Predicting the Long-Term Future of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's Feud

This weekend, we'll see the first televised singles encounter between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in a WWE ring.

However, longtime fans of the pairing will have seen them do battle in NXT and on the independent scene before that.

It's been said before, but it really does seem like Zayn and Owens are destined to do this forever.

The match between the two at Payback is likely just the next chapter in this ongoing rivalry. Here are some projections about how this feud will look long-term.

WrestleMania Revenge

At WrestleMania 32, Zayn hit Owens with a half-and-half suplex onto a ladder, putting the intercontinental champion out of action as the unfavoured Zack Ryder grabbed the prize and won the match. Since then, KO has largely been preoccupied with the idea of getting some revenge on Zayn.

Championship	Timeframe	Duration
Total		275 days
Intercontinental Championship	15.02.2016 - 03.04.2016	48 days
Intercontinental Championship	20.09.2015 - 13.12.2015	84 days
NXT Championship	11.02.2015 - 04.07.2015	143 days

Since his NXT debut in December 2014, Owens has spent more time in possession of championship gold than without it. As a result, his major feuds have largely seen him either in pursuit of or defending a title.

Now we're seeing something different from The Prizefighter. He's allowed himself to become embroiled in a grudge match—in this case a dispute that dates back years.

The current program between Zayn and Owens should extend over several matches. Both in terms of its in-ring component and promo exchanges between the two, this is a feud that could easily be maintained for a few months.

Moreover, it should be used to cement both men's characters. NXT viewers will know Zayn as the ultimate underdog, but the Raw audience might not, and this rivalry is the perfect platform to establish that persona beyond any doubt.

Credit: WWE.com

To that end, we should see Owens come out on top more often than not. Sami can get by on gutsy performances and his strong connection with fans, but KO needs wins to stay legitimate.

Owens should be a world title contender by the end of 2016, and convincingly winning the majority of his meetings with Zayn would help muster up some momentum to kick-start that process.

Steenerico

Owens and Zayn have been at odds since the former's very first night in NXT, but prior to that the pair found great success as a tag team. WWE would be missing out if we didn't see the pair put aside their differences in the future.

Runs with the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship and the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship were arguably as important to the pairing of Owens and Zayn as their matches against each other. However, things have changed since the pair were wrestling for the independents.

WWE has a tendency to put feuding wrestlers on a team together to play up tension. That can't happen here—we should only see KO and Zayn tagging together if they're making a run at the titles.

That's not to say that either needs to undergo a significant change in his character. There's something interesting about the prospect of seeing the straight-laced Zayn team with someone as odious as Owens—but The Prizefighter would no doubt agree to the team-up if there was a chance at the gold.

A team comprised of Owens and Zayn would add some considerable star power to the tag team division, not to mention the caliber of matches the pair could contribute to.

However, at the end of the day it would be another chapter in their feud—after all, every great pro wrestling union has to come to a messy end at some point.

Race to the Top

Many would agree that Owens and Zayn have what it takes to feud over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

These two men have fought from the bottom up, and it would be great to see them reach the highest peak. Having Owens defend against the scrappy Zayn would be the most effective setup for such a match, acting as a role reversal when compared to their encounters in NXT.

Of course, such a match would be a few years away. The ongoing rivalry between Owens and Zayn has been a great boon for both men over the course of their careers, but it could easily outstay its welcome.

It's only interesting to see them cross paths because of their time apart. Supposing their current feud plays through the summer and a prospective tag team run came in 2017, it would be 2018 at the earliest before a world title program could be used to its fullest effect.

Credit: WWE.com

That's not to say that either man wouldn't win the gold before that time, but a full-on feud between the two over the richest prize in pro wrestling shouldn't be rushed. It could even be worthy of the main event of WrestleMania—so why try to hurry to the finish line?

At the moment, both men are snapping at the heels of the world title picture. Two years from now, it seems almost certain that both will be in direct contention for the belt—and there will be a pre-built title feud with more than a decade of history ready and waiting.