After Cody Rhodes won Royal Rumble and cemented his chance to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, the question became how WWE would weave that upcoming showdown into the existing backdrop of Sami Zayn and his personal journey with the Bloodline.
The answer? Quite well so far.
First, Rhodes and Paul Heyman had one heck of an in-ring conversation to ensure the heat was turned up between the American Nightmare and the Tribal Chief, even without Reigns needing to be present. That segment helped sell Cody’s own quest better than anything WWE has done to date.
The follow-up this week on Raw was also effective. This time it was Zayn seeking Rhodes out, asking if he really believed Sami had a chance to knock off Reigns at Elimination Chamber — which would mean Rhodes would face Zayn at WrestleMania instead. Rhodes implored him to “finish your story” in Montreal in what amounted to a fantastic pep talk.
On the surface, that segment should go a long way to ensuring fans find fulfillment in Zayn’s match this Saturday at Elimination Chamber and don’t get too upset that his ultimate moment won’t come at WrestleMania. But what if it did something else?
What if it was setting up a program for Zayn and Rhodes for after WrestleMania?
Props to Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report for explaining why and how this could work, beginning with Zayn appearing on Raw two days after Elimination Chamber following his almost inevitable loss to Reigns in Montreal:
Imagine a scenario where Zayn tells Rhodes to go finish his story at WrestleMania and win the title that has eluded his family, but know that when he does, Zayn will be right there waiting for him.
It is a scenario that allows Zayn to stay present in the title picture while breaking off to go battle whoever cost him the title at Elimination Chamber. Rhodes heads to WrestleMania for his match with Reigns, wins the title, and when he does, WWE has the Zayn program to fall back on.
This is perfect because it checks off so many boxes. Assuming Rhodes dethrones Reigns in Los Angeles, it gives him the most over top contender possible as he begins his stint as world champion. Imagine the reaction Zayn would get from the always hot Raw After WrestleMania crowd.
WWE could turn Rhodes heel — turns are always most effective when done at their peak and Cody is as popular as he’s ever been as a face right now — and give Zayn yet another uphill struggle. Or keep them both fan favorites, because face vs. face programs can be memorable too.
Regardless of the details of a Rhodes vs. Zayn story, WWE has already sown the seeds for it within the framework of its build toward WrestleMania. That’s some good storytelling, but should come as no surprise given how skillfully it’s handled everything around its world championships for months.