Sami Zayn’s turn at the end of Royal Rumble 2023 captivated the 51,000+ fans in the Alamodome, millions watching worldwide, and the WWE roster and crew.
In the main event, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns retained his title against Kevin Owens, and the Bloodline continued their beatdown post-match.
When Zayn refused to attack his best friend, he instead struck Reigns with a steel chair, and was beaten down by the Bloodline (sans Jey Uso) for his insubordination.
Curtain Sellout
The main event of WWE Royal Rumble 2023 and what transpired after the match has been heralded by many as some of the company’s best storytelling in years.
The segment was also a hit backstage, with Fightful Select reporting that it was a “curtain sellout” with wrestlers and the crew gathering around monitors to see what happened.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan for this angle will see Zayn challenge the Tribal Chief at next month’s WWE Elimination Chamber event, in Sami’s hometown of Montreal.
During this week’s Raw, 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match winner Cody Rhodes confirmed his plans to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39.
Rumble Backstage
After the disaster of last year’s Royal Rumble (which resulted in Shane McMahon being fired) a lot was riding on this year’s event.
Fightful adds that the mood backstage was “very laid back” and that the children of several wrestlers were having fun behind the scenes.
The WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event went a bit over time, as it was scheduled for four hours and lasted four hours and 12 minutes.
