Kevin Owens has revealed that a match between himself and Vince McMahon had been planned for WrestleMania 34.
While chatting with Inside The Ropes and SPORF‘s Kenny McIntosh, the former Universal Champion lifted the lid on his on-screen rivalry with McMahon, admitting he’d have loved if it led to more.
“Yeah, that was really cool. I wish it would have led to more, honestly. But who wouldn’t feel that way? I think it could have, and I think it almost did. I really think, at one point, there was a chance that it was going to be me and Sami Zayn against Shane and Vince at WrestleMania – which would have been incredible – but Vince, I remember one of the things he had told me was, ‘I can’t run WrestleMania and focus on a match at the same time.’
The Prizefighter divulged further on those nixed plans for a match between the pair on the Grandest Stage of Them All. The match, however, wasn’t scheduled to be a singles match, but rather a tag team match featuring Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against Vince and Shane McMahon. Instead, the match that would take place featured 75% of those participants, with Vince McMahon being replaced by Daniel Bryan.
“He felt like his best position was to not be in the ring, you know? But then also it was also the perfect situation for Bryan’s return. He got cleared medically and the storyline was already in progress. He was already so heavily involved in the storyline just because him and Shane were running SmackDown together, and obviously that was an incredible thing to be a part of Daniel’s return, especially in that building where he won the title at WrestleMania XXX, so it was great.”
Owens revealed what the rivalry did for him, and why he wishes more interactions would have been forthcoming.
“But it would have just been fun to keep that story with Vince going or have more interactions with him because, whether people want to admit it or not, to be in a story with Vince in any way, shape or form to be on television with Vince, it helps as a star to the fans that are watching on TV – especially this elusive, casual audience that people talk about quite a bit. To see… When they see a Superstar in the ring with Vince McMahon, it immediately helps add credibility to that person.”
WWE TLC is live this Sunday, December 20th, on the WWE Network.