Kevin Owens recently shared a behind-the-scenes story about a major creative decision he pushed back on during his high-profile feud with Roman Reigns in 2021. Speaking on Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Owens revealed that WWE briefly considered pulling him from the Royal Rumble title match that year—and replacing him with Damian Priest.
Reflecting on his storyline with Reigns during the pandemic-era ThunderDome shows, Owens described the feud as the beginning of a “four-year nightmare” of ups and downs. Heading into the Royal Rumble 2021 pay-per-view, Owens and Reigns were set to battle in a Last Man Standing match—one that ultimately received wide praise from fans and critics.
However, just weeks before the match, Owens was informed that WWE planned to introduce Priest as his “best friend” to help him even the odds against The Bloodline. The company reportedly intended for Priest to take Owens’ spot entirely and face Reigns at the Rumble.
“I’m thinking, ‘We’re firing on all cylinders, we’re going to the Royal Rumble. Big match. Going to be a lot of fun,’” Owens recalled. “Then I’m told, ‘Things are kind of changing. You’re going to be introduced to your new best friend—Damian Priest from NXT—to help you take on The Bloodline.’”
Owens said he had nothing personal against Priest, but rejected the pairing as unrealistic and forced.
“I was like, ‘The guy with arrows? Nothing against him, but no one would believe that we’re best friends. We could not be more opposite. Why?’”
He went on to say that the creative pitch, which would have seen him removed from the title match, was a “five-minute idea” that he personally shut down.
“I was incensed. I said no,” Owens stated. “He was going to take my match. It was going to be him vs. Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble.”
Despite his firm opposition to the idea, Owens made it clear that his stance didn’t impact Priest’s career trajectory.
“For what it’s worth, I didn’t derail his career. He was on the main roster like two weeks later.”
Ultimately, Owens kept his spot and delivered a memorable match with Reigns at the Royal Rumble 2021, while Priest went on to debut on the main roster shortly afterward. Both men have since carved out prominent roles in WWE, but this revealing insight sheds light on the sometimes chaotic nature of behind-the-scenes decision-making in wrestling.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more backstage stories and exclusive wrestling coverage.
