Andrew SpoorsThe eyes of the wrestling world will be firmly fixed upon Montreal this weekend as WWE hosts its last Premium Live Event before WrestleMania.
Marking the next chapter in a remarkable story, Canada will be the battleground for one of the biggest matches in decades.
So, is it in-Zayn to think Roman’s reign is in any kind of jeopardy?
And just exactly who is the Underdog from The Underground that is looking to provide the shock of all shocks?
Andy Spoors, takes a deep dive into the past, present and future of Sami Zayn…
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A partisan and noisy crowd are making their feelings known inside the Bell Centre.
The champion stood in the ring is not their champion and they’re not afraid to show it.
The challenger’s ska-infused theme hits. Cue bedlam at the first sight of the hometown hero, Sami Zayn.
Without context, this could easily be a prediction of this Saturday’s Elimination Chamber.
It is after all the same setting and the same challenger to a championship title.
That particular commentary however, is a description of Zayn’s debut on WWE’s main roster against the then United States Champion, John Cena.
That is where the similarities between that night in 2015 and 2023 begin and end. This is a different WWE.
A different story. A different champion. More importantly, this is a different Sami Zayn. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s rewind.
NXT Icon
The current roster of WWE Superstars is stuffed with graduates from different eras of NXT. Some have become household names, others are just beginning their careers on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live! There are very few who can claim to have left such an indelible mark on the black and gold brand than Sami.
From his first night on NXT’s TV tapings on 22 May 2013, the Underdog from the Underground was out to turn heads. Emerging victorious against Curt Hawkins before challenging and defeating Cesaro later that same night, Zayn announced his arrival in a big way.
A series of matches against the Swiss native, culminated in an all time classic at NXT Arrival the following year. Later that year Sami would capture the NXT Championship, defeating Neville and sparking wild celebrations from those in attendance and in the locker room. His popularity on the brand never waned and even after appearing on the main roster in some big angles, NXT would forever remain tied to Zayn’s story.
He returned in 2015 for one last match at NXT Takeover: Dallas against a debuting Shinsuke Nakamura. Although he may have lost on the night, the match still stands as one of the best in the brand’s history. Incredibly the bout not only established Nakamura as one to watch inside WWE, but solidified Zayn as a contender for the heart and soul of NXT in one go.
Mainstream Underdog
Jumping around the timeline a little, Sami’s introduction to Raw was the aforementioned match against John Cena in a United States Championship Open Challenge. Arguably, to be introduced to the ring by wrestling legend Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, in your hometown, to face one of the greatest of all time can’t be topped for a debut.
An unfortunate shoulder injury played a big part in a losing, but valiant effort to John Cena. A standing ovation and show of respect by the champ was a huge consolation prize for the Canadian. It would establish a foundation that Zayn would continue to build on every year in WWE.
Without capturing a title of his own, Sami enjoyed some headline worthy rivalries for the next few years before finally winning his first piece of silverware at Elimination Chamber in 2020. Teaming up with previous foes, Nakamura and Cesaro, Zayn picked up the pieces to win the Intercontinental Championship from Braun Strowman.
As has always been the case in his career, Sami has never had a simple run to the top. No sooner had his reign begun, than the world shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic. Forced to relinquish the title after not competing, a paranoid Zayn began to unravel and investigate a company-wide conspiracy to keep him down.
This new character development showcased just how incredibly talented Zayn is both in and out of the ring. Capturing the Intercontinental Championship on two more occasions, including an entertaining triple threat ladder match against Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles, Sami began an arc that would lead us to where we are today and dovetail into one of the greatest storylines in wrestling history.
Jackass to Honorary Uce
The comedic chops displayed during his conspiracy theorist phase, led to Sami appointing himself as locker room leader. As such, Zayn did not take kindly to Johnny Knoxville announcing himself into the 2022 Royal Rumble. After eliminating the Jackass star, Zayn would find himself dumped out of the ring soon after and straight into a WrestleMania feud with Knoxville.
Few could have expected just how entertaining the match would be, as those in attendance lapped up every stunt, sold beautifully by the commentary team of a game Michael Cole and Pat McAfee. No-one else on the WWE roster could have taken a bodyslam from Wee Man, kicked in the groin with a fake foot and ultimately pinned in a giant mouse trap. Certainly no one could emerge from that potential car-wreck with the credibility and plaudits that Zayn did.
As WrestleMania season came and went, Sami’s path crossed with Roman Reigns and his dominant Bloodline faction. Made up exclusively of members of the Anoa’i family, Zayn hilariously curried favour with the Tribal Chief himself in an attempt to join the Bloodline. As the weeks went by audiences all over the world lapped up the odd pairing of Zayn and the serious family faction.
A perfect foil for the usually deadpan Usos, Sikoa and Reigns, Sami seemingly tried on any occasion to make the quartet break character and laugh at his catchphrases, accusing Jey Uso in particular of ‘not being very ucey’. What started as comedic relief, soon turned into drama as Roman demanded fealty to The Bloodline.
Proving his loyalty, Zayn not only stopped long term ‘frenemy’ Kevin Owens defeating The Bloodline inside WarGames, but served him up for a sceptical Jey Uso to win. Just as everything appeared to be coming up Sami, Roman began to grow suspicious of Sami’s relationship with Owens.
A perfectly executed storyline including gaslighting, paranoia and betrayal came to a conclusion at the Royal Rumble last month. Forced to watch Owens systematically destroyed by The Bloodline, Zayn could stand it no longer and after one last tirade and belittlement at the hands of the WWE Universal Champion, the Honorary Uce snapped. A monstrous pop echoed around the AlamoDome as Zayn smashed a steel chair over the back of Roman Reigns.
Can Sami Win?
Which leads us to Saturday and a match between The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. Very few within the WWE Universe can even begin to imagine Sami emerging not only victorious but as the company’s champion. That doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of upsetting the odds.
Back in 2004, the late, great Eddie Guerrero pulled a huge upset against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out. The beloved Mexican was given little chance in the last PPV before WrestleMania that year. At WrestleMania 30, Daniel Bryan wrote his name into wrestling folklore by capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match, dubbed ‘the miracle on Bourbon Street’.
Sometimes the underdog does win but this would take an almost Herculean effort from Zayn to get the job done. Roman Reigns is simply on a different level from the majority of contemporary champions the wrestling industry has seen. By the time Elimination Chamber airs, his reign will have surpassed 900 days.
WWE have even begun advertising Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns as the main event of WrestleMania in April already. A sterling promo between Rhodes and Roman’s mouth-piece Paul Heyman stealing the headlines just two weeks ago, poured even more fuel on that particular fire.
But an equally enthralling war of words saw Zayn swing the pendulum of momentum back into his favour challenging Rhodes choice of words the previous week. No matter the result on Saturday night, Zayn deserves every halogen of the spotlight he is currently receiving. From his days on NXT to creating a moment no wrestling fan will ever forget, this is a huge reward for that journey.
Should he falter, Zayn should still find himself in a prominent position on the WrestleMania card in a few week’s time. The odds are heavily stacked against him, but that’s never stopped Sami in the past. In fact he has thrived when the chips are down. With the backing of his hometown, we are about to witness one of the moments in wrestling history no matter what happens. All we can do now, is sit back and enjoy a master of his craft, finally get his flowers on the biggest stage of his career…
Watch Elimination Chamber on the WWE Network this Saturday night or on BT Sports Box Office.