Kevin Owens' WWE Contract is Ending Soon

Sportskeeda Wrestling

Backstage Pass is your one-stop subscription to everything pro wrestling. Breaking news from the most reliable insiders, interviews with legends, live Q&As with industry veterans, we have it all. SUBSCRIBE NOW - https://bit.ly/3zbHEH8  As Kevin Owens' WWE contract nears its expiration, the future of this fan-favorite superstar hangs in the balance. Will Owens re-sign with WWE and continue his journey in sports entertainment, or could we see him explore new opportunities in the wrestling world? or will join AEW, since Tony Khan is open to give him a good deal. In this video, we break down the latest rumors, Owens’ career highlights, and what could be next for the Prizefighter. Don’t miss out as we explore the possibilities surrounding KO’s future in wrestling!  You can also visit our site: https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe  #kevinowens #wwe #aew #wrestling #sportskeedawrestling

Transcript

00:00Now, I would introduce myself, but, uh...

00:05Oh, my! Oh, no!

00:07Oh, it's attack machine gun time!

00:09No, no, no, no!

00:10Now it's a stage!

00:11Hail Mania is upon us!

00:14You know exactly who I am.

00:17One of the hardest-fighting members of WWE, Kevin Owens,

00:20has his WWE contract set to expire at the end of 2024.

00:25When he signed with WWE in late 2021,

00:27it was reportedly a lucrative contract

00:29in the range of $2 million to $3 million a year.

00:32Since signing that deal,

00:34Owens headlined two consecutive WrestleManias,

00:37including one against Stone Cold Steve Austin

00:40in his one match in nearly 20 years.

00:42And he's always been a regular on WWE television.

00:45He's that guy.

00:46Reliable in any position you put him in,

00:49a convincing utility player who can go have a hardcore banger,

00:52or deliver convincing dialogue on camera and on the microphone.

00:56When he's asked to step up, he does it.

00:58By the time his current deal ends,

01:00he will have been with WWE for 10 years.

01:03It's crazy to think how time flies,

01:05and he's managed to make himself a mainstay on WWE's roster,

01:10despite all of the competition within WWE

01:12and the competition outside of it.

01:15It isn't even a rumor that his contract with WWE is coming to an end.

01:19He pretty much confirmed at the end of 2022

01:21that he had two years left on his deal.

01:24Not only that, but reports have suggested

01:26that if KO decides to leave WWE,

01:29all elite wrestling ran by NFL team owner Tony Khan

01:34is a more than willing party to scoop up his services.

01:38And he has a lot of wrestling history

01:40with some key members of the roster,

01:42specifically the Young Bucks,

01:44who he was in the Mount Rushmore faction with

01:46in his independent wrestling days.

01:48But apparently WWE, now under the TKO banner and new ownership,

01:52doesn't want to let him go either.

01:55So if Kevin Owens could become a big name-free agent

01:58in just a few months, it begs the question,

02:01should he stay with WWE or go to their arch-rival,

02:04which is well-funded, and AEW?

02:06It feels like there's only two options,

02:09but we'll make the case for both scenarios

02:11and give you our opinion on what KO's next move could be or should be.

02:16It's just speculative here. Don't take it too seriously.

02:19Let us know what you think in the comments below.

02:21This is Sportskeeda Wrestling. I'm Kevin.

02:24You think you know all the wrestling stories?

02:26There's more you haven't heard yet.

02:29Join us on Backstage Pass.

02:32It wouldn't be a massive shocker if Kevin Owens simply decided

02:36it was time for him to take on a new, fresh challenge,

02:40maybe with a significant pay raise,

02:42if that's what we're talking about as well.

02:44We've seen situations with legends,

02:46I mean, people that are absolutely phenomenal wrestlers

02:49in the league of Bryan Danielson and Adam Copeland,

02:52aka Edge, where they pretty much achieved

02:55whatever they wanted in WWE

02:57and decided to make the jump for a new creative pursuit

03:01and not necessarily just financial reasons,

03:04but don't worry, these guys are getting paid,

03:06which is a major reason why AEW's been able to compete

03:08with WWE in some form or another for the past five years.

03:12It's well-financed.

03:13For personal and really creative reasons,

03:16he would be able to reconnect on the road

03:18with many of his close friends in the wrestling business

03:20that predate his time in WWE, as we mentioned,

03:23and we're not just talking about the Youngbox, Adam Colbay-bay.

03:27It would give Kevin Owens a new purpose in his career

03:30and a lot of new opponents to work with.

03:32He's a bit of a loose cannon, so in the ring,

03:35physically in a demanding style that AEW demands of its wrestlers,

03:39it might just create new things that suit him,

03:42new things that give him creative pursuits on the horizon

03:45as a wrestling entertainer.

03:47You could also argue that KO might have a better chance

03:51becoming a world champion in All-E Wrestling

03:54than maybe WWE as the cards lay out

03:57in terms of the pecking order with other big-name superstars.

04:00That's no shot at him, just looking at a forecasting of things.

04:03The last time Owens held a world championship

04:07was nearly eight years ago.

04:10That's a long time in pro wrestling.

04:12He's gone on the record saying that his universal championship run

04:15with WWE in the mid-2010s didn't go maybe exactly as he wanted it.

04:19He said he went fairly quickly

04:21and how he had a really different mindset at the time.

04:23So maybe, just maybe, AEW might be the choice for him

04:27in terms of giving him new options, new pursuits, new prizes to fight for.

04:31Beyond that, the deck looks a lot more stacked towards one side,

04:35which is the side where he re-signs with WWE

04:39and continues for however long he feels he wants to continue.

04:42When Kevin Owens signed his most recent deal in 2021,

04:45he said that the decision was pretty easy

04:48because it was the best thing for his family.

04:50So looking at that perspective,

04:52that reason alone has a lot more weight to it

04:54than maybe the reasons we listed out for the creative pleasures

04:58he might or may not find in AEW.

05:01But then again, AEW has been known to offer those lucrative contracts

05:05with lighter dates for big names.

05:08Some have speculated they have several seven-figure talents on their payroll.

05:13Also, you have a way lighter schedule in AEW

05:17than you do in comparison to WWE

05:20with all of its traveling commitments for live events

05:22and doing media appearances to promote everything WWE.

05:26He's been a Triple H guy in the eyes of many for many, many years now,

05:30and it's hard not to see why we want him to stay in Triple H's WWE

05:35where the overall vision from a man at the top

05:38has always been kind to Mr. Owens.

05:41I mean, on screen as characters, Triple H said,

05:44this is the next guy and helped him win a world title.

05:47It's also worth noting what meat has been put on the table

05:50with Kevin Owens' current character arc in WWE

05:54where there is very clearly a lot of thought and effort

05:57put behind his actions on TV every week

06:01and what they mean and what they represent for his character.

06:04At the moment, we're seeing a version of Kevin Owens

06:07who's a good guy actively trying to fight his vicious nature

06:11and natural instincts to betray his newer or revived friendships.

06:16He's come up short for the WWE Championship

06:19and he's in a situation where it seems almost inevitable

06:22that he's going to betray Cody Rhodes.

06:24That's a long-term storyline.

06:26That's something he can be committed to and benefit from in the long term.

06:31He's low-key having one of the best stories in WWE right now.

06:34Yeah, don't doubt us on that. This one's going to come up on you.

06:37And it looks like it's going to build up to an even bigger and better thing.

06:41Let's not shock ourselves if Kevin Owens is once again a WWE World Champion.

06:45Yeah, I know earlier we said the deck is stacked there.

06:48There's a lot of talent, a lot of possible world champions.

06:51But Owens being a heelish champion again,

06:54being villainous once more, adding a depth to his character.

06:58Are you telling me he can't powerbomb himself and do a new reinvention?

07:02He can.

07:03Now, once again, over on the other side,

07:05AEW could offer all those big money checks.

07:08They could offer fresh, new, exciting challenges for Kevin Owens.

07:11But he likely can benefit more in the long run

07:15while collecting a sizable check and being on television every week

07:19like WWE is going to afford with that storyline that's going to be as committed to him.

07:23I'm not saying that AEW can't offer that, but it's inconsistent.

07:27Some people that have gone over there have benefited.

07:29Some a little less than others.

07:31There's also the fact that AEW, having many multi-million dollar signings,

07:36may not prove to be sustainable in the long run.

07:39They simply don't have the same structure in terms of what they present every week on TV that WWE does.

07:44It's not a shock, just the circumstances.

07:46Based on pure financial statements alone,

07:48WWE is certainly sustainable with their talent payroll.

07:51AEW can pay him. Money is not the question here.

07:54It's what Kevin Owens wants.

07:56Now, we clearly don't know that.

07:57We're just speculating, as I said.

07:59We would still love to hear from you in the comments about this.

08:02It's not hard to see how somebody like Kevin Owens

08:05could transition into a backstage role once his in-ring career wraps up.

08:09He has gained a wealth of knowledge in his profound career

08:13that lends itself to him being something very special

08:17for newer and future crops of talents within WWE.

08:21With the company's multi-million dollar talent line

08:25from the WWE Performance Center and WWE NXT,

08:28where Owens himself has greatly benefited,

08:31he would be a trusted, wise asset there.

08:34It's a hypothetical scenario, yeah,

08:37but to know that there's a warm and familiar wrestling space

08:41waiting for you when your final bell of your final match has been rung

08:45has to be a fulfilling purpose for people who are very about their purpose in pro wrestling.

08:51To have something keeping you in wrestling after you're done wrestling,

08:55a lot of people like that idea, especially if they work in wrestling.

08:58It's hard to say how much time KO has left in his in-ring career,

09:02so that is also a very gray yet influential part

09:05of what he may or may not want to do with this upcoming potential deal.

09:10Ultimately, it comes down to what he feels is best for himself and his family.

09:15Considering how great his WWE run has been when you look back at it,

09:19how he's been risen up to the echelons at the top of the wrestling industry,

09:24it's hard not to think what he might do next.

09:27It's just something we're considering.

09:29What does he want to do? What do you think he should do?

09:32What would you like to see him do as a fan?

09:34If he doesn't stay with WWE, are we getting Kevin Steen in AEW in the future?

09:38Oh, we didn't even bring up this idea.

09:40What if he doesn't go to AEW or WWE?

09:43What if he goes to the independents?

09:45Yeah, it's all a possibility.

09:49FOLLOW-US!

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