Professional wrestling | Kevin Owens will share the ring with an idol

Connor McDavid is the idol of hundreds of thousands of kids and teens today. Of the lot, how many will reach the NHL? And of this infinitesimal fraction, how many will become McDavid’s teammates?

Guillaume Lefrancois
The Press

Kevin Owens will have that chance. Not to play hockey with Connor McDavid, we hear. But to share the arena with the one who was the idol of a whole generation at the end of the 1990s: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It will happen at WrestleMania 38 on Saturday, in front of some 100,000 spectators at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

It is well known, the idol of Kevin Owens has always been Shawn Michaels. But in 1995, when the Quebecer began to take an interest in wrestling, Austin began his formidable rise, to the point where he was to become, two years later, the wrestler who aroused, night after night, the strongest reactions.

“I loved him from the start, even when he had the character of the Ringmaster, I don’t know why. Then it became “Stone Cold”, and I continued to admire it. And everyone knows what happened, he became the biggest name in wrestling. To see where I am today and what will happen with him is quite incredible. »

Rebellious employee

Who hasn’t dreamed of sending their boss for a ride? This is what Steve Austin was doing at the height of his popularity from 1997.

Because he abused foul language and middle fingers, because he drank beer after his fights, the character of “Stone Cold” was reviled by his boss, Vince McMahon, who continually tried to recruit wrestlers that would prevent him from becoming champion. This rivalry came to a head when McMahon teamed up with The Rock, now actor Dwayne Johnson.

“Austin didn’t get pushed around,” Owens recalls. Yes, you could say that about a lot of wrestlers, but Austin was much more liberated in the way he expressed it. He was telling people off, he didn’t give a damn, he told people to eat shit.

“It’s super simple, but everyone can relate to it. Everyone had a pass like that. But he was like that every week. »

The moments of anthology are incalculable. Any self-respecting wrestling fan will name, in the first place, the famous scene at the hospital, where Austin disguises himself as a doctor in order to attack McMahon, a scene marked by the blow of the bedpan, the echo of which still resonates today. today.

The WWF (the organization became WWE in 2002) seemed to have an unlimited budget when it came to creating such moments. That’s the only conclusion that comes to mind when Austin fills McMahon’s white Corvette with cement.

Ditto for the time when Austin came to the edge of the arena in a beer delivery truck (!), in order to spray The Rock as well as the McMahons, father and son.

Owens has his own favorite moments from Austin’s career. He names for example the Royal Rumble 1997, this fight with 30 wrestlers that Austin had won by “cheating”, eliminating Bret “Hitman” Hart at the very end.

Another moment he cites: the show No Way Out, held in Montreal in 2003, which marked the return of Austin after almost a year of absence. “I was at the Bell Centre. Before the show, I told myself that it was impossible for us to have such a great moment in a show in Montreal. I was screaming so much when he arrived, I almost fainted! »

Not a fight

Proof of the importance that WWE places on the Owens-Austin event, it will be the final of the first night of WrestleMania (since 2020, the show is held over two nights).

We skilfully prepared the ground. During the broadcast of Raw on March 21, Steve Austin’s theme rang out in the arena, making spectators believe that “Stone Cold” was coming. But it was rather Owens, summarily disguised as Austin, who emerged from the curtain, prompting well-fed boos.

“The goal was to have the initial shock, to have the spectators for 10 seconds, so just arriving with the imitation bald head was enough! I didn’t have to shave my beard and be his look-alike,” says Owens.

The bond between Owens and Austin is natural. For the past few years, Owens has been using the Stunner, the hold Austin used to win his fights with and which no other WWE wrestler has used regularly since. Owens had obtained permission from Austin to employ him.

That said, don’t expect a full fight. That’s why we said Owens will “share the arena” with Austin, who hung up his boots in 2003 due to neck issues.

Officially, it will be the KO Show, an interview segment conducted by Owens, much like Pat Patterson’s Brunch or Roddy Piper’s Piper’s Pit in another era. But we can bet an old paper two that it will end in a fight.

And, like all Austin fights, with plenty of beer in the ring. Which is ironic, knowing that Owens is known to be a guy who drinks very little in life. The problem is that Austin sometimes takes pleasure in pouring beer on his victims in the arena.

“My intention is to drink as little as possible, like in life! says Owens.

Knock on the boss’ door

In his rivalry with Steve Austin, Vince McMahon played the role of a ruthless boss. Except that, in real life as well, McMahon is not reputed to be the easiest to approach. But that doesn’t stop Kevin Owens from having a good relationship with the wrestling mogul. This is what we deduce by listening to him tell how the event between Austin and Owens was born. In January, Owens was still waiting to hear how WWE intended to use him at WrestleMania. “So at the Royal Rumble, I went to speak to Vince directly and he explained his idea to me,” he says. My experience with Vince has always been an open door. He’s so busy, you can’t go see him every week. It’s a matter of confidence level. When I go to see him, he knows it’s important. For other things, I go through the other members of the staff. But I also know I’m privileged because I can call or text Vince when I need to. »

A disturbing accident

Accidents occur in wrestling, sometimes with serious consequences. The very popular Big E had more fear than harm two weeks ago. He fell head first, outside the arena, undergoing a flexibility from Ridge Holland. In a video he posted the day after the incident, Big E claims to have suffered a fracture to the C1 and C6 vertebrae. According to Kevin Owens, Big E will recover and plans to start wrestling again when he recovers. “He was lucky in his bad luck. But when I found out what happened, it pissed me off. It is one of the pillars of the locker room. He’s a guy everyone likes. It was a maneuver we see often, and it could have happened to any of us. It’s a good reminder that we are lucky to do what we do. As soon as you finish a healthy fight, it’s a gift. »