Kevin Owens, born Kevin Yanick Steen on May 7, 1984, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, stands as one of the most versatile and accomplished professional wrestlers of his generation.
Raised in the nearby town of Marieville, he grew up in a French-Canadian household where French was his first language, and he learned English by mimicking WWE commentators on television, a passion ignited at age 11 after watching WrestleMania XI.
Owens embodies the archetype of a hard-hitting brawler with an unmatched intensity in the ring and a razor-sharp wit on the microphone.
Now 41 years old, he is currently signed to WWE’s SmackDown brand but has been on hiatus since October 2025 due to a neck injury requiring surgery.
Married to Karina Elias since 2007, Owens is a devoted family man, often sharing glimpses of his life with his two children, son Owen and daughter Élodie Leila.
Siblings
Kevin has a brother whose name is Edward Lower and not much is known about him.
Despite his prominence in the world of professional wrestling, Kevin has maintained a remarkably private stance regarding his siblings.
Career
Owens’ wrestling odyssey began at the tender age of 16 in 2000, training under Quebec-based veteran Serge Jodoin after his parents granted permission.
Under his real name, Kevin Steen, he quickly made waves on the independent circuit, particularly in promotions like Ring of Honor (ROH) and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), where he forged a legendary rivalry with close friend El Generico (now Sami Zayn).
This feud, spanning years and culminating in high-stakes matches, earned accolades as one of the best in indie wrestling history and propelled Steen to stardom.
He captured the ROH World Championship once and the PWG World Championship three times, establishing himself as a global draw over 14 years of globetrotting bouts against future WWE stars like Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins.
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In August 2014, WWE signed him to its developmental brand NXT, rebranding him Kevin Owens as a nod to his son.
His NXT debut at TakeOver: R Evolution was explosive, leading to a brutal betrayal of Zayn and a 143-day reign as NXT Champion, which he won by defeating his longtime rival.
Called up to the main roster in May 2015, Owens stunned the world by defeating John Cena in his debut match on Raw, instantly cementing his status as a top heel.
His WWE tenure has been a whirlwind of alliances and betrayals: aligning with the Authority under Triple H, feuding with Shane McMahon in a career-threatening ladder match, and challenging Roman Reigns in brutal Tables, Ladders, and Chairs bouts.
Owens headlined WrestleMania twice, Night 1 in 2022 against Stone Cold Steve Austin in a No Holds Barred classic, and Night 1 in 2023 alongside Zayn against The Usos for the tag titles.
Recent years saw him form the powerhouse duo R-K-O with Randy Orton in 2024, only to navigate fresh rivalries amid ongoing storylines with The Bloodline.
Throughout, Owens has balanced heelish cunning with fan-resonating authenticity, hosting his own talk segment, “The Kevin Owens Show,” and adapting seamlessly between brands Raw and SmackDown.
Accolades
Owens’ WWE haul totals nine championships: a single NXT Championship reign that launched his stateside dominance; one WWE Universal Championship captured in 2016 amid a heated program with Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho; two Intercontinental Championships, first in 2015 by dethroning Ryback and later in 2016 via a controversial cash-in on Sami Zayn; three United States Championships, starting with a WrestleMania 33 victory over Jericho, followed by triumphs over AJ Styles in 2017 and a 2023 reign bolstered by his tournament win as top contender; and one Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in 2023, unifying the Raw and SmackDown belts with Zayn in a WrestleMania 39 main event hailed as the greatest tag match ever.
Beyond titles, Owens has headlined WrestleMania on two consecutive occasions, drawing record crowds and critical acclaim for his storytelling prowess.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him No. 3 in their 2017 Top 500 list, while he earned induction into the Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame that same year.
Additional honors include SoCal Uncensored Wrestler of the Year (2005, 2011, 2012), Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Feud of the Year for his ROH saga with El Generico, and Rolling Stone’s 2015 WWE Match of the Year for his iconic clash with Cena at Money in the Bank.
Owens also triumphed in the 2023 United States Championship No. 1 Contender Tournament and survived the grueling WarGames match format, further etching his name among wrestling’s elite.
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