Kevin Owens talks upcoming tag-team match with John Cena, shares hilarious Sami Zayn story

Kevin Owens has had one of the vital fascinating years of any WWE celebrity.

The one-time Common Champion began the yr in a triple menace match for the WWE Championship with Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley at Day 1 and practically captured the Uncooked Tag-Crew Championship with Seth Rollins in March in a match in opposition to RK-Bro and Alpha Academy. 

By April, Owens was going head-to-head with one of many biggest WWE superstars of all time in “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin at WrestleMania and bought right into a summer season feud with Ezekiel. In latest weeks, Owens has gotten caught up with The Bloodline, who’ve reigned supreme throughout the model all yr.

Owens now finds himself ending the yr in a tag-team match with John Cena on the final SmackDown present of 2022. The duo will be a part of forces to tackle Roman Reigns and Owens’ longtime buddy Sami Zayn.

“Anytime I’m within the ring with Roman and Sami it’s fairly nice and particular as a result of they’re each great performers,” Owens instructed Fox Information Digital in a latest interview. “After which attending to crew with John Cena is a helluva option to shut out the yr. I’m actually wanting ahead to it.”

Cena was already introduced for the ultimate SmackDown present of the yr and Owens stated he didn’t want a lot convincing to drag the 16-time WWE champion onto his aspect to go up in opposition to Reigns and Zayn. Cena has not appeared on a WWE present all yr, and his final reside match within the ring got here in opposition to Reigns for the Common Championship at SummerSlam 2021.

” it doesn’t actually take a lot convincing,” Owens stated. “Any time John has an opportunity to come back by and do that, he jumps at it. The large factor is that if he didn’t have a match earlier than the tip of the yr, he would’ve damaged his 20-year streak of getting a match each single yr. And I believe that’s actually close to and expensive to him. I believe that’s one thing he actually wished to do and as quickly as he noticed the possibility and he jumped at it.”

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Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman and John Cena, pictured, battle for the WWE Common Championship at SummerSlam 2021 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Aug. 21, 2021.
(Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports activities)

One of many larger sticking factors for Owens is the chance to carry out within the ring with Zayn once more. The 2 Quebec natives have been mates since earlier than they began wrestling on the indie circuit within the Canadian province. Owens stated he and Zayn would experience in every single place collectively to do exhibits and linked on their lengthy journeys and finally wound up in WWE.

“I typically say, and you already know I’ve stated on TV, he’s extra like a brother than a buddy, and it’s actually true since you don’t get to choose your loved ones,” Owens defined to Fox Information Digital. “You’re born right into a household and whoever’s your brother, your brother, or no matter sibling is your sibling. That’s form of what occurred. We met, and on the time on the Quebec impartial wrestling scene, we have been just about the highest expertise that folks wished to see in every single place, and we began getting booked in every single place collectively. 

“And we bought to know one another, and we’re very completely different individuals. That’s why I say he’s actually greater than a brother than a buddy as a result of we’ve had our ups and downs, and we’ve gone by s—. Finally, I’d take a bullet for the man and I believe he’d say the identical. Now, we’re within the ring on reverse sides and which has occurred many instances earlier than, will most likely occur many instances once more. It’s an fascinating dynamic now as a result of there’s different individuals concerned. It’s form of the primary time that he’s bought individuals on his aspect and all that stuff. It’s simply been a whole lot of enjoyable to spend the final 20 years of our careers chasing one another or be companions or combating one another, and now we get to do it in WWE.”

Sami Zayn, left, takes a Stunner from Kevin Owens throughout WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium April 11, 2021, in Tampa, Florida.
(Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports activities)

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Being finest mates within the professional wrestling trade additionally comes with wild tales, and Owens shared with Fox Information Digital one of many nights the 2 wanted to sleep in Zayn’s automobile as a result of an axle broke. They have been in a Walmart car parking zone and have been woken up at 3 a.m. by a safety guard.

“We bought woken up at 3 a.m. by like flashing lights round us as a result of we’re not speculated to be sleeping on this car parking zone. And for some purpose, (Zayn) wakes up and asks me, ‘Are we being kidnapped?’ I’m like, ‘What are you speaking about it? Simply speak to the safety lady.’ However the safety lady is simply asking us, ‘Hey you guys can’t sleep right here’ after which we depart. I requested him, ‘What do you imply kidnapped?’ (He stated) ‘I awoke all of the lights, I assumed perhaps this was a spaceship.’

“We park some place else, and I bought to sleep, after which I can hear that he’s rustling. Like what is that this? He goes, ‘Do you assume she likes me?’ Like, who? ‘The lady.’ What lady? ‘The safety lady! The lady who instructed us to depart.’ Like what? What do you imply? You talked for 30 seconds! It’s simply little tales like that. Too many little tales that I keep in mind now that to different individuals may not make sense. However me, they’re like, they saved our lives.”

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With the yr ending, Owens is attempting to get a grasp on what 2023 will carry though getting within the ring with Austin at WrestleMania might by no means be topped.

Kevin Owens celebrates his victory over Cesaro on the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Heart of Brooklyn on Aug. 23, 2015 in New York Metropolis.
(JP Yim/Getty Pictures)

“I don’t have a complete lot on my radar,” he instructed Fox Information Digital. “I simply realized to let issues come to me. That ‘Stone Chilly’ match at WrestleMania, I’d have by no means imagined that will occur, and I didn’t pursue that actually. It simply fell on my lap. 

“However the one factor that I did need to do for a very long time is get within the ring with Roman Reigns in entrance of an viewers, as a result of the final time he and I have been within the ring collectively was in the course of the pandemic in entrance of a bunch of screens and empty buildings. And I keep in mind considering again then, if we had a crowd on this area, it’d be rocking. And I wished to get an opportunity to try this and now it form of circled again round. Right here we’re. Who is aware of what’s going to occur from right here on out.

“In Tampa, it’s me and John in opposition to him and Sammy. Then who is aware of from there. For the speedy future, my solely objective is to provide the ‘Tribal Chief’ every thing I’ve bought in entrance of an viewers and let’s see the place we are able to take individuals with that.”

The final SmackDown present of the yr will happen on Friday. The present begins at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.