We are now over a year removed from Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and the Usos main-eventing night one of WrestleMania 39 in Inglewood, California. However, I remember that chilly Saturday evening like it was yesterday. For those who haven’t visited SoFi Stadium, the venue is open air, so you feel whatever the outside weather is even though there is a roof.
Unfortunately for us visiting Los Angeles for WrestleMania, we ended up with a cold front hitting the city for most of the weekend, making night one a brisk one. The venue is gorgeous, but I’d be lying if I said I still don’t hate that design flaw.
Even with the disappointingly cold wind in the air, the sun shone in the city of angels. A beacon of light touching all of SoFi Stadium with its roof made from (real) glass. Over 65,000 people felt a cool breeze with the sun in their eyes as they prepared for history to be made. Not only would tag team wrestling take center stage at WrestleMania, but a Muslim man would main event for the first time in history.
As someone who is culturally Muslim (meaning my dad’s side of the family is Muslim even though I don’t practice the religion anymore), seeing Sami Zayn represent my culture meant the world to me. I’ve always loved wrestlers like Zayn or Mustafa Ali because of the representation they provide in an industry that hasn’t always been the kindest to us. When I knew Zayn would end up main-eventing WrestleMania, I had to experience it in person.
Getting to witness Zayn win the tag titles in the main event of WrestleMania in person was a great moment, but getting to see it from ringside was even better (shout out to my friend who ended up not using her ticket that night). The atmosphere, emotion, and in-ring storytelling were everything I wanted and more from the match. Nothing will ever top how I felt that cool night in Los Angeles as darkness fell, the shimmering lights of the monstrous stage took over, and Steenerico ended the reign of the Usos.
Flash forward 365 days to April 1, 2024. It’s almost an April Fool’s joke how WWE failed Owens and Zayn over the past year after a top-tier title win. Although both men are in mid-card title matches at WrestleMania 40, the tag team title reign fell short of the mark. The duo had a major title defense in Saudi Arabia against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, but they were left off the card at a few major PLEs. The tag titles took a backseat to the Bloodline civil war story at Money In The Bank, while no tag match happened at SummerSlam. What was once the hottest story in wrestling was pushed down the card and ended abruptly at Payback when Owens and Zayn dropped the titles to The Judgment Day. In October, Kevin Owens was traded to SmackDown for Jey Uso, and Steenerico ended once again. To be fair, this ending was much different than the previous ones. Owens didn’t turn on Zayn for once!
Both men went their separate ways after the WarGames match against Judgment Day. Owens went into a United States Championship feud with Logan Paul, while Zayn went off TV for about two months following a match with Drew McIntyre. Upon returning in the Royal Rumble, Zayn lost. And he lost. And he lost. He found himself in the same situation he had been in before the Bloodline story where he was just losing a ton. Granted, Zayn was an established babyface star with the crowd behind him, but he was back to being the underdog.
However, the underdog role is where Sami Zayn thrives. He’s never been the top guy in WWE. He’s never had the main event singles push that fans have been clamoring for. Even in his main event tag push, the company pushed him to the side for something else. Zayn truly is the ultimate underdog, and he’s focused on that aspect of himself during the WrestleMania 40 build.
After finally getting a win in a gauntlet match on Monday Night RAW, Zayn earned himself a match against GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship at the grandest stage of them all. This isn’t the same Sami Zayn who lost the title in 2022. He’s had the big Mania win. He’s had a few main events, but something is still off.
It’s like none of this happened, which is partially true. Obviously, Zayn did win in the main event of WrestleMania and Night of Champions, but he did it with the help of Kevin Owens. When he was on his own against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber, Zayn lost in his hometown with his wife at ringside. So yes, Zayn has accomplished remarkable things in the past year, but he’s yet to do it on his own.
As Zayn prepares to battle the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history on April 6, his story has been about accomplishing this on his own. Winning a major match without the help of his best friend. Making sure his wife and son don’t cry at ringside. Proving he is one of the best wrestlers in the world by dethroning GUNTHER. Being the ultimate underdog.
This is why people love Sami Zayn, especially me. As a kid who was never popular, having to fight for any spot I wanted, Zayn resonated with me. His never give up attitude and passion for his craft make him one of my favorite wrestlers in the world. Even now, having to win on your own without the help of others is something I’m sure everyone has gone through. Sami Zayn is a worker for the people, and on Saturday, I’ll be pumping my fist rooting for him to get his moment in front of the rabid Philadelphia crowd.
