WWE Raw Must Avoid Authority Figures Overshadowing Kevin Owens' Title Run

Kevin Owens' WWE Universal Championship win on the Aug. 29 edition of WWE Raw was met with critical acclaim from fans, but there is little doubt the brand's authority figures have largely overshadowed him since then.

Finn Balor's abrupt injury suffered at SummerSlam forced WWE to change its plans on a whim, and it did so in effective fashion by immediately thrusting Owens into the title picture. He has long deserved to be among the elite on Raw, but this provided him with the optimal opportunity to cement his status as a main event-caliber competitor.

When he initially captured the championship, it was a monumental moment in not only his career but in the illustrious history of the flagship show. Owens emerging victorious was far from predictable, and so was Triple H resurfacing and betraying his protege, Seth Rollins.

That alone sent shock waves throughout the WWE Universe, but it is all fans have been talking about over the last month. Instead of the focus fully being on Owens, Triple H has stolen the spotlight without even being on the program.

It is only inevitable before The Game makes his highly anticipated return to Raw to explain his actions, but when he does, it should not come at the expense of Owens or his WWE Universal Championship run.

Credit: WWE.com

Triple H isn't the only person at fault here, however, as every authority figure on Raw has been more of a centerpiece of the show these days than Owens. Mind you, that has been the case for countless years, but it is evident now more than ever.

When Vince McMahon double-crossed Bret Hart at Survivor Series 1997 and then evolved into the greatest heel this business has ever seen, it was compelling because it was something unprecedented. Never before had fans seen an authority figure act so vindictive, not to mention he had an amazing rival in Stone Cold Steve Austin.

But in the years that followed, that tired troupe was done to death. McMahon can still serve as a fantastic heel this day and age, but anyone and everyone else who has tried to emulate him has failed miserably.

Most notably, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon tried their hardest to become the modern-age McMahon-Helmsley regime by forming The Authority in 2013. Although the group had potential, their draining promos that opened Raw every week were simply too much to endure for the average viewer.

The faction was thankfully done away with after WrestleMania 32 when Roman Reigns conquered HHH and Stephanie McMahon—or so it seemed. Triple H's most recent return marked the unofficial second coming of The Authority on Raw, and thus far it has done Owens zero favors.

Owens has consistently been a weekly highlight on Raw since arriving on the scene in the spring of 2015. He quickly found success in the form of two Intercontinental Championship victories and meaningful wins over John Cena and Dean Ambrose, though it was apparent the world title picture was where he belonged.

Now that he is headlining pay-per-view events and taking on the toughest competition Team Red has to offer, he shouldn't be merely a background player on the show. Owens has held his own up to this point in entertaining main event matches with Rollins, Reigns and Sami Zayn, though the focus has been on anything but him.

Unlike SmackDown Live, where Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon play small roles on Tuesday nights on occasion, Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley receive more airtime on Raw each week than anyone else. Worse yet, the question of whether McMahon is manipulating Foley isn't even engaging because it is obvious that she is.

WWE must start thinking long term for Owens. If he is built up to be a strong world champion over the coming months, he can viewed as a legitimate threat to Brock Lesnar down the line when he ultimately comes back to challenge for the belt.

Unfortunately, he isn't remotely close to looking like an equal to The Beast Incarnate anytime soon. Calling him a bust as champion would be a massive overstatement right now, but it is imperative WWE not tarnish his title reign by having him take a backseat to the authority figures on Raw.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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