Kevin Owens is a "justified heel" but he plays it safe, ex-WWE writer says

Kevin Owens carries around the Winged Eagle belt and calls himself the "True" WWE Champion. He stole it from Cody Rhodes at the last Saturday Night's Main Event in December 2024 after failing to defeat the latter. The two are scheduled to appear on January 25, which marks the second edition of the resurrected show. They will sign the contract for their Ladder Match at the Royal Rumble on February 1.

Owens has worked with several WWE legends, including Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio, in the last month. Shawn Michaels will moderate the contract signing between KO and The American Nightmare this Saturday. Freddie Prinze Jr. praised The Prizefighter for consistently evolving in his wrestling career.

On the latest episode of Wrestling with Freddie, the former writer stated that The Prizefighter is someone longtime fans of the product will call one of their favorites. He then urged newer fans to watch the wrestler's promos. He pointed to Kevin's improvisation during promos and called the latter a "justified heel." Freddie also singled out his current work as a villain:

"Kevin Owens has the best line in wrestling every single week, no matter what. And it's never anything written for him. It's always something that he comes up with," Freddie Prinze Jr. said. "He's so good at being a justified heel. He always has what he feels is a legitimate reason to feel the way he feels, and those feelings are dictating his actions." [From 20:10 onwards]

Prinze Jr. also added that while working under a corporation forces the former Universal Champion to hold back sometimes, he remains one of the best in the business today, comparing him to actor Eddie Murphy for his promo work:

"He's just smarter with how he does things. But yeah, in the corporation, he has to sort of exist in the corporation rules. He does it really well. He gets close to the line sometimes, and at other times he plays it super safe." [From 23:37 onwards]

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Kevin Owens may have opened the door for Sami Zayn's heel turn

This past Monday, Kevin Owens made a special appearance on RAW, where he interrupted Sami Zayn's announcement. Zayn declared he will enter the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match.

The Prizefighter showed support, claiming that he would have Zayn's back. He added that if the former Intercontinental Champion assists him against Cody Rhodes, they could headline WrestleMania 41.

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray noted he would not be surprised if Sami Zayn turned heel and joined Kevin Owens because of their history, which goes back a long way, even before their days in the Stamford-based promotion commenced.

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If you use any quotes, please credit Wrestling with Freddie and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.