Kevin Owens didn't have to spend much time in NXT before getting the call up to the WWE main roster, and isn't sure why some others have to wait so long.
Owens made a surprising 2015 debut on Monday Night Raw after about six months in NXT. After dropping the NXT Championship to Finn Balor in July 2015, Balor ended up hanging around for a full year afterwards. Even though Owens things Balor was a fit fo the main roster, he told ESPN that the NXT brand needed Balor.
“When Finn, myself and Hideo Itami started there, NXT was definitely on the rise. Not just because of us, let me make that clear, but because everybody involved was working so hard, from the performers, to the coaches, to management — Triple H, Canyon Ceman, Dusty Rhodes — all those people working on NXT. NXT really built some momentum and became something pretty special. Then Hideo got hurt and I got called to the main roster. Neville got called up as well and he was a big part of NXT, and Sami Zayn got hurt. That could’ve taken the wind out of NXT’s sails a little, because at that point we were the focal point. Then within a month four of us were gone and Finn was the only one still there. Without Finn, I don’t know if NXT would’ve reached the level it has today," said Balor.
According to Owens, Balor was the correct choice to carry the NXT flag, and sticking around there didn't hurt him at all.
“Everybody there works so hard to make it into something, but you always kind of need one person to hitch your wagon to," said Owens. "Finn was the guy for it. It was pretty obvious he was — look at how big NXT has become, and now look at how Finn did on his first night on RAW. He’s gonna be in the main event of Summerslam. That’s pretty incredible. So it makes sense they kept him as long as they could — who wouldn’t want to have Finn Balor on their roster for as long as possible?”
Many were shocked when the likes of Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bayley and Asuka weren't selected in the NXT draft. Owens isn't sure why they weren't called up, but trusts the method.
“I don’t know why they’re still down there, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. To be clear, NXT is a great place to be at, you know what I mean?…Obviously everybody aspires to be on Raw or Smackdown. That’s why they sign with WWE, because they want to be able to perform on that stage, and at Wrestlemania and Summerslam. But I was in NXT for six months and it was some of the best times I’ve had in my career. I think Finn would say the same," said Owens.
