5 ways WWE can make Kevin Owens the next Stone Cold

After a short-lived heel run, Kevin Owens turned babyface on last week's SmackDown Live, when he hit a thunderous Stunner on Dolph Ziggler after they lost a #1 contender's match to Heavy Machinery.

Tonight, Owens took it up a notch when he unleashed a pipebomb of his own on Shane McMahon, calling him out for hogging the spotlight at the expense of several talented Superstars in the back.

Owens reminded Shane of a Raw segment from months ago, that saw the McMahon family promising to hand the power over to the fans and listen to them from that point on. He added that the only thing that has happened since then is that Shane McMahon has gotten more TV time.

Later, Owens hit Shane with a Stunner during the main event, as fans cheered in unison. WWE later tweeted the clip, with a familiar caption that has become synonymous with Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Let's take a look at 5 ways WWE could turn Owens into the next Stone Cold.

---

#5 Owens needs to stun Vince

Owens beats up Vince

It seems like Shane is being groomed to become the next Vince McMahon here, and Owens' Stunner on him hours ago gave a major shot of nostalgia to longtime WWE fans. It certainly reminded them of the good times when Austin used to stun Vince occasionally.

A one-shot angle could see Mr. McMahon confronting Owens and telling him to respect the authority. Owens would respond with a Stunner on the boss, in a reenactment of the first time Austin stunned Vince during the Attitude Era. A rub from someone who was Austin's biggest rival is bound to help Owens cement himself as WWE's newest anti-hero.

See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page

#4 Owens should be given the freedom to deliver more pipebombs

Owens and Shane

Tonight's pipebomb took Twitter by storm and Owens is now being hailed by fans as someone who could rid them of the likes of Shane McMahon. Owens is a master of the mic and is fully capable of delivering incredible promos on a regular basis.

The problem? He can do it, only if he's allowed to.

WWE needs to let Owens loose and unleash more of his pipebombs occasionally. The more mic time Owens gets, the more he will connect with the fans. A scathing promo targeting the evil boss is something that will always work in the world of wrestling, and fans would always cheer for it. Hopefully, WWE realizes this fact and this isn't the last time we get to see Owens let it all out on the mic.

#3 Keep Owens as far away as possible from other babyfaces

Owens needs to be a lone wolf

What was that one thing that always made Austin's character so unique?

The fact that he was being pushed as a no-nonsense, lone wolf, who doesn't care about anyone's opinion, no matter if they're a babyface or a heel. This resulted in a bunch of intriguing storylines. Plus, whenever Austin teamed up with someone, it made those moments more special, as Austin wasn't someone who was known for trusting his peers.

Owens' new character should be kept away from other babyfaces like Roman Reigns and Kofi Kingston, and he should be positioned as someone who doesn't care one bit about what everyone thinks of him, no matter who they are. His only goal should be to get to the top entirely on his own and hold on to the spot to the best of his ability. This development in his character will certainly help WWE push him as the modern-day Stone Cold Steve Austin.

#2 A couple of title reigns would certainly help

This needs to happen again

Remember Bray Wyatt? He came up to the main roster in 2013 and was heavily promoted as a top heel. The character didn't go anywhere though, as Bray lost all three of his WrestleMania matches, and was never pushed to the top of the main event scene. One exception saw him winning the WWE Title, but he lost it around a month later at WrestleMania 33 to Randy Orton.

WWE can push Kevin Owens as a top Superstar all they want, but it won't matter much if they aren't willing to cap it off with a couple of dominant title reigns. If Owens is given a handful of main event opportunities, and he goes on to lose every single one of them, this character is destined to fail.

Remember, Austin was pushed for a long while, and then defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14 to take his rightful spot on the top. Something along these lines would be the exact thing Owens' character could benefit from.

#1 Flesh out Owens' character more as we move ahead

Owens with his son

Austin's character worked to perfection because of one major factor: he represented the everyday worker who was tired of his boss' shtick and wanted to get back at him. A worker in real life couldn't do the same without getting arrested. Watching someone else being able to do these things was bound to get fans excited.

Owens' character should mimic Austin's, but with a slight addition. WWE can promote him as an everyday worker who wants a piece of his evil boss, but what if the company adds another layer to it?

A couple of babyface promos saw Owens hanging out with his son earlier this year. Bring back this side of Owens, and position him as someone who is trying to earn his bread to feed his family, and would go to any lengths to make sure that his children get the best food, clothing, and education.

This hybrid of Dusty Rhodes and Stone Cold could result in an incredibly unique character which might hep Owens become one of the very best in the coming years.