Sami Zayn On Losing To Roman Reigns In Montreal: 'I Feel Strangely Detached'
Sami Zayn experienced a rollercoaster of emotions following his match against Roman Reigns at Saturday's Elimination Chamber in Montreal, Québec, Canada.
On the one hand, Zayn was thrilled to receive a hero's homecoming in what was undoubtedly the biggest match of his career. On the flip side, Zayn did come up short against "The Tribal Chief" in his pursuit of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, an outcome that was widely expected by fans on social media, but not the result 17,000 fans were hoping for at the Bell Centre.
In his post-match press conference, Zayn confessed he was feeling "very strangely detached" since he couldn't deliver "the storybook ending" to his hometown fans.
"I'm feeling very strange, and I can't put my finger on it" Zayn admitted. "It was kind of an unhappy ending tonight. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't affect me. Of course, this [main eventing a PPV in Montreal] is a dream come true... I almost said something inappropriate there. Do you ever have a dream where it's going in a certain direction and you wake up right before? That's kinda what this was.
"It was like a dream, it was surreal, it was everything you could ever want...but the storybook ending obviously has a certain ending to it, and that's now what happened. I can't act like there's a small part of me that wishes I could have given that ending to the people, the story, myself, family, friends, fans, and the city of Montreal."
'I'm well aware of what we did was awesome'
Zayn further elaborated on the silence and disappointment that befell the Bell Centre following his loss to Reigns.
"Looking into the crowd after the three count, just seeing their faces, I was like, 'This is not fun.' They were so hurt, so deflated, but not in a storyline sense. Georges St-Pierre was in the crowd, and it was almost kismet that he was, because this guy to me was the benchmark of a Montreal athlete. I still don't know if anyone is comparable to him.
"In a weird way, the vibe going into this week was of a big fight feel like GSP was fighting in Montreal," Zayn continued. "They were chanting 'Olé' and 'FU Roman' throughout, there was just a buzz. It was like GSP coming back to Montreal and losing, it was a downer — even if the fight was great, which it was."
Zayn added, "On a cognitive level, I'm well aware of what we did was awesome. If I go back and watch, I'd probably ask myself why I'm bummed. We created magic without even touching for like five minutes, and they were on their feet throughout! But at this exact moment, I feel strange. I may have a different answer for you tomorrow."
The events at the end of Elimination Chamber seemed to hint at Kevin Owens and Sami reuniting in their fight against The Bloodline, with a possible match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. However, Jey Uso – the only member of The Bloodline who did not attack Zayn at the Royal Rumble — remains conflicted about his loyalty and was slapped around by Reigns during the closing stages of Saturday night's match. As such, there are unwritten chapters in the Bloodline saga as we approach the Showcase of Immortals in April.