Was the KO switch for Adam Pearce done too soon?

Thanks to an “injury” to Adam Pearce, Kevin Owens has filled in the challenger slot to face Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Some have question what was the point of including Pearce at this level and whether or not the convoluted storyline helps build interest in the angle. Pearce has not been in the ring since 2013. He joined WWE as a trainer and producer after his independent run as a wrestler. The superstar didn’t showcase any threat to the current Universal Champion but was that storyline and the subsequent switch done a bit too early.

WWE could have saved Kevin Owens for the Royal Rumble

Owens is an A+ player, and with his gift of gab followed by his skills between the ropes. Owens can rise to any occasion and make any storyline worth the time at the end of the day. The former NXT and Universal Champion has shown his skills on the black and gold brand and has been a part of various storylines before getting involved in a war of words and stunners on The Tribal Chief.

While it seems like the plan was to make the shift to Owens for help at the last minute, the question remains if WWE could have held him until the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble event is full of surprises, and so a return by Owens to fill in for an injured Pearce would have made more sense and enticed fans about the result.

The return would be a clear indication that Reigns is losing the title to Owens, but the bigger question is that was the company willing to take the risk. WWE has put in a lot of effort to build Reigns as the heel he is today and a loss to the returning Owens on an eventful evening would have derailed the momentum.

It would have swerved WWE Universe and wrestling experts because this would be a steep fall in the superstar’s career and the company’s creative vision. The company wanted to save the embarrassment and so in an attempt to push this storyline to WrestleMania an imminent return from the former Universal Champion was required.

Vince and company want to build Reigns as the legit heel and take his career and character to an edgy level. Kevin Owens will get all the fan appreciation, thereby cementing Reigns as a heel Universal Champion. It would be a nice change to see how this storyline plays out at the Rumble, but we can expect a breach of trust from his cousin, Jey Uso, or maybe it is also a swerve at The Grandest Stage of them All.