“THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE AMERICAN DREAM”
On a real life, human level, fans can relate to Cody Rhodes. Rhodes’ story is centered around making his long lost father proud. A legend in the business, but Dusty Rhodes was never able to win “the big one”. The WWE World Heavyweight Title.
We’ve all lost an elder in our lives. Whether it be a parent, grandparent, an aunt or uncle, but we all can relate to that experience, and how we desperately want to make them proud and accomplish what they set out for us.
Rhodes wants to uphold his family legacy. He wants to deliver a championship to his family, so that he can go home to his wife and daughter with the title and never make them wonder why he couldn’t make it to the top. Even if they never would, Rhodes would live with it forever.
As for Zayn, on a basic human level we can relate to his struggle.
Sami Zayn just wanted to be accepted. He was a lone wolf on Smackdown. He had alienated the entire roster with his conspiracy theories and claims to be the “locker room leader”. His longtime frenemy Kevin Owens tried to steer him straight but gave up on Zayn’s crazy theories a long time ago.
Eventually, Sami tried to hang out with the cool kids. The Bloodline. He figures hey, if I can get in with the Bloodline, people on Smackdown will HAVE to respect me.
And since that time, Sami has become the most lovable and over wrestler on Planet Earth. He has defended the Bloodline time and time again.
Rhodes had an electric debit at Wrestlemania, put on a classic 3 matches with Seth Rollins. But before his last one, a Hell in a Cell match, he tore his pectoral muscle.
He still wrestled the match. He won.
And with an injury of that magnitude, we knew he would be gone for months. But it was almost perfect, poetic timing. Because his recovery would line up perfectly to return at the Royal Rumble, win and continue his seamless story to the top of the company.
But the thing about injuries is you’re off TV for a while. And fans need another crazy over babyface act to cheer for.
Insert the honorary uce, Sami Zayn. Zayn went so far to turn the knife one last time against his friend Owens inside WarGames, stopping him from defeating Roman Reigns and delivering the final blows. We thought Sami would be a made man.
He was not. They had a trial. Roman said he was safe… for now.
And then came the Rumble.
Cody won.
The fans, in a way, wanted Sami but they also were DEAFINING for Cody on both Saturday and his return to Monday Night Raw.
And it was made clear before the show his focus would solely be on helping Roman prepare for the main event. But Cody earned it, even though he came in at 30. He went through hell with Gunther and claimed his place in the Wrestlemania main event.
Roman Reigns defeated Kevin Owens in the main event, even though Owens “won” multiple times with the ref knocked out.
The Bloodline handcuffed Owens and beat him to a pulp until Zayn stepped in and saved his old friend from the Tribal Chief. Roman handed him the chair and told him to take care of Owens.
And then.. a wrestling moment we will remember FOREVER.
You have to go back to Peacock and watch this over again to fully understand the gravity of the moment. Everyone involved in this beat down deserves the highest praise.
Owens laying lifeless, but aware of what’s going on around him.
Roman Reigns, a tyrant who sees his empire slipping away from him. He orchestrated the beat down of Owens. Handcuffed him to the ropes. But before he can deliver the final blow to Owens. Zayn stepped in. Roman handed him the chair. The choice is yours now, Sami. And turns his back.
Zayn, turmoil in his expression, knowing that the decision he needed to make would alter his life forever. Ending any chance of salvaging lifelong friendship with Owens or ending any chance he had of becoming a true member of the Bloodline. He chose friendship. In this moment, he paid.
Jimmy Uso, realizing that he loved Sami before but that he had been betrayed.
Paul Heyman looking way too comfortable the entire time.
Solo Sikoa being loyal to Roman no matter what is asked.
And Jey Uso, suffering from a form of PTSD watching the abuse of Sami, just like he suffered from Roman through the last two years. He’s been in line and things have gone well. But before that, Roman tortured Jey. And in this moment, Jey realizes the problem has always been Roman. He leaves his family in the ring.
Roman is incredulous, but you can also see he’s scared. The Tribal Chief is scared? Everything is slipping from him. He has been DOMINANT over the last two years. He’s been ruthless. How aggressive will Reigns be with his back against the wall?
So where do we go from here?
The people love Cody Rhodes. The people love Sami Zayn.
The Rhodes story is a ready-made Wrestlemania main event. The problem is, they have outdone the ready-made story with a beautiful, organic one.
What a great problem to have.
Eventually, it became obvious at a point before the weekend that it would be Cody.
Then the Rumble started the show first. And we were told before the show, Zayn wouldn’t be in it.
Cody came out at 30, essentially beginning his two month long coronation.
And for Zayn? Well the next premium live event “Elimination Chamber” takes place in his hometown of Montreal. Seems like a natural place for Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns to settle some beef.
But while Zayn’s career has always been defined by his rivalry/friendship with Kevin Owens, he could also end up the defining rival of Roman Reigns.
There are certain wrestling rivalries that have defined generations of fans. Hogan-Andre. Flair-Steamboat. Rock-Austin. HBK-Bret Hart.
For fans in the 2000’s, I don’t know if we’ve had a defining rivalry to reach those levels.
Undertaker and Shawn Michaels/Triple H’s Wrestlemania rivalry comes close.
CM Punk and John Cena had a chance, but Punk was not long for the company. Or the entire business for that matter.
Daniel Bryan’s rivalry was with “The Authority” which really just meant Vince McMahon, so it doesn’t count.
Some combination of Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns should have been. And while Rollins has had classic matches with both individually, the real spark was with Ambrose who is obviously now Jon Moxley in AEW.
Rollins and Reigns were mostly kept apart. Their last singles match was at the Royal Rumble and ended in a DQ, but was shaping up to be a classic beforehand.
When you look beyond WWE, you can find rivalries that have defined hardcore wrestling fans’ experience of the 2000’s and one of those is Kevin Steen/Owens and Sami Zayn/El Generico.
That rivalry and relationship has evolved from Ring of Honor, to NXT where Owens debuted and immediately laid out Zayn. They fought for the title at the next NXT Takeover event, one of many battles they have had since.
Now, their relationship is a major cog in the best wrestling story of this generation. But their friendship is really what has mattered to this story, not their rivalry. Even though they are pitted against each other, the real rivalry now is Zayn and Reigns.
Reigns, while beating Zayn down and after Jey Uso walked out, told him that he broke his family. That it was all his fault.
We didn’t get an update on the Bloodline on Monday Night. That’ll have to wait until Friday Night for Smackdown.
For Cody Rhodes? He re-assumed his position as the protagonist of Monday Nights. Opening the show with an incredible promo, setting up a dream match with Finn Balor for the main event and beefing with Judgement Day and closing the show putting on a BANGER with Balor.
Whatever happens between now and Elimination Chamber, where their presumed match will take place, is must-watch television for every wrestling fan.
We have been pining for a generation-defining rivalry in WWE and Zayn-Reigns has the chance to be that.
If the current Mania plans are truly Usos/KO and Zayn and Reigns/Rhodes, then in my belief, the match between Reigns and Zayn will only be the first of a potential epic series and rivalry.
And that is where this becomes so interesting when we start talking about legacies.
Cody’s WHOLE thing is about his legacy. He wants to win the title for his family’s legacy. And he likely will. And it’ll be a Wrestlemania moment that all of us will cherish and remember forever.
But after that… what happens to Roman?
I assume, with his lighter schedule, he disappears for a while. Maybe he is desperate to get his title back from Rhodes. But who knows what the state of the Bloodline is at this point?
So I imagine the Tribal Chief will return to the Island of Relevancy to lick his wounds for a while and re-strategize.
And who’s to blame? That rascal Sami Zayn.
I’m getting ahead of myself a bit, but I see the vision. Cody Rhodes will get his legacy-defining moment. He will dethrone the greatest champion in WWE history clean and will have earned it.
And after that, Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns could have a rivalry that we remember forever.
And who wins? Wrestling fans. This is some good shit!