Singles match
Two talented Canadians quickly construct a rivalry out of their shared connection to WWE Universal champion Kevin Owens.
The Road to Clash of Champions
Battleground seems like a long time ago.
Shortly after the brand split was reinstated and just days after the draft which set Raw and SmackDown's rosters, Sami Zayn and Owens were scheduled to fight one "last" time at the July 24 pay-per-view (PPV). Both men were headed to Monday nights, so we all knew their paths would cross again at some point. But Zayn's win gave the impression his fortunes were looking up, while the Prizefighter looked to regroup.
Since that night in Washington, D.C., however, the opposite has played out. The differences were apparent at SummerSlam. While KO's renewed partnership with Chris Jericho landed on the main card, where they were victorious over Enzo Amore & Big Cass, Zayn was booked into an unannounced pre-show match with Neville. The two former NXT champions were victorious over the Dudleyz, but it was clearly Sami who was adrift.
It got slightly better when Finn Balor, who won at the biggest party of the Summer to become the first Universal titleholder, had to forfeit the belt due to injury. Both Zayn and Owens were given an opportunity to compete for the strap. But the Likeable One was eliminated in his qualifying match for the 4Way which would produce a new champ, while his former friend not only made it into that elimination, but won the whole thing - with an assist from Triple H.
Meanwhile, Jericho also came up short in his qualifier. And while he's offered his support to his best friend Kevin, that support hasn't turned into major opportunities for a man who was once the first undisputed champ in WWE history.
With Clash of Champions around the corner and neither wrestler involved in a feud likely to land them on the card, Zayn was a guest on Y2J's talk show segment, the Highlight Reel. There, two guys with a wealth of wrestling experience and knowledge gathered while working all across the globe, put together a heated exchange that would give General Manager Mick Foley a reason to book them on the PPV.
Mixing 'reality' and kayfabe, Jericho pointed out Zayn's sagging fortunes post-Battleground. Sami fired back that the rock-n-rolla's weren't much better, and warned him about what happens to KO's "best friends". A heel-ish cheap shot from the six-time WWE champ later, and... mission accomplished.
A week later, Sami would fire back by assaulting Y2J at the end of his latest in-ring talking segment. Honestly, it only contains a few seconds at the end which pertain to Sunday's match-up, but I'm including it just so I can watch the purveyor of "it" create the Stupid Idiot list and enter all the stupid idiots from Raw's tag division into the ranks.
What's at stake?
Good question.
Both guys are candidates to have feuds with Owens at some point in the future, regardless of whether he holds onto the belt. If his run as the longest reigning Universal champion continues, the winner of this bout would have an upperhand on claiming a title shot.
As much as I want the friendship of JeriKO to last forever, the history of KO partnerships in particular, and pro graps tag teams in general, don't point toward that happening. And Sami's already fought his ex-friend on the house show circuit, so it's hard to think WWE won't go back to that well on television soon, too. But a Jericho win, followed by Owens refusing to give his "friend" an opportunity and breeding tension, is one way they could go.
Of course, it's possible the champ will remain embroiled with Seth Rollins, or someone like Roman Reigns, or Cesaro, for the rest of the year. In that case, the next steps for both of these guys are less clear. It's easier to forecast a Zayn win in that scenario, as it would allow him to move up in the mid-card for something like a United States title feud.
There are actually a lot of narrative possibilities coming out of this, which is a good thing. And while Jericho isn't the same guy he was in the ring 15 or even ten years ago, with a creative genius like Sami, they should be capable of creating something memorable.
So sit back and DRINK IT IN, MAN.
And stick with Cageside Seats throughout Clash of Champions and beyond for the results and next steps for these guys, and everyone on the card in Indianapolis this Sunday!