Kevin Yanick Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadianprofessional wrestler. He is signed toWWE, where he performs on theSmackDownbrand under thering nameKevin Owens, and is on hiatus due to a neck injury as of November 2025.
Kevin Yanick Steen was born on May 7, 1984, inSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu,Quebec,Canada,[9] and raised inMarieville, 29 kilometres (18 mi) east ofMontreal. He has a brother named Edward Lower. He is ofFrench-Canadian andIrish descent and speaksFrench as his first language.[10] He learned to speak English by mimicking everything he heard while watchingWWF Monday Night Raw.[10][11] Steen participated in ice hockey, soccer, and baseball, but never considered developing a career out of them—especially soccer, after suffering an injury at age 11—and instead considered becoming aprofessional wrestler after he and his father watched a videotape of the match betweenDiesel andShawn Michaels atWrestleMania XI.[3][9]
When Steen was 14, his parents allowed him to start training with Serge Jodoin, a wrestler based inQuebec.[3] The following year, Steen began training withJacques Rougeau.[3] He also trained withTerry Taylor, whom he has called his "main trainer".[4] Steen had his first match on May 7, 2000 (his 16th birthday) inL'Assomption, Quebec.[3] Steen trained with Rougeau and wrestled for Rougeau'spromotion for four years, before beginning to wrestle with several other Canadian promotions.[3]
IWS held its 5th anniversary show "V" on June 15, 2004, at Le SPAG, where El Generico won his firstIWS World Heavyweight Championship, only to have Steen cash in his number one contendership (won earlier that night against Excess 69) on El Generico, also winning his first IWS World Heavyweight Championship.[13] Steen's first title reign marked a pivotal milestone in the history of the promotion when he became the first IWS World Heavyweight Champion to internationally defend the title, defeatingRoderick Strong on October 30 inRahway, New Jersey forJersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW).[13] On September 22, 2007, at Blood, Sweat & Beers, Steen defeatedJay Briscoe.[14]
On March 22, 2008, at Know Your Enemies, Steen won his second IWS World Heavyweight Championship by defeatingMax Boyer and former champion El Generico in a 3-Way match.[15] On May 24, at Freedom to Fight, Steen became the first person to hold two IWS titles simultaneously when he defeated Boyer to win the IWS Canadian Championship in an IWS Championship Unification match.[15]
Steen made hisCombat Zone Wrestling (CZW) debut on September 10, 2004, atHigh Stakes II, whereSeXXXy Eddy defeated Steen, El Generico and Excess 69 in an IWS 4-Way match which was unofficially chosen as "CZW Match of the Year".[13][16] On May 14, 2005, Steen took part in the "CZW Best of the Best" tournament, defeating Kenny The Bastard in the first round andChris Hero in the second round to advance to the finals, where he lost a fatal four-way match involvingB-Boy,Super Dragon, andMike Quackenbush.[17]
While wrestling in CZW, Steen also began working forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG). On May 13, 2005, atJason Takes PWG, Steen was entered into his firstfeud in PWG, when he helpedExcalibur defeatSuper Dragon in a Guerrilla Warfare match, in the process revealing himself as the fake Super Dragon, who had been attacking the real one the past few months.[21] On August 6, 2005, Steen won thePWG Championship after defeatingA.J. Styles atZombies Shouldn't Run.[22] Steen held the title for nearly four months before losing the championship toJoey Ryan atChanukah Chaos (The C's Are Silent), following interference from Super Dragon.[23] Steen's feud with Super Dragon ended on December 16, 2005, atAstonishing X-Mas, where he was defeated in a Guerrilla Warfare match.[24]
In 2006, Steen began teaming with El Generico, and they began to pursue thePWG World Tag Team Championship. On July 29, 2007, atGiant-Size Annual No. #4, Steen and Generico defeated the reigning championsPAC andRoderick Strong to become the PWG World Tag Team Champions.[25] They successfully defended the belts for almost three months before ultimately losing them to the team ofDavey Richards and Super Dragon on October 27 inEngland as part of PWG's "European Vacation II" tour.[26] The next night, Steen teamed with PAC in an attempt to regain the belts from Dragon and Richards, announcing before the match that if he lost, he would leave the company indefinitely. Steen and PAC lost, leading to Steen leaving PWG.[27]
However, Steen returned to PWG and, along with El Generico, won the title for a second time, this time from The Dynasty (Joey Ryan andScott Lost) on March 21, 2008, in an impromptu match.[28] Steen and Generico became the first team in PWG history to be a part of the annualDynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament to defend the belts in each match they had. In the tournament finals, they lost the title toJack Evans and Roderick Strong, thus ending their second reign.[29] Ultimately, Steen left PWG after interest from ROH increased. According to Steen, he could not wrestle for ROH and PWG at the same time and chose ROH because of the money and the exposure.[30]
On February 17, 2007, Steen, as aheel, returned toRing of Honor atFifth Year Festival:Philly, teaming with theface El Generico in a losing effort to theBriscoe Brothers.[31] On April 14,Mark Briscoe returned in the middle of a match between Steen and Generico and his brother Jay andErick Stevens atFighting Spirit. Mark was attacked by the duo, however, and was pinned by Steen after apackage piledriver.[32] AtRespect is Earned on July 1, Steen and El Generico defeatedThe Irish Airborne (Jake and Dave Crist), Pelle Primeau and Mitch Franklin, andJimmy Rave andAdam Pearce in a Tag Team Scramble dark match. That same night, Steen and El Generico brawled with the Briscoe Brothers, ending with Mark Briscoe suffering a mild concussion from a steel chair shot.[33] AtDriven on September 21, the Briscoe Brothers defeated Steen and El Generico to retain theROH World Tag Team Championship.[34] AtDeath Before Dishonor V Night 1 on August 10, they defeated the Briscoes in a non-titleBoston Street Fight.[35] Steen and Generico then suffered three consecutive losses to the Briscoes atCaged Rage on August 24 in a steel cage match,[36]Manhattan Mayhem II on August 25 in atwo out of three falls match,[37] andMan Up on November 30 in ROH's first-everladder match.[38]
Steen (left) and Generico (right) teaming together in 2008
AtUp For Grabs on June 6, 2008, Steen and Generico participated in a one night tournament to crown new ROH World Tag Team Champions, defeatingGo Shiozaki andROH World ChampionNigel McGuinness in the first round, Chris Hero and Adam Pearce in the second round, but losing toJimmy Jacobs andTyler Black in the finals.[39] On July 25, Steen faced McGuinness for the ROH World Championship at the company's debut show inToronto,Ontario, Canada, but lost.[40] At a pay-per-view taping in Boston on September 19, Steen and Generico defeated The Age of the Fall to win theROH World Tag Team Championship.[6] They lost the championship toThe American Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) at a television taping on April 10, 2009.[6]
On December 19, atFinal Battle, ROH's first livepay-per-view, Steenturned heel by attacking his tag team partner El Generico after a loss toThe Young Bucks.[41] Steen then found a new partner inSteve Corino.[42][43] AtThe Big Bang! on April 3, 2010, Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino via disqualification, when Steen used a chair on his former partner.[44] On June 19, atDeath Before Dishonor VIII, Steen defeated Generico in a singles match.[45] On September 11, atGlory By Honor IX, Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino in aDouble Chain match, when Cabana forced Corino to tap out. After the match, Steen attacked El Generico and unmasked him.[46] AtFinal Battle on December 18, Steen and Generico ended their year–long feud in anunsanctionedFight Without Honor, where Steen put his ROH career on the line against Generico's mask. Despite Steen not liking the idea because he would lose money if he lost, he agreed to the match, because he thought ROH would use Generico as a top wrestler after the feud.[30] El Generico won the match and thus forced Steen out of ROH.[47] The feud was voted byWrestling Observer Newsletter as the best feud of the year.
Prior to the outcome, on November 4, Kevin Steen's contract agreement with Ring of Honor ended due to financial budget concerns, which ultimately played a role within the stipulations of the match.[30] Steen wrote most of the El Generico rivalry storyline himself, though he claims that his poor relationship with newbookerJim Cornette, who had little interest in either Steen or Generico, resulted in a great deal of frustration for him.[48] During the feud, ROH booker Adam Pearce promised Steen he would main event Final Battle, but Cornette made Davey Richards-Eddie Edwards the main event and Steen-Generico after the event.[30] Steen also claims that Cornette "froze" him out of ROH, believing he was also keeping the promotion's presidentCary Silkin in the dark on when Steen would be brought back.[48]
When Steen was pulled out of ROH events, ROH President Cary Silkin paid him every month.[30] Cornette told Steen he would be brought back a few months later, so Steen lost 40 lb (18 kg), but when ROH was sold, Cornette told him to wait another six months.[30] Steen was unhappy and his weight jumped to 291 lb (132 kg).[30] His contract expired in February 2011.[30] After signing a new contract with the promotion,[30] Steen returned to Ring of Honor on June 26, 2011, atBest in the World, being introduced by Corino, who had turned face shortly after Steen's departure from the promotion and claimed that he needed redemption as well. However, ROH officials forced him to leave the arena before he could show that he was a changed man. After Corino was defeated byMichael Elgin, Steen ran in to save him from a beatdown at the hands of the House of Truth, but ended up turning on him and his sponsor Jimmy Jacobs. Afterwards, Steen was dragged out of the arena, while Jim Cornette swore that he would never again wrestle for ROH.[49] The original idea was to introduce Steen as a rehab wrestler. However, Steen turned down the idea, because he did not "want to look likeThe Bravado Brothers".[30] Though Steen was booked as the heel of the storyline, the fans took his side and instead booed Cornette.[48] The storyline continued on July 22, when Steen invaded ROH's official message board, writing posts praising Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.[50] On September 15, ROH's message board was "hacked" to redirect to a video, where Steen announced his intention of attending ROH'sDeath Before Dishonor IX the following weekend.[51]
Steen at a GCW event in December 2011
At the event on September 17, Steen interrupted a match between El Generico and Jacobs and called out Steve Corino, who was at the time wrestling in Japan, before powerbombing Jacobs on the ring apron. Steen was then confronted by Cornette and ROH president Cary Silkin, whom he tried to Package Piledrive, before being ushered out of the arena by security.[52] On the November 5 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Steen reappeared withOhio Valley Wrestling talent Christian Mascagni as his legal adviser, threatening Cornette and Ring of Honor with legal action unless he was reinstated within three weeks.[53] On the December 3 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Steen was granted a match against Corino, with his ROH future on the line atFinal Battle on December 23,[54] where Steen defeated Corino, thus granting back his career in ROH. Afterwards, he delivered a package piledriver to Jacobs, before putting El Generico through a table with the same maneuver. At the end of the evening, he confronted ROH World Champion Davey Richards.[55] On March 4, 2012, at the10th Anniversary Show, Steen defeated Jimmy Jacobs in a No Holds Barred match and ended the pay-per-view by having another confrontation with Richards.[56] Steen continued his win streak during theShowdown in the Sun weekend, first defeating El Generico, with help from Jacobs, in aLast Man Standing match on March 30 and then Eddie Edwards in a singles match on March 31.[57][58]
On May 12, atBorder Wars, Steen defeated Richards to win the ROH World Championship for the first time, making him the first Canadian to hold the championship.[5][59] Following the match, Steve Corino entered the ring and hugged Steen and Jacobs; the three men went on to form a stable later namedS.C.U.M. (Suffering, Chaos, Ugliness, and Mayhem).[60] Steen made his first successful title defense on June 15, defeating Edwards.[61] On June 24, atBest in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Steen defeated Richards to retain the ROH World Championship.[62] AtBoiling Point on August 11, Steen successfully defended his title againstChikara Grand Champion Eddie Kingston.[63] On September 15, atDeath Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency, Steen made another successful title defense againstRhino.[64] On October 6, a title match between Steen andJay Lethal ended in a no contest in Lethal's home state ofNew Jersey, after which Steen spat at Lethal's parents, who were sitting at ringside.[65][66] Seven days later at the following internet pay-per-view,Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope, Steen made a successful title defense against Michael Elgin. Afterwards, Steen was delivered a box, which contained El Generico's mask.[67] On December 16, atFinal Battle 2012: Doomsday, Steen successfully defended the ROH World Championship against the returning El Generico in a ladder match.[68] On March 2, 2013, at the11th Anniversary Show, Steen defeated Jay Lethal in a grudge match to retain the ROH World Championship.[69] On April 5, atSupercard of Honor VII, Steen lost the ROH World Championship to Jay Briscoe.[70]
At the following night's tapings ofRing of Honor Wrestling, S.C.U.M. turned on Steen, with Corino announcing that he would not be seen in ROH again.[71] Steen, however, returned to ROH on May 4, now working as a face and replacing Jay Lethal in a tag team match, where he and Michael Elgin faced S.C.U.M.'sCliff Compton and Jimmy Jacobs. The match ended with Jacobs pinning Steen for the win, after which Elgin walked out on him.[72] Steen continued his rivalry with S.C.U.M. on June 22 atBest in the World 2013, where he was defeated byMatt Hardy in a No Disqualification match.[73] The following day, Steen replaced The Briscoes due to injuries in aSteel Cage Warfare match and forced his former stable out of ROH, despite interference from Corino and Hardy, when he pinned Jacobs to win the match and disband S.C.U.M.[74][75]
On August 3, Steen entered a tournament for thevacant ROH World Championship, defeatingBrian Kendrick in his first round match.[76] On August 17, Steen advanced to the semifinals of the tournament with a win over Roderick Strong.[77] On September 20, atDeath Before Dishonor XI, Steen was eliminated from the tournament by Elgin.[78] Steen then started feuding withMichael Bennett,[79] who defeated Steen on October 26 atGlory By Honor XII, following a distraction from his girlfriendMaria Kanellis.[80] On December 14, atFinal Battle 2013, Steen defeated Bennett in astretcher match, where the loser would be forced to stop using the piledriver.[81] On February 8, 2014, Steen earned a shot at the ROH World Championship by defeating Jay Lethal, Michael Elgin andTommaso Ciampa in a four-way number one contender's match.[82] Steen received his title match on May 10 in Toronto atGlobal Wars, but lost to the defending champion,Adam Cole.[83]
After losing toShinsuke Nakamura at the Ring of Honor/New Japan Pro-Wrestling co-producedWar of the Worlds iPPV on May 17, Steen announced he was leaving ROH. This led to him being insulted and attacked bySilas Young.[84] After defeating Young on June 22 atBest in the World 2014, Steen announced that his contract was up in a "month and a half".[85] At the July 19Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings, Steen defeated Steve Corino in his final ROH match.[86]
When Steen left ROH in 2010, his friend Super Dragon asked him to wrestle in PWG, to which Steen agreed.[30] On December 11, 2010, Steen wrestledAkira Tozawa for his first PWG win in two years.[87] He then returned to a more prominent role in the company after a few sporadic years, having only made five appearances between 2009 and 2010. On January 29, 2011, Steen was defeated by Chris Hero at PWG's annualWrestleReunion-sponsored event. Later that evening, after a four-way tag team match to determine which of four teams would enter the2011 DDT4 tournament, Steen ran out to attack the eventual winners, the RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime and Johnny Yuma), before declaring his intention of winning the DDT4 tournament.[88] On February 2, 2011, it was announced that Steen would be teaming with Tozawa for the tournament, which took place on March 4.[89] In their first round match, Steen and Tozawa, known collectively as the Nightmare Violence Connection, scored an upset victory over theBriscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe). After another upset victory over theROH World Tag Team Champions,Kings of Wrestling (Hero andClaudio Castagnoli), Steen and Tozawa made it to the finals of the tournament, where they were defeated byThe Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).[90] On July 23, at PWG's eighth anniversary show, Steen first defeated PAC in a singles match, before teaming withCIMA to defeat PWG World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks, in a non-title match. After Castagnoli had defeated Hero in the main event of the evening to retain the PWG World Championship, Steen challenged him to a match and, in his third match of the night, defeated him to win the PWG World Championship for the second time.[50] At the following event on August 20, Steen entered the2011 Battle of Los Angeles, defeatingDave Finlay andEddie Edwards in his first round and semifinal matches. Later that same night, Steen was defeated in the finals by old rival El Generico.[91] On September 10, Steen made his first PWG World Championship defense, defeating former champion Davey Richards.[92]
On October 22, Steen lost the PWG World Championship to El Generico in aladder match, following interference from The Young Bucks. After the match Super Dragon made his first appearance in over three years by saving Steen with the two accepting The Young Bucks' challenge for a Guerrilla Warfare match.[93] On December 10, Steen and Dragon, known collectively as "Appetite for Destruction", defeated The Young Bucks in a Guerrilla Warfare match to win the PWG World Tag Team Championship.[8] On March 17, Steen defeated El Generico and Eddie Edwards in a three-way match to win the PWG World Championship for the third time.[94] Steen made his first title defense on April 21, defeatingSami Callihan in an open challenge.[95] On May 25, Steen successfully defended the PWG World Championship againstBrian Cage-Taylor. That same night, Steen and Dragon were stripped of the PWG World Tag Team Championship, after Dragon was sidelined with a heel fracture.[96] On July 21, atThreemendous III, PWG's ninth anniversary event, Steen made his third successful defense of the PWG World Championship againstWillie Mack.[97] On September 1, Steen was eliminated from the2012 Battle of Los Angeles in the first round byRicochet, following a distraction from Brian Cage.[98] After having his championship belt stolen from him by the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles winner Adam Cole,[99] Steen successfully defended the title in a three-way match againstMichael Elgin and Ricochet on October 27,[100] after which he challenged Cole to a match for December 1,[101] where Steen lost the PWG World Championship to Cole in a Guerrilla Warfare match.[102][103]
After El Generico had agreed to a deal withWWE, he and Steen reunited one more time on January 12, 2013, by entering the2013 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament. After wins over the Briscoe Brothers and Future Shock (Adam Cole andKyle O'Reilly), they were defeated in the finals of the tournament by The Young Bucks.[104] On August 31, at the2013 Battle of Los Angeles, Steen turnedheel and formed a newstable named The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling with PWG World Champion Adam Cole and PWG World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks.[105][106] On July 26, 2014, Steen was defeated byTrevor Lee in his PWG farewell match.[107]
Before signing with the WWE, Steen had attendedOne Night Stand in 2006, sporting a PWG shirt, and again forBreaking Point in 2009 in Montreal.[108]
On August 12, 2014, WWE announced that Steen had signed with them and was due to report to their developmental systemNXT on August 25.[109] His new ring name had only the surname changed to Owens as a tribute to his son Owen (who himself is named afterOwen Hart), and NXT began airing promotional videos from November 20 to hype his upcoming debut.[110]
AtNXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, Owens defeatedCJ Parker in his debut match. Later that night, when Sami Zayn (the former El Generico) won theNXT Championship, Owens attacked him, establishing himself as a heel and starting a feud with Zayn.[111][112][113][114] On February 11, 2015, atNXT TakeOver: Rival, Owens defeated Zayn via referee stoppage to win the title after repeatedly powerbombing a disorientated Zayn.[115] With this win, he became the quickest superstar to win the NXT Championship from his debut, a record that stood for over nine years until it was surpassed byEthan Page in July 2024.[116][117] On the March 25 episode ofNXT, he successfully defended the NXT Championship againstFinn Bálor.[118] AtNXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, Owens' rematch for the title against Zayn ended in a no contest after Owens continued to beat down an injured Zayn, until the debutingSamoa Joe stopped him.[119] Owens also made appearances on the main roster as NXT Champion, successfully defending the title againstZack Ryder during an open challenge on the June 4 episode ofSmackDown,[120]Neville on the June 8 episode ofRaw[121] andHeath Slater on the June 12 episode ofMain Event.[122]
On the July 4WWE Network special,The Beast in the East event held inTokyo,Japan, Owens lost the NXT Championship to Bálor, ending his reign at 143 days.[123] AtNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22, Owens failed to regain the title from Bálor in a ladder match in what would be his final match in NXT.[124]
"Love him or hate him, you can't deny his impact on the first six months of 2015 – or wonder how high he'll climb by year's end. It's wrestling, folks. It's Kevin Owens".
While still the NXT Champion, Owens made his unannounced main roster debut on the May 18 episode ofRaw, responding toJohn Cena'sUnited States Championship open challenge. However, instead of competing in the match, he attacked Cena and stomped on the United States title in a show of disrespect, setting up a non-title match between the two atElimination Chamber on May 31,[126][127] which Owens woncleanly by pinfall.[128] AtMoney in the Bank on June 14, Owens lost to Cena, after which he powerbombed Cena onto the ring apron.[129] Owens, no longer NXT Champion later challenged Cena to a match for the United States Championship atBattleground on July 19, which Cena won by submission, thus ending their feud.[130][131]
Owens then entered a feud withDolph Ziggler, with the two trading victories over each other on back to back episodes ofRaw.[144][145] On the February 15 episode ofRaw, Owens won his second Intercontinental Championship, defeating former champion Ambrose,Stardust,Tyler Breeze and Ziggler in afatal five-way match.[146] AtFastlane on February 21, Owens successfully defended the title against Ziggler.[147] AtWrestleMania 32 on April 3, Owens lost the title toZack Ryder in a seven-wayladder match.[148][149] He resumed the feud with longtime rival Sami Zayn after attacking him onRaw,[150] defeating Zayn atPayback on May 1.[151] AtExtreme Rules on May 22, Owens faced Zayn, Cesaro andThe Miz in a fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship, but lost when The Miz pinned Cesaro.[152] AtMoney in the Bank on June 19, Owens competed in theMoney in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Ambrose.[153]
"I thinkStephanie [McMahon] wants Raw to be the best show possible and if you want that, you've got to pick me, because I'm the best thing going, [...] But being picked where I was kind of aslap in the face, to be honest, but I'll use that as motivation to show everybody why I should be the face of Raw."
Owens commenting on his 18th draft pick position, in an interview withThe Independent in August 2016[154]
On the November 28 episode ofRaw,WWE United States Champion Reigns issued a challenge to Owens, who stated that he did not need Jericho's help against him, and Owens suffered his first pinfall loss since becoming champion after losing a non-title match to Reigns that same night, earning Reigns a Universal Championship match against Owens atRoadblock: End of the Line.[165][166] At the event on December 18, Owens retained the title against Reigns by disqualification when Jericho intentionally attacked him with aCodebreaker.[167] This led to Reigns' rematch at theRoyal Rumble being under the stipulation that would see Jericho (who pinned Reigns in ahandicap match involving Owens to win the United States Championship on the January 9 episode ofRaw)[168] being suspended above the ring in ashark proof cage.[169] On January 29, 2017, at Royal Rumble, Owens defeated Reigns in a No Disqualification match after interference from Strowman.[170] The following night onRaw, Owens defended the title against Strowman. Despite the match ending in a no contest after Reigns attacked both him and Strowman, Owens retained the title.[171]
On the February 6 episode ofRaw, Owens was challenged byGoldberg to a championship match atFastlane, which Jericho accepted on Owens' behalf, much to his dismay.[172] On the February 13 episode ofRaw, Jericho hosted a "Festival of Friendship" for Owens, who was not impressed with Jericho's idea of humor and instead then presented Jericho with a new list as a gift, but when Jericho realized that he was the first name on it and that it was "The List of KO", Owens turned on Jericho and viciously attacked him.[173] At Fastlane on March 5, Owens lost the title to Goldberg in 22 seconds after a distraction from Jericho, ending his reign at 188 days.[174]
The following night onRaw, Owens accepted Jericho's challenge for a match atWrestleMania 33 on April 2 as long as Jericho would defend the United States Championship,[175] which Owens won for the first time in his career.[176] On the April 11 episode ofSmackDown Live, Owens was traded to theSmackDown brand as part of the2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up.[177] Owens, who was scheduled to defend the title against Jericho atPayback with the winner going to SmackDown as well,[178] started referring to himself as the "Face of America" and began sporting a different look, having trimmed his beard and hair down, while wearing a suit.[179][180][181][182] At Payback on April 30, Owens lost the title back to Jericho, ending his reign at 28 days.[183] Owens reclaimed the title on the May 2 episode ofSmackDown Live by defeating Jericho, attacking and injuring him after the match.[184]
AtBacklash on May 21, Owens defeatedAJ Styles by countout to retain the United States Championship,[185] but lost the title to Styles during ahouse show atMadison Square Garden on July 7, ending his second reign at 66 days.[186] He regained the title atBattleground on July 23[187] but lost it back to Styles two days later onSmackDown in a triple threat match also involving the returning Jericho.[188] Owens failed to regain the title on the August 1 episode ofSmackDown Live and atSummerSlam on August 20 withShane McMahon as the special guest referee.[189][190] During that time, Owens dropped the Face of America gimmick and reverted to the Prizefighter persona, shedding both the suits and America-orientated promos. On the August 22 episode ofSmackDown Live, in another title rematch withBaron Corbin as the special guest referee, Owens was again unsuccessful, after Corbin walked out on the match and Shane took over, distracting Owens enough for Styles to capitalize and win. This also meant that as long as Styles held the title, Owenscould not challenge Styles for the title again, ending their feud.[191]
After WrestleMania, they were assigned to the Raw brand.[198] On May 6, atBacklash, Owens and Zayn lost toBobby Lashley and Braun Strowman.[199] AtMoney in the Bank on June 17, Owens competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Strowman.[200] Following weeks of Strowman humiliating Owens,[201][202] he defeated Strowman in a steel cage match atExtreme Rules on July 15.[203] AtSummerSlam on August 19, Owens failed to win Strowman's Money in the Bank contract in under two minutes.[204] On October 8, WWE announced Owens suffered injuries to both knees in a match with Lashley the previous night onRaw, which required surgery.[205]
After weeks of vignettes promoting Owens’ return, he returned as a face on the February 26 episode ofSmackDown, replacingKofi Kingston in theWWE Championship match atFastlane on March 10 againstDaniel Bryan, perVince McMahon's orders.[206] A returningMustafa Ali was added to the match, making it a triple threat match, and Owens failed to win the title after Bryan pinned Ali.[207] In April, Owens started a storyline where he congratulated Kingston for winning the WWE Championship and joinedThe New Day as their honorary third member, sinceBig E was recovering from an injury.[208] However, since Bryan suffered an injury at WrestleMania, SmackDown needed a top level heel,[209] so on the April 23 episode ofSmackDown, Owens turned on Kingston and attacked him andXavier Woods, turning him back into a heel.[210] On May 19, Owens failed to win the WWE Championship from Kingston atMoney in the Bank.[211] AtStomping Grounds on June 23, Owens and Zayn defeated Big E and Woods.[212]
On the July 2 episode ofSmackDown, Owens questioned Shane McMahon's decisions and underhanded tactics before they were interrupted byDolph Ziggler, leading to McMahon booking them in a tag team match which they lost after a miscommunication.[213] The following week, Owens stated his distaste in McMahon's constant dominance on television, before fleeing as McMahon called for security. Later that night, Owens interfered in Ziggler's match against Roman Reigns and hit McMahon with astunner, turning face once again.[214] AtExtreme Rules on July 14, Owens defeated Ziggler in 17 seconds.[215] AtSummerSlam on August 11, Owens defeated McMahon in a match where had Owens lost, he would be fired.[216] Owens lost toElias in the first round of theKing of the Ring tournament with McMahon as the special guest referee.[217] On the September 10 episode ofSmackDown, McMahon fired Owens, after McMahon tapped out toChad Gable in their King of the Ring semi-final match, where Owens was serving as the special guest referee.[218] The following week, Owens attended the show as an audience member, but had also filed a kayfabe wrongful termination lawsuit against McMahon.[219] On October 4, during the20th Anniversary ofSmackDown, Owens defeated McMahon in a ladder match with both men's careers on the line. As per the pre-match stipulation, McMahon was fired from WWE.[220]
As part of the2020 Draft in October, Owens was drafted to theSmackDown brand.[233] He reignited his rivalry againstRoman Reigns and challenged him for the Universal Championship on three occasions—atTLC on December 20, in a steel cage match on the December 25 episode ofSmackDown, and atRoyal Rumble on January 31, 2021, but lost all matches after interference fromJey Uso andPaul Heyman.[234][235][236] AtElimination Chamber on February 21, Owens competed in the Elimination Chamber match where the winner would receive an immediate Universal Championship match, eliminating Sami Zayn before being eliminated by Uso.[237] Owens defeated Zayn at Night 2 ofWrestleMania 37 on April 11,[238] lost to Zayn atHell in a Cell on June 20,[239] and defeated Zayn again in aLast Man Standing match on the July 2 episode ofSmackDown to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match atMoney in the Bank on July 18,[240] which was won byBig E.[241]
As part of the2021 Draft, Owens was drafted to theRaw brand,[242] where he turned heel by attacking WWE Champion Big E.[243][244] He competed for the title in a fatal five-way match on January 1, 2022, atDay 1, which was won byBrock Lesnar.[245] On Night 1 ofWrestleMania 38 on April 2, Owens facedStone Cold Steve Austin in a No Holds Barred match in the main event, which marked Austin's first match in 19 years after his retirement. Owens lost to Austin and was escorted out of the stadium by Dallas police officers.[246] Following WrestleMania, Owens began a storyline with a clean shavenElias, who claimed to be Elias' younger brother Ezekiel, much to Owens' irritation as he thought he was actually Elias himself.[247][248][249] AtHell in a Cell on June 5, Owens defeated Ezekiel.[250] On the August 8 episode ofRaw, he stretchered Ezekiel out of the arena after attacking him with an apron powerbomb, a move he had not used in years, ending their feud.[251] Owens subsequently brought back his original "Prizefighter"gimmick (along with the entrance video used during his time in NXT and the duct tape motive KO logo) on the August 22 episode ofRaw and turned face, which was solidified after a victory overChad Gable.[252][253]
As part of the2023 WWE Draft, Owens, along with Zayn, was drafted to theRawbrand.[258] AtNight of Champions on May 27, Owens and Zayn retained the Undisputed Tag Team Championship against Reigns and Sikoa.[259] AtPayback on September 2, Owens and Zayn lost the titles to The Judgment Day (Damian Priest andFinn Bálor) in a Pittsburgh Steel City Street Fight, ending their reign at 154 days.[260] They were unsuccessful in a rematch for the titles on the September 25 episode ofRaw.[261] In October, Owens was traded to the SmackDown brand, splitting up the team of Owens and Zayn.[262]
Owens facedLogan Paul for the United States Championship atRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2024 and in a triple threat match also involvingRandy Orton at Night 2 ofWrestleMania XL on April 7, losing both times.[263][264] On the April 19 episode ofSmackDown, Owens reignited his feud with The Bloodline after he was attacked by its newest member,Tama Tonga.[265] AtBacklash France on May 4, Owens and Orton lost to Sikoa and Tonga in a Tag Team Street Fight after interference from Tama's brotherTanga Loa.[266] AtMoney in the Bank on July 6, Owens, Orton andUndisputed WWE ChampionCody Rhodes lost to Sikoa, Tonga and the debutingJacob Fatu in a six-man tag team match after interference from Loa.[267]
AtBash in Berlin on August 31, Owens faced Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a losing effort.[268] On October 5, afterBad Blood went off the air, fans captured video footage of Owens attacking Rhodes as he was entering his bus, turning Owensheel.[269] He solidified his heel turn on the following episode ofSmackDown by attacking Randy Orton in the parking lot.[270] A match was made official between Owens and Orton forCrown Jewel on November 2,[271] where both men brawled throughout the arena and the match never started.[272] The following week onSmackDown, Owens took out Orton with apiledriver.[273] AtSaturday Night's Main Event on December 14, Owens again faced Rhodes for the title but lost in a controversial manner.[274] After the event went off the air, Owens brutally attacked Rhodes with apackage piledriver and got into a verbal and physical confrontation withChief Content OfficerPaul "Triple H" Levesque.[275] Owens then stole theWinged Eagle-design WWE Championship (that was presented to Rhodes by Levesque specially forSaturday Night's Main Event) and began referring to himself as the “True WWE Champion".[276] AtRoyal Rumble on February 1, 2025, Owens failed to win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Rhodes in a ladder match with both the "Undisputed" and "Winged Eagle" title belts on the line, ending their feud.[277]
On the February 3 episode ofRaw, Owens attacked Sami Zayn following his qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber match againstCM Punk by ambushing him from behind and delivering a package piledriver on to Zayn, reigniting a feud between the two once again.[278] AtElimination Chamber: Toronto on March 1, Owens defeated Zayn in anunsanctioned match, and was afterwards confronted by a returning Randy Orton, leading to a brawl between the two.[279] A match between Owens and Orton was then scheduled for Night 2 ofWrestleMania 41. However, on the April 4 episode ofSmackDown, Owens announced that he had suffered a neck injury and would require surgery, putting him out of action indefinitely. He would be replaced byJoe Hendry, who answered Orton's open challenge on the night of WrestleMania 41.[280]
In 2012,Ring of Honor (ROH) released a two-disc set entitledKevin Steen: Ascension to the Top, focusing on his first two years with the promotion, andKevin Steen: Descent into Madness, covering his solo run from 2009 to 2010. In 2013, ROH released a DVD titledKevin Steen: Hell Rising, which included both his best matches in the promotion and ashoot interview, in which Steen went into detail most notably about his relationship with Jim Cornette and his booking of ROH.[30] The DVD was pulled from ROH's online store shortly after its release.[48][281] It was made available again during the 2013 Christmas season.[282] Following his departure, ROH released another three disc set entitledThanks Steen Thanks, which featured matches from the end of his championship run through his final match with the company.[283]
Steen married Karina Lamer in 2007.[293] They have a son named Owen (named afterOwen Hart, with Steen dedicating his WWE ring name to both his son and Hart)[294] and a daughter named Élodie Leila.[295] At the end of theDDT4 Night One event in May 2008, a then-six-month-old Owen appeared in a segment withExcalibur in which Excalibur called him "ugly", prompting Steen to perform three consecutive package piledrivers on him before placing Owen on top of Excalibur for the pinfall.[296]
Steen is best friends with fellow Canadian wrestler Rami Sebei, currently known in WWE asSami Zayn, with the pair's on-screen charactersteaming up or feuding with each other various times since they first met in 2002.[297]
Steen is a fan of Canadian country singerShania Twain. The two met at her Montreal show in 2018, where he joined her on stage and she promised that she would sing her song "When" for him if he defeated his then-rival,Braun Strowman.[298]
^Dykens, Brad (August 24, 2007)."Caged Rage (DVD Review)". Online World of Wrestling. Archived fromthe original on July 6, 2008. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2022.
^Berenstein, Ari (July 26, 2008)."Column of Honor 07.26.08: ROHbot Cares".411Mania. Archived fromthe original on April 22, 2025. RetrievedApril 22, 2025.ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness retained his title by defeating challenger Kevin Steen via pinfall with a lariat while Steen was positioned on the ropes.
^abCaldwell, James (March 18, 2012)."PWG Title changes hands Saturday".Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc.Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. RetrievedMarch 18, 2012.
^Saxton, Byron (February 19, 2015)."Welcome to 'The Era of Owens'".WWE. Archived fromthe original on April 26, 2015. RetrievedApril 22, 2025.Owens captured the NXT Championship just two months after his debut, earning him the record-setting accomplishment of the fastest ascent to champion in NXT history.
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