WWE's commentary booth described Karrion Kross as the devil on Sami Zayn's shoulder, and in Saudi Arabia, Zayn attempted to silence that demon in singles action. The two locked up at Saturday's Night of Champions event, and after a night full of cruel words and close calls, Zayn walked out with a victory over the incendiary Kross.
Zayn smiled widely as he was met by the electric Riyadh crowd, but once the bell rang, Kross' mind games began to wear Zayn's patience thin. Zayn showed heightened aggression in the early goings of the match before rubbing salt into Kross' wounds with a suicide dive fake-out on the ropes, but Zayn's taunts only served to anger Kross, who rocked Zayn with a Suplex. Kross continued to put the pressure on Zayn, and in between forearm strikes and kicks, Kross verbally antagonized Zayn.
Kross continued to weather Zayn with a Leaping Death Valley Driver and a series of suplexes, and nearly had the victory secured with a suffocating Kross Jacket. The resilient Zayn, however, found life at every turn, and the match continued as Kross began to let his frustration show. Kross began to shout at Zayn in between running clotheslines into the corner, but as Kross went to the corner for a third and supposedly final clothesline, Zayn leapt to life to end the match with a Helluva Kick. As the referee held Zayn's hand up, Kross reached out for Zayn, and nodded as he spoke something inaudible. The segment ended with Zayn perched on top of the turnbuckles as he looked down at Kross and Scarlett.
Saturday marked Kross' first WWE premium live event since WrestleMania XL. Similar to Saturday, Kross' last premium live event appearance saw him take a loss alongside Akam and Rezar to Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, and Bobby Lashley in a Philadelphia Street Fight.
