Arn Anderson On How WWE Booking Hurt Kevin Owens After His Debut

At the 2015 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, NXT Champion Kevin Owens beat John Cena in Owens' debut match on the main roster. The finish of the match surprised many, and the match received the loudest reaction of the night.

During a recent episode of the ARN podcast, Arn Anderson said that WWE and Vince McMahon should have pivoted their plans due to the reaction that Owens received after beating Cena.

"If you're going to listen to the audience throughout this thing, then Kevin Owens became a star that night," Anderson said. "If you don't listen, no matter what you have booked or written down for the next 3 weeks, don't you switch your plans too: here's my new baby face?"

Anderson noted that Owens could do whatever is needed inside and outside the ring. He felt that even with his look, his style of wrestling could have made him the next big star.

"He's the antihero, he's that guy that kicks ass," Anderson said. "He's the everyday man that doesn't look like he can pop-up power bomb Mark Henry, but he can, I've seen it, more than once.

"The audience was cheering for him so make him a baby face the very next day, switch gears. To beat John Cena with his finish, there's no bigger launching pad at that time, so go with it, switch gears. Turn him into what they want to see."

After the match at Elimination Chamber, Cena and Owens faced off again at the next two pay-per-views. Cena got his win back after defeating Owens at Money in the Bank. Cena then submitted Owens at Battleground to win the trilogy. Anderson felt that Owens should have not lost the next two matches, as that hurt the momentum he had coming off of his victory against Cena at Elimination Chamber.

"He should've never lost the next 2 matches," Anderson said. "It should've been first class, steam roll, straight ahead."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The ARN Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.