Last week, WWE confirmed that the former NXT Champion Kevin Owens will be making his return to the black and gold brand this coming Wednesday. As we inch closer towards the third NXT WarGames special, KO will be looking to get back in touch with his roots as part of the commentary team.
Funnily enough, it was at last year’s WarGames themed TakeOver that Kevin Owens made his first return to NXT as the un-announced 4th member of Team Ciampa. Perhaps ‘The Prizefighter’ is getting the itch to wrestle once more in front of a rabid NXT audience.
With Owens’ return only a matter of days away, we run down a few potential return feuds for the former Universal Champion, as he returns to the land of promise and opportunity for a much needed career revival. With a trip back down memory lane proving to work wonders for the likes of Finn Balor and Breezango, why couldn’t it do the same for KO?
1. Adam Cole
With The Undisputed Era still licking their wounds since the last WarGames event, their leader, Adam Cole, may be looking to tie up some loose ends and get one over on the last-minute addition to their previous opposing team. Kevin Owens and Adam Cole’s careers have been intertwined since their early days in ROH and PWG, with Cole taking over the indie scene after Owens’ departure.
It would be great to see what these two could do in an environment that embraces harder work and exciting drama. Owens would surely love to work an indie-style match with the man that has been heralded as one of the top workers in the business, there’s no doubt they’d both make magic under the circumstances.
Even though Adam Cole is teasing an incoming babyface run, after dispatching of Pat McAfee and The Kings of NXT, maybe a match with a heel Kevin Owens could be exactly what’s needed to get him over as a potential hero headliner on the main roster. Either way, I’d be more than down for seeing this match happen before one of them gets the hump and decides to return to the indies.
2. Cameron Grimes
We’ve seen Kevin Owens work wonders with smaller opponents in the past, and Cameron Grimes is starting to really come out of his shell as one of the most entertaining stars on the NXT roster. Grimes’ feud with Dexter Lumis is steadily reaching its end, with the impending blindfold match taking place on this week’s episode of NXT. Perhaps Grimes could draw the ire of ‘The Prizefighter’ sometime after the match? Lighting the fire underneath Owens for him to jump back into the NXT ring.
Cameron Grimes can take an easy loss here and still come out looking hot. KO could give him a huge rub by putting together an excellent match, one that allows Grimes to show off his high-flying, technical skills and Owens to work with someone who’s willing to go the extra mile for a good match. This might not be everyone’s first choice for KO’s first NXT return feud, but it’s certainly one that both deserve to happen.
3. Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross is still out injured, which is a shame considering he was just about to embark on a huge run as NXT Champion. Kross is going to need a huge opponent upon his return, which could be anytime soon, and Kevin Owens could very well be that guy.
If NXT writers are serious about making Karrion Kross a big deal, then putting him in the ring with a former NXT Champion could be a great way to signpost him as one of today’s marquee attractions. It’s rare that we get to see two former NXT champions collide under the spotlights of Full Sail/CWC. Watching the old guard return to challenge the younger upstarts in Karrion Kross, Bronson Reed, Damian Priest and Leon Ruff would be nothing short of exciting.
This would no doubt be a hard hitting affair, one where both superstars can display their ability to weave a modern heavyweight classic.
4. Johnny Gargano
Despite growing up on the American indie scene, Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano never had the chance to meet one-on-one. With Owens’ best work coming in matches against the likes of Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and other smaller competitors, a match with Gargano has 5* classic written all over it. Fans are desperate to see the old Kevin Owens shine through in his return to NXT, what better opponent than the 2 time North American champion to welcome him back.
With Gargano’s heel character finally starting to take off, Owens could fit in nicely as the smarmy babyface looking to cave his face in. Expect a psychology-heavy match between two superstars who truly get how to put together a match that has it all. I do hope this makes it onto a TakeOver before Owens returns to the main roster, because this has sleeper MOTY written all over it.
5. Finn Balor
As far as main attraction feuds go, a return battle between former NXT rivals, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens, would quite possibly be the biggest TakeOver main event in recent history. This is potentially a WrestleMania weekend TakeOver headliner, with the two superstars that have previously closed countless NXT live events and TakeOver cards across the world bring their services back to the promised land after being let down by the main roster.
The NXT Championship matches between Owens and Balor from TakeOver: Brooklyn and Beast in the East are underrated gems from NXT past. One final clash between the two would likely be their best yet, especially now that Finn is delving into his more aggressive side, allowing him to go the distance with ‘The Prizefighter’ in a physical contest.
But who would come out on top?
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