Tag team match
The New Day (Xavier Woods & Big E) vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
Two guys who’ve tried to kill each other as often as they’ve partnered up square off with a two-thirds of a walking advertisement for friendship.
The Road to Stomping Grounds
The most important thing you need to know is that while Big E was out with a knee injury, Owens asked to join Woods & Kofi Kingston as an honorary New Day member. Wanting to believe the best about people, the Princes of Positivity agreed. Then they learned what Sami and Chris Jericho already knew...
His latest assault on the very concept of friendship earned KO a shot at Kingston’s WWE title at Money in the Bank. Owens came up short at the pay-per-view (PPV), and when Zayn Wild Card-ed his way to the fallout episode of SmackDown, Kofi put him down, too. On that same episode (May 21), E returned from rehabbing his knee. He was promptly assaulted backstage. He thinks it was Kevin. We think it was Kevin. But Kevin denies it.
In addition to this rivalry intertwining with Kofi’s ongoing feud with Dolph Ziggler...
... it’s also been pulled into orbit around Baron Corbin and Seth Rollins’ Universal title program (because Wild Card)...
A steel cage should keep these four out of Kingston’s match. KO & Sami removing themselves from consideration as Corbin’s guest referee should keep them out of Seth’s bout. And that should let them focus on what’s important... letting Large Epsilon get revenge on Owens for (a) taking his place only to betray his friends, and (b) almost certainly attacking his surgically-repaired knee with a steel chair.
What’s at stake?
The wrestlers formerly known as The YEP Movement have both had shots at Kofi, so this probably isn’t a stepping stone for more WWE title opportunities. But if they picked up a win in Tacoma tomorrow (Sun., June 23) at Stomping Grounds, they could make a case they deserve at least one more each. We wouldn’t be mad about it.
A win for either team might put them in the conversation for a shot at either brand’s tag title. Zayn & Owens are technically assigned to different brands, but with the chaos surrounding the Wild Card Rule, that hardly seems like an obstacle.
Really, the most important thing here is that E get some revenge for what KO’s put New Day through. It’ll be vindication for the very concept of friendship. If it helps Big Wool get some momentum toward, say, an Intercontinental title run later this year? That’d be dope, too.
Join us Sunday night for Stomping Grounds, when we’ll see if it’s a New Day, or just another reason to be cynical.
Poll
Who wins?
This poll is closed
-
43%
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
(125 votes) -
56%
Xavier Woods & Big E
(162 votes)