Kevin Owens: Winning WWE Universal title is ‘ingrained in my memory forever’
As Kevin Owens prepares to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event, he reflected on winning the Universal title in a recent interview.
Owens won his only WWE main roster world title on the August 29, 2016, episode of WWE Raw, becoming the second-ever Universal Champion. Finn Balor vacated the title due to injury the week prior. Neither Owens nor Balor have held a main roster world title since, but both will challenge for world titles on Saturday.
Owens told Muscle Man Malcolm recently that winning the Universal title in 2016 is a moment forever ingrained in his memory.
Owens said:
“It’s something I had worked for my entire career pretty much—a moment I had envisioned in my mind no exaggeration probably over a thousand times if not more. So when something like that happens in real life you would think that it’s hard to live up to the expectations or almost like to live up to what you envisioned it to be but it definitely did.”
“A lot of that night is still ingrained in my memory from the moment I walked back from the ring to calling my family, talking to my parents, my wife, my kids, Finn even and his family funny enough. Very special moment for sure.”
Another top moment from Owens’ career is when he headlined night one of WrestleMania 38 against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. He was asked who he would choose if he could pull any other WWE legend out of retirement for a match at Mania.
Owens responded:
“Well the answer is always Shawn Michaels and I really try pretty much every year. I think I’m done trying now though. I mean I think he’s pretty much—you know it’s three years running where he’s politely said no to me. I think the next time I ask he’ll probably just tell me to, you know, F off to say it nicely.”
“I think last year he literally had like tricep surgery just to avoid the question. But yeah if I could wrestle, if there’s anyone, I’d love to wrestle Shawn Michaels. And you know I’m sure he would still be able to put in a performance like no other, I have no doubt, but he’s done with it. He’s done. Trust me I’ve tried.”
The full interview is available below:
