Kevin Owens (Photo : Photo: WWE.com)
The meteoric rise of Kevin Owens proves to be the peak, a lifelong dream fulfilled by a humble Quebec, Canada native - who, a decade-and-a-half ago was just envisioning himself walking down a WWE ramp.
However, as with any journey in life, Owens' road to wrestling's biggest stage came with a lot of challenges.
"It took me 15 years to get to the WWE and during that time, there were a lot of ups and downs," Owens said. "But since I've been here, things have moved up so fast that it seems like I've made up for lost time."
The 31-year-old also takes advantages of every opportunity presented to him.
"I've met other wrestlers at NXT who had been there for three years, just waiting for their turn, and it all happened pretty fast for me, so I definitely can't complain."
Owens captured the NXT Championship two months after debuting, and had memorable rivalries against the likes of Sami Zayn and Neville during his time with WWE's developmental branch.
His stint was highlighted by a ladder match against Finn Balor for the title at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Kevin Owens understands the rigorous ordeal he has to constantly deal with in the big league.
"It's never easy, especially when you participate in a ladder match," he explained. "There was actually also a show on Friday in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and if you add in Monday Night RAW and SmackDown on Tuesday, it was five events in five days."
Still, Kevin Owens has a lot to be thankful for, especially to the person who really believed in him, the man who gave him an avenue to showcase his talents in the WWE.
"He hired me," Owens said of Triple H. "He gave me my chance. I appreciated that he was willing to risk signing me even though I'm not the typical WWE wrestler."
The former NXT Champion even shares how the Executive VP of Talent, Live Events, and Creative has become like a father-figure to WWE Superstars.
"He (Triple H) helps me as much as he can for shows - like he does with everyone - but we both have young kids at home and we talk about a lot of other things that have nothing to do with wrestling," Owens claimed. "The fact that he's in my corner is what counts."
Kevin Owens has definitely come a long way from wrestling in Montreal bars where fans throw different kinds of trash to each other, to competing for a title in a WWE pay-per-view against the company's biggest star.
And as a cherry on top of the proverbial ice cream, the proud Quebecer will make his much-awaited homecoming at the Bell Centre in Montreal on September 18 for a WWE Live event.
