Kevin Owens might not have left the Royal Rumble with the Undisputed WWE Championship, but he did walk away with something equally valuable: the respect of everyone backstage (and possibly a few extra medical bills).
Despite coming this close to dethroning Cody Rhodes in their brutal ladder match, Owens once again fell short in a title opportunity, marking his third failed attempt at winning WWE’s top prize since August. And to add insult to injury (literally), this one had to sting the most—because if there’s one thing KO specializes in, it’s ladder matches. Unfortunately, this loss likely knocks him out of title contention for the foreseeable future.
But while Owens didn’t win gold, he won over the entire WWE locker room. PWInsider Elite reports that KO was receiving praise from all corners of WWE for his performance, from fellow wrestlers to producers. Sure, some of that was for his insane death-defying bumps and the bloody gash on his head, but it was also for how he helped structure the match itself. Even Rhodes and WWE officials credited Owens for the match’s overall success. In short, the guy might be unlucky in championship matches, but he’s untouchable when it comes to making a big fight feel special.
KO & Ladders: A Love Story Written in Pain
While Rhodes is no stranger to ladder match classics (shoutout to that Sammy Guevara match in AEW), Owens has been one of the top-tier ladder match performers in wrestling for years. His history dates back to Ring of Honor, where he delivered insane ladder wars against Sami Zayn, The Briscoes, Eddie Edwards, and Davey Richards. Since coming to WWE, he’s taken that same daredevil mentality into Money in the Bank matches, as well as showdowns against the likes of Zayn, Roman Reigns, and Finn Bálor.
So yeah, Owens losing a ladder match is rare. But getting universal praise for stealing the show? That’s just another day in the life of KO. The only question now is: where does he go from here?