This past weekend was an interesting test for WWE’s head of creative, Paul Levesque.
The plan for WrestleMania, the company’s biggest show of the year, was for Roman Reigns to hopefully defend his WWE universal championship against Dwayne Johnson, the 50-year-old biggest star of the modern era, or Cody Rhodes, one of the founders of rival All Elite Wrestling. Rhodes left AEW in early 2022 when his contract expired, then showed up in WWE and immediately told a story about how his goal from childhood was to win the WWE championship. He told the story about his father, Dusty Rhodes, never winning the title even though he defeated then champion Superstar Billy Graham via count out in 1977 at Madison Square Garden. Rhodes’s older brother, Dustin (aka Goldust), also never won the championship, so the idea for his title chase was his dream from the first time he saw a photo on his home wall of the ’77 match.
Johnson declined the match, feeling with his many other commitments, including the launch of the XFL, that he didn’t have the time to get into ring shape to do a match of the caliber he wanted. So it was Rhodes put in the spot.
Rhodes had torn a pectoral muscle shortly after his WWE return and needed surgery. While a setback, it was just another thing that could be used to tell the story. The company filmed the surgery, showed clips of it on its television shows. It aired segment after segment showing his rehabbing and getting back in shape to chase his dream, building his return as big as possible for the Royal Rumble three weeks ago.
He won the Rumble to earn the title shot.
While he was out of action, another WWE story line just fell into place at a level higher than any other in years. Reigns and his group, The Bloodline, consisting of his three cousins (brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso and their third brother Solo Sikoa), started an affiliation with Sami Zayn. Zayn begged to be in the group, sometimes saving the group and sometimes screwing up. The final outcome was very clear, but it was done slowly. Zayn and longtime real-life best friend Kevin Owens, who warned Zayn from the start that the group was using him, would reunite after Zayn and Reigns fell out, and get back together. The story is still in progress, as Zayn and The Bloodline fell apart, but he and Owens have yet to get back together. We’re at the stage where fans want it to happen, and for maximum television ratings and drama, the process has been slow.
The story line has had so many stages but really seemed to click when Zayn used the term “Ucey,” from the Uso name, saying that he was or wasn’t feeling a little “Ucey,” and that term just connected. Reigns told Zayn he was an Honorary Uce, but three weeks ago Zayn could no longer take it as The Bloodline gave Owens a terrible beating after Reigns had beaten Owens in the main event at the Royal Rumble to keep his championship.
The turn led to Saturday night in Montreal, the hometown of both Zayn and Owens, and Zayn’s getting a shot at Reigns for the title. Montreal has historically been a great wrestling city for the last 100 or so years, with the unique rich history of French Canadian legends starting with French Olympic gold medalist Henri Deglane, followed by Yvon Robert, Édouard Carpentier, the Rougeau family and Mad Dog Vachon. It’s the same in boxing and MMA. The idea of the locally bred superstar is a part of the city’s rich fight culture.
And it was clear all week Zayn was that guy.
As Elimination Chamber approached, it was clear that Zayn was the most popular wrestler in the industry at this moment. Television ratings on SmackDown were on an upswing, with the biggest numbers of viewers tuning in for segments involving Zayn. Sure, many involved Reigns, the company’s biggest star, but of late, Zayn has carried the show, and numbers have spiked for his segments whether Reigns was there. While returns of big stars can spike ratings for a show or two, the idea of a guy on the show every week moving numbers hasn’t happened in a long time.
Zayn does not have the look of a performer perceived to be able to be such a big deal, and thus has never been slotted as a top-of-the-card headliner or a world champion. Most of his eight-year run on the main roster has been as a comedy mid-level heel, a role he’s played so well that he’s at least gotten consistent television time and was even picked to face and lose to celebrity Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania 38 last year.
There’s no questioning his in-ring talent or his verbal ability, the latter of which has led to his recent ascension. But WWE, as far as who it perceives is the type of person to bring up television ratings or attract the largest amount of customers, Zayn is not who it believes can be that guy—except there are exceptions to those rules, and this was one of them.
When Vince McMahon was in control of creative, he did at times change plans based on somebody’s getting hot. With Daniel Bryan in 2014, and Kofi Kingston and Becky Lynch in ’19, people who were not in the original plans to be in the title picture left WrestleMania as champions. But just as often he didn’t.
On Saturday, it felt like a special night. The crowd was hot for everything. Reigns vs. Zayn as the main event had an atmosphere of an audience hoping for an upset more strongly and more loudly than any in years. One of this generation’s most magical and memorable wrestling moments could have happened with a Zayn win. And the one advantage pro wrestling has over real sports is that, if they sense a magic moment could happen, the only people who could keep them from delivering it are themselves. But it wasn’t to be. The original plan was kept in place. Reigns pinned Zayn in Montreal. The crowd went to silence when the count of three was registered, but there was no ugly reaction. When Owens saved Zayn from a postmatch beating, the crowd came back up. They didn’t leave furious, but they probably did leave unsatisfied with the main-event finish. The story will continue and perhaps Zayn gets that title at some point, but from an emotional standpoint if he does, it won’t match what could have happened if he had done so Saturday.
With Reigns vs. Rhodes as the big match for the two-day event on April 1 and 2, the rest of the show is being filled in.
Officially announced are Charlotte Flair’s defending the SmackDown women’s title against women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley, and Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair’s defending against Elimination Chamber winner Asuka.
Most expect the Usos to defend the tag team titles against Zayn and Owens, although two key items have to play out before it can be announced. Owens and Zayn have to reconcile. The situation where Zayn is still friends with Jey Uso has to play out, as well. A key part of the success of the angle that has propelled Zayn was that Jey Uso never trusted him even when Reigns did, and then after Zayn and Reigns fell apart, Jey Uso walked out on Reigns. He has yet to commit to either side in the split.
Other matches not announced, but either outright confirmed or expected to play out, include Brock Lesnar facing the 7'3" Nigerian giant Omos; Austin Theory defending the United States title against John Cena, who returns in between acting gigs; Bray Wyatt vs. Bobby Lashley; Edge vs. Finn Bálor likely in some sort of a gimmick match; Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins and the long-awaited clash of Rey Mysterio vs. son Dominik Mysterio.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler will also challenge for the women’s tag team titles, against whomever winds up as champion after the Feb. 27 Raw match with champions Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai defending against Becky Lynch and the returning Lita.
