WWE Payback 2016: 10 Things We Learned
7. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Were The Perfect Pair To Get Crowd Rocking Again
There was an air of deflation after Enzo Amore's injury. The live crowd in Chicago had seemed right up for the tag-team bout, but they were also worried for the performer's safety once it became clear that he was seriously struggling. Something special was needed, and boy did WWE's creative team have just the ticket.
Some luck in scheduling may have come into things, but it was a great decision to have Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn go out next. A wonderful video package perfectly summed up their love/hate relationship, and set the tone for what proved one of the stand out matches of the entire evening.
Right from the first bell, Owens and Zayn brought the brilliant melodrama they worked in companies like Ring Of Honor (and on NXT) to WWE's larger pay-per-view stage. Tearing into one another, their match was exactly what it needed to be. Going further, it was a show-saving performance.
Chicago picked up upon experiencing the passion, skill and workmanlike mentality of Owens and Zayn. Not just any combination could have achieved that.