#3.) Kevin Owens – 2017
When Finn Balor debuted on the main roster, it was bar none the most anticipated call-up in WWE history. As expected, he was pushed to the moon right off the bat – beating Roman Reigns clean on his first night and then defeating Seth Rollins in his first PPV match at Summerslam to become the inaugural Universal Champion.
Unfortunately, he injured his shoulders in doing so and required surgery, so he vacated the title within a day of winning it. His on-screen rival and real-life good friend Kevin Owens was naturally upset about it, but he was given an opportunity that he couldn’t deny. He stepped up to the plate and became Universal Champion – a reign that would span nearly six full months.
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