5 potential matches for Kevin Owens in AEW

Kevin Owens may possibly be on his way out of WWE, but he can look back on his tenure with immense pride. Having held championships at every level in the company, Kevin Owens is a prime example of the caliber of wrestler that came through the ranks of the black and gold NXT. He even beat John Cena at Elimination Chamber in 2015, immediately establishing himself as a threat.

As reported by Fightful, the era of Kevin Owens in WWE may soon be at an end. WWE have made seismic shifts to their roster, with mass releases and other high calibre talent making the switch to AEW at the end of their contracts. These talents include both Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson. As the top promotion makes its drastic changes, the independent circuit is now filled with multi-faceted and talented performers who have seen the rise of promotions like AEW and GCW.

If Kevin Owens does indeed pass on a new deal and leaves WWE, he will have a plethora of promotions jumping at the chance to host him. Should AEW be the one to pick him up, these are the dream matches we could see in the promotion.

#5 Kevin Owens vs Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston is someone who has always felt on the cusp of greatness, with a no-nonsense style of wrestling that is all-action, relatability and transparency that gives his promos a believable edge. Kingston is very much like Kevin Owens, and more specifically the sadistic version of Owens we saw obliterate Sami Zayn for the NXT title.

Kingston wore his heart on his sleeve during his feud with Jon Moxley and more recently his feud with CM Punk. At any moment he can snap and show the strength and aggression to even make the very best reconsider their career choice.

Kingston has been left on his own in Jon Moxley's absence. We've seen Kingston engage in a personal feud with CM Punk, but the Mad King fell short at Full Gear 2021.

Kingston and Kevin Owens have collided before, with Kingston emerging victorious in their last collision for the Chikara Grand Championship in 2013. Since then it's fair to say Kevin Owens has had the better side of things, becoming a household name and competing for the biggest prizes.

The re-emergence of Kevin Owens on the independent circuit is bound to act like blood in the water, and in AEW we may find that Eddie Kingston leads the queue of predators looking to pounce.

#4 Kevin Owens vs Bryan Danielson

If Kevin Owens makes the switch when his contract is up, he will be following the template set by Bryan Danielson and could challenge for the throne immediately. Bryan is the current challenger for Hangman Page's championship and whether or not he takes the title at Winter is Coming he would likely have something to say if Owens challenged for the belt.

They share history both inside and outside WWE, with Bryan making his return from his injury-forced retirement to team with Shane McMahon against the duo of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. In terms of singles action they last competed against one another in 2008 with Owens being the victor. Before that in 2006 Bryan defeated Owens in a career-threatening match in PWG.

Combat sports and entertainment alike share an affinity for a trilogy, a third part to close the story once and for all. Wrestling is a hybrid of the two industries, so why not give us the third part to a trilogy over a decade in the making?

#3 Kevin Owens vs Penta El Zero Miedo

An unfortunate consequence to the success of the Lucha Brothers as a tag team is that fans often forget their ability as singles competitors. One half of the current AEW World Tag Team Champions, Penta has amassed a resume that includes the Impact World Championship, Lucha Underground Championship and the AAA Latin American championship on top of the dominance he has enjoyed next to his brother Rey Fenix.

Penta is the more vindictive half of the Lucha Brothers, and he would meet his match against Kevin Owens in what would be a physical and hard-hitting contest.

Throw in the dynamic of the match being a package piledriver vs package piledriver contest, given the stunner will likely be shelved, and Penta vs Kevin Owens will be a fun, physical contest walking the line of match and fight.

#2 Kevin Owens vs Kenny Omega

The potential arrival of Kevin Owens in AEW is yet another example of how different AEW may be when Kenny Omega finally returns. In fact, when he returns, The Elite itself may be unrecognizable.

Adam Cole reunited with The Elite and his SuperKliq team-mates the Young Bucks earlier this year, and has assumed leadership in Omega's absence. We've already seen Cole bring Undisputed Era stablemate Bobby Fish into the fold, could we also see Cole and the Bucks add their Mount Rushmore ally Kevin Owens to the stable?

If this is the timeline in which we live, where Mount Rushmore and the Undisputed Era merge with The Elite, then Kenny's return may well be as a babyface against those who moved on without him. This would open the idea up for Kevin Owens vs Kenny Omega to serve as a benchmark feud for AEW's "crisis on infinite factions."

Kenny Omega has produced some of his best work as the heel champion this past year, but it's going to be hard to boo him when he returns. Kevin Owens produces his best work when he can be the spiteful heel with his physically intense wrestling style, and he could benefit from being immediately positioned as a main event heel.

Beyond the storyline implications and possibilities, Kenny Omega vs Kevin Owens has the potential to steal the show no matter the competition. The Best Bout Machine versus Kevin Steen, unbound by the WWE style and ready for war.

#1 Kevin Owens vs CM Punk

If his current feud against MJF and his past war with Eddie Kingston has shown anything, it's that CM Punk is still a man very capable both on the mic and in-the-ring. We have seen glimpses of the classic CM Punk since his return to the sport, but Eddie Kingston and MJF appear to have reignited the fire we came to love from the voice of the voiceless.

CM Punk has every reason to be happy, he has returned and fallen back in love with professional wrestling and the fans have more than shown their appreciation for the cult of personality.

But when someone goes out of their way to deliberately provoke the beast inside him, he makes a return to the form that saw him lambast everyone in WWE and take the WWE Championship by force at Money in the Bank 2011.

It's evident that bringing the best out of CM Punk requires a suitable antithesis, someone who can challenge him verbally and physically and provide the moral antagonist in their feud. Enter Kevin Owens, vindictive and spiteful with a chip on his shoulder and an undying hunger to assert himself at the top of the industry.

KO has mastered the art of weaponising the truth in his venomous and scathing promos, and in many ways echoes the version of CM Punk we saw running rings around John Cena, The Rock and Triple H.

In this respect, Kevin Owens vs CM Punk could well be the next intensely personal feud that brings the best out of both performers. We have seen the best Punk when he is pushed out of his comfort zone by his opponent, and a returning Kevin Steen will surely do just that.