Top WWE star confirms end of 22-year-old friendship

As per a WWE star on tonight's episode of SmackDown, his relationship with a fellow wrestler isn't what it used to be. Kevin Owens called Sami Zayn his "then-best friend" on tonight's SmackDown, making it clear there's a rift between the duo.

There was a time not too long ago when Owens and Zayn were the best of friends. The duo also had their differences in the past but they seemed to have worked through them and their friendship only flourished with time.

Kevin Owens has been a bad guy on SmackDown for a while now while Sami Zayn is a babyface on RAW. On SmackDown tonight, Owens made it clear that Sami isn't his best friend anymore. For those unaware, the two superstars first met in December 2002 and had been the best of friends for over 20 years.

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Back in 2023, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn headlined WrestleMania 39 in quite possibly the biggest moment of the duo's careers. On Night One of WrestleMania that year, the two friends took on The Usos in an Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match. The bout headlined Night One and ended with Owens and Zayn winning the belts.

Owens' demeanor has changed quite a bit over the past few months and he is a top heel on the blue brand. He will take on Cody Rhodes in a Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Title at Royal Rumble 2025.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Harish Raj S