Kevin Owens the Heel Has the Potential to Own WWE SmackDown with AJ Styles

Kevin Owens is on his way to a WWE United States title defense against Chris Jericho at Payback on Sunday, April 30. The former best friends will wage war in what could be their last match for the foreseeable future, as one of them now calls SmackDown Live home.

Owens is likely to stick with the blue brand, and AJ Styles is waiting for him.

KO's move to Tuesday nights came during the Superstar Shakeup, of course, a night when several talents changed addresses. Owens was perhaps the biggest "get" for SmackDown Live, though his future on the program hinges on his match with Y2J.

Jericho will probably leave the company once Payback is over, which paves the way for KO to rule on Tuesday nights.

But Styles will have a lot to do with Owens' success on SmackDown Live. The two have worked before and had good chemistry. That chemistry should still be there, and it could be even better now. Both Owens and Styles are fully settled into their WWE roles, and each man is constantly trying to score the best performance on the card.

That's especially true now, as Owens is finally back to wearing the black hat.

KO has always run heel in WWE, but when he worked with Jericho, he was incredibly entertaining. He was so entertaining that he was a borderline babyface, as fans laughed at him, and with him, nearly every time he was on camera.

He and Jericho became the comedy act of Monday Night Raw, and it was more fun than fans could have ever imagined.

KO and Y2J had instant chemistry and played off each other extremely well. They came across more like a veteran comedy duo than a couple of pro wrestling heels. Their timing was impeccable, and their material was so goofy clever, fans couldn't get enough of it.

They definitely made must-see TV on Monday nights.

But while fans were enjoying the ride, some began to wonder when it was going to end. Owens and Jericho seemed destined to meet at WrestleMania 33, and it was only a matter of time until the split happened.

Then there's the fact that Owens had transformed from a contender to a comedian.

However, all of that's changed now. KO is once again the annihilating antagonist he was when he first came to the main roster. Owens is all business all the time, and anyone who gets in his way is quickly eliminated.

This is the Owens that fans had been waiting to see once again.

Similarly to KO, AJ has also experienced a reincarnation. Styles was a funny heel who had no problem being the butt of the joke. He was so good at it that fans couldn't wait to see him be as foolish as possible whenever he was on TV.

He was no fool, however; Styles was having fun, and the WWE faithful had fun along with him.

But like Owens, Styles was perhaps not in the right role. AJ excels at being the phenomenal favorite, the man wh paints a masterpiece every time he steps between the ropes. Styles is an artist, and fans have an incredible amount of respect for him.

Now that Styles is rediscovering his babyface personality once again, the time is right to capitalize on his empty dance card. In fact, the timing could not be better.

Owens is exactly where he should be in terms of attitude, and so is Styles. Each man has always been good, and each man has always been entertaining. But now they each have a new shine that has caused fans to connect even more than they did before.

Booking these two men in a lengthy feud is like printing money for WWE.

Owens is the right heel to work AJ. KO has intensity and a massive chip on his shoulder. He's the kind of old-school heel that would slap a fan for laughing at him, and he would do it again to the security guard trying to break up the fight.

Some guys are meant to be clowns; Owens was always meant to be a killer.

Styles' newfound fan support will only grow from this point, and matching him with Owens will speed up the process. Owens will become the most hated man on SmackDown Live, while his opponent becomes the most popular.

Owens will own Tuesday nights, and Styles will star alongside him. It's a combination that can't miss and should put SmackDown Live on a level above Monday Night Raw. This could be the best run of either man's career in WWE, perhaps of all time. Fans need only need sit back and enjoy the ride.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.