Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Kevin Owens Needs Better Rival Ahead of WrestleMania 32

1. Let's Make KO Mania Happen

Weeks away from WWE's signature event, one of its most promising talents is languishing in a feud with Big Show. Kevin Owens cannot be wasted at WrestleMania in a match against the veteran giant. He can't be thrown into a multi-wrestler match for the Intercontinental Championship.

WrestleMania 32 is a prime opportunity to both elevate the IC title and showcase a wrestler looking like the megastar the company so badly needs. 

Owens vs. Big Show is not the way to accomplish either of those. However, the IC champ suddenly finds himself trading count-out wins with The World's Largest Athlete. He finds himself looking like a low priority while others get prime spots on the card.

Big Show has accomplished a ton in his long career. He's a no-brainer Hall of Famer when he's done. At this stage, though, he's just not an appealing opponent for an event of this size.

Blame overexposure, countless heel and face turns or the audience's constant desire to see the next big thing over the already established thing.

When Big Show battled Owens on Monday's Raw, it was one of the more underwhelming moments of the night. Their chemistry is far from on fire. The idea of them colliding has little spark.

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net spoke for a lot of fans when he wrote, "None of this left me wanting to see more."

WWE is far better off getting Owens a signature singles match to welcome him to WrestleMania. His debut at the premier PPV should be a coming-out party, a celebration of an elite storyteller.

The company did that with Fandango of all people, having him upset Chris Jericho at his first WrestleMania back in 2013. 

Giving Owens an opponent who he can produce a classic against is the smart move. Rather than the sluggish, forgettable fare that Owens vs. Big Show promises to be, why not pair him with a top performer and have the IC title look important again?

Why not pull AJ Styles away from the Chris Jericho storyline and give him a shot at Owens' title?

That's a match many would prefer to see. A recent NoDQ.com poll certainly spoke to how much fans want to see Styles take on the IC champ:

If not Styles, Bray Wyatt would make a great option. The Eater of Worlds is another emerging star who looks ready to be one of the company's centerpieces in the coming years. He's not involved in a rivalry ahead of WrestleMania for some reason.

Instead of leaving Wyatt adrift or cramming Owens into a ladder match with six midcarders, WWE should pit these two against each other with Wyatt moving toward a babyface role.

Fireworks are guaranteed once two of the roster's best talkers start colliding. The hard-hitting, full-throttle action between them promises to be some of the best stuff WrestleMania 32 has to offer.

JP Yim/Getty Images

With part-timers from the past dominating the marquee bouts, giving Owens and either Styles or Wyatt their own chunk of the stage is a way to show off what the future will look like. It's a way to appease the diehard fans pushing back against the idea of Roman Reigns in the main event.

Owens vs. Big Show is the kind of match that should headline SmackDown. The roster has too many other viable options to go down that road.

2. Women's History on the Way 

All signs point to Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks challenging Charlotte for the Divas Championship at WrestleMania. On Monday's Raw, a No. 1 contender's bout ended in a draw. That smells like foreshadowing of both women making it to the title match.

That will be a hallmark bout in a number of ways.

Per TheHistoryofWWE.com, it would be only the second Divas Championship match in WrestleMania history. The Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational at WrestleMania XXX is the only time the title has been featured at the biggest show of the year despite the belt being around since 2008.

Lynch vs. Banks vs. Charlotte will be the first time a former NXT women's champion will be in a title match.

And the Triple Threat format is something we haven't seen from the women in a long while. It hasn't been since WrestleMania XIX (in 2003) when Jazz and Trish Stratus both challenged Victoria that the women's division featured a Triple Threat at The Show of Shows.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: The Fabulous Freebirds

The Fabulous Freebirds are finally Hall of Fame-bound.

The influential, mesmerizing team had its best days as a central part of World Class Championship Wrestling. When the Freebirds made the move to WWE in the early '80s, Michael "P.S." Hayes made sure fans took notice of his crew.

He led the way with an eye-catching promo.

Curveball phrases like "740 pounds of Fantasia" were a big part of what made the group so memorable. It was the Freebirds' overall energy and presence, though, that made them stand out from all the other congregations of cocky heels. 

4. Even the Innovative Go Old School 

Wrestling is at its best when it sticks to its tried-and-true elements, even if the presentation has a modern twist, even if one toys with the medium.

Lucha Underground has been a fantastic wrestling program largely because it takes creative risks. It has tried to merge cinema and the squared circle. It has inserted the supernatural, too.

But even Lucha Underground recognizes that wrestling's basics still work.

That was on display when Johnny Mundo battled Cage on last week's show. The heel and face roles were abundantly clear. Cage was the powerful babyface charging at the villain. Mundo was slippery, crafty and ultimately relied on cheating.

He attacked Cage with a pipe when the referee's back was turned, pulling the same kind of stunt that Ric Flair was doing decades ago.

Seeing tradition and the cutting edge merge with Lucha Underground is a beautiful thing.

5. The Miz Gets a Rare Win

WWE didn't play up the magnitude of the moment when The Miz defeated Dolph Ziggler on Monday's Raw nearly enough. That victory bucked a long trend of losses for the self-proclaimed A-lister. This was a storm-the-court kind of win. 

As seen on his CageMatch.net profile (link contains SmackDown spoilers), this was The Miz's first televised win of 2016. 

Beyond that, it was his first win on Raw since June 15. Beating Ziggler was also his first pinfall victory on Raw since last April. 

But WWE wasn't likely interested in reminding how low The Miz had sunk. It appears the company intends to make him suddenly relevant ahead of WrestleMania.

6. Politics Imitating Art

The back and forth between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Marco Rubio has a decidedly WWE feel to it of late. Their shots at each other have been more trash talk than discourse.

Chuck Todd of Meet the Press has certainly noticed:

Let's just hope that neither Trump nor Rubio turn to swinging a steel chair next.

7. Shutting Alex Riley Up

A big chance for an NXT babyface awaits.

Since his return, Riley has been vocally unhappy with the state of NXT. He's been angry, intense and dismissive of the developmental brand.

The more he chirps, the more satisfying the moment that someone puts him in his place will be. Riley's mic skills will make him an irritant the audience will want to see get his comeuppance. Whomever WWE chooses to dish that out will get quite the boost.

Apollo Crews could certainly use a rival to help launch him to the top of NXT. Having him silence Riley with a right hand and an impressive win is a smart way to do just that.

8. Shane McMahon's Money Matches

There's a reason many fans are psyched about the idea of Shane-O-Mac facing Undertaker at WrestleMania in spite of McMahon's age and despite the holes in the narrative at this point. McMahon is an overachiever.

He's had far better performances than he should have given he's not an active wrestler. His best work is a testament to his storytelling skills and willingness to do anything to his body for the sake of the show.

• Shane McMahon vs. Test: SummerSlam 1999
• Shane McMahon vs. Kurt Angle: King of the Ring 2001
• Shane McMahon vs. Kane: Unforgiven 2003 (Last Man Standing)
• Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels: Saturday Night Main Event, March 18, 2006
• Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton: No Way Out 2009

Note, though, that the last item on this list happened seven years ago. Not only is McMahon seven years older, but he's spent those years working in a corporate setting, not doing the kind of training WWE Superstars do between bouts.

WrestleMania will let us know how well he can shake off all that ring rust when the lights are bright.

9. The Underwhelming League of Nations

The League of Nations simply doesn't feel like a threat. That's not an issue of win-loss record necessarily either. The foursome has knocked off The Lucha Dragons several times over in recent weeks.

It's more an issue of perception that's holding The League of Nations back.

Wade Barrett and Rusev had been treated like low-priority midcarders before this group formed. Sheamus played transitional champion to elevate Roman Reigns. Alberto Del Rio is just coming off another failed attempt to dethrone Kalisto. 

And a group that had two champions early on is now left sans titles.

If WWE is intent on showcasing The League of Nations and having them play The Authority's attack dogs, it needs to make the quartet look more dangerous. Rather than have Reigns punch his way through them as he has done in the past, allow Sheamus and company to go on a rampage, leaving at least a handful of Superstars injured.

Just telling us that the group is dominant isn't nearly enough.

10. Ref on Ryback

It's clear that Ryback is evolving into something darker as fans saw when he pounded Adam Rose on Monday night. He ignored the official's instructions and wailed on Rose with right hands, an act straight out of a heel's playbook.

Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas commented on the shift in character:

The Big Guy has looked good as a merciless brawler with a bad attitude. He suddenly has some momentum after drifting for so long. Here's hoping this latest incarnation of the powerhouse is the one that sees him reach his full potential.