Kevin Owens On Vince McMahon Bleeding From His Headbutt, If He Was Nervous About Vince Angle
Kevin Owens' feud with the McMahon family has developed into a bitter rivalry, the latest chapter seeing Owens defeat Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell this past Sunday. Prior to the brutal encounter, The Prizefighter was confronted by the WWE CEO himself, Vince McMahon.
The former champion and WWE head-honcho came face to face on SmackDown Live. As tension grew, Owens headbutted the 72-year-old and left him bloodied in the ring. Speaking on the CBS In This Corner podcast, Owens comments that the appearance of blood, whether planned or unexpected, can add to an angle.
"Blood is a rarity now; it's something that will happen whether we like it or not sometimes," Owens said. "What we do is very physical and there is just no way around it. Whether it is blood showing up like for example, when I got bloodied up against CJ Parker. CJ Parker was not intending to break my nose, but it made for a special visual and a special moment. Sometimes blood does add to the drama. You can call it a lucky coincidence, although I am not sure if coincidence is the word I am looking for. When it does appear, you mine as well use it for your advantage."
One would assume standing toe-to-toe in the ring with the chairman of the WWE would be nerve wracking. After all, it's not every day an employee is tasked with beating up their boss. Owens, however, had not a moment of anxiety.
"I was not nervous," Owens stated. "I generally don't get nervous anymore to be completely honest. I feel confident in my abilities; felt confident for many years so I don't feel nervous. I am trying to think back on the last time I felt nervous; not to say that I am never excited, I am always excited. I always look forward to be going out there. I do get the butterflies, especially in a moment when you're dealing with Vince McMahon, but that is not necessarily being nervous. I feel that I have great confidence in my abilities, and being in the ring with Vince McMahon was no different.
"When I showed up on Monday Night Raw and confronted John Cena that first night, to me, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged; this is where I belong. Obviously, two-and-a-half years later I have had a lot more experience in front of the cameras, and in front of the larger audiences, but it goes back to how I had been doing this for 15 years prior to coming to WWE, and I had never compromised who I was. I always had confidence in myself, and I still do. I didn't feel nervous at all, I felt right at home."
Owens goes on to discuss his mindset working with WWE's patriarch, proudly stating the among all of his accomplishments, he believes working this angle with Vince will forever be his most significant.
"I've said this before, to my relatives and friends, but there are moments in my WWE career: winning the Universal title, my debut in NXT, my debut on Raw. Winning the Intercontinental title was a huge deal for me, but being in the ring with Vince McMahon and giving him the worst beating he has probably ever taken outside of a wrestling match, but besides receiving the type of reaction when he went bell to bell with somebody, I don't think I've seen anybody beat Vince McMahon to a pulp like how I beat him, but it was special. It was something that will stay with me for a very long time. When I look back on my accolades and the things I had accomplished, when it is all set and done it'll be on the top of the list for sure."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit In This Corner with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.