There are certain times in WWE when the moment to pull the trigger is as clear as day. With the upcoming match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens at Saturday Night’s Main Event, the choice couldn’t be clearer:
Kevin Owens MUST defeat Cody Rhodes for the WWE Title.
Cody’s reign with the WWE Title has been… okay? There hasn’t been much to set it apart or make it the exciting new era we all expected. Things started out strong with a feud against AJ Styles, delivering two fun matches at Backlash and Clash at the Castle. But since then, the momentum has tapered off.
Since the Styles feud, Cody has been tied up in repetitive storylines with Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline (again), Logan Paul, and Gunther—half of those matches didn’t even involve a title defense.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s value in making title defenses feel rare and special. But the people he’s been feuding with haven’t exactly set the world on fire… until Kevin Owens entered the picture.
After floating around the mid-card scene from late 2023 into early 2024, Owens has finally been unleashed to embrace the full heel persona we’ve missed. WWE has skillfully woven multiple storylines, including both men’s feuds with The Bloodline, to make Owens’ long-awaited heel turn feel justified.
“Kevin Is Right” couldn’t be a more accurate statement when reflecting on Owens’ history with The Bloodline. After being stabbed in the back by Cody—who teamed with the same man Owens had saved him from multiple times—KO has every reason to feel betrayed.
In Owens’ eyes, he’s the babyface.
A Vicious Kevin Owens We Haven’t Seen in Years
This is a different Kevin Owens—a throwback to his NXT days. When he broke out a safe but banned piledriver on Randy Orton during Friday Night SmackDow*, it reintroduced a viciousness to KO’s character that’s been sorely missed. The brilliance lies in the slow burn leading to this moment.
For months, Owens gradually leaned into this darker persona, especially during matches with A-Town Down Under and Cody himself at Bash in Berli*. This match at Saturday Night’s Main Event is the culmination of years of frustrations boiling over.
There have been rumors and teases of a Randy Orton heel turn, with the Apex Predator eyeing Cody’s WWE Title—and that can still happen. A psycho Orton heel run would be incredible, but with Orton currently “injured,” the only person who should take the fight (and the title) to Cody right now is Kevin Owens.
Why WWE Cannot Afford to Miss This Opportunity
WWE would be making a massive mistake to let this current version of Owens fizzle out. His stock skyrocketed after the piledriver on Orton, making him a very credible threat to Cody’s reign. A clean loss to Cody would completely diminish the momentum and credibility of Owens’ character.
We’ve seen WWE miss opportunities like this before—Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins comes to mind. While that feud was well-built, WWE was caught between keeping Seth’s reign intact and making Nakamura a legitimate threat. The same mistake cannot happen here.
Cody’s reign has floundered since his victory over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. His constant happy-go-lucky babyface persona hasn’t been working in his favor. Having Owens take the title and making Cody the chaser for a while could revitalize his character, forcing him to reflect on how his former friends are now enemies when that title is around his waist.
But more importantly, Owens needs this win to solidify his character. His first Universal Championship reign was fine, but it relied too much on Chris Jericho saving him, a clean loss to Roman Reigns on a random episode of Raw. Don’t even get me started on the Goldberg match—it still stings.
Owens needs to defeat Cody the same way he defeated Sami Zayn at NXT TakeOver: Rival in 2015—only turned up to 11. This isn’t the time for 15 Stunners or endless powerbombs. WWE has already opened Pandora’s box by allowing banned moves, so if Owens is to be the monster heel he can be, he must bring back the package piledriver to seal the deal.
Protect the Finisher, Protect the Moment
For years, hardcore fans of PWG and ROH have salivated over the idea of Owens bringing back the package piledriver. When he hit a traditional piledriver on Orton, it was an exciting moment, but it wasn’t the package piledriver. Someone younger and more familiar with taking moves like this—like Cody—would be the perfect recipient.
But WWE must protect this finisher. If Owens is to win, he only needs to hit it once to establish its danger. No more “three Cross Rhodes in a row” finishes. And if Cody wins the rematch down the line, don’t let him kick out of it. Keep the package piledriver as a move reserved for monumental moments.
The Stakes at Saturday Night’s Main Event
If Owens loses, it’s hard to imagine how he could recover or remain a credible threat. The fan in me fears that Randy Orton might interfere and cost Owens the match, but that would be a massive mistake. There’s plenty of time for a Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton feud. For now, WWE needs to let Owens fully embrace the role of the big bad.
Cody needs a reset, and Kevin Owens needs this win. It’s a victory that would benefit everyone involved—Cody, Owens, and the fans. But a loss for Owens? That would be a colossal failure on WWE’s part.
