It’s safe to say that we all agree on the fact that since Sami Zayn turned heel in 2017, his main roster career has been far from stellar. Zayn aligned himself with then-best-friend Kevin Owens as part of his developing feud with Shane McMahon, he then went on to compete alongside KO in a tag match against the SmackDown GM and the returning Daniel Bryan. After that semi-decent storyline came to a natural conclusion, things immediately took a turn for the worse for the former NXT Champion.
Zayn began to find himself involved in petty squabbles with the likes of Bobby Lashley, where he would overplay the more pesky and annoying character traits of his and goad Lashley by insulting his sisters. What a vile human being. Unfortunately, Sami suffered an injury shortly after being battered from pillar to post by ‘The All Mighty’. Zayn was kept on the shelf for ten months, missing WrestleMania season.
‘The Underdog from the Underground’ made his return just after last year’s ‘Mania, competing in a match with then IC Champion, Finn Balor. Zayn took to the microphone after the match to reintroduce the welcoming crowd to his anti-fan attitude, berating them on a weekly basis from then on. Zayn continued to run with this ‘toxicity’ gimmick throughout feuds with Braun Strowman, Cedric Alexander and The New Day. Though as the year progressed, Sami’s singles record wasn’t exactly something for him to be proud of, having lost sixteen of his seventeen matches.
On the 20th of August, Zayn began his transition into a managerial role on SmackDown Live, accompanying ‘The King of Strong Style’ Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring for the first time as part of an episode of MizTV. Zayn would act as the champs mouthpiece as he competed against Miz and then Braun Strowman later on. Along the way, Zayn would pick up ‘The Swiss Cyborg’ Cesaro and employ his services for the stable now known as ‘The Artist Collective’.
Some might consider this to have been a massive step down for one of the best technical wrestlers in WWE today. For a competitor who has put on several MOTY candidates in the past to be stepping away from in-ring competition this soon in their career, it begs the question as to whether they’re in the right company. Zayn’s not exactly a difficult character to write a programme for, whether he’s a valiant babyface or a dastardly heel, it’s easy to pair Zayn up with another superstar that could bounce off of his natural ability to string together an incredible match.
Regardless, Zayn has really come into his own as a heel manager, and even though it’s taken quite some time to get to this point, I’m really enjoying ‘The Artist Collective’, now that they once again have the Intercontinental Championship in their grasp.
Sami Zayn defeated Braun Strowman in the three-on-one handicap match at Elimination Chamber, capturing his very first singles title on the main roster. Without a doubt, Sami has done more than enough to deserve this run, even if it is a short-lived stint with the sole purpose of making Strowman look like a total beast when he eventually gets his hands on Zayn. Sami has put on countless classics under the WWE umbrella, need we mention the 5* bouts with Neville, Nakamura and Owens. When featured, his character work has been a staple of WWE programming and he could easily carry the mid-card scene if given the ball.
Now’s the time for him to bounce back and prove me right.
I argue that this victory shouldn’t be a short run, in fact it should be the start of a very long ploy to reinstate Zayn as a key player on the main roster. His time in NXT proved that a brand can be built around him, and in the current state, WWE needs someone that the fans can genuinely connect with and rally behind. Zayn took to Twitter to thank the WWE Universe for their overwhelming support since winning the IC title, a strangely out-of-character sentiment from a humble champion. You simply can’t hate the guy, especially after finding out how much this win meant to him as a performer.
Zayn should carry the Intercontinental Championship throughout WrestleMania season (providing it goes ahead) and successfully defend it against the insurmountable challenger, Braun Strowman. Going with the classic underdog vibe, it would be an effective double-turn, making Zayn the resilient babyface once again in the uphill struggle against WWE’s monsters. Sami could carry on utilising his ‘liberator’ gimmick by issuing open challenges to other members of the main roster who consider themselves underutilised.
Similar to John Cena’s iconic US title run in 2015, this could open up a whole new wave of incredible matches in WWE, giving opportunities to all sorts of talent looking for a chance to get some mainstream exposure. Zayn could travel all over the world, putting the spotlight on new faces and getting the very best out of them. I’m thinking names like Ali, Elias, Apollo Crews and Shorty G could easily benefit from 15 minutes in the ring with a ring general like Sami Zayn.
As a trio, ‘The Artist Collective’ are three of the most impressive and underutilised talent on the WWE roster today. Allowing them to hold down the mid-card scene on SmackDown Live would go a long way in proving to the casual fans and officials backstage that they are worthy of the screen-time they’re now being awarded. Zayn could spearhead a new movement for not just him, Nak and Cesaro, but for other talents not being given the opportunities they should be getting; looking at you Ricochet and Cedric Alexander.
On the whole, Sami Zayn’s career could potentially do an about face, bouncing back from the booking cesspit he was slowly falling into with the pitiful Bobby Lashley storyline and constant losses. WWE have done right by Sami by gifting him the IC title, albeit through slightly cheap means. As a heel manager, he’s done a fantastic job, it’s time for him to take that to the next step and prove to the WWE Universe that he belongs in the spotlight with a singles title around his waist.
Do you think Sami Zayn will hold onto the Intercontinental Championship for long? Who would you like to see him face after Braun Strowman? Let us know in the comments section below.
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