10 Ways WWE Fixed Broken NXT Call-Ups

9. Kevin Owens

Bayley Sasha Banks
WWE

It seems so likely that Kevin Owens will eventually be let down by his booking that this entry feels dated before the words hit the page...but maybe he really has come through the worst of two tumultuous years.

After a good run with John Cena and a great one with Chris Jericho the following year, 'KO' sunk below ground level some point during his 2017/18 programme with SmackDown General Manager Shane McMahon. The series facilitated a career-salvaging turn by Sami Zayn (more on him shortly) but the pair were demoted due to bad behaviour or creative having nothing for them or whatever the excuse was on any given week.

Owens meandered for the entirety of 2018 via some truly hideous feuds with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley that turned him babyface before a Kofi Kingston WWE Title match turned him heel before going back to war with Shane McMahon turned him babyface before...it actually stuck.

A one-night NXT return for TakeOver: WarGames was a rather ironic way to celebrate his salvaging - only where he belonged the most did his main roster stability matter the least.

 
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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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