Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
. He is currently signed to
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, where he performs on the
Raw brand under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Kevin Owens.
[
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16.] Prior to joining WWE in late 2014, he wrestled under his birth name for Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH), where he held the ROH World Championship
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
and ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
.[ He also wrestled extensively on the ]independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
for 14 years, most notably in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG), where he held the PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
a record three times
''Three Times'' ( Chinese: 最好的時光; ''Zuìhǎo de shíguāng''; lit. 'Best of Times') is a 2005 Taiwanese film directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. It consists of three separate stories of romance, set in different eras, using the same lead actors ...
, as well as the PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
on three occasions.[ Steen also competed for ]International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
(IWS), where he held three times the IWS World Heavyweight Championship
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
, All American Wrestling
AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, an ...
(AAW), where he held the AAW Heavyweight Championship
The AAW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by AAW Wrestling. There have been a total of 32 reigns and one vacancy shared between 25 different champions. The current champion is ...
; and Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
(CZW), where he held the CZW Iron Man Championship
The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The championship was created and debuted on February 13, 1999, at CZW's Opening Night event. The title is currently inact ...
.
Steen signed with WWE in August 2014, and joined their developmental branch NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, where he held the NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. In ...
once, before debuting with the belt on the main roster in May 2015. In WWE, he has held the Universal Championship once, the Intercontinental Championship twice, and the United States Championship three times. He also headlined the first night of WrestleMania 38
WrestleMania 38 was the 38th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was held as a two-night event ...
, in which he wrestled "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
in a one-off match 19 years after Austin's retirement. Overall, he is a six-time world champion in professional wrestling.
Early life
Kevin Steen was born on May 7, 1984, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal. It is situated on the west bank of the Richelieu River at the northernmost navigable point of Lake Champlain. As of De ...
, and raised in Marieville, Quebec
Marieville is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is located within the Rouville Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region about east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 10,094.
History
In 1708, ...
, 18 miles east of Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
. He has a brother named Edward Lower. He is of French-Canadian and Irish descent and speaks French as his first language. He learned to speak English by mimicking everything he heard while watching ''WWE Monday Night Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...
''. Steen participated in ice hockey, soccer, and baseball, but never considered developing a career out of them—especially soccer, after suffering an injury at age 11—and instead considered becoming a professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
after he and his father watched a videotape of the match between Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
and Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...
at WrestleMania XI
WrestleMania XI was the 11th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 2, 1995, at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. A t ...
.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2000–2004)
When Steen was 14, his parents allowed him to start training with Serge Jodoin, a wrestler based in Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. The following year, Steen began training with Jacques Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau Jr. (born June 13, 1960) is a Canadian former professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation. He began his career under his real name as half of the tag team The Fa ...
. He also trained with Terry Taylor
Paul Worden Taylor III (born August 12, 1955) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Terry Taylor and for his time as an in-ring performer in National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and Wo ...
, whom he has called his "main trainer". Steen had his first match on May 7, 2000 (his 16th birthday) in L'Assomption, Quebec
L'Assomption () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption. It is located on the outer fringes of the Montreal urban area.
...
. Steen trained with Rougeau and wrestled for Rougeau's promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
for four years, before beginning to wrestle with several other Canadian promotions.
International Wrestling Syndicate (2003–2009)
On August 16, 2003, Steen made his International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
(IWS) debut at Born to Bleed. Pierre Carl Ouellet
Carl Joseph Yvon Ouellet (born December 30, 1967) is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, PCO (originally a contraction of his long-term former ring name Pierre Carl Ouellet, but now standing for Perfect Creation One) ...
defeated El Generico
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to joi ...
and Steen at Blood, Sweat and Beers in a triple threat match on October 18, 2003. On November 15 at Payback's A Bitch, El Generico defeated Steen in their first-ever singles match against each other. IWS held its 5th anniversary show "V" on June 15, 2004 at Le SPAG, where El Generico defeated PCO in an IWS title match to win his first IWS World Heavyweight Championship
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
, only to have Steen cash in his #1 contendership won earlier that night against Excess 69. Steen defeated El Generico, also winning his first IWS World Heavyweight Championship. Steen's first title reign in 2004, marked a pivotal milestone in the history of the promotion when he became the first IWS World Heavyweight Champion to internationally defend the title, in defeating Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
on October 30 in Rahway, New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
for Jersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) was an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey, United States.
History
1997
Jersey All Pro Wrestling was an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia and Angel Surita ...
(JAPW).
On September 22, 2007 at Blood, Sweat & Beers, Steen defeated Jay Briscoe
Jamin "Jay" Pugh (born January 25, 1984) is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Jay Briscoe. He is currently signed with Ring of Honor, where he is the current one-half of ROH World Tag Team Champions with Mark Briscoe ...
. On February 16, 2008 at Violent Valentine, El Generico defeated Steen for the IWS World Heavyweight Championship. On March 22, 2008 at Know Your Enemies, Steen regained the IWS World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Max Boyer
Maxime "Max" Boyer (born June 2, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his time in the Chikara and International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) professional wrestling promotions. Boyer is a former Chikara Young Lions Cup Champion ...
& former champion El Generico in a 3-Way match. On May 24, 2008 at Freedom to Fight, Steen became the first-ever to hold two IWS titles simultaneously when he defeated Max Boyer to win the IWS Canadian Championship in an IWS Championship Unification match.
Combat Zone Wrestling (2004–2006, 2008, 2014)
Steen made his Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
(CZW) debut on September 10, 2004, at ''High Stakes II'', where SeXXXy Eddy defeated Steen, El Generico
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to joi ...
& Excess 69 in an IWS 4-Way Match, which was unofficially chosen as "CZW Match of the Year".[Ryan, Michael. (November 8, 2008]
"Great crowd basks in ROH's Montreal debut"
, ''SLAM! Wrestling
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...
'', Retrieved on September 1, 2016.
On May 14, 2005, Steen took part in the "CZW Best of the Best tournament" and he advanced to the finals after defeating Kenny The Bastard in the first round and Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is currently signed to Ring of Honor as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of independent wrestling pr ...
in the second round. He was unable to clench the trophy, however, as he lost in the finals in a fatal four-way match involving B-Boy
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in ...
, Super Dragon
Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
, and Mike Quackenbush
Michael Spillane (born March 18, 1976), is an American podcaster, author, professional wrestling trainer, professional wrestling promoter, and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mike Quackenbush.
He has hosted several p ...
.
A few months later in August, Steen defeated Franky The Mobster
Marc-André Boulanger is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Franky The Mobster (or F.T.M. for short).
He currently wrestles for Montreal's International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) and Northern Championship Wr ...
to win the CZW Iron Man Championship
The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The championship was created and debuted on February 13, 1999, at CZW's Opening Night event. The title is currently inact ...
. He went on to defend the championship in individual matches against Nate Webb, El Generico, Chris Sabin, and Super Dragon
Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
. In a steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
held at ''CZW Trapped'' involving The Canadians, The Blackout, The Forefathers of CZW, and Eddie Kingston
Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Kingston started his wrestling career in 2002, and has wrestled for numerous ...
, Steen lost the Ironman Championship to female wrestler LuFisto
Genevieve Goulet (born February 15, 1980), better known by the ring name LuFisto, is a French Canadian professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (1997–present)
LuFisto began training when she was 17 years old in ...
. He lost the championship one day shy of having a year-long reign. He then departed for a tour with Dragon Gate, and did not return to CZW until February 2008 when he made a one-time appearance and fought Vordell Walker
Edward Walker (born 1982) is an American professional wrestler, currently wrestling under the ring name Vordell Walker. He is perhaps best known for his work in Ring of Honor, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Extreme (PWX).
Pro ...
to a no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
.
Steen returned to CZW six years later, competing in two matches for the promotion in 2014. Steen first was defeated by Japanese competitor Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...
before defeating D. J. Hyde twenty-two days later at an event in Rhode Island.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2005–2008)
While wrestling in CZW, Steen also began working for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG). On May 13, 2005, at ''Jason Takes PWG'', Steen was entered into his first feud in PWG, when he helped Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
defeat Super Dragon
Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
in a Guerrilla Warfare match, in the process revealing himself as the fake Super Dragon, who had been attacking the real one the past few months. On August 6, 2005, Steen won the PWG Championship after defeating A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
at ''Zombies houldn't Run'. Steen held the title for nearly four months before losing the championship to Joey Ryan at ''Chanukah Chaos (The C's Are Silent)'', following interference from Super Dragon. Steen's feud with Super Dragon ended on December 16, 2005, at ''Astonishing X-Mas'', where he was defeated in a Guerrilla Warfare match.
In 2006, Steen began teaming with El Generico, and they began to pursue the PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
. On July 29, 2007, at ''Giant Size Annual #4'', Steen and Generico defeated the reigning champions PAC and Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
to become the PWG World Tag Team Champions. They successfully defended the belts for almost three months before ultimately losing them to the team of Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards (born March 1, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW), under the ring name Davey Richards, and is the current MLW National Openweight Champion in his first reign. ...
and Super Dragon on October 27 in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
as part of PWG's "European Vacation II" tour. The next night, Steen teamed with PAC in an attempt to regain the belts from Dragon and Richards, announcing before the match that if he lost, he'd leave the company indefinitely. Steen and PAC lost, leading to Steen leaving PWG.
However, Steen returned to PWG and, along with El Generico, won the title for a second time, this time from The Dynasty (Joey Ryan and Scott Lost
Scott Epperson (born June 8, 1980), better known by the ring name Scott Lost, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which he founded with five other wrestlers and where he is a for ...
) on March 21, 2008, in an impromptu match. Steen and Generico became the first team in PWG history to be a part of the annual "Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament
The Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (''DDT4'') was an annual professional wrestling tag team Pro Wrestling Guerrilla tournaments, tournament produced by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) between 2007 and 2015. The inaugural tournament wa ...
" to defend the belts in each match they had. In the tournament finals, they lost the title to Jack Evans and Roderick Strong, thus ending their second reign. Ultimately, Steen left PWG after interest from ROH increased. According to Steen, he could not wrestle for ROH and PWG at the same time and chose ROH because of the money and the exposure.
Ring of Honor
Storyline with El Generico (2007–2010)
On February 17, 2007, Steen returned to Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
, teaming with El Generico in a losing effort to the Briscoe Brothers. On April 14, Mark Briscoe returned in the middle of a match between Steen and Generico and his brother Jay and Erick Stevens
Eric Koenreich (born March 12, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is known by his ring name Erick Stevens and for his time in Ring of Honor.
Career
NWA Florida (2003–2004)
Stevens debuted in May 2003 after completing his training ...
. Mark was attacked by the duo, however, and was pinned by Steen after a package piledriver. On May 11, Steen (as a heel) and Generico (as a face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
) defeated Jason Blade and Eddie Edwards. At Respect is Earned on July 1, Steen and El Generico defeated The Irish Airborne
The Crist Brothers were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers David Crist Jr. and John Crist, who are best known by their ring names Dave Crist and Jake Crist, they are best known for their time with Impact Wrestling ...
(Jake and Dave Crist), Pelle Primeau and Mitch Franklin, and Jimmy Rave
James Michael Guffey (December 8, 1982 – December 12, 2021), better known by the ring name Jimmy Rave, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Ear ...
and Adam Pearce
Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, producer, trainer, coach, and on-screen authority figure. He is ...
in a Tag Team Scramble dark match. That same night, Steen and El Generico brawled with the Briscoe Brothers, ending with Mark Briscoe suffering a mild concussion from a steel chair shot. At Driven on September 21, the Briscoe Brothers defeated Steen and El Generico to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
. Steen and Generico suffered three consecutive losses to the Briscoes at Caged Rage on August 24 in a Steel Cage match, Manhattan Mayhem II on August 25 in a two out of three falls match, and Man Up on November 30 in a ladder match. Their only tag team win over the Briscoes was at Death Before Dishonor V Night 1 in a non-title Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
Street Fight.
On June 6, 2008, Steen and Generico participated in a one night tournament to crown new ROH World Tag Team Champions, defeating Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion where he is the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in a record breaking fifth reign. He made his debut for the promotion in July 2004 and remained with it unti ...
and ROH World Champion
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler.
He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
in the first round, Chris Hero and Adam Pearce in the second round, but losing to Jimmy Jacobs
Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He was recently signed to Impact Wrestling as a member of the creative team and producer. He is best known for his 1 ...
and Tyler Black
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
in the finals. On July 25, Steen faced off against ROH World Champion
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler.
He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
in a title match for the company's debut show in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, but Steen lost the match. At a pay-per-view taping in Boston on September 19, Steen and Generico beat The Age of the Fall to finally win the ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
. This also fulfilled Steen's promise of winning a title in ROH before the November 21 Dayton show. They lost the championship to The American Wolves
The American Wolves are a professional wrestling tag team which consisted of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. They are seven-time world tag team champions being five-time TNA World Tag Team Champions and two-time ROH World Tag Team Champions ...
(Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) at a television taping on April 10, 2009.
On December 19 at Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first internet ...
, ROH's first live pay-per-view, after a loss to The Young Bucks, Steen turned heel by attacking his tag team partner El Generico. Steen then found a new partner in Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed with WWE as a trainer and producer for their developmental territory NXT. He is best known for his tenure with Extreme Championship ...
. At the following pay-per-view, The Big Bang! on April 3, 2010, Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino via disqualification, when Steen used a chair on his former partner. On June 19 at Death Before Dishonor VIII
Death Before Dishonor VIII (DBD VIII) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. This marked the 8th event entitled ROH Death Before Dishonor, Death Before Dishonor, with ...
, Steen defeated El Generico in a singles match. On September 11 at Glory By Honor IX
Glory By Honor IX was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. It took place on September 11, 2010, at the Manhattan Center in New York City. This was the ninth event ent ...
, Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino in a Double Chain match, when Cabana forced Corino to tap out. After the match Steen attacked El Generico and unmasked him. On December 18 at Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first internet ...
, Steen and Generico ended their year–long feud in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
, where Steen put his ROH career on the line against Generico's mask. However, Steen did not like the idea, because he would lose money if he lost, but in the end he agreed to the match, because he thought ROH would use Generico as a top wrestler after the feud. In the end El Generico won the match and thus forced Steen out of ROH. The feud was voted by Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
as the best feud of the year.
Prior to the outcome, on November 4, Kevin Steen's contract agreement with Ring of Honor ended due to financial budget concerns, which ultimately played a role within the stipulations of the match. Steen wrote most of the El Generico rivalry storyline himself, though he claims that his poor relationship with new booker Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...
, who had little interest in either Steen or Generico, resulted in a great deal of frustration for him. During the feud, ROH booker Adam Pearce promised Steen he would main event Final Battle, but Cornette made Davey Richards-Eddie Edwards the main event and Steen-Generico after the event. Steen also claims that Cornette "froze" him out of ROH, believing he was also keeping the promotion's president Cary Silkin in the dark on when Steen would be brought back.
ROH World Champion (2011–2013)
When Steen was pulled out of ROH events, ROH President Cary Silkin paid him every month. Cornette told Steen he would be brought back a few months later, so Steen lost , but when ROH was sold, Cornette told him to wait another six months. Steen was unhappy and his weight jumped to . His contract expired in February 2011. After signing a new contract with the promotion, Steen returned to Ring of Honor on June 26, 2011, at Best in the World, being introduced by Corino, who had turned face shortly after Steen's departure from the promotion and claimed that he needed redemption as well. However, ROH officials forced him to leave the arena before he could show that he was a changed man. After Corino was defeated by Michael Elgin, Steen ran in to save him from a beatdown at the hands of the House of Truth, but ended up turning on him and his sponsor Jimmy Jacobs. Afterwards, Steen was dragged out of the arena, while Jim Cornette swore that he would never again wrestle for ROH. The original idea was to introduce Steen as a rehab wrestler. However, Steen turned down the idea, because he did not "want to look like The Bravado Brothers
The Bravado Brothers were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Harlem Bravado (born Chance Barrow on April 22, 1989) and Lancelot Bravado (born Houston Barrow on September 16, 1985). The duo have worked for ...
". Though Steen was booked as the heel of the storyline, the fans took his side and instead booed Cornette. The storyline continued on July 22, when Steen invaded ROH's official message board, writing posts praising Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. On September 15, ROH's message board was "hacked" to redirect to a video, where Steen announced his intention of attending ROH's Death Before Dishonor IX
Death Before Dishonor IX (DBD IX) was the 9th ROH Death Before Dishonor professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on September 17, 2011, at the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center in the New ...
the following weekend.
At the event on September 17, Steen interrupted a match between El Generico and Jimmy Jacobs and called out Steve Corino, who was at the time wrestling in Japan, before powerbombing Jacobs on the ring apron. Steen was then confronted by Jim Cornette and ROH president Cary Silkin, whom he tried to Package Piledrive, before being ushered out of the arena by the security. On the November 5 episode of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling
''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'' or ''ROH TV'', is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series featured professional wrestlers competing in matches and condu ...
'', Steen reappeared with Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
O ...
talent Christian Mascagni as his legal adviser, threatening Jim Cornette and Ring of Honor with legal action unless he was reinstated within three weeks. On the December 3 episode of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', Steen was granted a match with Steve Corino at Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first internet ...
, with his ROH future on the line. At the event on December 23, Steen defeated Corino, thus granting back his career in ROH. Afterwards, he delivered a package piledriver to Jimmy Jacobs, before putting El Generico through a table with the same maneuver. At the end of the evening, he confronted Davey Richards and promised to become the ROH World Champion in 2012. On March 4, 2012, at the 10th Anniversary Show, Steen defeated Jimmy Jacobs in a No Holds Barred match and ended the pay-per-view by having another confrontation with Davey Richards. Steen continued his win streak during the Showdown in the Sun
Showdown in the Sun was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH) that took place over two consecutive days: Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31, 2012 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, ...
weekend, first defeating El Generico, with help from Jimmy Jacobs, in a Last Man Standing match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
on March 30 and then Eddie Edwards in a singles match on March 31. On May 12 at Border Wars, Steen defeated Davey Richards to win the ROH World Championship for the first time, making him the first Canadian to hold the championship.
Following the match, Steve Corino entered the ring and hugged Steen and Jacobs;[ the three men went on to form a stable later named S.C.U.M. (Suffering, Chaos, Ugliness, and Mayhem). Steen made his first successful title defense on June 15, defeating Eddie Edwards. On June 24 at Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Steen defeated Davey Richards to retain the ROH World Championship. At the following pay-per-view, ]Boiling Point
The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor.
The boiling point of a liquid varies depending upon the surrounding envir ...
on August 11, Steen successfully defended his title against Chikara Grand Champion
The Chikara Grand Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Chikara promotion. The first champion was crowned on November 13, 2011, at the High Noon pay-per-view, when Eddie Kingston defeated Mike Quackenbush at the conc ...
Eddie Kingston. On September 15 at Death Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency, Steen made another successful title defense against Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
. On October 6, a title match between Steen and Jay Lethal
Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champion, ...
ended in a no contest in Lethal's home state of New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, after which Steen spat at Lethal's parents, who were sitting at ringside. Seven days later at the following internet pay-per-view, Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope, Steen made a successful title defense against Michael Elgin. Afterwards, Steen was delivered a box, which contained El Generico's mask. On December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday, Steen successfully defended the ROH World Championship against the returning El Generico in a ladder match. On March 2, 2013, at the 11th Anniversary Show, Steen defeated Jay Lethal in a grudge match to retain the ROH World Championship. On April 5 at Supercard of Honor VII
Supercard of Honor VII was the 7th Supercard of Honor professional wrestling internet pay-per-view (iPPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on April 5, 2013 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York.
Storylines
S ...
, Steen lost the ROH World Championship to Jay Briscoe.
Final feuds (2013–2014)
At the following night's tapings of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', S.C.U.M. turned on Steen, with Corino announcing that he would not be seen in ROH again. Steen, however, returned to ROH on May 4, now working as a face and replacing Jay Lethal in a tag team match, where he and Michael Elgin faced S.C.U.M.'s Cliff Compton
Clifford Treiber (born November 2, 1979) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring names Domino and Cliff Compton. He is known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Before being promoted to the main WWE roster ...
and Jimmy Jacobs. The match ended with Jacobs pinning Steen for the win, after which Elgin walked out on him. Steen continued his rivalry with S.C.U.M. on June 22 at Best in the World 2013
Best in the World 2013 was a professional wrestling internet pay-per-view (iPPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on June 22, 2013, at the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the fourth ROH Best in the World event.
...
, where he was defeated by Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team d ...
in a No Disqualification match. The following day, Steen replaced The Briscoes due to injuries in a Steel Cage Warfare match and forced his former stable out of ROH, despite interference from Corino and Hardy, when he pinned Jimmy Jacobs to win the match and disband S.C.U.M. On August 3, Steen entered a tournament for the vacant
Within the context of building construction and building codes, "occupancy" refers to the use, or intended use, of a building, or portion of a building, for the shelter or support of persons, animals or property. A closely related meaning is th ...
ROH World Championship, defeating Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
in his first round match. On August 17, Steen advanced to the semifinals of the tournament with a win over Roderick Strong.
On September 20 at Death Before Dishonor XI, Steen was eliminated from the tournament by Michael Elgin. Following the tournament, Steen started feuding with Michael Bennett. The two faced off on October 26 at Glory By Honor XII, where Bennett was victorious, following a distraction from his girlfriend Maria Kanellis
Mary Louis "Maria" Kanellis-Bennett (born February 25, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manager, actress, model and former singer, She is best known for h ...
. On December 14 at Final Battle 2013
Final Battle 2013 was the 12th Final Battle professional wrestling event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which occurred on December 14, 2013 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York.
Background
''Final Battle 2013'' featured eight pro ...
, Steen defeated Bennett in a Stretcher match, where the loser would be forced to stop using the piledriver. On February 8, 2014, Steen earned a shot at the ROH World Championship by defeating Jay Lethal, Michael Elgin and Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa.
Whitney began his career in 2005, working on several independent pro ...
in a four-way number one contender's match.
Steen received his title match on May 10 in Toronto at Global Wars
Global Wars is a professional wrestling event held annually since 2012 by the American Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion. Originally named Border Wars, the event was renamed Global Wars in 2014 after ROH announced a partnership with the Japanese New ...
, but was defeated by the defending champion, Adam Cole. After losing to Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where ...
at the Ring of Honor/New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
co-produced War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
iPPV on May 17, Steen announced he was leaving ROH. This led to him being insulted and attacked by Silas Young
Caleb DeWall (born August 9, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Silas Young. He was last contracted for Ring of Honor, where he is a two-time ROH World Television Champion, although he has not appeared on R ...
. After defeating Young on June 22 at Best in the World 2014
Best in the World 2014 was the fifth Best in the World professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on June 22, 2014 at the Tennessee State Fairground Sports Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This show ...
, Steen announced that his contract was up in a "month and a half". At the July 19 ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'' tapings, Steen defeated Steve Corino in his final ROH match.
Return to PWG (2010–2014)
When Steen left ROH in 2010, his friend Super Dragon asked him to wrestle in PWG and Steen agreed. On December 11, 2010, Steen wrestled Akira Tozawa
Akira Tozawa (戸澤 陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and WWE 24/7 Champion, winning the ...
for his first PWG win in two years. He then returned to a more prominent role in the company after a few sporadic years, having only made five appearances between 2009 and 2010. On January 29, 2011, Steen was defeated by Chris Hero at PWG's annual WrestleReunion
WrestleReunion (or Wrestle Reunion) is a professional wrestling event, and fan convention, founded by Sal Corrente in 2005.
WrestleReunion 1
The first WrestleReunion event occurred January 29, 2005, at Doubletree Hotel in Tampa, Florida. The ...
-sponsored event. Later that evening, after a four-way tag team match to determine which of four teams would enter the 2011 ''DDT4'' tournament, Steen ran out to attack the eventual winners, the RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime and Johnny Yuma), before declaring his intention of winning the ''DDT4'' tournament. On February 2, 2011, it was announced that Steen would be teaming with Akira Tozawa for the tournament, which took place on March 4. In their first round match, Steen and Tozawa, known collectively as the Nightmare Violence Connection, scored an upset victory over the Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jay Briscoe (Jamin "Jay" Pugh) and Mark Briscoe (Mark Pugh). They are known for their 19-year tenure with the American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). and ...
(Jay and Mark Briscoe). After another upset victory over the ROH World Tag Team Champions
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and debuted on September 21, 2002 ...
, The Kings of Wrestling
The Kings of Wrestling was a professional wrestling stable that worked on the independent circuit. It was formed in Chikara as a large stable, but also appeared in numerous promotions mainly as a tag team of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. ...
(Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is currently signed to Ring of Honor as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of independent wrestling pr ...
and Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
), Steen and Tozawa made it to the finals of the tournament, where they were defeated by The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson). On July 23 at PWG's eighth anniversary show, Steen first defeated PAC in a singles match, before teaming with CIMA to defeat PWG World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks, in a non-title match. After Claudio Castagnoli had defeated Chris Hero in the main event of the evening to retain the PWG World Championship, Steen challenged him to a match and, in his third match of the night, defeated him to win the PWG World Championship for the second time. At the following event on August 20, Steen entered the 2011 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Dave Finlay
David Finlay Jr. (born 31 January 1958) is an Irish retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE as a trainer/assistant coach. He is known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Fit Finlay from 1995 to ...
and Eddie Edwards in his first round and semifinal matches. Later that same night, Steen was defeated in the finals by old rival El Generico. On September 10, Steen made his first PWG World Championship defense, defeating former champion Davey Richards.
On October 22, Steen lost the PWG World Championship to El Generico in a ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
, following interference from The Young Bucks. After the match Super Dragon made his first appearance in over three years by saving Steen with the two accepting The Young Bucks' challenge for a Guerrilla Warfare match. On December 10, Steen and Dragon, known collectively as "Appetite for Destruction", defeated The Young Bucks in a Guerrilla Warfare match to win the PWG World Tag Team Championship. On March 17, Steen defeated El Generico and Eddie Edwards in a three-way match to win the PWG World Championship for the third time. Steen made his first title defense on April 21, defeating Sami Callihan
Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, currently signed with Impact Wrestling and is a former Impact World Champion. He also wrestled for Luch ...
in an open challenge. On May 25, Steen successfully defended the PWG World Championship against Brian Cage-Taylor. That same night, Steen and Dragon were stripped of the PWG World Tag Team Championship, after Dragon was sidelined with a heel fracture. On July 21 at ''Threemendous III'', PWG's ninth anniversary event, Steen made his third successful defense of the PWG World Championship against Willie Mack
Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
. On September 1, Steen was eliminated from the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles in the first round by Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
, following a distraction from Brian Cage. After having his championship belt stolen from him by the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles winner Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Col ...
, Steen successfully defended the title in a three-way match against Michael Elgin
Aaron Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He most recently worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Masa Kitami ...
and Ricochet on October 27, after which he challenged Cole to a match for December 1. On December 1, Steen lost the PWG World Championship to Adam Cole in a Guerrilla Warfare match.
After El Generico had agreed to a deal with WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, he and Steen reunited one more time on January 12, 2013, by entering the 2013 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament. After wins over the Briscoe Brothers and Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Edward Greenwood (born March 1, 1987) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the ring name Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time in Ring of Hono ...
), they were defeated in the finals of the tournament by The Young Bucks. On August 31, Steen turned heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
and formed a new stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
named "The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling" with PWG World Champion Adam Cole and PWG World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks. On July 26, 2014, Steen was defeated by Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas
Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ...
in his PWG farewell match.
WWE
NXT Champion (2014–2015)
On August 12, 2014, WWE announced that Steen had signed with them and was due to report to their developmental system NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
on August 25. His new ring name had only the surname changed to Owens, a tribute to his son Owen (who himself is named after Owen Hart
Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrest ...
), and NXT began airing promotional videos from November 20 to hype his upcoming debut. Owens detailed that he had wrestled for 14 years before making it to WWE, having faced (and formed friendships with) several current WWE or NXT wrestlers on the independent circuit years ago, but WWE signed them first—he declared that despite these friendships he would now fight anyone and everyone because fighting was the best way he could provide for his family.
At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, Owens defeated CJ Parker
Joseph Ryan Robinson (born April 10, 1989), better known by his ring name Juice Robinson, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Robinson is also a member of the Bullet Club stable and also wrestles ...
in his debut match, in which Parker legitimately gave him a broken nose with a ''Third Eye'' (palm strike
A strike is a directed physical attack with either a part of the human body or with an inanimate object (such as a weapon) intended to cause blunt trauma or penetrating trauma upon an opponent.
There are many different varieties of strikes. A ...
); later that night, when Sami Zayn (the former El Generico) won the NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. In ...
, Owens came to the ring to congratulate Zayn before attacking him with a powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a sta ...
onto the ring apron, establishing himself as a heel in the process. On the December 18 episode of ''NXT'', Owens wrestled former NXT Champion Adrian Neville
Benjamin Satterley (born 22 August 1986), better known by his ring name Pac, is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he was the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion. He is one-third of the ...
to a double countout and powerbombed Neville onto the apron after the match. After yet another post-match attack by Owens on Zayn, an irate Zayn demanded a match against Owens, but Owens refused to wrestle unless it was for the championship—Zayn agreed and a title match was set for NXT TakeOver: Rival. At the event on February 11, 2015, two months to the day after his debut, Owens captured the championship from Zayn via referee stoppage after repeatedly powerbombing a disorientated Zayn. On the March 25 episode of ''NXT'', he successfully retained the NXT title against Finn Bálor
Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day.
Devitt is widely known for his ten ...
. At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, Owens' rematch for the title against Zayn went to a no contest after Owens continued to beat down an injured Zayn, until the debuting Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW ...
stopped him. After weeks of tension between the two, Owens faced Joe on the June 17 episode of ''NXT''. After the match went to a no contest, the two continued to brawl until they had to be separated.
On the July 4 WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...
special, The Beast in the East event held in Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, Owens lost the NXT Championship to Bálor, ending his reign at 143 days. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22, Owens had his rematch for the title in a ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
against Bálor, but he failed to regain the title in his last match and appearance in NXT. While on the main roster as NXT Champion, Owens successfully defended the title against Zack Ryder
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryde ...
during an NXT Championship open challenge on the June 4 episode of ''SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', against Neville on the June 8 episode of ''Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'' and against Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in W ...
on the June 12 episode of ''Main Event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
''.
Intercontinental Champion (2015–2016)
Owens made his unannounced main roster debut on the May 18 episode of ''Raw'', responding to John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
's United States Championship open challenge. However, instead of competing in the match, he attacked Cena and stomped on the United States title in a show of disrespect, setting up a non-title match between the two at Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
on May 31, which Owens won cleanly by pinfall. A rematch between the two took place at Money in the Bank on June 14, which Cena won, and after the match, Owens powerbombed Cena onto the ring apron. Owens later challenged Cena to a match for the United States Championship, which took place at Battleground on July 19, which Cena won by submission, thus ending their feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
. After the loss to Cena, Owens entered a feud with Cesaro, defeating him in two matches—at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 23 and on an episode of ''Raw'' eight days later.
On September 20 at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Owens defeated Ryback
Ryback Allen Reeves (né Ryan; born November 10, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Ryback.
One of the eight finalists on WWE's '' Tough Enough 4'', Reeves l ...
to win his first singles title on the main roster, the Intercontinental Championship. On October 3, Owens' first title defense came on the WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...
special, Live from Madison Square Garden, where Owens defeated Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
. On October 25, at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
, Owens successfully defended the championship in a rematch against Ryback. Owens then took part in the tournament for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...
, in which he defeated Titus O'Neil
Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr. (born April 29, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is the Global Ambassador of WWE and also performs for the promotion as a wrestler under the ri ...
and Neville, but lost to Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wres ...
in the semifinals at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
on November 22. Owens then entered a feud with Ambrose, where he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Ambrose at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, ending his reign at 84 days. Going into 2016, Owens unsuccessfully faced Ambrose for the championship on several occasions. On January 24, Owens entered the 2016 Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
pay-per-view, but was unsuccessful after being eliminated by Sami Zayn.
The following night on ''Raw'', Owens entered a feud with Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
, with the two trading victories over each other on back to back episodes of ''Raw''. On the February 15 episode of ''Raw'', Owens won the Intercontinental Championship for a second time, defeating former champion Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Tyler Breeze
Matthew Clement (born January 19, 1988) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Tyler Breeze as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center.
From 2010 to 2012, he per ...
and Ziggler in a fatal five-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. At Fastlane on February 21, Owens successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Ziggler. At WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wres ...
on April 3, Owens lost the title against Zack Ryder
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryde ...
in a seven-way ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
. He resumed the feud with longtime rival Sami Zayn after he attacked him on ''Raw'', which led to a match at Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on May 1, where Owens defeated Zayn. At Extreme Rules on May 22, Owens faced Zayn, Cesaro and Miz in a fatal four-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
for the Intercontinental Championship, but failed to regain the title when Miz pinned Cesaro. The following night on ''Raw'', Owens defeated AJ Styles to qualify for the 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
, but he failed to win the match at the event on June 19.
Universal Champion (2016–2017)
During the 2016 WWE draft
Sixteen or 16 may refer to:
*16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17
*one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016
Films
* '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film
* ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film ...
, Owens was drafted to Raw. At Battleground on July 24, Owens was defeated by Zayn. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 21, Owens teamed with Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
to defeat Enzo Amore and Big Cass
FreeAgentZ (formerly known as Enzo and Cass) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of nZo and CaZXL. The duo are best known for their tenure with WWE, from 2013 to 2017, under the respective ring names, Enzo Amore and Big Ca ...
. On the August 22 episode of ''Raw'', Owens defeated Neville to qualify for the vacant Universal Championship fatal four-way elimination match the following week. On the August 29 episode of ''Raw'', Owens defeated Big Cass
William Morrissey (born August 16, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He currently performs in All Elite Wrestling, where he is a member of The Firm, under the ring name Big Bill. He is also known for his tenures with WWE (where he per ...
, Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
and Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
after interference from Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...
to win the Universal Championship, his first world title
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in WWE. Between September and October, Owens successfully defended the title against Rollins, first in a singles match at Clash of Champions
''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
on September 25, and then at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
in a Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
match on October 30, both times after interferences from Jericho. Owens and Jericho were later announced as co-captains of Team Raw for the traditional Survivor Series match
The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Membe ...
against Team SmackDown, alongside Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDo ...
, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
on November 20. At the event, Team SmackDown would emerge victorious.
The following night on ''Raw'', Owens defeated Rollins in a No Disqualification match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to retain the championship once again following the interference of Jericho, WWE United States Champion
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along with the WWE ...
Reigns issued a challenge to Owens, who stated that he did not need Jericho's help against him, and Owens suffered his first pinfall loss since becoming champion after losing a non-title match to Reigns that same night, thus earning Reigns a WWE Universal Championship match against Owens at Roadblock: End of the Line. At the event on December 18, after failing to help Jericho defeat Rollins, Owens retained the championship by disqualification when Jericho intentionally attacked him with a ''Codebreaker''. This led to Reigns' rematch at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
pay-per-view event being under the stipulation that would see Jericho (who would pin Reigns in a handicap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
involving Owens, to win the United States Championship on the January 9, 2017 episode of ''Raw'') being suspended above the ring in a shark proof cage. On January 29 at the Royal Rumble event, Owens defeated Reigns in a No Disqualification match after Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDo ...
interfered. The following night on ''Raw'', Owens defended the title against Strowman (who revealed that he helped Owens retain the WWE Universal Championship because of his dislike for Reigns and because Owens had promised him a title shot) and once again retained the title after Reigns attacked both him and Strowman. On the February 6 episode of ''Raw'', Owens was challenged by Goldberg Goldberg or Goldberger may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Goldberg Ensemble, a British string ensemble
* ''Goldberg Variations'', a set of 30 keyboard variations by Johann Sebastian Bach
* ''The Goldbergs (broadcast series)'', American radio ...
to a championship match at Fastlane, which Jericho accepted on Owens' behalf, much to his dismay. On the February 13 episode of ''Raw'', Jericho hosted a "Festival of Friendship" for Owens, who was not impressed with Jericho's idea of humour and instead then presented Jericho with a new list as a gift, but when Jericho realized that it was "The List of KO" and that he was the first name on it, Owens turned on Jericho and viciously attacked him. At Fastlane on March 5, Owens lost the title to Goldberg in 22 seconds after a distraction from Jericho, thus ending his championship reign at 188 days.
United States Champion and teaming with Sami Zayn (2017–2019)
The following night on ''Raw'', Owens accepted Jericho's challenge for a match at WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 201 ...
on April 2 as long as Jericho would defend the United States Championship, which Owens won for the first time in his career. On the April 11 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens was traded to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up
The 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up was the eleventh WWE draft – and the first to be rebranded as the Superstar Shake-up – produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between the Raw and SmackDown brands. Instead of a traditional ...
. Owens, who would still defend his newly won title against Jericho at Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
with the winner going to SmackDown as well, started referring to himself as the "Face of America" and also began sporting a different look, having trimmed his beard and hair down, while wearing a suit. At Payback on April 30, Owens lost the title back to Jericho, thus ending his reign at 28 days. However, Owens reclaimed the title on the May 2 episode of ''SmackDown Live'' by defeating Jericho, and then attacking and injuring him after the match as well. At Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
on May 21, Owens defeated AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
by count-out to retain the United States Championship. Owens was later announced as one of the participants in Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
at Money in the Bank on June 18, along with Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Styles, Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
and Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former offen ...
, in which Corbin emerged victorious.
During a house show at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
on July 7, Owens lost the United States Championship to Styles ending his second reign at 66 days, but regained it at Battleground on July 23 and lost it back to Styles two days later on ''SmackDown'' in a triple threat match also involving the returning Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
. The following week, Owens received a rematch, where Styles retained after the referee did not see Owens' shoulder up, due to being accidentally struck by Owens earlier in the match. After the match, Owens demanded a rematch with a competent official. ''SmackDown Live'' General Manager Daniel Bryan then made a match between Owens and Styles for the United States Championship at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, with Commissioner Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon (; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he was a wrestler, producer and minority owner. He is the founder and executive chairman of Idean ...
as the special guest referee. During that time, Owens dropped the Face of America gimmick and reverted to the Prizefighter persona, shedding both the suits, America-orientated promos and his pursuit of the United States Championship. At SummerSlam on August 20, Owens was defeated by Styles, in a match where both wrestlers argued with Shane over his decisions. On the August 22 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens demanded another rematch which Shane allowed, with Baron Corbin as the special guest referee, but was once again unsuccessful, after Corbin walked out on the match and Shane took over, distracting Owens enough for Styles to capitalize and win. This also meant that as long as Styles held the title, Owens could not challenge Styles for the title again, ending his feud with Styles.
On the September 5 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens demanded another shot at the United States Championship; when Shane refused, Owens insulted Shane's children, which caused him to attack Owens. As a result, Shane was suspended and Bryan announced that Mr. McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
would be on ''SmackDown Live'' the following week. At Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
on October 8, Owens defeated Shane in a Hell in a Cell match after interference from Zayn, who turned heel to push Owens off the announce table as Shane attempted a ''Leap of Faith'' off the cell. On the following episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Zayn then referred to Owens as his "brother", after revealing why he helped Owens rather than allow Shane to win. At Survivor Series on November 19, Owens and Zayn attacked Shane McMahon during the main event, which backfired after McMahon attacked both with a steel chair and Orton delivered an ''RKO'' to Owens. At Clash of Champions
''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
on December 17, Owens and Zayn defeated Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura in a tag team match with their jobs on the line and with McMahon and Bryan as special guest referees, after Bryan gave them a fast count. Going into 2018, both would compete for AJ Styles's WWE Championship; first in a handicap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
on January 28 and secondly at Fastlane on March 11, where they competed in six-pack challenge that also involved Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
, Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former offen ...
and John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
, but were unsuccessful both times. After that, they continued their feud against Bryan and McMahon, culminating in a tag team match at WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
on April 8, where Bryan made his in-ring return, being defeated after Bryan submitted Zayn. The night after WrestleMania 34, Owens, now a free agent, showed up on ''Raw'' along with Zayn and asked Raw General Manager Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
for a job. Though reluctant, Angle made a match between Owens and Zayn where whoever won the match and would receive a Raw contract, but the match ended in a no contest and Owens and Zayn remained free agents. This decision was overruled the following week, as both men would be awarded Raw contracts by Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest profe ...
. On the May 7 episode of ''Raw'', he lost a Money in the Bank qualifying match to Braun Strowman. At Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
on May 6, Owens and Zayn were defeated by Strowman and Lashley. On the May 14 episode of ''Raw'', he was given another opportunity to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match on June 17, which he won by defeating Lashley and Elias
Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy ...
in a triple threat match. At the event, the ladder match was won by Braun Strowman.
In the following weeks, Owens unsuccessfully attempted to develop a partnership with Strowman to replace an injured Sami Zayn, leading to Strowman destroying Owens' car. At Extreme Rules on July 15, Owens defeated Strowman after he threw Owens from the top of the cage through the announce table, meaning Owens' feet touched the floor first, rendering him the winner. On the July 23 episode of ''Raw'', Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon granted Kevin Owens an opportunity to face Strowman at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
under the stipulation that if Owens won, he received Strowman's Money in the Bank contract
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
. At the event on August 19, Owens lost to Strowman. On the August 27 episode of ''Raw'', after failing to win the Intercontinental Championship from Seth Rollins, Owens sat in the middle of the ring and said the words "I Quit." On the September 3 episode of ''Raw'', Owens returned to attack Bobby Lashley. At Super Show-Down on October 6, in what was originally set to be a singles match between Owens and Cena, he instead teamed with Elias
Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy ...
in a losing effort against Lashley and Cena, and on the following episode of ''Raw'', Owens was defeated by Lashley. The next day, WWE announced Owens suffered injuries to both knees that required surgery.
On the February 26, 2019 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens returned as a face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
, replacing Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-hal ...
in the WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
match at Fastlane against Daniel Bryan, per Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
's orders. At the pay-per view on March 10, a returning Mustafa Ali
Adeel Alam (born March 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Mustafa Ali.
Prior to signing with WWE, Alam worked on the independent circuit afte ...
was added to the match, thus making it a triple threat match, and Owens failed to win the title after Bryan pinned Ali. After WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on A ...
, Owens started a storyline, where he congratulated Kofi Kingston for winning the WWE Championship and joined The New Day as their honorary third member, since Big E was recovering from an injury. However, since Daniel Bryan suffered an injury at WrestleMania, SmackDown needed a top level heel, so on the April 23 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens turned on Kingston and attacked him and Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-half of the current NXT Tag T ...
, proclaiming that he wanted the WWE Championship, thus turning him back into a heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
. Owens challenged Kingston for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank on May 19 in a losing effort. At Stomping Grounds on June 23, Owens teamed with Sami Zayn to defeat Big E and Xavier Woods.
Various feuds (2019–2022)
On the July 2 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Owens questioned Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon (; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he was a wrestler, producer and minority owner. He is the founder and executive chairman of Idean ...
's decisions and underhanded tactics before they were interrupted by Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
, leading to McMahon booking them in a tag team match which they lost after a miscommunication. The following week, Owens stated his distaste in McMahon's constant dominance on television, before fleeing as McMahon called for security. Later that night, Owens interfered in Ziggler's match against Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
and hit McMahon with a stunner, turning face once again. At Extreme Rules on July 14, Owens defeated Ziggler in 17 seconds. At Smackville on July 27, Owens defeated Elias
Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy ...
, one of McMahon's allies. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 11, Owens defeated McMahon in a match where had Owens lost, he would be fired. Owens was then announced as a participant in the King of the Ring tournament
The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Don Mu ...
, losing to Elias in the first round, where McMahon served as the special guest referee. On the September 10 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', McMahon fired Owens, after McMahon tapped out to Chad Gable
Charles Edward Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He is a four-time tag team champion in ...
in their King of the Ring semi-final match, where Owens was serving as the special guest referee. The following week, Owens attended the show as an audience member, but had also filed a kayfabe wrongful termination lawsuit against McMahon. On October 4 during the 20th Anniversary of ''SmackDown'', Owens defeated McMahon in a ladder match with both men's careers on the line. As per the pre-match stipulation, McMahon was fired from WWE.
On October 11, Owens moved back to the Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
as part of the draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
. On November 23 at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Owens made a one-off appearance as Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa.
Whitney began his career in 2005, working on several independent pro ...
's mystery fourth partner for the WarGames
''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follows Dav ...
match against The Undisputed Era
The Undisputed Era was a professional wrestling stable from WWE's NXT brand. It formed on August 19, 2017 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III shortly after Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly signed with WWE, although Fish and O'Reilly had ...
(Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Col ...
, Bobby Fish
Robert Anthony Fish (born October 27, 1976) is an American professional wrestler currently appearing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed Era ...
, Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Edward Greenwood (born March 1, 1987) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the ring name Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time in Ring of Hono ...
, and Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
), where Team Ciampa ultimately emerged victorious. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
on November 24, Owens made up part of Team Raw in a losing effort to Team SmackDown also involving Team NXT. The next night on ''Raw'', Owens would began a feud with Seth Rollins, and would be targeted in attacks by Rollins and his allies AOP ( Akam and Rezar
}
Gzim Selmani (born 16 June 1994) is a Dutch-Albanian professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Rezar.
After signing with WWE in 2015, he has since teamed ...
). Owens entered the Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
on January 26, 2020 at #27, but was eliminated by Rollins. Rollins then challenged Owens to a match at WrestleMania 36
WrestleMania 36 was the 36th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
, which was won by Owens to end their feud. On the pre-show at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules
The Horror Show at Extreme Rules was the 12th annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was b ...
on July 19, Owens defeated Murphy
Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an Irish surname and the most common surname in the Republic of Ireland.
Origins and variants
The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac ...
, an ally of Rollins. After this, Owens entered into a program with Aleister Black
Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 2017 ...
. After a number of matches against each other, Owens defeated Black on the October 12 episode of ''Raw'' to end their feud.
As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Owens was drafted to the SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand. He defeated Dolph Ziggler on the October 30 episode of ''SmackDown'' to qualify for Team SmackDown at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
. At the event on November 22, Team SmackDown lost in a clean sweep by Team Raw. Owens then reignited his rivalry against Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
, challenging him for the Universal Championship at TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
on December 20, and again at Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
on January 31, 2021, but was defeated both times due to assistance from Jey Uso Jey may refer to:
*Jey, Iran, a village in Alborz Province, Iran
*Jey Rural District, in Isfahan Province, Iran
*Alih Jey, a Latin Grammy nominated Dominican Rock music singer and songwriter
*Clarence Jey, a Los Angeles-based Billboard Record Produ ...
and Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...
. On the second night of WrestleMania 37
WrestleMania 37 was the 37th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place as a two-night ev ...
on April 11, Owens defeated Sami Zayn and attacked Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American media personality, podcaster, actor, and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is inactive due to a knee injury. He has over 23 m ...
after the match. At Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
on June 20, Owens lost to Zayn. After a brief hiatus, Owens returned on the July 2 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating Zayn in a Last Man Standing match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
at Money in the Bank. At the event on July 18, Owens failed to win the contract as it was won by Big E.
As part of the 2021 Draft, Owens was drafted to the Raw brand. On the November 1 episode of ''Raw'', Owens entered a storyline with WWE Champion Big E and Seth Rollins after Big E hit the ''Big Ending'' on Owens after their non-title match. The following week, Owens attacked Big E after the former's match against Rollins, turning heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
for the first time since 2019. Owens attacked Finn Bálor
Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day.
Devitt is widely known for his ten ...
the next week, cementing his heel turn. On the November 29 episode of ''Raw'', Owens defeated Big E by disqualification to be added to the WWE Championship match at the Day 1 pay-per-view, making it a triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. At Day 1 on January 1, 2022, Owens was unsuccessful in capturing the title as Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
and Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
were also added to the match and Lesnar won the title. On the March 7 episode of ''Raw'', Owens and Rollins failed to capture the Raw Tag Team Championship in a triple threat tag team match against RK-Bro and Alpha Academy. Later that night, Owens announced that he was hosting "The KO Show" at WrestleMania 38
WrestleMania 38 was the 38th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was held as a two-night event ...
and invited "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
to be the guest, who accepted the invitation the next day. In the main event on the first night of WrestleMania 38 on April 2, Owens revealed that the invitation to the show was a ruse and challenged Austin to an impromptu No Holds Barred match, which Austin accepted, 19 years after his retirement. Following his loss to Austin, Owens was escorted out of the stadium by Dallas police officers.
On the following episode of ''Raw'', Owens, who admitted he made a mistake by challenging Austin to a match, was interrupted by a clean shaven Elias
Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy ...
, who claimed to be Elias’ younger brother Ezekiel. In the following weeks on ''Raw'', Owens entered a feud with Ezekiel after refusing to believe he was really Elias's brother, and thought he was actually Elias himself. On the May 23 episode of ''Raw'', Owens challenged Ezekiel to a match at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
, which he accepted. At the event on June 5, Owens defeated Ezekiel. On the August 8 episode of ''Raw'', Owens stretchered Ezekiel out of the arena after attacking him with an Apron Powerbomb, a move he had not used in years, thus ending their feud. This would be the final appearance of the Ezekiel character in the WWE, as he would go back to performing under the Elias gimmick afterwards.
Return of the Prizefighter (2022–present)
The following week on ''Raw'', having not held a championship in WWE for over five years, Owens said it was time to bring back the "Prizefighter". On the August 22 episode of ''Raw'', with his old titantron and duct tape "KO" tank top, he answered an open challenge by Alpha Academy and defeated Chad Gable
Charles Edward Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He is a four-time tag team champion in ...
before fending off an attack from Gable and Otis afterwards, turning face in the process. On the September 19th Raw Owens would receive help from Johnny Gargano
John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Johnny Gargano. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is best known for his time in NXT, wh ...
during his match with Austin Theory, leading to a backstage argument with Alpha Academy where Owens and Gargano would accept a challenge by Gable for a tag team match the following week. On the next weeks Raw Owens and Gargano, who had named themselves the Panda Express during their time on the indies despite not actually teaming together, would defeat Alpha Acedemy. At Survivor Series WarGames on November 26, Owens along with The Brawling Brutes
The Brawling Brutes is a professional wrestling stable consisting of Sheamus, who serves as its leader, Ridge Holland, Butch, and Drew McIntyre. They currently perform in WWE on the SmackDown brand.
Concept
the first concept of the Brutes wa ...
(Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch) and Drew McIntyre lost to The Bloodline in a WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not ...
.
Other media
In 2012, Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH) released a two disc set entitled ''Kevin Steen: Ascension to the Top'', focusing on his first two years with the promotion, and ''Kevin Steen: Descent into Madness'', covering his solo run from 2009 to 2010. In 2013, ROH released a DVD titled ''Kevin Steen: Hell Rising'', which included both his best matches in the promotion and a shoot interview
A shoot in professional wrestling is any unplanned, unscripted, or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. It is a carny term shortened from "straight shooting", which originally referred to a gun in a carnival target shooting game that di ...
, in which Steen went into detail most notably about his relationship with Jim Cornette and his booking of ROH. The DVD was pulled from ROH's online store shortly after its release. It was made available again during the 2013 Christmas season. Following his departure, ROH released another three disc set entitled ''Thanks Steen Thanks'', which featured matches from the end of his championship run through his final match with the company.
Owens is a playable character in the video games such as ''WWE 2K16
''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K17''. ...
'', ''WWE 2K17
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
'', ''WWE 2K18
''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
'', ''WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'', ''WWE 2K20
''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of ...
'', and ''WWE 2K22
''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the ninth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banne ...
.''
Personal life
Steen married Karina Lamer in 2007. They have a son named Owen (named after Owen Hart
Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrest ...
, with Steen dedicating his WWE ring name to both his son and Hart) and a daughter named Élodie Leila. At the end of the '' DDT4 Night One'' event in May 2008, Steen's then-six-month-old son appeared in a segment with Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
in which Excalibur called Steen's son "ugly", prompting Steen to perform three consecutive package piledrivers on him before placing his son on top of Excalibur for the pinfall.
Steen is a close friend of fellow Canadian wrestler Rami Sebei, currently known in WWE as Sami Zayn
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to join ...
, with the pair's onscreen characters teaming up or feuding with each other various times since they first met in 2002.
Championships and accomplishments
* All American Wrestling
AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, an ...
** AAW Heavyweight Championship
The AAW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by AAW Wrestling. There have been a total of 32 reigns and one vacancy shared between 25 different champions. The current champion is ...
( 1 time)
* Capital City Championship Combat
** C4 Championship (1 time)
** C4 Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mike Bailey
** C4 Championship Tournament (2009)
* Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
** CZW Iron Man Championship
The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The championship was created and debuted on February 13, 1999, at CZW's Opening Night event. The title is currently inact ...
( 1 time)
*Elite Wrestling Revolution
**EWR Heavyweight Championship (1 time, inaugural)
**Elite 8 (2005)
**EWR Championship Tournament (2004)
* International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
** IWS Canadian Championship (1 time)[
** ]IWS World Heavyweight Championship
International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling Syn ...
(3 times)
* North Shore Pro Wrestling
** NSPW Championship (1 time)
* Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
** PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
( 3 times)
** PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
( 3 times) – with El Generico
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to joi ...
(2) and Super Dragon
Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
(1)
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
** Ranked No. 3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
'' in 2017
* Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame
** Class of 2017
* Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
** ROH World Championship
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
( 1 time)[
** ]ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
( 1 time) – with El Generico
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to joi ...
** ROH World Championship No. 1 Contender Tournament (2008)
** Match of the Decade (2010s)
* ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''
** Best Heel (2015)
** Best Promos (2015)
** Best Storyline (2015)
** Ranked No. 6 of the 10 best WWE wrestlers of 2016
** Rookie of the Year (2015)
** WWE Match of the Year (2015)
** WWE Wrestler of the Half-Year (2015)
* ''SoCal Uncensored
SoCal Uncensored (SCU) was an American professional wrestling collective that consisted of Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Daniels and Kazarian are no longer able to team tog ...
''
** Match of the Year (2011) with Super Dragon vs. The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
on December 10
** Wrestler of the Year (2005, 2011, 2012)[
* '']Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
''
** Best Brawler (2010–2012)
** Feud of the Year (2010) [
* Squared Circle Wrestling
** 2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
** 2CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jason Axe
* ]WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
** NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. In ...
( 1 time)
** WWE Universal Championship
The WWE Universal Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two world titles for WWE's main roster, alon ...
( 1 time)
** WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster ...
(2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
** WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
( 3 times)
''Lucha de Apuesta'' record
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Kevin
1984 births
21st-century professional wrestlers
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian expatriate professional wrestlers in the United States
Canadian male professional wrestlers
Canadian people of French descent
French Quebecers
Living people
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
NXT Champions
People from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Professional wrestling announcers
Professional wrestlers from Quebec
ROH World Champions
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Universal Champions
ROH World Tag Team Champions
PWG World Champions
PWG World Tag Team Champions
CZW Iron Man Champions
AAW Heavyweight Champions