The face of a generation or a WrestleMania rival? 5 WWE stars who could be Kevin Owens' mystery partner on SmackDown

After recent issues with Austin Theory and Grayson Waller on SmackDown, Kevin Owens will face the duo with a mystery partner. The blue brand's season premiere is this Friday.

The Prizefighter beat both stars in a triple threat match on last week's show, but A-Town Down Under attacked him after the fight.

Since the Brash in Berlin young duo keeps poking the bear that is Kevin Owens, they may end up looking more foolish than usual on the big episode of SmackDown. WWE hyped up the season premiere of RAW, but it came off like a regular show.

SmackDown's season premiere must offer much more excitement than Natalya's predictable return on RAW. Owens has several people from his past, including the next five WWE stars, he can call upon to be his mystery partner.

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#5. Randy Orton would be a predictable option

Will Owens get back together with Randy Orton? [Image Credit: WWE.com]

Kevin Owens has teamed with Randy Orton for much of 2024. The two battled Logan Paul together and opposed the Bloodline with Cody Rhodes.

The Viper had a sojourn to RAW to 'rectify' an awkward loss to Gunther in the King of the Ring finals.

He's finished with that pursuit and will presumably return to SmackDown. If WWE doesn't have a massive return in the chamber, expect Orton to return to his home brand.

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#4. Seth Rollins teamed with Owens a few years ago

Owens has several acquaintances with whom he's feuded and teamed up in WWE. One such name is Seth Rollins, who has been absent for the last few weeks following a wave of Tsunamis from Bronson Reed.

If Orton went to RAW for a one-off feud, why can't Rollins return the favor on SmackDown? He has teamed with The Prizefighter and has been where Theory and Waller are in their careers.

A return from The Visionary would also be a memorable moment for the season premiere of SmackDown.

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#3. Sami Zayn will always be linked with Kevin Owens

He may be stepping up to Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship, but Sami Zayn will always be linked to Kevin Owens. KO debuted and turned on his best friend the same night in NXT.

The two have often feuded against each other on RAW and SmackDown. The friends won the Tag Team titles last year before heading to different brands.

To prove he does have reliable friends, Owens could easily call upon Sami Zayn, whom he considers a brother.

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#2. The glass could break on the season premiere of SmackDown

Kevin Owens trolled Stone Cold Steve Austin in 2022 when WrestleMania 38 took place in Dallas. Austin took the bait and eventually competed in his first match in 19 years at the event. Owens is a professional and made The Rattlesnake look great.

The Prizefighter started adopting Austin's Stunner finisher when he turned his face shortly after that feud. Utilizing the iconic finisher showed that Owens had turned over a leaf with his WrestleMania rival.

Over the years, WWE has had legends appear on anniversary shows. While a season premiere isn't as iconic as an anniversary episode, it would still pop the ratings and the crowd on the first episode of SmackDown on the USA network.

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#1. Kevin Owens teams with one of his first rivals in WWE

When Kevin Owens debuted on the main roster, he immediately targeted John Cena. Cena was the United States Champion then but was still in the middle of his dominance over the rest of the roster.

Owens disrupted the status quo and never looked back. Cena has come back recently to team with former rivals like The Miz. This will be his last chance to appear as an active star at a season premiere.

Grayson Waller and Austin Theory have crossed paths with the multi-time Champion, so having Cena as Owens's mystery partner would fit on many levels.