The WWE held its Elimination Chamber pay-per-view live in Montréal, Québec, and fans turned out in droves to see hometown hero Sami Zayn challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal undisputed championship. Zayn put up a great fight, but at the end of the day, he was up against the "Head of the Table" and fell just short of defeating the champ. Fans can only wait and see what's next for Zayn following the loss, but Triple H offered some encouraging words after the fight by comparing him to a former superstar, so one can only assume the athlete's future will remain bright.
WWE's current head of creative, Triple H, shared his thoughts about WWE's Elimination Chamber during the post-show press conference, and had nothing but praise on display for every wrestler competing on the fight card. He was especially high on Sami Zayn, and likened him to the iconic hardcore wrestling superstar and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley:
I really can’t say enough about Sami Zayn. Just a really special performer that in some ways—not in all ways—but in some ways reminds me so much of like a Mick Foley in his connection to a crowd. One minute he’ll make you laugh the next minute you can have some much sympathy for him. He connects on such an emotional level that I think it’s hard to put into words and it makes it really special—just an amazing, amazing performer.
Sami Zayn isn't Mick Foley, of course, and there likely won't ever be anyone who perfectly fills that Mankind-shaped void, but to be compared to the WWE Legend by Triple H is a seemingly positive sign for his career, especially following a non-victorious outing. Foley was a 3-time WWE champion, an 8-time tag-team champion and, among other things, one of the most recognizable names of the Attitude Era of wrestling. (And not just his name, either, considering Cactus Jack and Dude Love were also some of his oft-used personas.)
Foley was unquestionably one of the most versatile character wrestlers of his era, and is someone who can still bring fans to their feet, so likening Zayn's crowd work to Foley's is a massive compliment. Especially considering Zayn hasn't donned multiple characters throughout his WWE career, and has stayed more or less the same.
Triple H's praise could be seen as an indicator of where things are headed for Sami Zayn, as some supporters might be upset Zayn didn't get a chance to headline WrestleMania to conclude the "Honorary Uce" storyline. Mick Foley was a part of two unforgettable WrestleMania main events on top of many other iconic matches during his run, but wasn't necessarily always utilized for the biggest marquee matches. So even if the Canadian athlete isn't involved in this year's Mania, there's still a shot of it happening down the road.
The only thing I would potentially view as concerning as a Sami Zayn fan is that Triple H's comments point to a belief that Zayn's crowd work makes his role in the WWE malleable in terms of what he's doing. In short, if anyone thought his days of getting caught in a giant mousetrap while fighting the Jackass crew were far behind him, that may not be the case after all. Not every wrestler gets to be Roman Reigns and hold a title for three years without taking a pin.
The good news is that even if Sami Zayn returns to more comedic angles, there are people within the WWE that still see him as a main event performer and are in positions to grant him that opportunity. We also still have no idea what Zayn will be doing at WrestleMania 39 at the moment, so it's possible he'll be getting another big opportunity that will further solidify his place toward the top of the roster when it comes to booking future upcoming WWE events.
Anyone who missed WWE's Elimination Chamber can watch a replay right now if they have a Peacock Premium subscription. Now would be the time to subscribe, too, since we're just a short while away from WrestleMania 39 and all the fun that comes along with it.
