The ending to the Royal Rumble left us all speechless. Sami Zayn made the first move and turned on Roman Reigns and the Bloodline. After Reigns continued to belittle and get in Sami Zayn's face about attacking Kevin Owens, Zayn hit Reigns in the back with a steel chair. Sami Zayn had enough of Reigns and took matters into his own hands.
Not only that, but Jey Uso walked out in his own blood. We all knew some betrayal was coming between the Bloodline and Sami Zayn, but nobody knew Jey Uso would turn his back on his family and seemingly choose Zayn over them. That story will be a masterpiece on its own, but let's get back to Zayn and Roman Reigns.
Over the last year, Zayn transformed into a megastar. It's no surprise how talented Zayn is in the ring and how incredible his character work is, but he finally got a chance to show that with the Bloodline. Zayn has had opportunities to showcase himself in the past and thrived in those situations, but being in the main event scene with the hottest group and superstar in wrestling elevated him to a level he couldn't have reached on his own. Every week, fans chant for Sami Zayn. You have the biggest name in wrestling, Roman Reigns, in the ring, but fans still chant for Sami. He won over the crowd and has fans begging him to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship.
Sami Zayn's popularity is similar to Daniel Bryan's rise to the top in 2014. Zayn went from fighting Johnny Knoxville at Wrestlemania to possibly main eventing Wrestlemania in Hollywood against this generation's biggest star. This is because he won over the crowd with his character and made memorable moments week after week. I'm not sure what WWE's plans were for Sami Zayn in the middle of last year, but I'm sure they weren't considering him being in the position where he is now.
What's next for Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns after everything that unfolded? As I mentioned earlier, will they have a match at Wrestlemania for one of the belts? Will WWE shift away from a Zayn/Reigns match and have Zayn and Owens face the Usos at Wrestlemania? Or will Sami Zayn face Roman Reigns at the Elimination Chamber in his hometown of Quebec? All three of these scenarios are possible, and what happens with Jey Uso can drastically affect what WWE decides to do.
At first, I was all for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens dethroning the Usos to win the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. I thought that made the most sense because that allows Roman to focus on Cody Rhodes and the Rock. But wait, the Rock never returned at the Royal Rumble. If WWE seriously plans on splitting up Roman's belts before or at Wrestlemania, that means Reigns needs somebody else to fight at Wrestlemania now. That's where Sami Zayn should step in.
Sami Zayn has gotten way too popular to settle for a tag team championship match at Wrestlemania. WWE created something special with Sami Zayn and the Bloodline and needs to capitalize on it. They can't pass on this opportunity even if it wasn't in their long-term plans. Zayn has nearly reached Daniel Bryan's popularity levels, and we know how well that worked out for WWE in 2014.
With the Elimination Chamber in Quebec, WWE should have an Elimination Chamber match to see who will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Wrestlemania. This match will feature Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, and Sami Zayn. This match has a mix of legitimate threats to Roman Reigns and Bloodline members. Not only will Zayn go through former and future world champions, but he also has to go through Reigns' family. Again, what WWE does with Jey Uso can heavily affect what happens here, but for now, we're ignoring that story. After a grueling match where Sami Zayn looks like a megastar kicking out of finisher after finisher after finisher, he finally gets the win and gets to main event Wrestlemania against Roman Reigns.
What WWE decides to do there will be tricky. I'd be all for Sami Zayn winning the Universal Championship and having a much-deserved world title run. I also believe WWE shouldn't end both of Roman Reigns' title reigns. Having Reigns beat Zayn will give him nuclear heat and further cement himself as an all-time great. WWE has done an excellent job with this story, and I trust whatever direction they choose to go down. This has been the best story WWE has told in years.
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