WWE is in a tough spot with WrestleMania 39 less than two months away.
Those who see the glass as half-full probably are thrilled with how chief content officer Paul Levesque (aka Triple H), among others, has balanced Sami Zayn’s involvement in the white-hot Bloodline angle with Cody Rhodes’ impending main-event title shot after winning the men’s Royal Rumble match. There’s intrigue surrounding both storylines, spanning Monday night “RAW” and Friday night “SmackDown,” and interest in the upcoming Elimination Chamber premium live event in Montreal is through the roof.
Those who see the glass as half-empty, however, might wonder whether we’re now at risk of getting a watered-down payoff to the best wrestling plot in years. Zayn finally turning on Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble resulted in a crowd pop for the ages, with Jey Uso’s disapproval of the Bloodline’s subsequent attack on the former Honorary Uce adding another fascinating wrinkle. Yet, with Rhodes positioned to face Reigns at WrestleMania, and Paul Heyman already trading barbs with the American Nightmare, it feels like WWE is trying to have its cake and eat it, too.
How are we, as fans, supposed to believe Zayn can beat Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber next Saturday when they’re already teasing the Tribal Chief’s title defense against Rhodes?
And frankly, if this all culminates with Zayn and Kevin Owens joining forces to face The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania, as some have suggested, that feels somewhat underwhelming relative to how truly entertaining, articulate and well-paced the Bloodline angle has been.
Basically, WWE’s juggling act ultimately might hurt both storylines — Zayn’s and Rhodes’ — unless Levesque and company expertly thread the needle in the coming weeks.
Jey Uso, the lone member of the Bloodline who didn’t turn on Zayn at the Royal Rumble, could be the key to the whole operation. Because while he returned to “SmackDown” on Friday night to defend the tag team belts alongside his brother, Jimmy, he also had a backstage interaction with Zayn, who told him, “I acknowledge you.” It’s hard to imagine this sitting well with Reigns, and a potential falling-out between The Usos and the Head of the Table preserves some level of unpredictability in what has become an increasingly predictable path forward for WWE thanks to Rhodes being thrust into the spotlight.
This isn’t necessarily a knock on Rhodes, whom WWE clearly views as the guy in waiting. He’s definitely over with the WWE Universe — for now — so maybe this conversation proves moot when he inevitably has his ‘Mania moment at SoFi Stadium. But the entire dynamic is starting to fill a bit rushed, especially in contrast to the slow burn that has made the Bloodline narrative so perfect to this point.
All told, what happens after WrestleMania 39 will be just as important when assessing whether WWE knocked it out of the park or swung and missed badly with its handling of Zayn, Rhodes and the Bloodline. Plus, admittedly, this “problem” beats the alternative of not having anyone to oppose Reigns — an issue WWE has dealt with before — and that alone is reason to be optimistic.
Cautiously optimistic, of course, with a wide range of outcomes — good and bad — very much in play.
