WWE Stock Watch: Kevin Owens’ Value Skyrockets
The WWE’s “Superstar Shakedown” will inevitably give new opportunities to superstars, and while the shakeup won’t benefit everyone, a few people already saw their stocks rise this week.
Instead of having a new draft that would have completely altered every storyline, the WWE wisely elected to make minor modifications by making a few random switches between the Raw and SmackDown rosters. Notable changes included a swap of the mid-card titleholders in Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens, a switch in top female heels with Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, and the movement of The New Day to SmackDown Live.
After an exciting two days of moves with a few engaging matches sprinkled in, it’s time to take a look at which superstars saw their stocks rise and fall. There will be three risers mentioned in this piece, as well as two superstars who didn’t have the best of weeks.
WWE.com
5. RISING: Kevin Owens
Yes, Kevin Owens lost to Dean Ambrose in a “Champion vs. Champion” match, but that was mostly to cement the fact that he would be switching brands. I mean, would it have made sense to have Ambrose make his Raw debut, only to have one of the biggest babyfaces in the company (who was only given a pre-show match at WrestleMania, by the way) lose in that match?
“The Prizefighter” has always been a valuable member of the company. He beat John Cena in his first match on the main roster, he beat AJ Styles before the brand split, Triple H hand-picked him as the Universal champion following Finn Balor’s injury, and he defeated Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 33 for the United States championship.
Must Read: WWE SmackDown Grades And Analysis
However, during his reign as Universal champion, Owens lacked a signature win that came without the help of Jericho. He needed his former best friend to vanquish opponents at Pay Per Views, such as Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell and Roman Reigns at Fastlane.
Now, Owens is back to being a badass. That all started when he mauled Jericho at the “Festival of Friendship”, and his promos and beatdowns of other superstars (mostly Jericho) have only furthered that.
When Owens came out to open SmackDown Live, you could feel the buzz in the air, and he delivered yet another perfectly smug promo. He strikes the perfect, heelish combination of arrogance and brutality, and facing Owens for that title seems like a big deal.
On Talking Smack, Owens catapulted his value even further. Sporting a suit and a new clean-cut look in his debut for the blue brand, Owens eviscerated the whole “Land of Opportunity” schtick that SmackDown Live bosses Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan stuck up. Owens immediately started tension between him and his superiors, but he isn’t just replacing The Miz as the evil, win-at-all-costs heel. Owens adds so much more than The Miz could in the ring, and he seems even more vicious when he speaks. He’s pure evil, and I’m willing to bet that he’ll be hands-down the best heel in the company before 2017 ends.