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What's the story?
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are set to take on Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura in a tag team match at Clash of Champions, with the careers of the troublesome duo on the line.
Before they meet Orton and Nakamura at Clash of Champions, WWE announced that one half of the duo is set to face Shinsuke Nakamura in singles competition on SmackDown Live, this Tuesday.
In case you didn't know...
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been thorns in the side of Shane McMahon and SmackDown Live, since Hell in a Cell. Kevin Owens faced Shane at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, inside the ominous structure. Leading up to the match, Owens had attacked Shane's father, Vince McMahon and insulted Shane and his family.
Owens won against Shane after Sami Zayn helped his longtime friend and rival, in a twist that no one had seen coming. The two continued to cause trouble for Shane and SmackDown Live when they attacked Shane during the Survivor Series 5-on-5 Elimination Men's match.
Following Survivor Series, the recent SmackDown Live broadcasts have seen Shane piling the odds against Sami and Kevin, but so far, the duo somehow has managed to extract themselves from the situations.
The heart of the matter
Shinsuke Nakamura is set to face Kevin Owens, ahead of the tag team match at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
Last Tuesday saw Sami Zayn in a match against Randy Orton, with Kevin Owens handcuffed to the ring ropes outside during the match. Owens managed to find bolt cutters which he used to free himself and help his friend with a distraction, but Orton was still able to pick up the win.
After the match, Orton's partner for the Clash of Champions match was revealed to be Shinsuke Nakamura when he came out to rescue The Viper from Owens and Zayn's post-match attack.
What's next?
Shinsuke Nakamura is set to face Kevin Owens at SmackDown Live this Tuesday, just days before the tag team bout at Clash of Champions.
Author's take
The King of Strong Style has not had the best run since coming to the main roster. This match, against opponents like Zayn and Owens, is the perfect opportunity for Nakamura to show the casual fans the reason for his popularity in NXT.
