'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It seems strange that the major talking point emerging out of an event where a man drops from a 20-foot steel cage would be a newfound alliance between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
These two men have been at odds since their NXT days, and it was shocking indeed to see the 'Underdog from the Underground' come to the aid of his erstwhile friend.
There could be so many reasons for the change of heart that Zayn underwent, to turn heel and help out his sworn enemy. We list five probable reasons in the storyline and from WWE's perspective that could have convinced him to make this move.
#5. Frustration
Remember all those episodes of Talking Smack from last year where Daniel Bryan would say that Sami Zayn was getting wasted on RAW and would have been a far better fit on SmackDown Live, the land of opportunity? Well, Zayn did shift from the red to the blue brand and somehow, managed to be booked even more poorly on SmackDown.
At least on RAW, one remembers Zayn from his battles with Owens, his war of words with Mick Foley (where the WWE Hall-of-Famer's teeth went flying asunder) and his battles with Braun Strowman.
On SmackDown Live, he is a rare sight and has been booked in some meaningless feuds, such as the one with MIke Kanellis and Maria when they first came in.
He may not have fared as badly as those two have, thus far, but he has still scraped the bottom of the barrel, on a weekly basis.
Add the fact that he has never won any gold, and Zayn may have wanted to change his ways to become a top performer, at least from a storyline perspective.
#4- Glory hogging Commissioner
For a brand that calls itself the 'land of opportunity', the roster is filled with too much talent that is being underutilized. This show did not feature Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Mike Kanellis and many more superstars.
Instead, the commissione of the brand, a man who is supposed to be just an enforcer of rules, was on the card. Not just on the card, mind you, but in the main event spot, ahead of the WWE Championship match, that should have headlined an event of such magnitude.
Zayn, as a character, may have felt a great deal of annoyance at the fact that Shane McMahon was taking up the big spot when the active talents on the roster were not.
This may have led to his change of heart, forcing him to ally with his old friend and recent arch nemesis.
It is quite surprising to see Shane McMahon wrestle, when the majority of talent in the roster, is not doing so.
#3. A friend in need
Despite the fact that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been the worst of enemies for a long time, remember that they were once fast friends, during Owens' NXT debut.
Having travelled the world together, and wrestled for many promotions, Zayn may have felt a tinge of sympathy when he saw his friend Kevin Owens get mauled at the hands of Shane McMahon. During the big finish, when Shane would have delivered a big splash from twenty feet in the air, Zayn may have wanted to save his erstwhile friend.
Do not forget that Zayn was the best man at Owens' wedding, and therefore he is a friend of Owens' family. He may have wanted to save his friend from serious injury, in kayfabe.
Of course, these are all storyline reasons. We will also outline two practical reasons in the following pages.
#2- New program for The New Day?
As it stands now, The New Day has no other opponents except for The Usos, on the heel side. Of course, there's The Ascension, but they are too low in the pecking order to be considered viable contenders.
Kevin Owens fares well in duo environments (remember his dream run with Chris Jericho, not so long ago?) and therefore, WWE may want the two to team up and possibly take on The New Day in the near future. Both of them are great workers, and after the feud with The Usos, The New Day has raised the bar in terms of in-ring work.
As we said in this article, Sami Zayn hasn't won any gold since his time in NXT. Maybe his first taste of championship gold could be in the SmackDown Live tag team division, with Kevin Owens?
#1- Dream match at Survivor Series
They waged a battle recently, but AJ Styles made it clear on Talking Smack that he would be by Shane McMahon's side if the latter ever needed him. There has been much speculation that we may see a huge match at Survivor Series this year, with AJ Styles teaming up with Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a massive tag team contest.
This could have been the central reason for the turn. Shane McMahon is a big name and would add a lot of value to such a big pay-per-view. However, he needed to be in a meaningful program and now, we have one such program for one of the Big 4 shows.
Do you agree with our assessment, or disagree with our reasoning for Sami Zayn's unexpected turn? Let us know in the comments.
Stay tuned for several updates from WWE Hell in a Cell, in our post-show analysis features.
