Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Kevin Owens Needs to Be a WWE Cornerstone

1. Kevin Owens Proving He's Capable of Being a Company Pillar 

Although he's been throwing his punches outside the spotlight, it's hard to ignore the sound of Owens' fists hitting chins.

The intercontinental champion continues to show off a presence and mastery of the pro wrestling art form that should make him a top WWE star for years to come.

There hasn't been hype surrounding his upcoming title match with Ryback. There hasn't been hype around Owens in general after his rivalry with John Cena. It doesn't matter, though. Owens is forcing the company to take notice, regardless of where he sits on the card.

In prepping for his showdown with Ryback, Owens has been taking out lower-rung stars from Kalisto to Zack Ryder. He's been making those battles much more fun than they've had any business being.

That comes from his ability to play the stalking predator so well. When he issues a beatdown, it feels like he's truly enjoying it. When he tags his opponent with strikes, he does well to draw the audience in, as we watch a monster feed in front of us.

In a short bout against Mark Henry on Monday's Raw, he continued his recent roll. It was no classic, by any stretch, but instead a showcase of Owens' excellence as a heel.

He took a cheap shot on the big man when the referee tried to separate the two wrestlers. He wore a wolf's snarl as he attacked Henry. He taunted and trash-talked between offensive flurries. 

There are few men on the roster who can toss out insults during the course of the action as well as Owens. His heel work overall is main event-quality.

If Owens is in action, one is likely to see him retreat, to scratch a man's eye or angrily snatch his title from the timekeeper. Pair these nuances with his ability to produce great matches like the ones he had against Cena earlier this year, and it's hard to label him anything but a top star in the making.

The legends have noticed the bruiser's work.

Hulk Hogan told Rolling Stone back in June, "He caught me with my guard down and he made me a believer again, he hooked me. He's got that look, man; that demeanor and that swagger." The Rock tipped his hat to Owens after his match in Tokyo against Finn Balor:

And Steve Austin said of him on an edition of The Steve Austin Show Unleashed!, "This kid just reeks of attitude and bad intentions." "Stone Cold" also noted that he thought Owens had "money written all on him."

He does. He's the next mold-breaking, attention-grabbing star. 

When WWE maps out its future, it needs to figure Owens heavily into those plans.

2. Roman Reigns Getting the John Cena Treatment 

It's not hard to see who WWE is prepping to take Cena's spot atop WWE. While Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and others suffer stop-start pushes, Reigns keeps piling up the wins.

Juxtaposing how he's been booked in 2015 with what Cena has done makes it clear how much WWE wants to protect the powerhouse's record.

Category	Roman Reigns	John Cena
TV/PPV winning percentage	.757	.737
Last 10 matches	7-2-1	8-2
Record since beginning of July	18-4-2	14-4
Live special/PPV record	4-5	7-4

Seth Rollins may be WWE champion, but he's not getting wins at nearly this rate. According to CageMatch.net, The Architect's winning percentage in 2015 is just .362.

Reigns, meanwhile, has been much harder to topple, portrayed as a superhero in the Cena vein.

He is closing in on the climax of his feud with Bray Wyatt. it's a safe bet that he will knock off The Eater of Worlds inside the Hell in a Cell and move up the WWE ladder. The company clearly likes to see him win.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Aja Kong

Nia Jax's debut instantly changed the dynamic of the NXT's women's division. It now boasts a monster in addition to all its showboats and athletes. 

Jax would be wise to study Kong's work, as the latter perfected the art of savagery. The imposing, powerful bruiser is in many ways the female Brock Lesnar.

In a 1992 match for All Japan Women's Wrestling against Takako Inoue, her destructive power was on full display:

She flung a ladder at Inoue, upended a table and broke a chair over her opponent's head. The ferocity and presence she showed here are things Jax should be studying as she continues to grow.

4. The Other World Series

TNA arrived there in anticlimactic fashion by having Matt Hardy lose his title via injuction, but the company is deciding its next world champion in an intriguing way. In a World Cup-style tournament dubbed the "TNA World Title Series," stars are battling it out to grab the vacant championship.

This is something WWE can certainly adapt for itself.

The tournament connects a long stretch of programming, building to a big climax. There is a steady focus on championship glory and opportunities for big matches everywhere.

Including The Knockouts is misguided, as it will lead to some mixed-gender bouts that threaten to disrupt the suspension of disbelief. WWE should scratch that part of the equation. And using its deeper roster and better production values, the company could make this its own, and make it better.

5. 2K Raises Hell in Style

If WWE 2K16 is anywhere near as good as the ads that have been promoting it, video game fans are in for a treat. The commercials have felt like mini-movies, with the most recent example being this gathering of stars around a fire:

WWE needs to get the folks who crafted this a job producing vignettes for them.

6. King Barrett Can't Escape the Pre-Show

The pre-show is the spot on the PPV where WWE often throws together a match at the last minute, inserting wrestlers who aren't featured prominently in the main show. Barrett has been in that spot more than his share this year.

According to the Internet Wrestling Database, Barrett has wrestled at 11 pay-per-views in 2015. Four of those shows saw him compete as part of the pre-show.

He's set to compete in a rematch from Monday's Raw that has minimal story and less hype. It was only added to the card after Randy Orton's shoulder injury forced him onto the bench.

This is a man who was once in the main event, battling John Cena, leading a powerful stable and getting fingertips away from the WWE title. That feels like a lifetime ago. He's instead currently in the "WWE isn't sure what to do with him" category of Superstars.

7. Big Man in Need of Direction

Sawyer Fulton won't ever overtake Finn Balor as an NXT prospect, but a guy that big and menacing has to be more than just a doormat. 

A shift in direction appears to be coming for him. He and longtime partner Angelo Dawkins had friction last week. The powerhouse seemed to threaten a split if the duo doesn't win their next outing.

That would be a good career move for Fulton. He's the kind of wrestler, like Braun Strowman, who needs a clear gimmick and narrow focus as a performer to be successful. Officials have to come up with a plan for him, giving him a persona and a storyline that lets him lean on his strengths.

Otherwise, his hopes for rising up the NXT ranks will fade fast.

8. Six-Man Tag Excellence

WWE has fallen in love with the six-man tag team match in recent years. An emergence of trios from The Wyatt Family to The New Day is a part of that, but the company also seems fond of just pitting six guys together whenever there's a need to fill time.

For those fans who are unfamiliar with the six-man art form, the following recommended bouts are a celebration of it, featuring Hall of Famers both present and future:

• Barry Windham and The Hollywood Blondes vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Paul Roma: WCW Saturday Night, July 3, 1993
• Chris Jericho, Chavo Guerrero and Super Calo vs. Mr. JL, Konnan and La Parka: WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIV
• Evolution vs. Randy Orton, Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin: Raw, Sept. 20, 2004
• Bobby Lashley, Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton, Finlay and John "Bradshaw" Layfield: SmackDown, Feb. 24, 2006
• The Shield vs. Team Hell No and Ryback: TLC 2012

The three-on-three battle is commonplace in Mexico, and in the Clash of the Champions match La Parka and Company offer quite the introduction to what that kind of bout looks like when done Lucha Libre style.

9. Sheamus and King Barrett Need to Stick Together

Sheamus doesn't have a rival to clash with. He doesn't have a story to work with, outside of teasing that he will cash in his Money in the Bank contract. 

Barrett is in a similar position. He is the 2015 King of the Ring, but that hasn't led much of anywhere. He's continually taking on Neville in thrown-together matches and is set to be part of a last-minute pre-show match.

Their partnership, though, is perhaps their salvation. With both men excelling at brawling and a hard-hitting style, they have meshed well together. 

Making them a full-time part of the tag team division is smart. It allows them to take advantage of the growing number of good teams. Facing The Dudley Boyz is quite a step up from facing the Jack Swaggers of the world.

And a long feud with the underused Prime Time Players has ample potential.

10. On Naomi's Move Set

Naomi can be a key part of the ongoing Divas Revolution. She just needs to adjust her move set.

It's hard to talk about progress in the women's division and have female performers earn more respect when Naomi is twerking in her foes' faces or using her rear end to knock people out. PWInsider founder Dave Scherer put it perfectly when he wrote, "When you put your ass in someone's face, you come across as a comedy character, not a serious one."