Roman Reigns is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania on April 2nd, but his road to the main event wasn’t without its twists and turns.
For months, Sami Zayn had proved loyal to Reigns and The Bloodline, doing their bidding and even costing longtime friend Kevin Owens the win inside WarGames at Survivor Series. However, everything came crashing down following the main event of the 2023 Royal Rumble, which saw Reigns take on Owens in singles action.
While Zayn did everything asked of him during the bout, he snapped when Reigns insisted he hit Owens with a chair after the match. He instead hit Roman Reigns in the back with a chair, severing his ties to The Bloodline for good. Surprisingly, Jey Uso also walked out on the scene, leading to weeks of uncertainty about his own loyalties despite reigning as Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion alongside his brother Jimmy.
Zayn laid out a challenge to Roman Reigns for the Elimination Chamber in Montreal, QC, and the wrestling world united in support of the hometown hero. However, on the night, Reigns proved victorious once more, dashing the hopes of Sami Zayn ending Roman’s record-breaking title reign and walking into WrestleMania as champion. Instead, Zayn and Owens have allied once more and will take on the reunited Usos for tag team gold on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
“Nobody Would Be Able To Be The ‘Honorary Uce’ Other Than Sami Zayn” – Roman Reigns
Speaking in a new interview with ESPN ahead of WrestleMania, Reigns stepped out of character as Tribal Chief to praise his on-screen foe, saying that nobody could have played the role and elicited a reaction better than Zayn.
“I was entertained by him when he did the Jackass stuff and really respected the way he navigated that creative [process]. I believe I can do work of this level with… other guys, they’d just be different. It wouldn’t be the same. It would be a different character, a different angle, a different layer. Nobody would be able to be the ‘Honorary Uce’ other than Sami Zayn. He’s endearing in that way where you want something good for him. Even if he doesn’t deserve it, you still want it for him.”
According to the newly-released schedule for WrestleMania 39, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will take on The Usos on April 1st, while Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will clash in the main event of night two on April 2nd.