REAL Reason Kevin Owens Didn't Leave WWE
Kevin Owens unpacks his reasons for sticking with WWE over leaving for AEW.
News that Kevin Owens had re-signed with WWE broke earlier this week, ending months of speculation following reports that his previous deal with the promotion was due to expire in January 2022.
Owens has now unpacked his reasons for staying. Speaking with TVA Sports' Pat Laprade, the former WWE Universal Champion called re-signing a "pretty easy" decision, given his priorities away from the ring and tenure with the market leaders (h/t POST Wrestling):-
"I’ll settle for just saying that it still ends on January 31, but not 2022. I’m going to be around for several more years. The decision was pretty easy because it was really the best thing for my family. When it comes down to it, it’s always a pretty easy decision. The WWE has been my home for seven years, so I have a sense of belonging. Basically, I’ve spent the majority of my career there. When you look at all the wrestling companies I’ve wrestled in, in WWE, that’s where I’ve been the longest, that’s where I need to be for the next few years. That’s how I felt and that’s the decision I made."
Dave Meltzer reported on Thursday that Owens' new contract runs for three years, meaning it'll expire in January 2025.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer added that KO is now earning somewhere in the region of $2-3 million a year, which is likely more than AEW would have offered. Only a handful of wrestlers in the Tony Khan-helmed promotion make that kind of money, says Meltzer.
Owens challenges for Big E's WWE Championship in a Fatal Four-Way also featuring Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley at WWE Day 1 (1 January 2022).