Kevin Owens' Win over John Cena Proves WWE Is Moving Forward

Kevin Owens' win over John Cena has likely still not sunk in for many WWE fans.

Elimination Chamber was supposed to be Owens' main-roster debut, the night when he could just show off in the ring and prove he could hang with Cena on the worldwide stage. The match could've ended in a disqualification or a count-out, and it wouldn't have mattered; Owens just needed a good showing.

But when he won, he turned WWE upside down.  He also put fans on notice: The company is moving forward.

It's a moment that fans have been anticipating for a very long time.  Cena has been on top for well over 10 years, and even though common sense says his time in the sun will eventually end, there has been no indication that it's actually happening.

He is WWE's money man, the primary headliner the company revolves around and promotes above everyone else.  Cena has been in the driver's seat for so long that it's become nearly impossible to imagine anyone else taking the wheel.

credit: wwe.com

But the sight of Owens pinning him cleanly at Elimination Chamber cannot be denied. Owens may not be the next driver, but his win is surely a sign that his day is coming.

Cena was not at a physical disadvantage going into the match.  He had not taken Owens' challenge too lightly and was not looking past Owens to his next match.  Cena did the job to a guy who had never worked on WWE's main roster and then rolled out of the ring so Owens could cut a promo.

In one very surreal moment, WWE made it clear that Owens was trusted to carry the ball. He will not be the last NXT star to do that.

The amount of talent at NXT right now is staggering.  Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe and Finn Balor all have the ability to step in on the main event level.  Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley can reinvent the Divas division.  Tyler Breeze, Hideo Itami and Baron Corbin could each become a major presence on the midcard and possibly even higher.  

WWE's developmental brand is accomplishing its mission and then some.

credit: wwe.com

This is what NXT was designed to do: Prep stars for the future.  Owens is the next logical step into that future.  He is the biggest thing to come out of the NXT brand since The Shield and could very well be on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship scene as Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are now.

Suddenly, the highly anticipated moment that fans have been waiting to see seems to be upon us. Owens is being given the opportunity of a lifetime, much in the same way Cena was when he debuted against Kurt Angle back in 2002.  

Cena was young, hungry and ready for the chance to prove himself.  Fans saw something different in him, an energy and love for the business that helped propel him upward.  It was the right move to call him up and get him on track.

That moment was the beginning of a new era for WWE, the time that the company began moving forward. Fans knew it was coming, as the Attitude Era was over and WCW had closed its doors.  WWE needed something new, something fresh, and Cena was the best man at the time to represent that next generation.

The current scenario with Owens has that feel of the future coming to light unexpectedly.  This is not a case of Cena giving the rub to a new guy for the short term.  This is a case of Cena doing the right thing for his company in the long term.  

Cena will do business when it's good for business, and that means putting Owens over. This is the route WWE wants to go and, more importantly, needs to go.  Forward progress must be made, as it always has in WWE.

Owens is perhaps the best man to represent this new generation of stars.  Rather than keep him busy in NXT for the next two years, it's a very telling sign that WWE has put him on the main roster now.  

Cena is still the man to beat and still the face of the company, but Owens has beaten him.  One day, Cena will be replaced at the top, and WWE will being anew.

WWE is on the eve of evolution, and for many fans, it's way past due.