Kevin Owens Explains Why NXT Should Be Included In The WWE Draft

Kevin Owens is currently in the midst of a high profile feud on WWE SmackDown with Universal Champion Roman Reigns. This isn’t the first time Reigns and Owens have went toe to toe over that particular championship, with some past PPV matches between them in 2016 and 2017. This past weekend at TLC, Owens came up short but has a rematch in a steel cage airing this Friday night on WWE SmackDown.

Prior to coming to the main roster, Owens was a major player on the WWE NXT brand, including a reign as the NXT Champion. Over the last year, we have seen NXT elevated due to its airing on the USA Network. However, the brand hasn’t been completely intertwined with Raw and SmackDown as NXT was not included in the recent WWE Draft.

During an interview with ComicBook.com conducted last week, we asked Owens if NXT should be included in future WWE Drafts.

“They were able to draft people from an NXT, but you never saw a Raw or SmackDown superstar moved in a draft to NXT (in the past),” Owens said. “I think that should be the case. I think we should be able to take from NXT, and NXT should be able to take from Raw and SmackDown, because I think the level of competition is just as… It’s extraordinary over there. I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to do that.”

Should NXT matches be part of the monthly Raw and SmackDown PPV events?

“As far as the pay-per-views go, though, I actually don’t think NXT should be added to the current pay-per-views, because there’s already so little spots on the pay-per-views, and there’s so many guys and girls, on Raw and SmackDown, that deserve a spot,” Owens answered. “If you add the NXT on top of it, it’s going to be tricky to fit everybody, unless we go back to the six hour marathons we used to have. The NXT Takeovers are really successful, and really great. You know, I wouldn’t mind seeing one or two more of those every year, so that, like I said, there’s also a pretty deep roster in NXT. A lot of guys and girls deserve spotlights there, as well.

“I think it’d be great to give them a few more TakeOvers, if that’s a possibility. I do think they should be included in the Drafts. They should be viewed as a third brand. I feel in a lot of ways they are, and I think they should continue to be portrayed that way, and pushed that way, and put forth, presented that way to everybody that’s not necessarily a hardcore fan, more of the casual, the elusive, casual fan that we talk about sometimes. I think they should be made aware of NXT and how it’s just as good as Raw and SmackDown. A good way to do that would probably be to add them to the Draft, and see Raw and SmackDown talent ended up in NXT, as well. I think that would be really an interesting mix of talent, and it would be a good way to get more eyes on there.”

Media: Please credit Ryan Droste and ComicBook.com when using quotes from this interview.

For more from our conversation with Kevin Owens, check out the following links:

Kevin Owens Talks History With Roman Reigns, Striving For More

Kevin Owens Talks New WWE Chronicle, Love of Wrestling Documentaries