Kevin Owens Explains Personal Connection Central To His WWE Ring Name

WWE star Kevin Owens has a unique connection with the late, great Owen Hart — one that goes beyond sharing a birthday and being Canadian.

Owens has previously stated that his ring name is a homage to Hart, and he recently explained on "Insight" why he gravitated toward him. He revealed that Owen's rivalry with his brother Bret Hart resonated with him as a young kid. Owens said he was a huge fan of Bret, but one moment of cheating by "The Hitman" caused him to switch allegiances.

"So I have a brother that's 10 years older than me, and as brothers do, we'd fight a lot when we were kids. Because he was 10 years older than me, he was a lot stronger than me. So he always won, let's put it that way. So when I was younger I couldn't help but have a bit of a resentment towards him, which is not the case. I love him," recalled Owens. " I rented all the tapes, and I believe it was a Royal Rumble of that same year, Bret's wrestling Diesel, and in the match, he tries to tie Diesel's legs up with the camera wires, and to me, that's cheating, he's cheating. This is terrible. Why is he cheating? Then Owen comes into frame to try to fight Bret. To me, I'm like, 'Yeah, that's the right thing to do, trying to keep him from cheating.' He's the younger brother trying to fight off the older brother."

"The Prizefighter" was initially drawn to Owen because of the sibling connection, but the late star's in-ring prowess and charisma ultimately won Owens over.

"It was like the dynamic between me and my older brother and him and his older brother is what made me like him at first, and then obviously he's an incredible wrestler and very charismatic, very entertaining," said the WWE star.

Owens' love and admiration for Owen Hart runs so deep that he once said he didn't want another reign as Intercontinental Champion, as he and his hero are tied with two title reigns each.