Kevin Owens opens up on who WWE’s actual locker room chief is, his new contract talks and the way Logan Paul did NOT respect working with him at WrestleMania forward of Saturday Night Main Event conflict with Cody Rhodes

Kevin Owens heads into the first WWE Saturday Night Main Event in 16 years looking to capture just his second WWE world heavyweight title when he takes on Cody Rhodes.

Yes – he only has one world title run to his name after a stellar bear-decade on the main roster. Now 40, Owens is approaching the end of his current WWE contract and has a plethora of options available to him.

Fans have long speculated he may fancy a run in AEW at some point to untie with real-life close friends The Young Bucks and Adam Cole among others.

But KO has spent the last few years working with and against his best friend Sami Zayn and, rather improbably, got Stone Cold Steve Austin out of retirement.

Outside of a world title reign, the Canadian grappler has had it about as good as anyone could hope in WWE. He’s also been a firm fixture in the long-running Bloodline story revolving around Roman Reigns and his family, but is increasingly branching out and spilling over into other storylines too.

Which brings us back to Owens and his showdown against Rhodes, the man the former finally snapped against after he decided to team with Reigns against his family that usurped him, thus betraying Owens and all of his previous help.

How does Owens feel about his place inside what many believe is WWE’s greatest ever storyline? Who is left for him to want to face at WrestleMania? Did Logan Paul appreciate working with him and Randy Orton at WrestleMania? And will he sign a new WWE contract?

Mail Sport caught up with The Prizefighter to discuss all of the above and more before he competes for WWE’s grandest prize once more.

Alex McCarthy: Saturday Night Main Event coming back around. Is it cool to headline that? I know it is a really heated rivalry coming into this, but do you have great memories of that event as a child? I know we have got Jesse Ventura and there are legends returning and such. I think it is a cool staple to add back to WWE.

Kevin Owens: Yeah, it is a big deal for sure. It is great to be a part of it. What is great for me is that it is the second arena, like when I made my debut on the main roster this was the second arena I was at for a RAW TV. I have vivid memories from that, attacking John Cena that night and stuff like that, so it is cool to go back in such a huge setting for something so big. To be the Main Event on top of it is pretty special.

AM: I think as well with WWE it is one thing to have great matches and moments, but being involved in great stories and having that spotlight is a great thing. You have obviously been involved in the centre of this Bloodline story for years now, as far as your WWE career goes is this your most long spanning, complex story that you have ever been involved in in pro wrestling?

KO: Yeah, the never ending story of me and Sami in a way is the only story that would have lasted longer than the current start of affairs with me and the Bloodline. Even before the Bloodline was a thing, me and Roman Reigns, the first time we wrestled each other was probably 2016. We have had a rivalry for quite a while. This entire thing for the last three or four years has been well documented, it seems I can’t get away from those guys.

AM: What do you think about Sami and taking the angle that he is back in with the Bloodline now.

KO: I think it is a big step backwards for him, but if that is what he wants to do, that’s his problem.

AM: Let’s talk about facing Cody quickly, I thought the promo last week was absolutely killer, everything you said could not be disputed, it is one of those that has been bubbling nicely almost all year to reach this crescendo we are at now. Is it satisfying that all the stars have aligned? A good story and it is going to get the proper spotlight and the spot it deserves to be in with you and Cody going for the top belt.

KO: Yeah, it is great to part of the Saturday Night Main Event in such a big way. I would have loved for it to be at Survivor Series in Vancouver to be honest, but I am sure there is a reason it couldn’t be there. Saturday Night Main Event, if is not going to be a PLE in Canada, then the next best thing is Saturday Night Main Event, prime time on NBC. It is pretty great.

AM: In terms of your status in WWE, I know a lot of people have spoken about contracts and whether it is end of this year or next year, obviously on the Road to WrestleMania next year we finally get a Road to WrestleMania in Europe. Are you likely to be around, is that being discussed, has that been sorted, what is the state of play?

KO: I don’t think anything is sorted for those shows yet, obviously knowing WWE and knowing how important this is being made for everyone here, this is clearly a big deal to them. Hitting all these European towns and cities back-to-back for three weeks in a row with TV there and big live events. It is a big deal. 

Everyone in Europe that are going to hit those shows can be assured the top stars are going to be there, it is going to be an epic thing. The way it is being prioritised by WWE internally from what I can tell, it is kinda like WrestleMania before WrestleMania in a lot of ways.

AM: Eventually it will be WrestleMania, I hope. Obviously WWE has been more international in recent years. Is there anyway, Canada has been increasingly more, I guess Sami had his moment in Canada a couple of years ago. Is there somewhere you would love to happen for yourself? Be it a show going for a title or a part of the world you love to perform in.

KO: Honestly I would love if we went back to Montreal for a PLE that I could actually be a part in, that would be wonderful. I don’t care if it is a title match or what. I kind of got the short end of the stick last time, so I would love this time to have my chance. I don’t know if that is ever going to happen, PLEs in Montreal are a rare thing, so I am not sure it is going to happen any time soon. I have no idea.

AM: Circling back to your next contract in WWE, what is most important to you at this stage? Is it about being happy? I remember speaking to Drew and he did the balance, saying I have given a lot but I also need to give my family a lot and a schedule was important for him. For others it is money or creative. What is Kevin Owens thinking about when he comes to the table?

KO: I just want to be happy, but I can’t tell you what that means exactly, because I don’t actually know it either. I just want to feel fulfilled. There is a lot that goes into that. It is more intricate than we have time to get into.

AM: Your WrestleMania legacy over the past couple of years has been excellent, speaking of fulfilling, you have had a few of those. If you could cherry pick what you would like to do, obviously Vegas is huge next year, who are the people you would like to work with or a story you would like to tell?

KO: That is a real tricky question as the years go on. I have less and less answers for those questions because I have already accomplished a lot and done a lot of things I didn’t think I would get to do. I have still never had a singles match with Rey Mysterio. 

I have always said I would love to have a WrestleMania match with Finn Balor because we got very close very quickly when we got to WWE at the same time. He has been one of my best friends and really like a brother to me. That’s something I would like to share with him. 

Last year I got to be in the ring with Randy Orton, who everything happening lately not withstanding, I have looked up to my entire career and respected. I still do respect. That is kind of another notch on the bucket list of professional wrestling for me if you will, being in the ring at WrestleMania with Randy Orton. A year before that, me and Sami going for the tag team titles, the year before that me and Stone Cold, the year before that me and Sami one on one, the year before that me and Seth… the year before that – oh, I wasn’t on it!

You get the point. I have gotten to do so many great things, so now I really am focused on wanting to be happy and doing stuff that will fulfil me and stuff that I want to do and have fun doing. Being in the ring with Finn Balor at WrestleMania would be wonderful, a one on one match with Rey Mysterio. 

Me and Becky Lynch have known each other for a very long time. We always used to nag the WWE matchmakers to get a mixed tag team match together just for fun, we actually got to do that last year on a live event and it was so much fun. I really just want to have memorable moments that I can look back on. I know those moments will translate to the fans and give them memorable moments as well. I know its not a juicy answer, but that’s what it is about right now.

AM: I think that is quite juicy. I want to ask you about Randy. I remember speaking to you in Australia this year and having watched you since, it looked like you were having so much fun. It looked very much real on TV. Obviously he is such a legend of the game and where he is – not a renaissance – but he was out for so long and he has come back and appreciated that, and you getting to be in and around him through those months. What was that like for you on a professional and personal level? 

KO: The nature of professional wrestling is that we end up on opposite sides of the ring and once in a while we will team. As far as Randy goes, there is no-one in WWE that I respect as much I respect Randy. That is not a knock on anyone else, that is just a credit to how much I respect Randy Orton. 

On a professional level, but also a personal level, he will willingly talk about the mistakes he has made when he was younger and first starting out, because he wants to be an example of what to do and what not to do. He is very open about it and I respect him so much. I have seen how much he has changed even in the time I have known him. All the credit for that goes to his family, he gives it to his wife and kids. He is just a real positive influence in our locker room. When he wasn’t here, you could feel it. When Randy Orton is around, people are on their toes more because they want Randy to respect them. Randy’s respect is worth a lot. 

To have gotten the chance to work with him as a tag team – if it was up to me none of what has happened the last few months would have happened – I would still be teaming with Randy on TV together and going after the tag team titles. That’s what I wish was happening, obviously that is not how things have turned out. It does not change how much I respect Randy and how grateful I am for the role he has played in my career having been around him. 

I think it is pretty public how he recently signed a new contract so he is going to be around for a good while. He is someone we need for the NXT guys coming up to have an example to look to. There are plenty of us right, you want examples of who to look up to, The New Day, Randy, there are so many of our women, there’s a lot. But at the top of the list is Randy Orton.

AM: Amazing that you got to work with him at ‘Mania as well, to say that you have had a ‘Mania with him. How was it for you, hopefully Logan Paul appreciated the gravity of having both of you in a match at WrestleMania, how was it kind of bringing him along?

KO: I highly doubt that. I don’t think this dude, he doesn’t live in reality. Like, the world is not real for him. You know what I mean. He gets to do cool stuff, like WrestleMania is a big show that we all strive to be at for our entire careers and he just shows up at WrestleMania and SummerSlams in the stadiums. If you want to impress me, coming to a live event in the middle of nowhere in Alabama. I am sure that is all lost on him. 

AM: Last one from me. You won’t guess what the highest viewed wrestling article on MailOnline was this year. It was me talking to you about your son in February, that did like ridiculous numbers. I think people are amazed by how big and how he is coming to the age where he might be interested in wrestling. I remember you saying then he maybe hadn’t caught the bug, but maybe he was interested. Has that developed any more this year?

KO: No, there is still interest but I am not pushing him to do anything he shouldn’t be doing before it is too soon. I started training when I was 14, had my first match at 16, and while I feel pretty great for my age – I am 40 now and have been doing this for 25 years – I probably could have benefited from waiting a few years and starting my career a little later. 

Obviously the circumstances are not the same for him as they were for me, I had no idea where to start and felt like time was against me at any point of my career because you are not getting any younger. You have got to get your name out there. 

Now the way things have changed, I know some people that might be able to help him. He is focusing on his school and other stuff, when he really is ready to dive in head first, he has all the tools at his disposal, so I am not rushing him and he is not in a rush either. He is still growing from what I can tell I think, that’s not going away.

*Saturday Night’s Main Event* will broadcast live in the U.K. exclusively on *YouTube* at this link

“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens, Finn Balor challenges Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship, and Liv Morgan looks to retain the Women’s World Championship against IYO SKY!

WWE’s Road to WrestleMania Tour hits the UK this March, bringing RAW and SmackDown live to The O2 Arena. Tickets available this Friday from Ticketmaster.co.uk