Kevin Owens is sticking with the WWE. News that the former WWE Universal Champion’s contract was on the verge of expiring had been floating around for the last couple of months, but Sean Ross Sapp reported via Fightful Select on Wednesday that Owens has put pen to paper on a new contract to remain with the promotion. Sapp wrote, “WWE sources that we spoke to said they were over the moon about retaining Owens, that they made it clear to him personally that they were eager to retain his services,” adding that a source described the multi-year deal as “an excellent offer.”
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Owens had been recently teasing that he might go to AEW to reunite with The Young Bucks and Adam Cole (formerly known as the Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling on the independent scene.” Sapp noted that wrestlers within AEW didn’t believe the company would be able to match WWE’s offer to keep him. Owens is booked for the upcoming WWE Championship match at the Day 1 pay-per-view, taking on current champion Big E, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley.
Owens, who recently turned heel following a storyline with Rollins and E, has not held a championship in WWE since his third United States Championship reign back in 2017. Earlier this year he celebrated the five-year anniversary of his lone reign as Universal Champion.
“Man, the last five years have been a roller coaster. …The highs are great, but the lows, sometimes, they’re really hard to take for somebody who cares a lot, and who is very passionate about this, like I am. But I’ve been so lucky because I’ve had a really great career,” Owens said in a video addressed to fans. ” I’ve had my wife, my kids, and my parents — who are all fantastic at helping me navigate through this. It’s not just them, I have really great friends, really great colleagues to go on this ride with. And I have everybody watching this right now.
“I’ve been lucky to have a loyal following along me for that ride. And that’s you guys, today, reminding me of what happened five years ago when I won the Universal Title. So I figured this was a good time to say thank you to all of you” he continued. “For being there for the highs, for being there for the lows, just for being there for the whole ride.”
