Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn: Chronicling the Rivalry of WWE Stars

It may not be booked for April 3's WWE WrestleMania 32 just yet, but when it is, expect Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn to go close to stealing the show.

With most of WWE's feuds for the biggest pay-per-view of the year fairly fresh and having little history, Owens vs. Zayn has so much storyline depth that it will be one of the hottest and most unmissable rivalries of the whole event, if not the year.

Theirs is a relationship that goes back over a decade—under various aliases—but ahead of one of WrestleMania's most eagerly anticipated feuds, here's the full lowdown on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn as rivals, rather than allies.

The Indies

Owens (as Kevin Steen) and Zayn (as El Generico) have held tag titles together in a number of promotions on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor. 

However, it wasn't until December 2009 that they became enemies for the first time. It was at ROH's Final Battle show of that year, and after losing to The Young Bucks, Owens would turn heel on his longtime partner to set up a feud that is still fondly remembered on the indie circuit.

They would initially form new tag teams and feud against each other with allies—Steen with Steve Corino and El Generico with Colt Cabana.

However, midway through 2010, they were establishing themselves as singles stars in their own right, producing one of ROH's hottest feuds. 

It ran almost an entire year—in September, Steen unmasked El Generico—and in December of 2010, their yearlong feud came to a close when El Generico beat Steen in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor, the result of which forced Steen out of ROH.

The whole rivalry was so good, it won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Feud of the Year for 2010.

NXT

When El Generico signed with WWE in 2013 and became known as Sami Zayn, he and Steen (soon to become Kevin Owens) got the chance to meet again.

When Owens signed the following year, it was midway through Zayn's "road to redemption," when he promised to fight his way to the top of the promotion and win the NXT Championship.

That was achieved at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution when Zayn beat Neville, and soon after he was congratulated by most of the roster, including his longtime friend, Owens.

But Owens would turn heel again in spectacular fashion, lighting the touchpaper once again for these two great rivals to fight, this time on the big stage of WWE.

This was where Owens began to grow into the heel we see today on the main roster. He would routinely attack Zayn over and over again following his matches before getting his title shot, in which he destroyed Zayn throughout and forced the referee to stop the bout.

Main Roster

Both would make appearances on the main roster in the months to follow, with Owens' a permanent switch after he attacked John Cena in such spectacular fashion. Zayn also faced Cena in a one-off appearance on the main roster but would suffer a legitimate injury which put his career on hold.

There was still time for Zayn to get his NXT Championship rematch against Owens before shoulder surgery, but again, it ended with Owens savagely attacking Zayn, and their rivalry would not resume until the start of this year.

It was Zayn's shock appearance in the Royal Rumble match which allowed him to avenge that attack midway through last year, as he eliminated Owens before going over the top rope himself soon after at the hands of Braun Strowman.

Zayn would then appear earlier this month to make the save as Owens threatened to attack Neville after their match, and after Zayn won on Raw this past Monday, they look destined to meet at the biggest show of them all.

It was a relationship that began over a decade ago—but they will fight it out on wrestling's biggest stage. It's been a hell of a ride for Zayn and Owens, but if WWE plays its cards right, it will only get bigger, better and more interesting.