Kevin Owens Discusses NXT & Why It’s So Important, Finn Balor, & More

Kevin Owens spoke with ESPN for a new interview. Some highlights are below:

On why NXT needed Finn Balor for as long as it did: “When Finn, myself and Hideo Itami started there, NXT was definitely on the rise. Not just because of us, let me make that clear, but because everybody involved was working so hard, from the performers, to the coaches, to management — Triple H, Canyon Ceman, Dusty Rhodes — all those people working on NXT. NXT really built some momentum and became something pretty special. Then Hideo got hurt and I got called to the main roster. Neville got called up as well and he was a big part of NXT, and Sami Zayn got hurt. That could’ve taken the wind out of NXT’s sails a little, because at that point we were the focal point. Then within a month four of us were gone and Finn was the only one still there. Without Finn, I don’t know if NXT would’ve reached the level it has today.”

On Balor’s immediate main roster success: “Everybody there works so hard to make it into something, but you always kind of need one person to hitch your wagon to. Finn was the guy for it. It was pretty obvious he was — look at how big NXT has become, and now look at how Finn did on his first night on RAW. He’s gonna be in the main event of Summerslam. That’s pretty incredible. So it makes sense they kept him as long as they could — who wouldn’t want to have Finn Balor on their roster for as long as possible?”

On Bayley, Samoa Joe, Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura: “I don’t know why they’re still down there, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. To be clear, NXT is a great place to be at, you know what I mean?…Obviously everybody aspires to be on Raw or Smackdown. That’s why they sign with WWE, because they want to be able to perform on that stage, and at Wrestlemania and Summerslam. But I was in NXT for six months and it was some of the best times I’ve had in my career. I think Finn would say the same.”

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