Sami Zayn Is Still The Man To Main Event WWE WrestleMania 39
Ever since Sami Zayn first began interacting with The Bloodline on an episode of "WWE SmackDown" last April, the storyline has steadily built into one of the hottest angles WWE has seen in years. Over the course of its run, Zayn's relationship with The Bloodline has produced some amazing moments, and the story has helped elevate the former "NXT" Champion to new heights within the company.
Leading up to this year's WWE Royal Rumble, Zayn was easily one of the favorites among fans to walk away the victor. With the conflict between himself and Reigns seemingly approaching a boiling point, it would have made perfect sense for Zayn to throw the last man over the top rope and earn himself a spot in the WWE WrestleMania 39 main event. But that didn't happen. Instead, Cody Rhodes made his grand return from injury and won the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble.
Zayn is now set to face Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber, which will take place in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. While there may be an argument to be made for Rhodes to face off against Reigns in the main event come April, Zayn is perfectly positioned as the protagonist to Reign's antagonist, and Zayn should be the one to main event WrestleMania 39 against WWE's final boss.
A Fitting End to a Grand Tale
The fact is, while Rhodes certainly has a reason to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, WrestleMania is the logical stage for the ending of the epic saga that has been brewing between Reigns and Zayn. Year after year, WWE's biggest moments take place on "The Grandest Stage of Them All, and a story that has been crafted with this much care and effort deserves a major platform for its conclusion.
That's because this narrative involving Zayn, Reigns, and the rest of The Bloodline is the one consistently thrilling crowds week after week. It works so well because it shares roots with some of the greatest stories told in human history — it features shades of Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, harkens back to inspiring and enthralling comic book stories, and has even managed to incorporate the career-spanning rivalry between Zayn and perennial frenemy Kevin Owens.
Ever since the start of their "partnership," Reigns has never taken Zayn seriously, and as the ultimate bad guy, Reigns continues to use his family and allies like Zayn as tools to enable him to stay on top. What could be more fitting than one of those allies being the one who finally breaks out from underneath him to topple his historic title run? With Zayn having won over Jey Uso in recent months, it even looks as though the entire Bloodline might collapse with the culmination of this tale.
The Ultimate Underdog
If you were looking for someone to be the face of your company, Rhodes — like Reigns — has just about everything you would want in a wrestler. He's conventionally handsome, has an impressive physique, and knows how to put on a hell of a show in the ring. What both Rhodes and Reigns lack, however, is a sense of relatability. That is exactly what Zayn brings to the table.
There's no denying Zayn has an unreal level of talent, but what sets him apart and has allowed him to build such a strong connection with fans is, along with his prowess for storytelling, his sympathetic nature. Whether he's a babyface fighting against all odds to overcome a seemingly insurmountable challenge or a heel spouting off ridiculous conspiracies that are holding him back, Zayn is, above all else, relatable. He manages to maintain the aura of a superstar while also giving off the vibe that he's someone you could easily sit down and have a grounded conversation with. Combine that with his in-ring intelligence and knack for emotional storytelling, and you have a true star on your hands.
Adding Zayn into the mix at WrestleMania, whether in a triple threat with Reigns and Rhodes or in a singles match against Reigns, would be the perfect culmination of this year-long story, and there's no question that Zayn is — and should be — the man to pull it off.