they want me. I like to make a statement. I had a chance to make it for one game here and there for several years to come Raw no SmackDown, but doing it for two hours makes it a completely different story. Everyone who makes a statement has a real skill for it, and I really appreciate the people who do it.
My job was to basically look at the ring and talk about what was going on. But the men and women who do this all the time have a lot more. They need to know when and how they are going to break, they need to know what will inspire them in the next section, and they need to be time-perfect, especially on a live show. They are all so good at it too.
I enjoy doing it. They are very aware that whenever they need a reporter, I am happy to go in and do it. And I’m still a fan at heart, so to get to sit there and watch the show, and share my thoughts about it, it’s a lot of fun around.
Barrasso: You’re in a good place right now. The program features Roman Reigns, the back and forth on the son by Paul Heyman, and your new one WWE Chronicle. But blessing and cursing throughout your career is that you will rarely ever be satisfied. That mindset has helped you take you to unimaginable heights, but it also makes it hard to enjoy the moment. I know you’re still drifting with ambition, and you’re hungry for another long, steady run like a champ. But overall, are you happy with your current position in the company? And what comes next?
Owens: I’m happy with where I am now. People who have followed my career as you have come to understand that it is a curse and a blessing to me that I will never be satisfied and always want more. I don’t think that will ever change, but I have become much better at taking things as they come and trying to enjoy the moment. When I was a Universal Competitor, I didn’t take much time to enjoy that. I was always worried about what was happening next, or what was happening next week, or how we could make the next week good. It’s a good idea, but when you take it home and you’re always thinking about it, there’s a point where it’s going to be a problem.
I’ve become a lot better at trying not to let things wear me like they used to, but of course, I always want more. I want to be a WWE Champion or a Universal Champion again, and yes WrestleMania times and ones at the Royal Rumble that is there, and I want to do all these things. My ultimate goal is to pay back the up-and-comers as veterans in WWE helped me when I first appeared. To do that, you have to get to a point where just working with someone helps because of how you are seen as superstitious. Use John Cena as an example. John Cena had been against the company for so long. If you worked with John Cena, you got something out of it just by being connected to him. It’s the same with Roman and Randy Orton, too. I would like to get to the point where I can help position someone in the company and how the fans see them just by working with me.
Also, I want to be in a position where I can help others. Mark Henry did interesting things for me when I was in my first few years at WWE. I wish I could get to a place where I could do that for other boys. To get to that level, you need the WWE Tournament, Universal Tournament, the big games, and the main pay-per-view event venues. It all has to come with it so that people can see you like that, it’s all connected. So you ask me what I want to do, and my ultimate goal is to be put in a position where I can help everyone else before I put up my shoes. . To do that, much remains to be done.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.