Former Universal Champion recalls butting heads with previous WWE regime over insulting fans’ intelligence

The former Universal Champion will battle his friend-turned-foe Randy Orton in a grudge match at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.

Former Universal Champion recalls butting heads with previous WWE regime over insulting fans’ intelligence

Vince McMahon [via WWE]

Kevin Owens has never been afraid to speak his mind. The former Universal Champion carries a no-nonsense attitude and has called out WWE management whenever necessary. In a recent interview, he revealed past clashes with the previous regime over their tendency to underestimate the fans’ intelligence.

In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez on Unlikely, Kevin Owens discussed how WWE was moving in the right direction under Triple H’s leadership. The Prizefighter noted that the company had started acknowledging fan-shot footage and incorporating it into ongoing storylines. Owens also emphasized that WWE now respects the fans’ intelligence, unlike the previous regime.

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The former Universal Champion noted that his viral attack on Cody Rhodes at last year’s Bad Blood PLE was a major turning point. He also shared that he often clashed with the previous leadership over this issue. Owens criticized them for underestimating the fans’ intelligence, assuming they would forget events from just three weeks earlier.

I had arguments with the people in charge before. ‘No, this happened three weeks ago, they’re going to remember.‘ They said, ‘No, they won’t.’ ‘Yes, they will. You’re insulting their intelligence by pretending they won’t.

-Kevin Owens on Unlikely

Owens’ rivalry with his former friend, Randy Orton, began with backstage footage of Owens attacking him. The Apex Predator returned at Elimination Chamber, attempting to hit The Prizefighter with one of WWE’s most dangerous moves, the Punt Kick. Although his WrestleMania opponent escaped, Orton has vowed to end the feud with a devastating kick to the head at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Kevin Owens called out his friend-turned-rival Cody Rhodes for being selfish

Owens appears to be embracing his heel persona outside the ring as well. He took a shot at WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, calling him selfish. The Prizefighter explained why he feels this way about someone who was once a close friend.

Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes [via WWE]

In the same interview with Adrian, Owens shared that he wanted pyro for his entrances. However, since Rhodes uses about three-quarters of the pyro budget each year, other wrestlers, including Owens, don’t get a fair share. The 40-year-old veteran joked about wanting the same pyro as Psycho Sid but with “Ballz” displayed instead of his name.

He’s very selfish. I think the fact that he blows about three-quarters of the WWE pyro budget every year keeps a lot of people from getting to have pyro for their entrances. I requested for years to have pyro added to my entrance… I wanted the same thing [as Psycho Sid], but instead of my name, I just wanted it to say ‘Balls’ with a Z at the end. And they just won’t do it.

-Kevin Owens on Unlikely [h:t/ Cultaholic Wrestling]

Regarding their on-screen rivalry, Owens betrayed Rhodes and attacked him after briefly aligning with Roman Reigns. The Prizefighter couldn’t stand Rhodes being friendly with someone who had repeatedly betrayed him. They clashed twice—at the Royal Rumble PLE and Saturday Night Main Event last December. The American Nightmare won both matches, ending their feud.

This year’s Elimination Chamber PLE will be remembered for years. The biggest highlight was John Cena joining forces with The Rock to brutally attack the current world champion. However, another key figure in the beatdown was popular musician Travis Scott. During the assault, a viral video clip showed Scott slapping Rhodes hard, surprising many fans.

Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, and Travis Scott
Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, and Travis Scott [via WWE]

While fans viewed the slap as harsh and expected Scott to face payback in the future, Owens had a completely different perspective. In the same interview, he struggled to provide a clear response when asked what he expected from the popular musician. However, when questioned about whether the slap was justified, the 40-year-old veteran called it fantastic. He even added that Rhodes absolutely deserved it.

I don’t really know what else you could expect from Travis Scott. He did what he knows how to do—he punched a guy right in the face. Personally, I think it was fantastic. Well deserved.

Kevin Owens on Unlikely
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While The Prizefighter prepares for his battle against Orton, Rhodes will defend his WWE World Title against John Cena at WrestleMania. Owens faces perhaps the most dangerous version of the 14-time world champion and must bring his A-game to secure a victory at the Show of Shows.

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