The last time the planet’s number one wrestling promotion had such hype heading into a major event was the Money in the Bank pay-per-view back in 2011.
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On February 18th, WWE had a main event on their hands with the kind of anticipation we hadn’t seen in over a decade. The last time the planet’s number one wrestling promotion had such hype heading into a major event was the Money in the Bank pay-per-view back in 2011, where CM Punk faced John Cena – the undisputed face of the company – for the WWE Championship. That contest took place in Chicago, Punk’s home town, just as this battle would take place in Sami Zayn’s.
Since joining Roman Reigns’ Bloodline faction some nine months ago, Sami Zayn has become the WWE’s newest breakout star. He would finally be accepted by Reigns and his brethren – namely Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sakoa – following Survivor Series which took place back in November. However, two months down the line, the Monreal native couldn’t take Reigns’ abusive ways any more and struck down the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion with a steel chair.
That action was met with a thunderous roar, and while Reigns and co. would beatdown Zayn following the chair shot, it was clear that the pair were on a collision course, and it would just so happen to take place in Montreal. Zayn’s beloved Canadiens have been struggling in the world of Ice Hockey this season. Hence, based on NHL odds, they’re distinct outsiders for the Stanley Cup this season. The challenger for the title held that same underdog going into Saturday’s Elimination Chamber event, but the fans dared to dream.
Heading into Zayn’s first Undisputed WWE Universal Title tilt, no one expected him to come out victorious. It has been clear for months that Roman Reigns was on a collision course with Cody Rhodes, with the pair set to meet in the main event of WrestleMania. But on the evening prior to the Elimination Chamber, Zayn was on the receiving end of a raucous reception from his home faithful.
WWE hasn’t had a star as over as the former Honourary Uce since Daniel Bryan some nine years. Fans willed the World’s Toughest Vegan into the main event at WrestleMania 30, and following this reception on Friday Night SmackDown, many thought that the same thing could happen with Zayn. But his opponent, Roman Reigns, is undoubtedly the biggest in professional wrestling today.
The Pensacola, Florida native has held the Universal Championship for over 900 days and he hasn’t been pinned or submitted since December 2019. He added the WWE Championship to his collection at WrestleMania last year when he defeated Brock Lesnar, and he has looked invincible ever since. Fans knew that the chances of Reigns dropping the unified championship on a B-level show six weeks prior to the biggest show of the year were slim to none.
Fans dared to dream. But those hopes were extinguished following an hour-long masterpiece.
From the promotional video package prior to the contest getting underway right through to the show’s end, Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns were front and centre. The champion unexpectedly came to the ring first, allowing his challenger to milk the crowd.
Once the bell sounded, the pair didn’t lay hands on each other for five minutes as they basked under a crescendo of noise from the Montreal natives in attendance. Once the pair did begin to battle, the champion asserted his dominance. He would batter his underdog challenger from pillar to post, trash-talking his family, friends and wife – who were all sat in the front row – in the process.
Zayn would eventually begin to rally, and following a number of near falls, both fans in the Bell Centre and watching around the world on the WWE Network began to dream. But when not one but two referees were knocked out, it became clear that it would be Reigns that picked up the victory.
Jey Uso – the member of the Bloodline that took the longest to accept Zayn into the family – would stop Reigns from bludgeoning the challenger with a steel chair. The champion then passed the chair to Uso, and it looked for all the world that the former Right-Hand Man would strike down his older cousin and pave the way for a shocking Zayn victory. Instead, the challenger accidentally laid out Uso with a spear, leaving Reigns to finally hammer away with the chair, before hitting a spear of his own and securing the victory.
When the referee finally counted to three, you could hear a pin drop inside the Bell Centre. There were no boos, no gasps, no cheers… simply silence and collective heartbreak.
The vast majority of wrestling fans out there understand that Zayn winning the championship six weeks before WrestleMania wouldn’t make sense. They understand that Reigns’ 900+ day title reign isn’t going to end on a stage other than the Grandest Stage of Them All, and they also understand that hell would freeze over before Roman Reigns doesn’t main event WrestleMania. But by the same token, they, and we, simply don’t care.
WWE dropped the ball here. They had the opportunity to provide a moment that would have lived on in wrestling history as one of the greatest moments of all time. Instead, they refused to deviate from their plans, and now they must hope that fans don’t turn on number one contender Cody Rhodes as a result.
