Ranking All 9 Former ROH World Champions Who Came To WWE

Following the departures of Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson in late 2009, Ring of Honor went through something of a rebuilding phase that saw Roderick Strong, Eddie Edwards, and Davey Richards dabble in the main event scene throughout 2010. Eventually, Kevin Steen solidified his spot as a top-tier talent in ROH, capturing the prestigious prize in May 2012 and losing it almost exactly one year later.

Steen is well-remembered for his time spent in the SCUM faction, though truth be told, he didn't need a stable in order to stand out as special. Most fans didn't think someone with his unique build and style in the ring and on the microphone would ever appear in WWE, but to quote a common cliche, the cream always rises to the top.

Once NXT started to evolve into what it is today, WWE's foundation for the future, head executive Triple H scooped up Steen and signed him to black-and-yellow brand in August 2014. Debuting at TakeOver: R Evolution, the rechristened Kevin Owens made an immediate impact by taking out his former friend, Sami Zayn.

From there, he won the NXT Championship, arrived on the main roster months later, beat John Cena in his debut match on pay-per-view, and held the Intercontinental Championship on two separate occasions. In August 2016, he became only the second ever WWE Universal champion and remains the reigning title holder to this day.

Two years into his WWE run and Owens has already amounted to major success, but this is just the beginning for the prizefighter.