The stakes were never higher for Sami Zayn this past weekend as he did his best to dethrone the long-time Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. In the end though, Zayn’s quest for glory, and gold, left him empty handed.
As Zayn revved up for Elimination Chamber, he admitted he didn’t know if he could beat “The Tribal Chief.” Despite his own doubts, though, support for Zayn continued to grow, not only from the WWE Universe, but from Cody Rhodes, and those behind-the-scenes as well.
As reported by Wrestling Observer Radio, some higher-ups in the company lobbied for Zayn to pull off a grand triumph over Roman Reigns at the February 18 premium live event. Though the identities of those pushing the agenda weren’t revealed, the possibility of Zayn winning appeared to be actively discussed.
Close, But No Cigar
Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Zayn pieced together a valiant effort to combat Roman Reigns. At one point, Zayn stunned the champion by blocking a Superman Punch with an exploder. Later on, Zayn kicked out of a vicious spear — a feat rarely seen in Reign’s opponents.
Zayn’s hopes soon came crashing down, though, as Jimmy Uso appeared, delivering a superkick and a splash as the referee laid knocked out to the side. The second referee wouldn’t fair much luck either, as Reigns inadvertently struck him with a punch, paving the way for Jey Uso to make his appearance. As Jey hesitated to wield a chair on Sami, Reigns dodged an incoming spear from the former “Honorary Uce,” leaving Jey in Zayn’s path.
After accidently nailing his only ally left in The Bloodline, Zayn’s fate was sealed. The final blows came at the hands of Roman Reigns, who unloaded a series of chair spots and another spear to lay Zayn’s dreams to rest, and retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
