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AS EVERYONE CALLS FOR CODY TO END HIS STORY, DON'T FORGET SAMI ZAYN STILL DESERVES TO END HIS

This past month was one of the most memorable, controversial, and impactful months in professional wrestling history. For the sake of this article, I’m going to keep the focus on the storylines and what has been presented to us on television.

After 2 years of build, a controversial segment on Smackdown, interference from a certain member of the Board of Directors, a press conference, a Rock heel turn, and few F-Bombs later…Cody Rhodes is finally set to finish his story at Wrestlemania 40. And while this is without a doubt the most compelling narrative in professional wrestling, there’s another connected story on a parallel path that’s reaching a critical precipice.

The story of Sami Zayn and his relationship with The Bloodline will go down as not only one of the greatest stories ever told in the history of professional wrestling, but also as timestamp, marking the point in history when the wrestling business evolved. Wrestling progressed from the “Vince McMahon” vision of nonchalant, nonsensical, irrational storytelling that had been driving fans away from wrestling for decades, to what everyone reading this knew was possible: honest, captivating, riveting storytelling that could rival the best TV shows and movies around the globe. When I say we, “knew this was possible,” it’s because we had already seen it. Paul Levesque’s NXT product was our first glimpse of what pro wrestling COULD be. They broke records, set new standards, showcased some of the best matches and stories in the business, and created a legacy in a roughly 6-year timespan that will live on in the industry forever.

And the heart and soul of that brand, of that movement, of that revolution…was Sami Zayn.

If you only know Sami from his time on the main roster and didn’t get to see him as the North Star of NXT, (do yourself a favor and watch it on Peacock) words will hardly do his performance and his importance to that brand justice. Sami was NXT’s version of Daniel Bryan. He was the pinnacle of a babyface in professional wrestling, the ultimate underdog, with a fire and passion that mesmerized the entire audience. I’ve been in love with wrestling since 1996, and his match and the story he told with Adrian Neville at NXT’s R-Evolution event, where Sami captured his first NXT Championship, is my favorite match of all time. But I say all this specifically for anyone reading this that only knows him from his time on the main roster in WWE. Until his story with The Bloodline began (a story that he pitched and Roman approved of) many WWE fans didn’t know what Sami was truly capable of. Those of us who wore the Black and Gold of NXT had been waiting eight long years to see Sami finally get his chance.

And when he got it…his ONE “at-bat” on the main roster…he hit a grand slam.

Words like “Tribal Court” and “Feeling Ucey” not only bring up memories for wrestling fans everywhere, but they elicit a genuine, emotional response in people and are now a part of the lexicon of wrestling. The visuals of Sami protecting his brother, Kevin Owens, by hitting Roman Reigns in the back with a chair at the Royal Rumble and Sami standing in the ring in Montreal getting a 5-minute standing ovation from the crowd, are etched into our minds and our hearts. When Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble last year, there was legitimate conversation about who the hotter act was and who was the right person to headline Wrestlemania that year, Sami or Cody? That’s where both of their stories intersected and began to branch off in parallel directions. And even though that spot ultimately went to Cody, Sami had made his mark. In sports, when debating whether a player is Hall of Fame worthy, the question that’s always asked is, “Can you tell the history of the sport without that player?” This storyline and his performances made one thing definitive: You cannot tell the history of professional wrestling now…without Sami Zayn.

For all the greatness that was achieved during this story, the one missing piece for Sami has been winning a World Championship on the main roster. He had the Universal Championship stolen from him by The Bloodline at last year’s Elimination Chamber event, where he had Roman pinned for over 10 seconds, but the referee was incapacitated and couldn’t make the count. He had another opportunity against Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw in November, but Seth managed to get a quick roll up and catch Sami off guard. Sami has made it clear that his goal and focus is becoming a world champion, saying that it’s not only for himself, but that he wants to do it for the fans that have believed in him and stuck by him through all the ups and downs. He said it’s about proving those people right, proving that their faith in him was worth it. This promo aired last Monday on Raw, and gave Sami fans everywhere hope that his moment was on the horizon.

That hope all but evaporated last night, when Sami Zayn was defeated by Randy Orton, losing a spot in the Elimination Chamber match, which could have been his gateway to fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania.

If it’s not clear already, let me state that Sami Zayn is “my guy.” I have connected with his character and his performances, and who he is off camera more than I have with anyone else over the last 20 years. I see a lot of myself in Sami and as a WWE fan, the story that I want to see finished, is Sami Zayn finally winning the Championship.

I, like many of you, was upset with Cody’s “decision” last week on Smackdown. I too felt that Cody choosing Seth was spitting in the face of all the hard work he, Paul Levesque, and everyone else had put into building this story leading into Wrestlemania 40. Sami losing to Randy Orton, just days after that emotional and inspiring message to his fans, feels even worse (to me) than seeing the look on Cody’s face as he looked across the ring at the man who was stealing his story.

Regardless of who Cody faces at Wrestlemania 40, it’s abundantly clear that he will be a/the focal point of WWE moving into the future. He’s only lost 2 matches over the last 2 years and both were due to outside interference, he’s the cover star of the video game, he main events most shows…Cody’s spot and his path is and always has been safe, regardless of whether he “finishes his story” at Wrestelmania 40. The man on the parallel path, Sami Zayn, is in the exact opposite position. Sami seemed primed to win his match against Randy Orton, a veteran and a legend in this industry, and cement that he truly was “THE CONTENDER” as he stated that he was on Raw and on X last week. But instead, he loses yet ANOTHER high-profile match. Sami hasn’t won a match on television since Survivor Series. He has lost to Drew McIntyre, Damien Priest, Seth Rollins and now Randy Orton, making his chance at finally capturing the World Championship looking as far away as it’s ever been. And I believe that loss to Randy Orton was a huge mistake.

Sami MUST start winning matches against main event level talent on a more consistent basis. I understand that they may be trying to continue the “underdog” narrative, but the time for that is over. The time for that should have ended the night he pinned Roman Reigns shoulders to the mat for 10 seconds. Sami Zayn has proven to be an asset, a ratings mover, a merchandise seller, and one of the best babyfaces of this generation. When he says the things he said in the interview on Raw, and then IMMEDIATELY, in his first match after those statements, loses…you begin to cross the line from creating sympathy for the character, to the character losing credibility and trust from the audience. Cody would be facing the same criticism if he ended up choosing Seth Rollins at the press conference on Thursday.

My instincts tell me to trust Paul Levesque and his team, as he hasn’t let me down during his role as the booker, both on WWE and NXT. Paul Levesque was responsible for building Sami the way they did in NXT to begin with. But, it is hard not to question the decision to have Sami lose THIS match in THIS moment, days after that powerful interview on Raw.

The real issue is that we have no idea where this is going. Is Sami destined to be the World Champion and this is just part of the story they’re trying to tell to get us there? Does Sami need to stand up for himself more backstage and “politic” for himself more (which he has stated in prior interviews that he doesn’t do a good job of and doesn’t enjoy doing)?

We could look back on this article after Raw on Monday the same way we look at the Cody/Rock/Roman segment from Smackdown after the press conference. I could very well be worried, frustrated, and disappointed for no reason. I sure hope that’s the case.

But we sit here, a year removed from Elimination Chamber in Montreal and a year removed from Cody’s first Royal Rumble win. Two stories that collided are, as of now, moving in totally opposite directions. Cody has won the Royal Rumble again, and Sami is on the outside looking in. While Cody’s path has been clear and smooth sailing for a long time now, Sami Zayn’s path to finishing his story has been HARD. It’d be easy after all these years to throw in the towel, to succumb to the thoughts that maybe it’s just not in the cards for him. But I will choose to believe, I will choose keep the faith. Because Sami deserves it.

If WWE decides to give Sami his second “at-bat,” I have no doubt that he will knock it out of the park, just like he did the first time. WWE is in the unique position of being able to have two incredibly popular, incredibly beloved babyfaces at the same time, for the first time in decades. Not two babyfaces that half the crowd boos like Cena and Orton, but Rock and Austin level, beloved babyfaces. The time to invest in Sami is now. He deserves to finish HIS story. And what better synergy than to have Sami finish his story the same night Cody finishes his? Cody and Sami, the two men that helped propel WWE into the new heights they currently are enjoying, standing tall at the end of Wrestlemania 40, both as World Champions.

At this point, it seems unlikely. Maybe Sami has to wait until Money in the Bank in Toronto? Who knows. But when the time comes, and I believe it WILL come, it will be so special to so many people. The day Sami Zayn finishes HIS story, will be the day that Sami Zayn stamps his name on the timeline of pro wrestling…for the second time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to e-mail me at TJ.Parsons1@gmail.com for any comments or feedback.

 

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