Kevin Owens Is Leading WWE's Next Generation of Superstars

Kevin Owens' meteoric rise to stardom in WWE has been met with tremendous fan support from the beginning.  For an audience full of fans who have witnessed John Cena's reign for more than 10 years, Owens is like a breath of fresh air.

Though he's been in the business for 15 years, Owens is still perceived as new blood and fresh talent in the company.  When fans look at him, they see the potential for WWE's next phase of evolution.  Indeed, the NXT champion is leading the charge.

When a man like Owens comes onto the scene, he brings with him a world of possibilities. He's got an old-school body type and an old-school mentality.  Owens is not a chiseled bodybuilder with dashing good looks; he is a normal guy who loves to fight.

He makes no apologies for who he is, and he has no problem disrespecting the status quo. Owens doesn't care about tradition, and he doesn't care about doing the right thing.  All Owens wants is to get his way; he will stop at nothing until he gets it.

Owens is so good at what he does and has such an intriguing character that every potential matchup he has instantly becomes a must-see.  He has piqued fans' interest to the degree that they have to watch him both in the ring and on the mic.

Fans not only want new; they also want relevant, and with Owens they have both.

But there is a small army of new Superstars coming behind him.  NXT is the proving ground for every new hand, the place where talents go to learn WWE's way of doing business.  Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Charlotte and Sasha Banks are just five of the stars who call NXT home, and there are more waiting for the time when they too can make a splash on the main roster.

Zayn and Balor are perhaps more prepared for prime time than anyone else in NXT.  Each man has traveled the world, and each man has adapted well to the WWE style.  Zayn is good in the ring and likable as well; he could become one of WWE's top babyfaces and the next great underdog.

Balor is custom-made for WWE's bright lights.  The demon gimmick he adopts puts him on another level, one that adds a new dimension to his character.  He is as entertaining as anything fans have seen on Raw recently, and he has the potential to become one of WWE's hottest stars.

The feud between Charlotte and Banks has become legendary in NXT.  They have redefined women's wrestling for many fans who had given up on WWE's Divas division.  While the ladies on Raw and SmackDown struggle to keep fans in their seats, Charlotte and Sasha keep the fans on their feet cheering the entire time.

But Owens is at the forefront of it all, the one chosen to lead the way.  Bo Dallas, The Ascension and Neville made it to the big shows first, but Owens is a different star with a different attitude. The fact that he desired the NXT Championship over Cena's United States Championship spoke volumes about Owens' dedication to WWE's developmental brand.

Zayn or Balor could have been called up ahead of Owens, but this is likely being done for a reason. Owens is the anti-Cena, the man who represents the NXT brand and is one of its hardest workers.  He wants to dominate, and he's doing that every week on Raw.

He is so over with the WWE crowd that they cannot get enough of him. Owens is a snapshot of what new and different WWE programming will be, and the time will come when he and the rest of NXT will begin to fully assimilate into the company's main storyline.

Owens may not look like a typical locker room leader, but for WWE fans watching his rise, the fit is perfect.  If an unknown among many of the WWE faithful could make this sort of impact in such a short amount of time, imagine what others will do when given their opportunities.

Owens represents more than just NXT; he represents the rise of WWE's next generation. His success is just the beginning because there's much more where he came from.

Tom Clark's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and Tom Clark's Main Event podcast can be downloaded on iTunes as well as online.