WWE's Sami Zayn played the long game with Roman Reigns

While Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns have been linked together in WWE since just after WrestleMania, the seeds of the idea are much older.

Sami Zayn has been a member of the WWE Universe since 2013, when he jumped ship from the indies – namely Ring of Honor – to the “big leagues.” Whether working on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, Zayn has taken part in 810 official WWE matches, according to Cagematch, with hundreds more matches spent ringside serving as a manager/muscle/support buddy.

And yet, of all of the runs Zayn has had throughout his professional wrestling career, from El Generico to his NXT-era, to his feuds with Kevin Owens, and even his conspiracy theorist/documentarian runs with Logan Paul and Johnny Knoxville, the storyline that will all but define his career in WWE and beyond the vast majority of non-hardcore fans is that of the “The Honorary Uce.” Serving as the fifth and (presumably) final member of The Bloodline with Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and The Usos, Jimmy and Jey, Zayn has brought a comedic angle to the table both in the ring and on the mic, generating huge pops and signature catchphrases while simultaneously earning the respect of Paul Heyman, who just so happens to be one of the most respected minds in the industry.

Whether the angle extends out another month, another season, or officially runs through WrestleMania and into Year 2 of the “Ucey” Bloodline's dominance, it's clear the decision to bring Zayn into the family shortly after WrestleMania 38 has been a resounding success, and will only continue to interest fans for the foreseeable future regardless of how the storytelling plays out. But what if I were to tell you that discussions about Zayn joining up with Reigns actually go back further than WrestleMania 2022, but actually to 2021 around Survivor Series? Well, according to Zayn, that is very much the case.

WWE almost pulled the trigger on Sami Zayn-Roman Reigns in 2021.

Speaking with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat for Rosenberg Radio, Zayn explained when the idea of pairing him up with Reigns began and let it slide that the wheels began to turn months before they showed up on television, as transcribed by Fightful.

“I won't pull the curtain back too much, but the idea was kicked around about a year ago, a good six months before the seeds were even planted on screen,” Zayn said. “The first time I think there was any interaction between myself and the Bloodline was just after WrestleMania. In actuality, the idea was first discussed going into Survivor Series of last year. I was doing this whole thing on SmackDown where I was the longest-tenured member as the locker room leader. I thought it'd be something interesting with the locker room leader and Head of the Table. The premise being, the Head of the Table isn't in the locker room anymore. I wasn't originally envisioning being a full member of the Bloodline or anything like that, just something to where Roman and I can occasionally get on screen together in a light-hearted way and I'm giving him these reports of what's going on and what he needs to be careful for. Every once in a while, I get things kicked my way too. That was sort of the idea.”

Wow, while it's interesting to see how the proverbial sausage is made, it sounds like Paul “Triple” Levesque and his creative team really elevated an interesting idea into something special, as using Zayn as a sort of man-on-the-ground source for what's “really” going on in WWE, though cool, is more of a bunt single than the grand slam home run that “The Honorary Uce” has been so far. Did Zayn push to be included in an angle with Reigns?

“It was talked about with Roman as well,” Zayn said. “We were sitting at catering one day, and I heard an interview that he did with Ariel Helwani where he was very kind towards me and saying nice things about me as an on-screen character and that he'd like to do something down the road with me one day. We got to talking and I don't remember exactly how it went, but it was a mutual thing.”

Welp, there you go, the feelings, as Zayn said, were mutual; Zayn and Reigns mutually came together and agreed that the other could benefit from their respective acts, and because of that mutual respect plus a little luck, they were able to forge a stronger, deeper, more resonant Bloodline for the WWE Universe to enjoy.

Jimmy Uso is better off, Jey Uso is definitely better off, and even Reigns and Zayn are better off, too, as the duo were able to show new sides to their WWE characters. Though adding another member to a faction mid-storyline doesn't always work, this may be the perfect example from here on out of when it does in a very big way.