4 Reasons why Sami Zayn should win at WrestleMania 40
Sami Zayn earned the right to face Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 40. The Ultimate Underdog survived a six-person Gauntlet Match to earn his spot opposite The Ring General in Philadelphia.
With the win, Zayn earns a prominent spot at WrestleMania for the second year in a row. Last year, he joined Kevin Owens in challenging The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles. It marked the first time in WWE history that the tag titles main-evented a night of 'Mania.
WrestleMania 40 is weeks away, and Gunther's reign is extended with each passing day. Can Sami Zayn be the one to finally dethrone the dominant Ring General?
He should win at WrestleMania 40 for the next four reasons.
#4. It creates a new dynamic with the title challengers
Gunther has held the Intercontinental Championship for over 600 days. During that reign, he's wrestled both faces and heels. He's battled Bronson Reed and Dominik Mysterio when he hasn't tussled with Chad Gable, The Miz, Tommaso Ciampa, or other faces of RAW.
A win at WrestleMania 40 for Sami Zayn resets the deck of challengers for RAW. He can face heel challengers like Ivar, Reed, Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and others.
He could opt for open challenges or battle faces like Andrade, Ciampa, and Johnny Gargano. Zayn may also give Jey Uso a shot since he was cheated or offer another shot to Chad Gable after they were respectful of each other after the gauntlet.
#3. A win pays him back for his past three years of selfless work
Few performers can juggle what Sami Zayn has done over the last three years. In 2022, he battled a celebrity, Johnny Knoxville, in a match that turned out to be one big Looney Tunes cartoon. It was a comedic journey that also included many of Knoxville's friends from his TV show.
Only the most trusted stars can work with people who are relative novices to the wrestling ring. In addition, Zayn's work in The Bloodline made the story much more emotional and gripping as he helped Jey Uso find his footing.
It's nice to see stars get paid back with a title run or meaningful win when they are willing to put others over so much. That would be the case if Zayn is victorious at WrestleMania 40.
#2. A WrestleMania 40 win is a cathartic end to his recent storyline
Since WarGames, Zayn has been on the losing end of most of his matches. That losing streak plagued the former Intercontinental Champ after falling to Drew McIntyre, Shinsuke Nakamura, Seth Rollins, and others.
Jackie Redmond interviewed Zayn about those losses, and he felt he was letting everyone down. It was contrary to how he and Kevin Owens were riding high after defeating The Usos in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 39.
His doubt snowballed after each match, but his confidence started to grow once he defeated Nakamura. Zayn sought a path to WrestleMania 40, no matter how hard it may be. He won the gauntlet, and a victory in Philadelphia would be a cathartic ending to his recent story.
#1. Gunther could move up to the main event
With a win at WrestleMania 40, Sami Zayn gets to operate as the work-rate mid-card Champ of WWE. Beating the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time would give Zayn clout since he did what many stars were unable to do.
Beating Gunther would also allow The Ring General to move up to the main event scene. He's already one of the top heels on RAW, but eventually winning the World Heavyweight title would make him the top heel on RAW.
His booking trajectory over the last two years should end with a major title. He set the record for time spent in a Royal Rumble in 2023 and has been one of the most dominant stars of all time. Those accolades were done for when he enters the main-event slot of RAW or SmackDown.