Kevin Owens: Anatomy of a Superstar

WWE.com

Blend of Strength and Agility

Kevin Owens can perform a mixture of maneuvers that a man of his size and build is rarely capable of. Although his look is far from the prototypical WWE superstar of old, in this age where technique and storytelling is all-important, Owens is an exceptional case study. At 6 ft tall and 266 lb, he has immense power to toss most opponents around the ring with ease, with suplexes and slams aplenty lining his arsenal. Owens is also well-versed in submissions and a definite brawler. But, his party piece is the ability to perform outstanding moves from the top rope. But that doesn’t mean that Owens is a Jack of all Trades; he is a master of all.

This variety is a crucial aspect of what makes Owens a significant name in WWE today, as it means he can adapt his style based on the opponent he is working alongside. Whilst most wrestlers are either big men with the strength to throw challengers around or smaller, more agile names that use speed and high-flying to their advantage, Owens has both those strings to his bow. That means he can be suplexing Kalisto around the ring without breaking a sweat one night, and then launching himself off the top rope to surprise Mark Henry the next.

When all the options are available to a performer like Owens, the careful selection of which become the key assets of your arsenal is pivotal, but here he has made effective decisions. Let’s take his recent matches with John Cena as an example of his vast range of offense. The basics he has nailed, as his strikes and clotheslines look deliberate and painful. The cannonball senton into the corner looks so simple, but is difficult to both perform safely and look as good as Owens makes it. His moveset is inspired by his independent upbringing, such as the Package Side Slam, Side Winder Suplex and Superkicks. And to top that off, when necessary he can call on a flying senton bomb or moonsault to leave the audience and his adversary breathless.

The Pop-Up Powerbomb as a finishing move appeared questionable at first, especially after Owens’ ROH success with the Package Piledriver. But it is an excellent choice as it can be performed out of nowhere, lifting an opponent in the air and flattening them into a quick defeat. Of course, it is unlikely he’ll be able to perform such a feat on the likes of Big Show and Mark Henry, but I’m sure Owens has plenty of alternatives in his mind for such an occasion. That is the beauty of his capabilities – he has a way to beat everybody.