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There have been suggestions that Kevin Owens could be a free agent as early as January 2022. When this story broke, the professional wrestling community's collective imagination went into overdrive and started booking dream matches for the former Universal Champion with the biggest stars in the industry.
Prior to joining WWE, Owens worked with many of the founding members of AEW and has a rich history with them. This means that when his contract comes due, he will have no shortage of suitors. However, for the time being, Owens is still a WWE Superstar.
Here are five dream cross-promotional opponents for Kevin Owens.
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#5. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs The Young Bucks
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Ever since the disappearance of the territories, tag-team wrestling has been in decline. While the Fabulous Freebirds and the Von Erichs sold out arenas on a nightly basis, modern-day tag teams have been reduced to no more than midcard acts.
However, with the rise of The Young Bucks, there has been a change in mentality. Matt and Nick Jackson are two of the biggest names in professional wrestling and are largely responsible for the revival of tag-team wrestling. Audiences buy tickets just to watch The Young Bucks perform.
While Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are incredible rivals, they're arguably even more entertaining as a tag team. Watching them come together to take on The Young Bucks could be a mouth-watering prospect.
#4. Kevin Owens vs Jungle Boy
One of the four pillars of AEW, Jungle Boy is destined for greatness in professional wrestling. The 24-year-old has spades of charisma and can easily connect with any audience. He even won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Rookie of the Year award for 2019.
While he's featured heavily in a tag team with Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy has also shown his potential as singles act on numerous occasions. A heel Kevin Owens would be the perfect opponent to work with the AEW star.
Owens could talk down to Jungle Boy, helping him generate sympathy from the audience. They would also complement each other in the ring as Owens could bully the explosive Jungle Boy and force him to battle from underneath.
#3. Kevin Owens vs CM Punk
When Kevin Owens feuded with a heel Shane McMahon in 2019, the audience immediately drew comparisons to CM Punk. Owens excelled at playing the anti-authority rebel and cut better promos than ever before, as Punk had done previously.
The former Universal Champion might be one of the few performers left in professional wrestling who can hang with Punk on the microphone. Both stars are also capable of working as a heel if the program demands it.
Punk is currently the hottest commodity in the industry. There are a number of big names waiting to feud with the Straight Edge Superstar, but none of them can push him to his limits on the microphone like Kevin Owens.
#2 Mount Rushmore vs The Inner Circle
During his days with PWG, Kevin Owens was part of a stable called Mount Rushmore with the Young Bucks and new AEW signing Adam Cole. When reports emerged that Owens' contract was due to expire in January 2022, the former Universal Champion tweeted the coordinates of Mount Rushmore.
Cole, who was also in a similar situation, admitted that he enjoyed seeing the tweet. Owens and The Young Bucks also made tweaks to their Twitter profiles to again tease the possibility of KO joining AEW.
Another wrestler waiting for Owens in AEW is Chris Jericho, one of his best opponents in WWE. Owens reuniting with Cole and The Young Bucks to take on the Inner Circle would be one of the most interesting feuds in professional wrestling.
#1 Kevin Owens vs. Kenny Omega
Already one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world, Kenny Omega is developing into a credible heel champion. His work on the microphone has improved, and he's surrounded himself with an impressive stable in the form of The Elite.
A self-professed admirer of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kevin Owens could pay tribute to his idol by tearing down The Elite on the microphone and running through each member of the stable until he gets to Kenny Omega. Owens even has the perfect finisher for this role in the stunner.
Owens has shown glimpses of being a badass during his WWE run, but the company has never put its entire promotional machine behind him. This feud would establish Owens as one of the biggest babyfaces in professional wrestling, and give him one of the most satisfying storylines of his career.
