Why Sami Zayn Never Stood a Chance Against Roman Reigns

The Bloodline story has been so compelling that there’s reason to expect it could continue past ‘WrestleMania.’

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath-the-surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

What does the future hold for The Bloodline?

Vince McMahon built WWE on storytelling.

The company is centered around that very trait. Storytelling is the hallmark of its famed feuds, like Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant and, years later, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in his battle against McMahon. Interestingly, McMahon’s mantra—to tell the most compelling story possible—took center stage in the ongoing story with The Bloodline all while McMahon was removed from the creative process.

The story hit another high note as Roman Reigns, the leader of The Bloodline, defeated a scalding hot Sami Zayn in his hometown of Montreal on Saturday at Elimination Chamber, a finish that only makes sense when examining the details.

There were never any plans to end Reigns’s title reign at Elimination Chamber, especially with WrestleMania 39 rapidly approaching. Reigns is also less than 100 days away from reaching 1,000 days as champion, a feat only four others (Bruno Sammartino twice, Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund and Hulk Hogan) have accomplished. While surpassing Sammartino’s first reign of 2,803 days or Backlund’s 2,135 is unrealistic, he could pass Hogan (1,474 days), Sammartino’s second title run (1,237), or Pedro Morales (1,027).

So Reigns was never going to drop the title in Montreal. Which means Zayn was never going to win the title there, either.

Had Zayn won, that could have been an all-time moment for WWE, a company that specifically promotes itself as a maker of memories. Even more than if Drew McIntyre had defeated Reigns in September at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, the crowd in Montreal would have erupted at the Bell Centre had Zayn pulled off the improbable win.

The Zayn storyline has led to the most compelling content of Reigns’s time as champion, even surpassing his work against Daniel Bryan that included a triple-threat with Edge at WrestleMania 37 which ended in a finish that left Bryan so displeased that he decided to entertain offers from other companies, multiple sources confirmed with Sports Illustrated. (For what it’s worth, Bryan Danielson will headline next month’s Revolution pay-per-view for AEW, challenging world champ MJF in a 60-minute Iron Man match.)

Despite his immense popularity, and the fact that it would have led to a monumental moment, Zayn simply was not going to dethrone Reigns at Elimination Chamber. Also, let’s not forget, Cody Rhodes is hungrily awaiting his shot at Reigns, a bout that is scheduled to close out WrestleMania on Sunday, April 2.

WWE has hit nirvana with Reigns as champion. He will be the main attraction at WrestleMania against Rhodes, but he could also main event that night against Zayn. Or Kevin Owens. Or Jey Uso. There are multiple significant stories at play for Reigns, who has become wrestling’s complete villain.

It is not a foregone conclusion that Rhodes will win at WrestleMania, especially as the fan interaction and character development surrounding Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos continue to rise. The Bloodline’s current work rivals WWE’s single best story in the past decade-plus, challenged primarily by Daniel Bryan’s organic climb to the main event of WrestleMania 30 (though Kofi Kingston and Becky Lynch both had runs that make valid arguments). But there is a marked difference: Bryan, Kingston and Lynch are all examples of a story changing because of an insatiable demand from the audience. Going back even further into the 2000s, one could convincingly argue that CM Punk’s popularity was another happy accident, as there was a sizable gap of time before McMahon rightfully bought into the idea that Punk was the company’s top star. But the story with The Bloodline has been planned out perfectly and executed, incredibly, even better.

Nearly a decade ago, Bryan was the hottest babyface in the world. No matter who he stepped into the ring with—whether it was John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton, Batista or Kane—there was a demand to see Bryan wrestle and win. If Zayn proves through WrestleMania 39 that there is no other babyface more popular, including Rhodes, then there is hope that his story with Reigns will continue. Zayn is slated to work a tag team match at WrestleMania with Kevin Owens against The Usos.

After Reigns pinned Zayn at Elimination Chamber, WWE attempted to send the crowd home happy by reintroducing Owens into the storyline. Zayn then dropped Reigns with a Helluva Kick, which led to cheers from the crowd but muddied any closure to the story. As Zayn illustrated in the post-show press conference, he was visibly disappointed that the story did not end with him winning the belt. That was the best possible reaction, as—in or out of character—it would have been severely anticlimactic had Zayn been content with the finish. Amid the disappointment, he also conducted himself in a far more appropriate manner than Punk, who raised hell in AEW at the All Out press conference after winning the world title.

Realistically, Zayn would have won any other match at Elimination Chamber. Had he won the Royal Rumble match, he could have teamed with Owens in Montreal against The Usos. Or he could have fought through a gauntlet match against The Bloodline that cemented his shot at the WrestleMania main event (and either of those bouts could have still highlighted the rising tension between Reigns and Jey Uso).

But the choice was made to have Rhodes win the Rumble and challenge Reigns at WrestleMania. That led to a red hot, hometown challenger for Reigns in Montreal. Even though he didn’t win, it was invigorating to watch the crowd fight for Zayn. That produced a memorable night on Saturday, which was the only course of action after Rhodes won the Rumble.

Whether that is a decision WWE regrets is one that will be better analyzed after WrestleMania. Until then, and potentially beyond, the company will be carried by The Bloodline, the absolute best story in the entire industry.

The (online) week in wrestling

• The former Sasha Banks made her long-awaited return this past Saturday at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Battle in the Valley. Now wrestling as Mercedes Moné, she defeated Kairi to become the new IWGP women’s champion. It was a phenomenal match, one where Moné paid tribute with her gear to the late Hana Kimura.

• There were more highlights for New Japan. Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi on Saturday, then shared a moment of celebration in the ring with Moné. Okada then defeated NOAH’s top champ—GHC holder Kaito Kiyomiya—in the Tokyo Dome to claim even more wrestling supremacy.

• Keiji Muto wrestled for the final time this week, performing in an emotional farewell defeat at the Tokyo Dome against Tetsuya Naito. Then, with the great Tiger Hattori acting as special referee, Muto lost once more—to eternal rival Masahiro Chono (who hadn’t wrestled in nine years)—in a quick 97-second bout.

• Jay White lost to Eddie Kingston on Saturday at Battle in the Valley, officially ending his run in New Japan. As White was starting to give his words of farewell, he was attacked by David Finlay, who is ready for his breakout moment.

• In case you missed it, The Miz hit a must-see shot during the NBA All Star Celebrity Game over the weekend that, unfortunately, was released after the clock expired.

Bryan Danielson is bound to bring out the best in MJF

Iron sharpens iron.

That should be the case in the Iron Man match at Revolution, as Bryan Danielson challenges Maxwell J. Friedman for the AEW title.

Danielson is among a rare category of the greatest to ever wrestle. That will be apparent throughout this 60-minute match, where the objective is clear: MJF must show that he can outlast someone who is considered the best in the world.

If MJF does that, it cements his status as champion. If he wrestles for a full hour and comes away looking better than Danielson, then he will be able to further justify all his boasts and claims.

Despite always putting his best foot forward for people to genuinely dislike him, there are many endearing qualities about MJF. This match will highlight that the Bryan Danielson effect is real.

A devoted wrestling fan who worked his way up through the indies, MJF is far more in tune with the audience than it appears—and that is a necessity in order to be a convincing heel. That may also be the quality which eventually helps him connect as a babyface. It won’t be any time soon, but MJF possesses a charisma and style that would work as a crowd favorite. And his strengths are all going to be magnified by Danielson.

If ever there were an opportunity for MJF to win people over, it is this Iron Man match. This will be a chance to see different layers from MJF, and it will be interesting to watch if that includes his ability to connect with the crowd. If anyone can draw that out of him, Danielson is certainly the one.

Tweet of the Week

There are many highlights in the video—including Moné interacting with Kenny Omega—leading up to Wrestle Kingdom.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.