Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens’s unsanctioned match at Elimination Chamber

After multiple unsuccessful attempts at winning the world title, Owens directed his attention toward Zayn. Owens has been unhinged as of late, and he demonstrated his ruthlessness by laying out Zayn on the February 7 edition of RAW. Reverting to his past, Owens delivered a devastating “package piledriver” to Zayn—a move that could break a person’s neck or even cause paralysis.

We’ve seen many unfortunate incidents in the past involving variations of the piledriver. Legendary wrestlers such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and current AEW commentator Taz both suffered broken necks after taking modified versions of the move. Needless to say, it was no surprise that the former Intercontinental Champion was sidelined for weeks after being dropped on his neck and head by Owens.

Zayn was not medically cleared to compete, which forced RAW General Manager Adam Pearce to reluctantly book a match for the Elimination Chamber event. The match would be unsanctioned by WWE, allowing both Zayn and Owens to inflict any type of harm they saw fit while absolving the company of any liability.

In a brutal contest featuring chairs, tables, and barbed wire, Owens soundly defeated Zayn in front of a packed house at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. You would think victory would be enough for Owens, right? Wrong! He continued his assault on Zayn after the match, leading to the shocking return of multi-time world champion Randy Orton.

Without a doubt, this moment serves as a major building block for WrestleMania, potentially setting the stage for an epic showdown between Orton and Owens on the grandest stage of them all.