Who would Kevin Owens like to face at a big pay-per-view?
Tuesday 16 August 2016 09:00, UK
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's WWE careers are still in their infancy - but Owens is backing both of them to become "pillars" of the company.
Partners in their early grappling days in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor, Owens and Zayn have become embroiled in an epic rivalry since signing with Vince McMahon's company.
The Canadians battled for the NXT Championship in 2015 and their conflict has since spilled over onto the main roster, with Zayn winning their most recent tussle, at WWE Battleground in late July.
Owens is adamant that he, and a man he found "annoying" when they first met nearly 15 years ago in their homeland, can become staples of WWE's new era.
"We first met at a random wrestling show back home in 2002 - and he annoyed me from the very beginning because he was so loud and bouncy!" Owens said of Zayn.
"We were the two best wrestlers from Quebec so ended up getting booked on the same shows and that snowballed into us getting booked onto a lot of the same shows in the US.
"That's why we are more like brothers - I never asked to travel with him, I ever asked to be with him, we were just positioned together by default.
"Now that Sami and I are in WWE, I think we are going to be here for a long time and do great things.
"I am not saying we will be remembered as incredibly as Shawn Michaels, who is the best wrestler of all time, but when we walk away from WWE I think people will remember us as pillars for what we have done.
"I am not sure what the future holds but I'm sure we'll find our way back to each other at some point - Battleground may have been our last match for a little while but it won't be our last match."
Owens and Zayn flourished in NXT before they were called up to WWE's main roster - Owens holding the NXT Title for 143 days and Zayn earning a 62-day reign before shipping it to Owens.
Another former NXT champion, Irish Superstar Finn Balor, is the newest addition to the Raw ranks, having been an early pick in the WWE Draft.
Balor's extensive wrestling experience before inking a deal with WWE - the Wicklow-born performer's accolades including becoming a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling - left fans wondering why it took over a year for him to reach the main roster.
"His call-up was long overdue - but I also think it was necessary for him to stay in NXT for as long as he did," Owens said of the man who beat him for the NXT Championship during a bout in Japan.
"When Finn, myself and Hideo Itami started there the brand was definitely on the rise - not just because of us, let me make that clear, but because every performer and coach, plus the management team, were working so hard to make it something pretty special.
"Then Hideo and Zayn got hurt, and myself and Neville got called to the main roster, so without Finn I don't know whether NXT would have reached the level it has today - you always need one guy to hitch your wagon to [and he was that guy].
NXT is a great place to be at - obviously everyone aspires to be on the main roster and compete at SummerSlam and WrestleMania but the six months I spent on NXT were some of the best of my career.
"NXT is a great place to be at, too - obviously everyone aspires to be on the main roster and compete at SummerSlam and WrestleMania but the six months I spent on NXT were some of the best of my career.
"There is a sense of family and belonging that you don't always get when you are on Raw or Smackdown."
Despite the elevations of Owens, Zayn and Neville, NXT remains stacked with top talent, Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, and reigning NXT Champion Samoa Joe among them.
Tye Dillinger - who competed on WWE's ECW brand as Gavin Spears back in 2008 - is yet to reach the top of the card in Orlando, Florida, with the Canadian's spell so far including a series of defeat as well as a period tag-teaming with recent Smackdown recruit Jason Jordan.
Yet, Owens feels his countryman is one of the most talented wrestlers in WWE today - and would love to help him show it at one of the company's premier events.
"If I were able to pick somebody to wrestle so a lot of people get to see them maybe for the first time and they get more recognition, it would be Dillinger," added Owens.
"There are lot of guys in NXT who deserve the spotlight but I think he is one of the best guys we have, not just in NXT but in WWE as a whole.
"Some of the guys in NXT haven't wrestled for long and some of them haven't wrestled at all but Dillinger has been doing this for a long time.
"If there is someone on the roster they can look up to it is him - he is fantastic; a great wrestler and a great person in and out of the ring."
Owens will team with Chris Jericho to take on Enzo Amore and Big Cass at SummerSlam on Sunday night. Watch the show from midnight on Sky Sports Box Office and Sky Sports HD Box Office.
WWE SummerSlam booking details
WWE SummerSlam will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) AND Sky Sports HD Box Office (492) at midnight on Sunday, August 21 (Monday morning).
WWE SummerSlam will be repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (492) between 10am on Monday, August 22 and 8pm on Thursday, August 25.
Repeat showings will air at 10am, 3pm, 8pm and 1am, with THE FINAL PLAYOUT starting at 8pm on Thursday, August 25.
The event is priced at £19.95 for UK customers, €24.95 for viewers in the Republic of Ireland.
UK viewers can call 03442 410 888 to book WWE SummerSlam NOW, while customers in the Republic of Ireland should call 0818 220 225. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).
You can also book WWE SummerSlam online NOW by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/
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