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NEWARK, N.J. — There’s a certain type of Superstar who would gladly feed their friend to Braun Strowman in order to avoid battling him themselves. As it turns out, Sami Zayn is just such an individual, and it led to him and Kevin Owens losing to Strowman & Bobby Lashley at WWE Backlash.
Ironically, Owens & Zayn came into the match realizing that their hopes lay squarely on keeping Strowman out of the contest, hoping they could get one over on Lashley instead. The two Canadians did indeed get the former ECW Champion under control with a coordinated one-two attack. When Strowman entered the match, however, he ran roughshod so thoroughly over both his opponents that Owens and Zayn began to argue over what they should do next.
Zayn, whose Helluva Kick attempt had just been cut off by Strowman, wanted to call it a day. KO wanted to stay and fight. They ended up trying to feed each other to The Monster Among Men, and after Zayn slapped Owens in the face, KO threw the former NXT Champion into the ring, leaving him to the mercy of both Strowman and Lashley. Unfortunately, Owens was technically the legal man, and they quickly turned their attention to him, with Lashley claiming the win with a stalling suplex to the former Universal Champion.
All of which isn’t to say they were done. Both Owens and Zayn were subjected to extended punishment at the hands of Strowman and Lashley, with the final note being a Running Powerslam to a writhing Zayn, who begged for mercy atop Strowman’s shoulders. Zayn, pointedly, did not rush the ring to save Owens, instead pleading for mercy from ringside.
Even as their friendship once again seems to fray at the edges, Owens & Zayn remain entwined. They fought together. They fought each other together. And at WWE Backlash, they suffered together.