Kevin Owens, WWE’s reigning king of surprise attacks and complex friendships, has taken his beef with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton to a whole new level. On this week’s SmackDown, Owens sent in a heartfelt (yet slightly ominous) video message to Orton, hoping to make his intentions clear before their Crown Jewel showdown. Spoiler alert: things didn’t stay sentimental for long.
In the video, Owens poured his heart out, saying he’s tried calling Orton all week, only to be ghosted. “I didn’t want it to come to this,” he explained, adding that he still looks up to Orton—when he’s not plotting to flatten him with a steel chair, apparently. Owens claimed he never wanted to hurt Orton, but Orton had “done this to them” by insisting on their rivalry. But hey, this is WWE, so we all know how these “I don’t want to hurt you” speeches usually end…
Later that night, after Orton and Cody Rhodes teamed up for a successful tag match, Owens made his next move. As the dust settled, he attacked Orton from behind with a chair, sending shockwaves through the arena. And as if that wasn’t enough, GUNTHER seized the moment, putting Rhodes in a chokehold. With Rhodes incapacitated and Orton in pain, Owens stood tall, glaring down at both of them like a man ready to watch the world—or at least Crown Jewel—burn.
So, while Crown Jewel promised to be explosive already, it’s safe to say Owens has officially set the bar higher. Let the chaos commence!