WWE's Kevin Owens Says He Refused On-Screen Pairing With This Former World Champion

Given how long the Bloodline storyline ran for, former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens frequently found himself as a thorn in the group's side, even as Roman Reigns managed to prevail over him time after time. And while Owens eventually received some support in the form of long-time frenemy Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes, at one point, WWE had another ally lined up for him.

Unfortunately for this future WWE World Heavyweight Champion, it was not someone Owens was keen to team with at the time. During an appearance on Rhodes' "What Do You Want To Talk About?" podcast, Owens revealed that WWE had pitched him working alongside Damian Priest to take on the Bloodline during the middle of the pandemic era. The suggestion annoyed Owens, especially since he was feeling good with how his feud with Reigns was going heading into their Last Man Standing match at the 2021 Royal Rumble.

"About three weeks before, I'm thinking 'Okay, we're firing on all cylinders,'" Owens said. "'We're going to the Royal Rumble. Big match. It's going to be a lot of fun.' And then I'm at television, and they come tell me 'Well, things are kind of changing now. You're going to be introducing your new best friend to help you take on the Bloodline, because it's a number's game.' I'm like 'Who's this guy?' They go 'You know Damian Priest from 'NXT?” I go 'The guy who throws the arrows?' 'Yes!' I go 'Well, I have nothing against him. But no one would believe that we're best friends. We can not be more opposite. And why? It's so random.' It turns out someone threw this idea out there, and it stuck for about five minutes, until I said 'No.'"

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "What Do You Want To Talk About?" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription