10 Surprising Things We Learned From 'WWE 365: Kevin Owens'

8. Friendly Fire

Kevin Owens Vince McMahon
WWE.com

Kevin Owens' August 2016 Universal Title was evidently problematic to the makers of the Network's latest warts-and-all concept. Though engaging and thought-provoking, the behind-the-scenes stories ordinarily follow enough of a traditional narrative thread to end on one of - if not the - biggest high of the performer's life.

'KO' scooped the prize just nine days into the 365 he'd be followed for. But to him and the company in general, this was obviously hugely unexpected. He was the ultimate beneficiary of his close ally's darkest day.

Elated as he obviously was to win the Universal Championship, Owens made a point to talk in detail on his friendship with Finn Bálor, the bittersweet nature of his title win, and the toils of the industry at large.

Noting how they'd bonded during their tenures in NXT, he was mindful of how Bálor may have felt having only just surrendered the belt due to injury just 24 hours after becoming the inaugural holder at SummerSlam 2016.

It was to 'KO's clear relief when Finn answered a video call that night with a warm, beaming expression.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett