10 Dirtiest Players In WWE History
6. Kevin Owens
Only a few years prior, Kevin Owens would have never been a WWE Superstar. With a chest so barrelled it looked forged by a cooper and a scraggly haircut and beard that would have been once been laughed out of Titan Tower, Owens was a once-atypical signing for a paradoxical NXT brand now viewing the industry at large through an entirely new prism.
A darling of the independent scene thanks to a host of spectacular matches for Ring Of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Combat Zone Wrestling, Owens was an enormous babyface as he opened NXT TakeOver: R Evolution in a protracted squash against CJ Parker. By the end of the night, he was the most vilified villain in the industry.
Acknowledging prior friendships in introductory vignettes, Owens noted the particular rise of longtime associate Sami Zayn, leading to emotional scenes when he returned at the end of the broadcast to celebrate with the 'Underdog from the Underground' following his emotional NXT Title victory over Adrian Neville.
As fans were ready to file out and audiences prepared to switch off, Owens struck. It was a brutal assault saved intentionally for the last second to ensure absolutely everybody, Zayn especially, were enveloped in a false sense of security.
Powerbombing him against the ring apron in an abhorrent scene, Owens ruined Zayn's big night, and ruined his entire life by beating him senseless for the title two months later. It was a calculated, cynical and unapologetic destruction that underpinned everything Owens stood for.