- - - - -
Monday April 25 2016 – EBWF Monday Night Warfare – Scottrade Center – St. Louis; Missouri
Joey Styles: I’m sorry, we’re going to need to get some medical attention out here for Sami Zayn after that unprovoked attack. Needless to say, it looks like our main event is going to have to be a one on one match now. We’re going to take an unscheduled commercial break, and will have more information when we come back.
The words Sami Zayn was dreading to hear, another week, another attack from behind. This week, it was Kevin Owens who wiped Sami Zayn out of the main event, ending his chances of facing PJ Black at Aftermath for the Path to Glory Championship, allowing AJ Styles and The Miz to do battle – yet again – with The Miz earning himself another glorious opportunity. As Warfare went to the unscheduled commercial break, medical personnel were helping Sami up to his feet after the attack by Owens, who had also left the stage by this point. The fans cheered as Sami winced as he got to his feet, holding his head in pain after eating a huge DDT onto the steel chair. He tried letting out a little smile as they applauded him, as well as letting out feint ‘Ole!’ chants as he was helped behind the curtain, allowing the main event to continue without him.
The Miz was victorious, getting himself into another position where he could potentially end up as the EBWF World Champion. It was an entirely different story backstage, the elation shown in the ring by one superstar was the completely opposite of Sami, who was sat at the back, with a towel over his head holding an ice pack to his head as the cameras slowly approached him. It was clear that he was hurt, and angry as well, as he shook his head numerous times with The Miz’ theme song still being played around the PA system. The cameras picked up Renee Young, who was cautiously walking towards Sami, not wanting to disturb him after the awful events that took place. She talked quietly into the microphone, as she put her hand on his shoulder.
Renee Young: Sami…can I…
Renee stepped back as Sami was startled, taking the towel and ice pack off of his head, showing off the bruise that had appeared, with his face looking like it could burst at any second. He looked up, realising it was Renee who walked up towards him and she knew he wasn’t to blame for his reactions, anybody in his position would have also felt it was Owens who managed to get his hands on him again. She took a deep breath as he looked back down, bitterly disappointed as she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the situation he was in. Eventually, she plucked up the courage to remain professional and ask what needed to be asked.
Renee Young: Sami…we saw an awful attack by Kevin Owens earlier on, you had to be taken out of the main event and now The Miz is the number one contender for the Path to Glory Championship at Aftermath. I know it must be a difficult time for you to speak, but if you can…can you let us know what’s running through your mind right now?
Sami exhaled, sniffling a few times as Renee took a seat next to him. He took his towel off again and placed the ice pack next to him as he looked at Renee, showing her his current state in the hope she’d understand what he was going through. He didn’t want to take anything out on anyone else, though, he calmed himself down a little and shook his head, trying his best to answer Renee’s question in an unusually quieter tone.
Sami Zayn: I uh…I guess that’s the last thing I expected to happen tonight, that’s for sure. Um…I thought…I did enough in the build-up to this match. I felt good. I felt quick, strong, determined to pick up the win against two great opponents. I mean…I can’t even say I’m angry at The Miz or AJ Styles, because they had nothing to do with this, but probably angry at myself…I probably should have seen this coming or knew that because I’m so close to achieving something great…somebody was going to come and steal it all from me. It…it’s difficult to process right now because my head is still spinning, all I know is that I should be walking out of Aftermath as the new Path to Glory Champion. Clearly…that won’t be happening.
Renee Young: Can you let us know your thoughts on Kevin Owens and why…
Sami Zayn: No, no. That’s not something or somebody I really want to talk about right now.
Renee Young: Not even a message you want to pass on, or something along those lines?
Sami Zayn: I don’t think I need to say anything, to be honest, Renee. I think we all know I’m used to this and I fight back from it, but quite frankly, I’m growing sick and tired of having to say the same thing every month. No more, though. Kevin knows who I am, and I know what he’s all about. I know he won’t rest until he wants to achieve whatever it is he’s trying to do…but if he knows me as well as he thinks he knows me…he knows this definitely isn’t the end. One way or another, Kevin and I will be in the ring this Sunday at Aftermath, whether somebody decides to book it or not.
Renee slowly stood up, understanding that Sami wanted to be left alone so he could clean himself up and exit the arena.
Renee Young: Thank you for your time, Sami and we all hope to see you back in action as soon as possible.
Sami nodded in Renee’s direction, with his head under the towel again as he picked up the ice pack, placing it over his head. He made his intentions clear, though. Sami was determined to get Kevin Owens into the ring one way or another; he knew a singles match wasn’t ever going to be sanction with both men so angry. However, he knew he could lure Owens to the ring one way or another, so fans could be sure that when they arrive to watch Aftermath on Sunday, Sami was going to be there and hopefully Owens would be standing opposite him.
- - - - - - - -
Saturday April 30 2016 – EBWF Headquarters
The cameras were set up inside of the EBWF Headquarters in a segment that would air before Aftermath was going to go live the following night. It was the latest sit-down interview being brought to us by Michael Cole and this time, his guest was none other than Sami Zayn. Following the events of Warfare, where Owens viciously attacked Sami from behind to take him out of the main event, it was revealed that Owens and Sami would in fact be meeting in the ring at the Allstate Arena. However, it wasn’t going to be the one on one match everyone wanted and anticipated. Instead, it was going to be an exciting tag team match with Kevin Owens teaming up with The Last of Us member, CM Punk, going up against the odd pairing of Sami Zayn and Dolph Ziggler. Two men who also had their history stretching back almost two years. Cole was sat opposite Sami, as the two chatted about the interview and were being mic’ed up by the crew, before being given the signal to begin.
Michael Cole: Ladies and gentlemen, in the latest instalment of my sit-down interviews with the stars of the EBWF, I am pleased to announce that my guest this week is none other than the former World Champion…Sami Zayn. Sami, good to have you here.
Sami Zayn: Thanks for havin’ me, Cole.
Sami smiled back, with his face in better condition than it was on Monday as he wore his latest EBWF vintage “Let’s Go!’ black t-shirt, with a blazer over it and his traditional flat cap as he shuffled in his seat, getting more comfortable.
Michael Cole: I have to say, you look much better than you did in your interview with Renee following…those…events on Monday night.
Sami Zayn: It’s okay, Michael. You can say it, those events meaning since Kevin Owens attacked me from behind like the coward that he is. You’re right, because I feel much better too.
Michael Cole: Let’s start right from the beginning, Path to Glory Championship, it’s now being contested between PJ Black and The Miz. Is that fair in your eyes?
Sami Zayn: Based on what happened, of course it’s fair because Miz beat AJ and he’s now the number one contender. Although, I honestly believe I should be sat here talking about my upcoming match with PJ because nobody, and I genuinely mean nobody, on this roster has been on a run like I have. I’ve already beaten PJ, I made him submit last week so I know that this Sunday I’d repeat the exact same performance and I’d win one of the championships I’ve failed to get my hands on. Just looked at the rankings, look everywhere, ask anyone, I’m probably the highest ranked full-time EBWF superstar, and I’ve consistently been at the top. So, it gets frustrating. Frustrating because I know what I capable of, I know who I can beat and how I can beat them, I know I’d beat PJ and if the opportunity came…I’d beat Chris Jericho and Wes Ikeda with the World Championship on the line. That’s not me being overconfident or stupid, I believe the two of them also know that I am a rising threat and they know sooner or later, one of them or both them will have to meet me in that ring, and it’d be an honour. But unfortunately…I’m sat here talking about why that’s not happening right now and it’s something I have to quickly get over.
Michael Cole: You’re right, we’re sat here talking about the breaking news that was announced this week, at Aftermath you team up with Dolph Ziggler to take on CM Punk…and Kevin Owens. Your thoughts?
Sami laughed, knowing that it was a huge milestone for him, and Kevin too as certain guys in the wrestling industry never thought they’d make it. This was the first time the two would be sharing the EBWF ring in an official match, something he was looking forward to.
Sami Zayn: I’m looking forward to it, it should be good fun, I mean we’re four fantastic wrestlers who live and breathe wrestling and I know the four of us could steal the show, and I imagine we will based on our talents.
Michael Cole: The interesting thing about this match, from your perspective, is that you have history with all three of these men, at one point or another your paths have crossed. Let’s start with your partner in this match, Dolph Ziggler. Your history has been well-documented, how does it feel knowing a man you once had a bitter rivalry with, is now in your corner and you’re going to have to have his back also?
Sami Zayn: I’ve said it quite a few times that me and Dolph have never seen eye to eye, and we never will. He’s beaten me once, and I’ve beaten him twice and I’m never going to let him forget that it was me, the guy who was never supposedly supposed to be in the ring with him, that dethroned him for the EBWF World Championship last year. But I think we’re both professional enough to understand that our interests are the same in this match, we were both attacked by the two, so it’s only right that we have each other’s backs and try and end this little threat before it actually forms.
Michael Cole: So, do you trust Dolph in this match?
Sami Zayn: I didn’t say that exactly. Look, I have no feelings towards Dolph, whether it’s trust or anything else like that. I’m walking into Aftermath on Sunday with one thing on my mind. I honestly couldn’t care less if Dolph is standing on that apron or not, whether he leaves and walks away to leave me high and dry, it makes absolutely no difference. If he’s there, then great, then maybe we stand a better chance of winning the match. I’m sure he feels the exact same way, I’m pretty sure even he’d say we wouldn’t choose each other as our top partners either, but hey…we’ve got to make this work and hopefully it all works out on Sunday.
Michael Cole: CM Punk…you two have also shared the ring several times, trading wins so how would it feel to face him again?
Sami Zayn: Y’know…while I believe Phil is a huge threat and a fantastic wrestler…I do think he sees me as a threat. I mean, why else would he orchestrate an attack against me? Surely if he feels like I’m nothing to him, then he’d ignore me and leave me be but no, he decided I was worthy enough of being wiped out, so I look forward to it. I mean, we can date this back to my first Survivor Series in the EBWF, I think he wants us all to forget that Punk came to me, he came looking for me to help him, not the other way round. For a man who claims he’s the best in the world time and time again, he certainly doesn’t show it and when you scrape the bottom of the barrel for help in the form of Kev…then I think it’s borderline desperation rather than trying to prove he’s a threat. He’s had his fun, he’s had his time at the top so if he knows what’s best for him, he’d walk away because not we’re in a new era, and it’s my time at the top and if I have to wipe him out of the title picture for good, then so be it.
Michael Cole: Maybe that’s easier said than done, Punk has constantly proven himself to be a top performer in the company.
Sami Zayn: Look, man, I do not deny that CM Punk is an elite wrestler, one of the best that’s ever stepped foot in this company. But – and I don’t mean to sound like an arrogant person or anything of that sort – but I don’t remember the last time CM Punk proved to be a threat to me and what I’ve wanted to achieve. I know I can get past him, I know I can beat him, and I know that he won’t have what it takes to pull one out of the bag to defeat a fired up Sami Zayn…and Dolph Ziggler. It’s not happening, Michael, I’m not letting it happen because I’ve got so much to lose in this situation, whereas Punk, he already has nothing to achieve anymore here, so I doubt he’ll be too bothered about becoming a big-named nobody again.
Michael Cole: I think the one person everybody wants to see you go up against is Kevin Owens. So much history between the pair of you, dating way back before you guys were even on the EBWF radar. But, the two of you have fought and fought to earn an opportunity to get to the EBWF and here you are, albeit in a tag team match. How does that sound to you, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens sharing an EBWF ring at last?
Sami Zayn: You know it’s funny, I think coming up in the independent scene, the two of us knew this is the sort of stage we belonged at. I mean, if I’m being honest we thought we belong here when we were wrestling in backyards. But hey, we’re both here and I know it’s well-documented, but I think we genuinely are destined to do this forever. This is what people need to understand, this isn’t a little storyline put together by a bunch of writers at the back, this is something genuine because the two of us go way back and this rivalry is probably going to end when one of us ends up six feet under. Even then, I bet that son of a bitch will be buried next to me just to piss me off some more, and I know that since the day he signed, it was sealed, the two of us are destined to meet and it just so happens that it’s a tag team match rather than a preferred one on one match where I can show him, and the world, that Sami Zayn is the better man.
Sami looked around, smiling and exhaling as he thought about some of the good times he had with Kevin before he turned into a conniving asshole who stabbed in the back.
Sami Zayn: I’m actually proud of the both of us, we’re two guys who were never supposed to be here and now we’re the names on fans’ lips, we’re the match they want to see main eventing shows, and I know that Aftermath won’t be the last Kevin and I see each other, not by a long shot. Despite all the good things he’s done for me, or I’ve done for him, he’s helped me become a better wrestler, but it’s a shame he thought he had to do things this way. I can sit here all day and tell him that aligning himself with Punk won’t do him any good but Kev never has, and never will listen to me. I am happy for him though, I mean I know how tough it was for me to catch a break when I signed here…but he came in with this massive reputation, I blinked, and the next thing I know he’s the Intercontinental Champion with relative ease. One thing I do want Kev to know, is that when I do get him in this ring, I have no interest in his championship. I know I want the World Championship, and I’m going to get to it before he’s ever in contention for it. I know he’ pissed off that this company called for Sami Zayn before him, and that’s going to eat him up for the rest of his life, but honestly, I can’t do anything about that.
Michael Cole: So, what do you make of this entire, strange situation? Being forced to team up with somebody you clearly don’t get along with, going up against CM Punk and somebody who you called a friend, or a brother for so long?
Sami Zayn: You said it, it’s strange. I guess it only makes sense to have Dolph by my side, he’s the only other real victim from the attacks and we all know he can get fired up when the time is right so when I think about it, I probably have no choice but be happy with my partner. I have no idea which of the guys at the back, would actually have my back in this match, with Dolph…I can’t believe I’m saying it…but he probably does have my back, for now. We’ll have to see how long that lasts. Punk…I have no real feelings or animosity towards, he needs to do what he can to make sure he’s recognised and he will be, that’s the sad reality of it. He’s just the latest in line to try and forge a duo or a group of guys to take under his wing and run amok. We’ve seen this over and over again, The Miz, AJ Styles, you name it. However, none of those guys had Kevin Owens up their sleeve, that’s what sets Punk apart, that’s why I’m vigilant and that’s why I’m determined to get Kev in that ring as soon as possible. With Kev…I actually, kinda feel sorry for him. What he did, how he did it, I feel he didn’t need to but they’re his choices to make and he’ll face the repercussions for them. I feel sorry for him because he thought of me, someone he called a friend, as a genuine threat and he felt the need to attack me from behind. I know it’s going to eat him, but he knows that as things stand…I’m always going to be ahead of him because I want this more. I wanted this more, that’s why I made it to the EBWF before him, I wanted this more, it’s why I captured my second Intercontinental Championship exactly one year before he captured his, at WrestleMania. I wanted this more, and it’s why I became the King of the Ring and the World Champion, I want this more, and it’s why I’m making sure it’s Kev’s shoulders that are pinned to the mat for the three count on Sunday.
Cole received word in his ear that they needed to slowly wrap things up, trying to get Sami to come to the end of the interview so they’d have enough time to edit and air the interview the following evening.
Michael Cole: Do you think Kevin Owens sees you as a threat in the tag team match?
Sami Zayn: This is Kevin Owens we’re talking about, of course he doesn’t show that he sees me as a threat. He knows he can’t afford to show any signs of weakness because he has too much to lose in this situation, can you imagine talking as much as him and falling at the first hurdle? The Owens I know…knows me too well. The Owens I know will do whatever he has to, to get what he wants. The Owens I know will not rest until the two of us are laying battered and bruised in the main event of WrestleMania with the World Championship on the line. Whether he wants to admit it or not, there’s a mutual respect between the two of us. Without Kevin Owens, there would never have been a Sami Zayn, and without Sami Zayn…there would never have been a Kevin Owens. I’m excited about tomorrow, it’s the first time we’re competing against each other in the EBWF…fans need to understand that a hatred is brewing…he started it…I don’t care how long it takes, but I’m going to be the one that ends this.
Michael Cole: That’ll be all for today, I want to thank Sami for joining me, and I wish you and Dolph all the best for your match tomorrow night at Aftermath.
Sami nodded his head, thanking Cole for having him there before staring back at Cole with a determined look on his face as the cameras faded to black, while Cole was surprised that Sami didn't explode when referring to Owens. Everyone wanted to hear Sami’s thought on Owens, and they would have been surprised to hear that Sami still respected a man he once considered a friend. Although, he warned the fans that far worse was going to follow with Owens still in the picture, giving them a pre-warning that their feud was going to follow them into the EBWF.