It's been nearly a year since Kevin Owens was forced to take a step back from wrestling, having picked up a nagging neck injury that's kept him out of action since facing Sami Zayn at WWE Elimination Chamber. Health always comes first, but Owens being forced to miss an entire year of his in-ring career is a tragedy, as fans have missed out on dozens more performances from the former world champion.We here at Wrestling Inc. can't help thinking about what could have been, and with the next Elimination Chamber fast approaching, it's an appropriate time to daydream about what the last year in WWE might've looked like had Owens been fully healthy. Our vision includes Owens getting in the ring with an old rival as well as a highly anticipated match-up. Plus, the year wouldn't be complete without some kind of involvement from Sami Zayn.So with that in mind, strap yourselves in and read on to journey through our theoretical idea of what 2025 might have looked like for Owens, all the way up to WWE Crown Jewel. At the end, if you have any ideas of your own, feel free to share them with us in the comments section.
Last we saw Owens, he was brutally attacked by Randy Orton, offering an even further explanation for his time away and giving him something to do when he comes back. However, taking his injury out of the equation, Iwould forego the Orton setup and continue on with Owens' feud against Zayn, which didn't entirely seem resolved.Instead of Zayn being absent from WWE WrestleMania 41, he could have picked up a big singles victory over Owens. Considering their match at Elimination Chamber, it'd make sense for there to be a fairly significant stipulation involved, and what better choice is there than Hell in a Cell?This match would accomplish a few different things at once. It'd give Owens and Zayn a hallmark WrestleMania singles match (longer than 10 minutes) to add to their careers, for one. On top of that, it would continue to elevate Zayn as a serious contender, with the expectation that the perennial underdog will one day climb that mountain and win a world title in WWE.After taking a loss against Zayn inside the cell on the biggest stage possible, Owens would descend into a bitter spiral that would take him to the summer. Let him take some losses some truly embarrassing ones. The tenured performer can put over some of the newer talent on the scene before taking a little bit of time off. These losses won't be directionless, as it's all building to something bigger for Owens. It's not a face turn we're envisioning, though. Instead, Owens will sink to even deeper lows as he comes face-to-face with an old rival that just so happens to be approaching retirement.
John Cena's final months as an in-ring competitor were filled with highs and lows. One low that I'd love to take off the board is his eight-minute loss to Brock Lesnar at WWE Wrestlepalooza. Instead, let's envision the aftermath of Cena's match against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam a little bit differently. Instead of Lesnar returning at SummerSlam and attacking Cena, let's slot Owens into that role, making his comeback from some time off over the summer.Following the assault, Owens explains that his actions against Cena were justified. If Cena so desperately wants to play at being the bad guy, Owens (theoretically) explains, Owens will gladly show him what a real bad guy looks like. The two can then spend several weeks going back and forth ahead of Wrestlepalooza; they can even call back to Owens defeating Cena in his main roster debut.Both men's insecurities can be laid out in plain view with the storyline, as Cena comes to terms with the end of his career while Owens struggles with feeling stagnant in his own. It all culminates with a marquee match at the first-ever Wrestlepalooza, ideally giving Cena another strong showing on his way out.Like Lesnar, Owens should get the win here, as he rebounds from his disappointing summer. After the match, Cena would inch closer to his final match against GUNTHER, while Owens would continue stewing over the past with a feud that's been a long time coming.
Believe it or not, Owens and CM Punk have never once shared the ring in a match. That doesn't mean the two don't have some history, though, as some hardcore wrestling fans might be well aware of.Without getting too deep into the weeds, Punk and Owens were said to have had a disagreement during their shared days in Ring of Honor, with Punk apparently criticizing Owens for wrestling with a shirt on. Since then, rumors have occasionally popped up suggesting that there is still some bad blood, with Owens fueling that idea after Punk returned to WWE.However, Punk seems to be in the mode of burying hatchets, and it seems likely the two will put their differences aside and work together at some point, as a feud with Punk was teased shortly before Owens' injury. In our framework here, Punk can serve as Owens' next target after Cena, putting us around the time of WWE Crown Jewel 2025 in Australia. I'm booking Punk vs. Owens there, and moving the existing Punk vs. Cena match to TV, so nobody can complain about missing out on that one.The match would feel personal, so the two would have to put a little work in to differentiate the story from some of Punk's other feuds, against the likes of Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. Still, it's almost certain they'd be able to put something brutal and exciting together.Heading into Crown Jewel, Punk was the World Heavyweight Champion, and that title would obviously be on the line in a prospective match between he and Owens. Unfortunately, that would make it unlikely Owens would win, even in my dream scenario. Still, it'd be one hell of a story, and something that might actually play out one day.
