Sami Zayn’s brilliant storyline with The Bloodline reached new heights at WWE Survivor Series, when he turned his back on long-time best friend Kevin Owens at the climax of the WarGames main event.
The sequence saw Sami stop the referee counting Owens’ pin on Roman Reigns and then have a stare down and moment of truth with the man whose career has been intrinsically linked with his from day one.
Sami gained acceptance from his new “family†and specifically Jey Uso after low blowing KO. However, he did look seriously unsure of what he had done, and it summed up the complicated relationship between the two men, which was highlighted on Owen’s first night in WWE.
Sami and Kevin first met almost 20 years ago on the independent scene, when the pair were known as El Generico (Sami’s masked alter ego) and Kevin Steen (Owens’ real name). Like in WWE, the pair shifted between best friends and better enemies throughout, with Kevin being the heel aggressor. They held both tag titles and had career vs mask matches. They did it all.
Sami Zayn
So, when the newly named Kevin Owens joined WWE and was assigned to NXT, it was only a matter of time before he crossed paths with Zayn. That it came on KO’s debut atNXT TakeOver: R Evolution, on the night Sami reached the mountain top by winning the brand’s World belt, made it all the better.
Having defeated CJ Parker (better known as Juice Robinson) earlier in the night, KO came to the ring with other wrestlers to celebrate after his so-called best friend defeated Neville (AEW’s PAC) in an epic battle. The pair’s embrace was no doubt a genuine, feel-good moment in real-life but it led to one of the most heart-breaking turns.
Take a look at the clip below (shared on Twitter by Public Enemies Podcast) where KO absolutely destroys Sami on what should have been the best night of his career to date.
The lack of remorse and genuine hatred on the face of Owens is incredible while Zayn is the atypical fallen babyface, a role which he played incredibly well prior to his first-ever heel turn in 2017. KO went onto defeat Zayn for his title just two months later.
The comments left on the video reflect what everyone was thinking – the storyline is brilliant and has more layers than anything in recent WWE history, but also KO is not one to talk given his record of betrayal with Sami, as well as so many other partners.
Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens
KO’s “Prizefighter†gimmick in WWE long meant that friends meant little to him, but Sami has always been a different case. The two have teamed up and fought at WrestleMania, and the saying “Fight Forever†was made for these two phenomenal talents.
The pair look set to join forces once again, with GiveMeSport understanding that the current plan for WrestleMania 39 is for KO and Sami to challenge The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles. How they get there who knows, but it is sure to be gripping.
The Usos
The vast majority of wrestling fans will be hoping this leads to a title win for the real-life best friends, something that is much deserved given their excellence with absolutely anything the company hands them. A career night at ‘Mania would be a perfect celebration of 20 years together for two future hall of famers.