Kevin Owens discusses his Dusty Rhodes tribute at WWE Survivor Series.
Kevin Owens competed in his second WarGames match at WWE Survivor Series, teaming with Sheamus, Drew McIntrye, Ridge Holland, & Butch to battle the Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, & Sami Zayn).
Owens entered the cage wearing a Dusty Rhodes shirt and red elbow pads as a tribute to the man who invented the WarGames concept.
Speaking on WWE After The Bell, Owens discussed his tribute.
"It was a real thrill to be part of it when I did the one in NXT, just because it was great to be part of something Dusty created. To be part of the first one on the main roster, to have the opportunity to wear Dusty’s shirt and the red elbow pads as a tribute to him, I talked to Cody (Rhodes) beforehand to make sure he was cool with it and everything. It’s always neat to tie back to history and give Dusty a little nod, I try to do that as much as I can because he was so influential in my career. I really had access to him for a very short time, maybe ten months, between the time I started in NXT and the time he passed. In those ten months, he really left a mark on me that nobody has. I’ve known people for years in this industry and they haven’t had half the influence on me that Dusty had in that short time. Anytime I get to do something as a little shoutout to him, I take that opportunity. To be part of the first main roster WarGames, be able to do that, and just being part of the match itself, it’s an exciting concept. Anytime there is something new, it’s great to be part of it and this was new to a lot of people. It was the first time on the main roster. Obviously, not everyone who watches the main roster necessarily watches NXT or knows what WarGames was from back in the day. It was cool to be part of this new concept that a lot of people saw for the first time," said Owens.
Though Owens wasn't around Dusty for a long period of time, Owens revealed the key advice he gave him for his career.
"There are a lot of little stories that are so funny. Anybody who was around Dusty for any period of time has stories. How great he was, how funny he was. That’s the influence he leaves on you, not only teaching you about wrestling, but as a human being. The biggest thing he taught me, beyond whatever wisdom he imparted in me as far as promos and presence in the ring, that was his forte; he really is the one that showed me from the get-go that it’s okay to be myself here. When I came into WWE, there was always the whole obstacle of the way I looked, who I was, that’s not what WWE was looking for, that was the sentiment for so long. I came in, Triple H took a shot on me, he gave me a chance, and Dusty, right from the get-go made me comfortable and made me understand that I could be who I am. I didn’t have to try to put up a front or try to be something I wasn’t. That’s never who he was, he stayed true to himself his entire career. That would be the biggest thing he imparted in me during the short time we had together," he said.
Owens was immediately one of the top stars in NXT when he made his debut in December 2014. He remains one of the top stars on WWE Raw, currently feuding with The Bloodline.
Though he's still going after Roman Reigns and The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso), he is done with Sami Zayn. You can find his comments regarding his relationship with Zayn by clicking here.
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