The quality of KO's matches

[DNA 2.0]

That's just something I noticed and it's that ever since Owens won the Universal Championship, it looks like his work has decreased...

Before winning the belt, Owens had amazing matches with Balor and Zayn on NXT, a great trilogy with Cena, a great match with Cesaro, an amazing LMS match with Ambrose, then he competed in an awesome four-way against Miz, Zayn and Cesaro (if I'm not mistaken), he then had an amazing match with Styles on RAW and then came the match with Zayn at Battleground 2016. Then he wins the belt...

He faces Rollins, but neither of those matches was memorable. He had a cool match with Roman at the Rumble. I expected more from his match with Chris. Owens himself said at a podcast/interview "I walked in the back after that match. I always check with Vince to see if he liked my matches. So I ask him, "Are we good?" and Vince said "No"." Then his programm with Styles was mediocre. Again, no memorable matches. And then he's been feuding with Shane ever since.

Now by all means, I'm not saying Owens is a bad worker. I'm just saying that before winning the Universal Championship, Owens had a special fire and a special aura and that special something seems to have decreased now. In his character, his mic work, his in-ring work..

What do you guys think? Am I right or am I saying nonsense?

[Y 2 Jake]

You are right. Maybe half-hearted booking dented is confidence, which I doubt, or he gor complacent.

That feud with Styles really was underwhelming. In fact, even Styles has been underwhelming recently. OMG! I know what it is. It's Smackdown booking!

[smarkmouth]

I think complacency might be a factor. Kevin Owens had a lot to prove and a huge chip on his shoulder when he got to NXT, and it showed in just about everything he did. But I don't think that's the only reason.


OMG! I know what it is. It's Smackdown booking!

I think this is a huge reason. I imagine that it must be hard for a wrestler to tell a story in the ring that's complementary to an clunky un-inspired angle. His last great match was the rematch with Jericho after WrestleMania (which doesn't excuse the WrestleMania match itself), which was a great rivalry.

I mean, if Kevin and Sami worked a masterful handicap match with Shane, I doubt many of us would care. But since Daniel Bryan started throwing running dropkicks I'm a lot more invested in what's going on with the lot of them. Could be a pretty darn memorable WrestleMania match.

[jmt225]

He's been shit since the Festival of Friendship IMO.

It's like that segment was so well done, so perfect... that Owens/Jericho's matches could never live up to it. And they didn't.

And I think that took Kevin's confidence away. He had a crappy match with Jericho at Wrestlemania, a match Vince himself shitted on. Then an unbelievably underwhelming feud with AJ Styles where the matches were mediocre at best. AJ was able to have better match with JINDER ffs.

In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, I actually believe Vince not approving of Owens match against Jericho may have ruined Owens in the ring. He just hasn't been the same since. You can cut good promos, connect with awesome headbutts and apron powerboms all day... but the payoffs to all of KO's feuds are always disappointing these days, to say the least.

But, maybe Bryan can change that.......