Kevin Owens Beats Sami Zayn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 as Randy Orton Returns

Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn in an unsanctioned match at WWE Elimination Chamber on Saturday in their home country of Canada, but a returning Randy Orton enjoyed the last laugh.

Owens and Zayn put on a brutal match, to say the least.

The match ended with a callback to their NXT days, when Owens crushed Zayn with not one but two powerbombs on the apron.

KO got Zayn into the ring for the pin and was about to inflict even more punishment, but Randy Orton had other ideas.

The Apex Predator had been out since early November after Owens hit him with a piledriver.

The Apex Predator beat a weary Owens, hitting him with an RKO and then asking, "You want to try and break my neck?" in a callback to that moment.

So that fierce rivalry is one to watch on the Road to WrestleMania.

As for Owens and Zayn, the two are longtime friends in real life, but during their time together in WWE, they have often alternated between being the best of pals and mortal enemies.

Zayn turned his back on Owens in 2022 when he joined The Bloodline, but he eventually saw the error of his ways and helped KO combat the group, leading to their reunion in 2023.

Owens and Zayn went on to beat The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 39. And while they were later moved to different brands after dropping the titles, they remained on good terms.

KO turned heel late last year, though, when he attacked Cody Rhodes and took issue with him lending a helping hand to Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.

During the build toward the Undisputed WWE Championship ladder match between Owens and Rhodes at Royal Rumble, KO and Zayn crossed paths, and Owens seemingly tried to convince his former friend to help him against The American Nightmare.

Rhodes went on to beat Owens at the Royal Rumble, but when KO took a dangerous and scary bump late in the match, Zayn rushed to his side to see if he was OK.

After Zayn lost an Elimination Chamber qualifying match to CM Punk on the Feb. 3 episode of Raw, Owens surprisingly attacked him and laid him out with a Package Piledriver.

Zayn went on to lobby to face Owens at Elimination Chamber, and although Raw general manager Adam Pearce was resistant at first, he agreed to let it happen on the grounds that the match would be unsanctioned due to Sami not being medically cleared.

While Zayn was able to get his hands on Owens at Elimination Chamber, KO beat Sami in a match fueled by betrayal and bad blood. Owens has other problems to worry about now, though, with Orton back in the mix.

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