Royal Rumble Main Event Angle Drew A Big Response Backstage At WWE

While a lot of wrestlers grew up wrestling fans themselves, it makes sense that experienced professionals wouldn’t necessarily clamor to get their eyes on every match. WWE Superstars in particular would understandably focus more on preparing for or unwinding after their own segments. According to Fightful Select (h/t SEScoops) the post-main event segment from the 2023 Royal Rumble PPV marked a departure from the norm, as talents were all too eager to see how the Bloodline angle with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn played out.

The Locker Room Came Together To Watch The Aftermath Of Roman Reigns Vs. Kevin Owens At WWE Royal Rumble 2023

In the aftermath of the Royal Rumble main event match between champion Roman Reigns and challenger Kevin Owens, The Bloodline decimated KO. The onslaught included repeated super kicks from Jimmy and Jey Uso and a Samoan Spike from Solo Sikoa, while Reigns himself both directed traffic and continued to partake in the violence. The subtext of the moment, of course, came around to Sami Zayn, a long time real life friend of Owens with an on-again, off-again friendship and rivalry between the two in WWE, dating back to NXT. Zayn ultimately stepped between Reigns and Owens when The Tribal Chief was about to deliver a chair shot, only for Reigns to give Zayn the chair to finish off Owens himself.

The Fightful Select report indicated that the post-match theatrics were a “curtain sellout.” In traditional wrestling terms, that would mean the talent flocking together at the curtain dividing the locker room from the entryway to watch what was happening. In today’s context, that would more likely mean gathering at monitors to watch the broadcast for themselves in real time.

The Sami Zayn-Bloodline Angle Deserved Attention

The angle between Sami Zayn and The Bloodline has been one of WWE’s best told stories for some time. It dates back to Zayn somewhat comedically trying to get in with the elite faction, before he was indeed accepted in their ranks, much to the skepticism of Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa in particular. The journey continued into an instant classic War Games match in which Zayn was instrumental in The Bloodline winning, all the way up to Raw XXX in which the “trial” of Zayn threatened to steal the show right from the opening segment.

Related: How Sami Zayn Went From A Generic Wrestler To An Honorary Uce In WWEThings reached a fever pitch with Kevin Owens predictably losing his match to Roman Reigns, but less predictably really forcing Zayn to a decision about his loyalties. After The Bloodline beat down KO, Zayn made his choice, finally standing up for himself and standing against The Tribal Chief’s excesses when he hit him with a chair. Regardless of how much any given WWE talent has seen or how jaded they may be, this was the sort of storyline that was irresistible to anyone with any investment at all in wrestling.

The electricity of Sami Zayn—and perhaps Jey Uso as well—splintering from The Bloodline was remarkable at the Royal Rumble. It will likely only be a preview to the buzz that comes at Elimination Chamber, when Zayn will reportedly face off with Reigns. That match would be must-see wrestling television in any context, but particularly in Zayn’s home province of Quebec, the crowd should be on fire for this encounter.

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