#KOwensWeek – Essential Viewing

Kevin Steen  & El Generico vs. Young Bucks

(Ring of Honor, Final Battle 2009)

They were one of the greatest tag teams on the indy scene for years. Kevin Steen and El Generico, while incredibly talented individually, really made their names together as a tag team.
Watch them take on the Young Bucks, and you’ll quickly understand why. Then, you’ll understand why all the smart marks will be creaming their pants in a few years when WWE starts teasing a Sami Zayn-Kevin Owens reunion/ It’s going to feel the way it did when the Shield boys put Randy Orton through a table not too long ago…and it’s going to be good.

Kevin Steen vs. Claudio Castagnoli

(C*4 Wrestling, October 2009)

This selection, for me, is a bit masturbatory. I’m admittedly a huge Cesaro mark, and didn’t feel like I could leave out a match featuring our #WrestleroftheWeek the Swiss Superman.
These two compliment each other very well… in ways I’m sure you’ll see in the near future on WWE Raw and Smackdown. Until then, enjoy a nearly-20 minute sneak peak of their chemistry here.

Ladder War

Kevin Steen vs. El Generico

(Ring of Honor Final Battle, December 2012)

You’ve seen them go to war in NXT… but some of their greatest battles were in the ROH ring. This was the most brutal of the battles between the future Sami Zayn, and the future Kevin Owens. It’s not the full match, but that’s not going to take anything away from what you’re about to see.
These guys beat the ever-loving shit out of each other in this match. Period. It’s one of few matches that made me upset that I stopped trekking into Manhattan for ROH shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom. (I bought front row tickets for YEARS, but the Ric Flair bait-n-switch was my last straw.)
ROH called this match a Ladder War. It’s probably the most fitting name for a match since Hell in a Cell. Watch and enjoy.

Kevin Owens vs.  Sami Zayn

NXT Championship Match

(NXT Takeover: Rival, May 11, 2015)

This was one of hundreds of matches I’ve watched while camped out at Nick’s house in the Palace of Wisdom, and it was one for which I was most excited. I’ve seen these guys go before. They always bring it individually. Together? They go to war.
There was NO WAY this match could be anything short of spectacular. There was no way these guys weren’t going to deliver a match worthy of the hype.
This match delivered, from start to finish. From the crowd chants in the beginning, to the creative conclusion
Forgive the fact the video isn’t embedded. WWE hasn’t quite caught up with our gimmick. Someday… For now, click the link, sign in with your WWE Network account (did you know it’s only $9.99?) and enjoy one of the best matches you’ll see in 2015.
http://network.wwe.com/video/v110908683

Kevin Owens Confronts John Cena

(WWE Raw, May 18, 2015)

If there’s a moment every potential Kevin Owens fan appreciated, it was his main roster debut on Raw. He hit the ring to answer John Cena’s open challenge, confronted the man who has been the company’s top star for more than a decade, and looked like an absolute beast when he laid him the F out.
It was incredible, edge-of-your-seat TV viewing. Not only that, but it’s led to two amazing pay-per-view (or Network special…whatever) matches, and weeks upon weeks of solid storytelling and promos.
And all the while, the program elevates WWE’s developmental brand, by showing that the top NXT star can hang with one of the greatest of all time.

Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor

NXT Championship

(WWE Beast in the East, July 4, 2015)

Just in case you thought all Kevin Owens could do was get himself over… Last weekend, Kevin Owens showed us how he’s more than capable of taking another worker and making him a star.
This match speaks for itself, as does the talent of the men involved. If you missed it, you need to watch it, right now. No exceptions. If you don’t have a WWE Network subscription (which, come on, it’s only $9.99) stop what you’re doing right now. Call a friend, get their username and password, and follow the link below. You won’t be disappointed.
Actually, watch most of the damn show. Skip the divas and the main event. Everything else is more than worth your time. You’re welcome.
http://network.wwe.com/video/v226986783