Sami Zayn didn’t win the title, and that’s okay

Sami Zayn came up just short of dethroning the Tribal Chief in front of his hometown crowd. So it goes.

February 20, 2023

Sami Zayn should have won. But he didn’t. And that’s okay.

When Roman Reigns hit the spear and hooked the legs this past Saturday at Elimination Chamber, and the referee recovered from the physicality that had knocked him unconscious many moments prior, we all knew. It was over. We hoped and, somewhere along the way, we believed. But when the ref’s hand smacked the canvas for the third time, reality edged back into frame.

But then something interesting happened. The crowd that was so boisterous all night long, the thousands and thousands of fans that sang and screamed for Sami, that booed and cussed out Roman, didn’t riot. They didn’t hijack the show. They simply fell silent, heartbroken. But they let it go. And that’s the ultimate sign that WWE is in the healthiest space it’s ever found itself in the modern era.

Sami should have won. When myself and some fellow AIPT wrestling writers predicted the results for Elimination Chamber, all three of us penciled in the Tribal Chief to retain. But when I woke up the next morning I had worked myself into a shoot. Sami had to win.

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I listened to podcasts all day leading up to the PLE. I listened while analysts and journalists and fans all voiced the same sentiment: wouldn’t it be cool if Sami won? He won’t, but what if? And by the time Elimination Chamber went on air, I’d made up my mind: Sami was winning.

Wouldn’t it have been a moment? One to live forever. Perhaps the greatest pop in pro wrestling history. The biggest upset of all time, seeing the Underdog From the Underground defeat the greatest champion of all time. It could have happened. It should have happened. But it didn’t. And it’ll be just fine.

In years past, a defeat of this manner of a popular babyface would have spelled certain doom and gloom amongst the fan base. It would have been a clear sign that WWE doesn’t care what you want. Even though this is all fiction, and pro wrestling only works when fans connect with the wrestlers and care about their journey, WWE always felt combative with its fan base and would book to spite them.

Cody Rhodes makes his entrance at WrestleMania 38

Help us, American Nightmare. You’re our only hope. WWE

But times have changed. This isn’t Vince McMahon’s toy box any longer. WWE’s multi-year final boss world champion had two legitimate, popular good guys looking to dethrone him. And while one ultimately came up short, the fans still have the other. It’s not a consolation prize, and the fan base isn’t trying to bend the will of WWE by protesting their favorite into the main event at the expense of the other. Because for the first time in modern WWE history, fans know that WWE’s booking has the best intentions.

Every aspect of this Bloodline story has been told with nuance and care. The pacing has been such that no part of the story was ever undercooked or had overstayed its welcome. We could have gotten more out of Sami being in the good graces with the Bloodline, sure, but look at what this pace got us to: Sami Zayn main eventing in one of the most emotionally-charged matches in recent memory in his hometown.

Perhaps the most important aspect to this multi-year main event storyline is that it’s having a trickle down effect. While WCW was known for having a world-class mid-card and a subpar main event scene, WWE historically put all their eggs in one basket at the top and didn’t seem to care about the development of the wrestlers in the middle or stuck at the bottom. But in this main event story we get not only the booking of the World Champion, but also the care and attention of the tag team division, which has always drew the short straw. And through this trajectory we look to be getting the conclusion of multiple stories in the culmination of the most anticipated tag team championship match in WWE history when the record-breaking Usos will surely defend their belts against Kevin Owens and the main character of this entire thing, Sami Zayn.