Kevin Owens responds to accusations of being “hard to work with” by controversial ex-WWE star

Kevin Owens feels that the former ex-WWE superstar ruined it all because of his attitude after being handed a lot of opportunities.

Kevin Owens responds to accusations of being “hard to work with” by controversial ex-WWE star

Kevin Owens [via WWE]

The past few days have been emotional and difficult for Kevin Owens. The Prizefighter announced that he’s dealing with a serious neck injury and won’t be able to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. Amid the buzz, the former Universal Champion gave an interview where he responded to accusations from controversial ex-WWE star Matt Riddle, who claimed Owens was “hard to work with.”

While speaking with Robbie Fox on the My Mom’s Basement podcast, Owens initially laughed off Matt Riddle’s accusations. The former Universal Champion said he had nothing personal against Riddle but took a jab at him, saying he wasted all the opportunities WWE gave him. Owens criticized Riddle’s attitude and poor decisions, saying they were the main reasons he ended up ruining everything.

Matt Riddle was released from WWE two years ago in September, but before his departure, he shared several memorable moments with Randy Orton. As RK-Bro, they held the Raw Tag Team Championships twice. During his short but entertaining WWE run, Riddle also won the United States Championship once and was part of a high-profile rivalry with The Bloodline.

It’s funny coming from him, I have nothing against him at all but you know, to me, he’s a guy who had really amazing opportunities handed to him like being Randy’s tag partner, and basically getting to ride the coattails of a legend & he managed to screw it all up, not because of his abilities, but because of his own attitude and poor choices, so for him to say we’re hard to work with and he couldn’t get a word in…

Kevin Owens on Matt Riddle via My Mother’s Basement

This wasn’t the first time a WWE Superstar had a legitimate issue with The Original Bro. Top names like Roman Reigns were reportedly frustrated with his attitude. WWE legend Bill Goldberg also expressed his dislike for Riddle on multiple occasions. Riddle had criticized Goldberg for being unsafe in the ring, which didn’t sit well with the Hall of Famer.

Kevin Owens opens up about the matches he still wants to have before he ends his career

Owens is a veteran who has achieved nearly everything in his decade-long career. He has faced legends and competed in multiple WrestleMania main events. The Prizefighter said he doesn’t have a clear goal for what’s next but mentioned a few opponents he’d like to face before retiring.

Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens [via WWE]

In the same interview, Owens admitted he had hoped to face John Cena one more time before retiring. However, that now seems unlikely, as he’s expected to miss the rest of the year due to injury. The former Universal Champion also said he sees Finn Balor as family and would love to face him at WrestleMania.

There’s matches I would love to have. Like I’d love to wrestle Finn at WrestleMania. We’ve been really close since we met in WWE and he’s just one of those guys I consider more like a family than a friend. Up until this year I really wanted to wrestle Rey Mysterio one-on-one… I got to do it in January, and I would love to do it again.

Kevin Owens on My Mother’s Basement

Owens mentioned that one dream match he knows will never happen is against Shawn Michaels. The 40-year-old veteran said he once envisioned the match and even texted HBK about it. He also named Rey Mysterio, saying he’d love to face him on a bigger stage.

Kevin Owens shares his experience of working with AEW wrestler PAC

Mr. Wrestling made his main roster debut in 2015 and had some memorable matches with legends like Cena. One of his most praised rivalries was with former WWE star Neville, now known as PAC in All Elite Wrestling. Owens said it was always a pleasure working with him.

Neville and Kevin Owens
Neville and Kevin Owens [via WWE]

In the same interview, Owens said Neville was a special talent who didn’t get the recognition he deserved. He also admitted that PAC is one of the best wrestlers he’s ever shared the ring with. Owens had a strong first year on WWE’s main roster, with several great rivalries and even winning the 2015 Slammy Award for Breakout Star of the Year.

We’ve wrestled quite a bit in 2015 and 2016, and it was always a treat. There’s a lot of people that could claim they’re the best in the world, and you know, it’s never true because you’ll never be able to nail down who’s the best in the world. But, PAC is one of the guys that does not get that accolade enough, and I’ve been in the ring with him. He’s as good as anyone I’ve been in the ring with

Kevin Owens on PAC via My Mother’s Basement

Unfortunately, he revealed in 2018 that he was no longer under contract with WWE and had left the company. PAC then wrestled on the independent circuit before eventually joining AEW, where he currently performs. He was often underrated during his WWE run, despite winning the NXT Championship, the NXT Tag Team Titles twice, and the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Related: Former WWE Champion wins fans’ hearts with silent tribute to the late Bray Wyatt on SmackDown