Longtime rivals set to square off in UNSANCTIONED match at the Elimination Chamber

A decades-old rivalry may be coming to a close in Toronto after Adam Pearce announces Unsanctioned match for Elimination Chamber.

Longtime rivals set to square off in UNSANCTIONED match at the Elimination Chamber

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will face off at Elimination Chamber in an Unsanctioned match (via WWE)

The latest episode of Raw opened with Sami Zayn cutting a promo in front of the live Charlotte crowd. The 40-year-old said that his neck was not a hundred percent. However, he still had enough left in the tank. Thus, he said that he would see Kevin Owens in Toronto at the Elimination Chamber PLE.

Adam Pearce came out during this moment and mentioned that he had already talked to Sami Zayn about this match. He knew that both competitors wanted it, the audience wanted it, and even the Raw GM wanted to see this match. However, the former Intercontinental Champion has been told no by both Scrap Daddy and Nick Aldis. Furthermore, he was medically uncleared for this.

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As much as Pearce wanted to make it official, his answer was no, and he walked away. However, Zayn called after him and reminded the Raw GM that they had known each other way before either of them was in WWE. In all these years, the Underdog from the Underground had proved himself to be someone who would never take no for an answer. Owens had challenged him for Elimination Chamber, and now he was not leaving the ring until he got the match.

Adam Pearce said that he could not officially sanction the match. If Owens wanted to beat him until he was unconscious or piledrive him repeatedly, there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. It could even be Zayn’s last match. The erstwhile El Generico said that he understood all these conditions and still did not back down. Thus, the former NWA Champion had no choice but to grant him his wish.

Sami Zayn talks about his long history with Kevin Owens on the latest episode of Raw

Sami Zayn’s promo on the latest episode of Raw began with him talking about his history with Kevin Owens. He mentioned that there were no two guys in professional wrestling whose names had been tied to each other throughout their entire careers. They were together in pool halls in Montreal, went to the independents, debuted in NXT, and even went to the main event of WrestleMania.

Sami Zayn Kevin Owens
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (via WWE)

Obviously, their story had seen a lot of betrayals and a lot of forgiving. However, Zayn said that Owens’ actions would no longer involve any forgiving or forgetting. This time, it was different. It was not about sending a message or getting ahead in his career. Instead, the former Universal Champion had tried to end his friend’s career this time with a devastating piledriver. Unfortunately for the Prizefighter, he did not get the job done.

Now, these two will face each other at Elimination Chamber in an Unsanctioned match, which is highly similar to a no-disqualification match. This stipulation is often brought upon when a blood feud has boiled over so much that there is no guarantee of what could happen.

Thus, in kayfabe, the promotion takes no responsibility for the safety of the wrestlers or the lasting impacts that it could have on their bodies. Considering the hatred between these two superstars and how unhinged Owens currently is, WWE seems to have chosen the perfect stipulation for this bout.

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