Kevin Owens says he was unhappy during singles title reigns, how a WWE legend changed his perspective

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

CBS Sports interview with Kevin Owens
Host: Shakiel Mahjouri
Interview available via CBSSports.com (video below)

Why Kevin Owens was never happy during his singles run between 2015 and 2018: “Winning titles is still an accolade that’s incredibly flattering and rewarding. But I think what helped me be less obsessed by that aspect of it is from 2015 to 2018, that’s all I could think about. That’s when I was champion all the time. I was Intercontinental champion, U.S. Champion, Universal Champion, and I was never happy. I always wanted to more. I wanted the next week to be bigger. I’d finish a match and think what’s next week?

“The people I’d speak to would say, ‘I don’t know what’s next week, we’ll figure it out.’ I really didn’t enjoy any of it as much as I should have. I went away and had double knee surgery in 2018. I spent five months home away from it. I think that helped me put things in perspective. I needed that time away because I had been on the road for four years with WWE. It’s like a train. You get on and you don’t get off. You don’t realize how quickly time passes. When I went away, I talked to people about how it was really hard for me to shut it off and not be consumed by wrestling all the time.”

On a phone call with Shawn Michaels that helped change his perspective: “I actually remember one of the very useful talks I had was with Shawn Michaels. I called him out of the blue and he was kind enough to listen to me. He said he was like me in many ways throughout his career. Always obsessed with what’s next and not enjoying the ride. Hearing it from someone I looked up to so much helped me let go.

“Since then, I still have my moments where I get swept up but I can pull back and say, ‘Hey, this is pretty incredible.’ Maybe it’s not perfect or it’s not the way you think it should be sometimes, but come on. That’s been very helpful. Since that change in perspective, I’ve been in the ring with Stone Cold, I won the tag titles at WrestleMania with my best friend. It’s worked out alright. I was in the ring at WrestleMania this year with Randy Orton. Mind blowing stuff.”

Video Interview timestamps

0:00 – Preview
0:09 – Intro
0:38 – Sami Zayn is UNRELIABLE
2:30 – Helping Cody Rhodes meet the Young Bucks
5:02 – Why Kevin Owens was so unhappy as universal champion