Paul Heyman Told Current WWE Star To Threaten To Quit Over Changed Creative Plans

WWE

Kevin Owens has reflected on being left off the WrestleMania 35 card in the wake of not being used for WWE Elimination Chamber in 2023.

With the 2023 WWE Elimination Chamber taking place in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Owens’ tag-team partner Sami Zayn was able to absorb the home crowd’s reaction, but Owens was left on the sidelines.

Whilst he would support his friend in the main event against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, it caused Owens to reflect on a past time when something similar happened.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani for TNT Sports, Owens looked back at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, saying:

“When I wasn’t on WrestleMania 35…I did not understand why.

“I understood plans had changed, I was fine with it but I kept trying like ‘What else am I gonna do?'”

According to Owens, WWE Creative wasn’t able to fit him onto the show card in a place that would be natural.

Reports at the time were that Kevin Owens was primed to challenge Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship, but WWE changed course to capitalise on the popularity of Kofi Kingston.

The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion would go on to reveal a conversation he had with Paul Heyman at a TV taping, adding:

“It was driving me insane.

“I’m like ‘What do I do?’ [and Paul says] ‘just walk in there and threaten to quit.”

Owens didn’t take Heyman’s advice in the end but also would reveal that he didn’t go to the premium live event itself, stating:

“I couldn’t go to WrestleMania 35. I didn’t want to be anywhere near it.”

WrestleMania 35 took place in April 2019 and featured the first ever all-female main event at WrestleMania with Becky Lynch defeating Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey in a Winner Takes All triple threat match for both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championship.

The card featured sixteen matches in total, including the 30-man Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Owens and Sami Zayn would go on to main event night one of WrestleMania 39 in April 2023, beating The Usos to becoming the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.

Transcript from Wrestling Inc.

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• paul heyman
• WrestleMania
• KEVIN OWENS
• wwe

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