WWE: Ranking The 10 Greatest Promos Of 2017

9. Kevin Owens Insults Shane McMahon

After Kevin Owens lost a match to AJ Styles at SummerSlam for the United States Championship, he blamed Shane McMahon, who was a special guest referee, for the loss. On the Sept. 5 episode of SmackDown Live, he started a bitter rivalry with Shane by escalating the tensions that had existed ever since Owens moved from Raw to SmackDown during the “Superstar Shakeup” to a whole new level.

Owens started off by interrupting James Ellsworth and Carmella, proclaiming that he would be the special guest referee for Carmella’s upcoming match against Natalya. Shane McMahon then emerged and berated Owens for his actions and his inability to accept defeat.

After the two traded minor insults, Owens then kicked things up a notch by stating that Shane always needs to be the center of attention. He mentioned how Shane brings out his kids during his entrance, to which Shane sternly told Owens to never mention his kids again.

Naturally, Owens did exactly that. He said that Shane jumped out of a helicopter to get his father’s attention, just like he jumped off of the Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 32, and he said that his entire family, especially his kids, would have been better off if Shane died. And this started a brawl and the ensuing rivalry.

Owens’s intensity was on display in this promo, and there isn’t a better superstar in the WWE at being a scumbag than Owens. It’s easy to appreciate his work, but it’s just as easy to despise him, thanks to moments like this.