Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have had one of the longest working relationships in wrestling history. For nearly twenty years, their careers have intertwined with each other, and they have had lots of ups and downs.
Starting in Ring of Honor in 2007, the two have gone through lots of breakups and periods of forgiveness. But what happened after the Royal Rumble a few weeks ago could damage the friendship beyond repair. At the event, Zayn failed to help Owens win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes.
The following Monday, Owens attacked Zayn after an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, package piledriving him onto the mat. After a back-and-forth via video, Owens challenged Zayn to a match at Elimination Chamber: Toronto.
On Monday, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce reluctantly made the match official. He decided on an unsanctioned match, which, given Owens’ actions, was the right thing to do.
Kevin Owens Gets to Release All His Rage
In an unsanctioned match, everything is legal. Five piledrivers in the ring and bashing your opponent in the head several times with weapons is perfectly fine. This match plays right into Kevin Owens’ hands.
For months, Owens has been angry at Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Sami Zayn for the same reason. They all have helped the Bloodline, the group that nearly ended his career several times. He also has failed to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, further adding to his stress.
A match where anything is legal is the perfect way to let out all the hate and rage inside you. For him, the words by Adam Pearce are exactly what he wanted to hear. In order to properly get revenge on Sami Zayn, he needed a match like this. Given his current problems, an unsanctioned match will help Kevin Owens deal with the anger inside of him.
Sami Zayn Gets Revenge After a Near Career-Ending Maneuver
For years, WWE banned the package piledriver. One small slip-up and the person on the receiving end either has a neck injury or is dead. Kevin Owens brought that move back because he wanted to end the careers of the people who wronged him. Zayn said in his video message that he tried to end his career.
This was way worse than any other time he had been turned on. That’s why Adam Pearce made the unsanctioned match. He knows the story between Owens and Zayn, clearly seeing how Owens took it too far after the Royal Rumble.
The match allows Zayn to do whatever he wants to his former friend without fear of disqualification or referee stoppage. After his career has nearly ended, Sami Zayn gets to fight his former friend, setting the stage for an intense and personal battle.
Toronto is the Perfect Place for the Battle to Occur
This match is not just special because it adds another chapter to the story of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. It’s also special because it takes place in Toronto, Canada, next to Quebec where they were born and raised.
Next Saturday, their fellow Canadians get to see them battle it out in one of the most intense matches in wrestling history. With no rules, they can do whatever they want to each other. A normal feud wouldn’t call for an unsanctioned match.
But the events of the last couple of weeks definitely mean this type of match is well-deserved for both men. After a near career-ending injury attempt, the two men are further apart than ever. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have had a professional partnership for nearly two decades. However, an unsanctioned match is the only way for them to work out their differences with each other.
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