WWE Opts Not to Go All-in on Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber

The focus for WrestleMania now shifts to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, resulting in a missed opportunity for Zayn and his large fan base.

Sami Zayn made people believe. Right up until Roman Reigns pinned him at Elimination Chamber.

Taking place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Zayn took his hometown of Montreal on one incredible ride. He came exceptionally close on two occasions—once after a Helluva Kick, another after a Blue Thunder Bomb—but Reigns kicked out on the count of two both times. Though it feels like a massive missed opportunity, that was as close as Zayn came to becoming champion.

Reigns ultimately pinned Zayn in an emotional, tense main event. Before the crowd could shift from shocked to furious, Kevin Owens reappeared for the first time since taking a beatdown from The Bloodline at the Royal Rumble. Owens’s return allowed Zayn to get one last Helluva Kick on Reigns after the match, ending the night on a happier note. But it was one that still ended in defeat for Zayn.

Sami Zayn was ultimately defeated in his hometown of Montreal by Roman Reigns on Saturday night despite nearly bringing home the championship / Courtesy WWE

If Zayn and Owens are wrestling The Usos at WrestleMania, then this was an important step in that story. Jimmy Uso stood firmly behind Reigns, but Jey Uso’s loyalties remained divided. It is all part of a magnificent story—while this has not quite reached the highs of Daniel Bryan’s trip to the main event of WrestleMania 30, it has been incredibly well performed.

Yet there was an opportunity to create a spectacular moment for Zayn in front of his home crowd, and the company that prides itself on making lasting memories opted to pass.

Here are the results from Elimination Chamber:

• Asuka won the women’s Elimination Chamber match
• Bobby Lashley defeated Brock Lesnar by disqualification
• Edge and Beth Phoenix defeated Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley
• Austin Theory won the men’s Elimination Chamber match
• Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Sami Zayn

The men’s Elimination Chamber match was fantastic, even if the finish did fall flat with Austin Theory winning. Seth Rollins, Montez Ford, Johnny Gargano, and Bronson Reed all fought to win Theory’s U.S. title. Gargano showed his value in the match, which hasn’t always been the case since the start of his main roster run, and Reed looked phenomenal as an unstoppable monster.

A highlight took place when Ford climbed to the top of the cage, flipped himself around, then dropped onto his competitors. This was the beginning of a significant singles push for Ford. After he was eliminated, he needed to be helped to the back—drawing applause from the crowd—but it also opened the chamber doors, allowing Logan Paul to enter and attack Rollins. This furthers their program for WrestleMania, and adds a new wrinkle if Paul is playing the heel.

Asuka won the women’s Elimination Chamber match, defeating Carmella by submission to end an entertaining bout. It was unlikely that the majority of the field—including Carmella, Nikki Cross, Natalya Neidhart, or Raquel Rodriguez—were winning this match, which narrowed the field to Asuka or Liv Morgan. Asuka has been presented as a dominant force over the past couple weeks, so she makes sense as the winner, and this sets up Asuka challenging Bianca Belair at WrestleMania.

While it appeared to make more sense to have Asuka have a WrestleMania rematch against Charlotte Flair, and match up Rhea Ripley against Belair, this pairing puts WWE in a position to exit WrestleMania with Belair and Ripley as its two women’s champions.

The encounter between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley was short but entertaining. The DQ finish—which saw Lesnar unable to break Lashley’s Hurt Lock, so he kicked with a low blow—was a letdown, but benefited tremendously from the crowd’s electric response to Lesnar erupting after the match, hitting F5s on Lashley inside and out of the ring, as well as on referee Chad Patton. The finish allows the Lesnar-Lashley program to extend to WrestleMania.

There was a rare mistake in the Edge/Beth Phoenix-Finn Balor/Rhea Ripley match. Dom Mysterio knocked out Edge with a pair of brass knuckles, and Phoenix failed to break up the pinfall, not doing so until well after the ref counted to three. To the credit of all involved, they all moved on without issue. Edge ultimately got the winning pin on Balor, which was the only way this could end—Ripley needed to be protected. But the program helped Balor and all of Judgment Day find their footing as legitimate heels.

Elimination Chamber served its purpose, which was to lay the groundwork for WrestleMania. It also effectively removed Zayn from the main event picture, which is an extraordinary risk given his immense popularity. The focus now shifts to Reigns and Cody Rhodes. But it feels like it is missing a critical component without Zayn.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.