The opening match of WWE Crown Jewel sparked a pertinent question for this week’s “WWE Raw” after Sami Zayn knocked Roman Reigns out with a Helluva Kick. And the question was posited bluntly by Jey Uso Monday night: Did he mean to do it?
Advertisement
Obviously, for us watching the show, it was clear that he hadn’t in fact meant to do it. But you do have to accept that wrestlers have a different depth of perception than thus in kayfabe, it just makes it easier. Within the ‘fabe, however, it was a valid question; after all that Reigns had put Zayn through, a kick in the face probably would have been tempting when he got back in the ring. But as he rightfully pointed out, he didn’t need to come out and be put on trial as he wasn’t the subservient “Honorary Uce” anymore, he already had his trial, his verdict, and still had hoops put in front of him to jump through. He didn’t even need to come out at Crown Jewel, but he said he did so purely out of his love for Jey (Aw!), and he reminded Jimmy that they were the original brothers from another mother, that it was Jey that originally had no love for the outsider, but it was Jimmy that kicked him in the face at last year’s Royal Rumble.
Advertisement
Jimmy gave a blunt response, sarcastically asking if Zayn wanted an apology, and like the caporegime who whacked his soldier Jimmy made it clear it weren’t his call to make. “I’m not the bad guy here,” he snapped, both suggesting Zayn made his bed when he moved on the family and that he was just doing his duty to Reigns. If it were up to Jimmy, clearly, there would be no reconciliation with his former adopted brother, and that’s where his twin brother came in. The one that for so long insisted Zayn wasn’t a member of the family, specifically because he wasn’t blood, pushed back on that ideology and admitted he was wrong, inviting him back to truly hash things out with Reigns on “WWE SmackDown.”
The landscape has completely changed since Zayn’s betrayal of The Bloodline, and he is no longer fighting to ensure the empire fell. It already happened, and Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline rose in its stead. The Usos’ blood brother has already shown that it doesn’t matter the DNA shared, both in his betrayal of Jey, Jimmy, and Roman, and in his own recruitment of outsiders in the Sons of Tonga. It’s time for the core group of The Bloodline, from its strongest era and a time of great cohesion as a family unit, to put pride and ego aside for the sake of survival. And that in itself, combined with what already know about Reigns’ character, is a compelling enough hook for this Friday’s show.
Advertisement
Written by Max Everett