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WWE WrestleMania 39 season is almost in full swing and the main event scene is arguably the hottest it has been in years thanks to Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, and Cody Rhodes. Undisputed Universal champion Reigns is having the run of a lifetime, having just surpassed 900 consecutive days holding the Universal Title. In his way stands not one, but TWO extremely popular challengers in Zayn and Rhodes who could potentially dethrone him at long last.
The Underdog From The Underground will step up to the plate first at Elimination Chamber 2023, hoping to do the impossible in his hometown of Montreal. Should he fail, The American Nightmare will be waiting in the wings to storm the Island of Relevancy and end the Tribal Chief's tyrannical reign at the Show of Shows.
The debate over which of these uber-popular babyfaces should dethrone the Head of The Table has raged for weeks, and only intensified after the recent series of masterful promo segments between Rhodes, Zayn, and Paul Heyman.
Let's attempt to settle the debate once and for all by examining the likelihood of each scenario
#3&3. Both: Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn could defeat Roman Reigns as a way of dividing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
The most straightforward way to solve WWE's conundrum would be to book Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn to each take one title off Roman Reigns. This would solve the company's headaches concerning splitting the unified world titles and keeping diehard fans of both Rhodes and Zayn happy. However, this route looks increasingly unlikely to happen since both men are set to challenge Reigns for the Undisputed Title.
It could also be argued that splitting the titles would diminish the moment for one or both challengers. What's for sure is that it would solidify both Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn as main-event babyface stars in WWE.
#2. Sami Zayn: The Montreal Factor
Sami Zayn will step into fire at WWE Elimination Chamber 2023, hoping to slay the dragon that is Roman Reigns. After months of working very hard to gain acceptance in The Bloodline, the former Honorary Uce will find himself on the other side of the ring. Across from him will be neither Solo Sikoa nor an Uso, but none other than the reigning, defending, Undisputed Universal Champion himself, Roman Reigns.
While Zayn will face arguably the biggest heel in the business, he will have one ace up his sleeve: the Montreal crowd. There's little doubt that almost every single person in the Bell Center will be cheering on The Underdog From The Underground and willing him on with all their might. Even if Reigns is booked to win, the vocal crowd could prompt WWE management to change the finish on the fly and have Sami win.
#2. Cody Rhodes: The American Nightmare has more upside as world champion than Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn's storyline with The Bloodline has taken the pro-wrestling world by storm, keeping the entire WWE Universe on the edge of their seats. The faction was revitalized by Zayn's inclusion and gained multiple new dimensions and layers due to his unique relationships with each family member.
Zayn's dethroning of Roman Reigns promises to be an exciting moment on a par with KofiMania and the Miracle on Bourbon Street. However, beyond The Bloodline and eternal frenemy Kevin Owens, it's difficult to get excited about any other potential challengers for Zayn as world champion.
On the flip side, Cody Rhodes has a wide variety of dream opponents as a world champion, ranging from Seth Rollins to Randy Orton to Bobby Lashley to Kevin Owens to Finn Balor and so on. This advantage could be due to Rhodes' six-year absence from the company which freshened his field of opponents, but it is an advantage nonetheless.
As it stands, The American Nightmare seems to have vastly more exciting potential feuds as a world champion than The Master Strategist.
#1. Sami Zayn: The former Honorary Uce has a stronger history with Roman Reigns than Cody Rhodes
As already mentioned, Sami Zayn's run with The Bloodline has been something truly special. Every twist, turn, peak and valley in the tale has had fans extremely invested in the storyline, waiting with bated breath for what comes next. He has established more history with Roman Reigns in a few months than anybody on the roster apart from perhaps Seth Rollins and Jey Uso.
Cody's motivation for unseating Reigns stems from a life-long desire to complete his family's legacy, and thus isn't necessarily tied to The Tribal Chief. Zayn's motivation is not only directly tied to the champion, but also includes the entire Bloodline faction and his best friend, Kevin Owens. So, the former Honorary Uce could get the nod, with The American Nightmare's coronation being pushed back a few months.
#1. Cody Rhodes: The WrestleMania factor
Roman Reigns' historic 900+ day world title reign is the longest WWE has seen in almost 40 years. It has survived up-and-comers, beasts, legends, and everyone in between, dominating the main event scene for close to three years. The man to end it must be special, and the stage at which it ends must be the biggest.
Both Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn fit the description of "special" as shown by the massive fan support behind both of them on the road to WrestleMania 39. Rhodes, though, has the advantage of having punched his ticket to the Showcase of The Immortals. The two-night extravaganza will be a much bigger spectacle than Elimination Chamber, so Roman Reigns being dethroned there will have a much greater impact and significance.
The grand scale of WrestleMania could be the biggest factor in determining who will end Roman's reign (no pun intended).
