Kevin Owens Reportedly Receiving Tons Of Backstage Praise Following WWE Royal Rumble

When it comes to the Undisputed WWE Championship, Kevin Owens has no luck at all. Since August, Owens has come up short not once, not twice, but three times challenging Cody Rhodes for WWE's top prize, most recently this past Saturday at the Royal Rumble. And this loss really had to sting, as it not only came in a ladder match, Owens' bread and butter over the course of his career, but likely knocked him out of World Title contention for the foreseeable future.

Even if he doesn't have a World Title around his waist, Owens can at least say he has the respect of his peers. PWInsider Elite reports that, following Saturday's ladder match, Owens was receiving praise from all corners of WWE for his work against Rhodes. While a lot of the plaudits came thanks to Owens' performance, which saw him take plenty of death defying bumps while obtaining a bloody gash on his head, he also received praise in how the match came together, with Rhodes and producers crediting Owens for the match's success.

While Rhodes has become renowned for his ladder match performances, most notably against Sammy Guevara in his final AEW match, Owens, as noted, has long had a reputation for one the top ladder match performers in wrestling. This dates back to his time in Ring of Honor, where he had notable ladder bouts against Sami Zayn, The Briscoes, Eddie Edwards, and Davey Richards, and has continued into his time in WWE, with Owens competing in Money in the Bank, and taking on the likes of Zayn, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, and others.