Kevin Owens: Anatomy of a Superstar

WWE.com

Confidence on the Microphone

Obviously, to be a prominent name in WWE, you can’t just be an excellent hand in the ring – you need the confidence and charisma to make your presence felt on the microphone. Fortunately, this is another area that Kevin Owens excels, as he can run down any superstar that stands face to face to him, whether it is with a punch to the face or a belittling them on the microphone. This ability took shape on the independent scene, as he used some cajoling backstage to fuel his intensity and get the crowd invested in what he had to say. Although in WWE there are more restrictions in place, that hasn’t caused his words to dilute in significance.

Put it this way, for all his corniness on occasion, John Cena is one of the elite talkers in WWE today, and arguably in its entire history. Yet, Owens has come out onto the scene with such swagger that it has forced Cena to up his own game and provide some of his most sterling work in the past few years. The intense, passionate Cena that is against the wall is the one that is worth seeing every week, and Owens has unlocked that side of him expertly, making their feud the most intriguing aspect of RAW the past few weeks.

Owens plays on the emotion of the audience, and doesn’t just follow a script word for word. He doesn’t get thrown off by the fact that he is a heel that often gets cheered due to his independent legacy and sheer coolness. Owens does what he likes and doesn’t fear any consequences and, as Stone Cold Steve Austin plainly illustrated, fans fall in love with those characters more than any other. The rebel that doesn’t care what anybody thinks, be it the crowd, other wrestlers or the Authority – Owens has projected a character that only cares about himself and his family, and everyone can relate to that. His mic skills are not just complimenting and enhancing his potential as a wrestler, but in many ways they supersede anything he can get done in the ring.