One of the most emotional defenses of Roman Reigns’ 1,316-day WWE Universal Championship. WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 match against Sami Zayn. Zayn was fighting in front of his hometown crowd in Montreal and they had recently turned on BloodlineHitting Reigns with a chair at the Royal Rumble.
in one episodeInsight with Chris Van VlietZayn described the atmosphere in the building for their championship match, calling it a “slam dunk.” He said that when Reigns won, the fans were just desperate. When asked if he should have won the match, Zayn was torn.
“At that time, I thought that a case should be opened for this,” he said. “But going back to the domino effect, I don’t know… I really don’t. I don’t think it’s funny to say I should have. I think if you were watching at the time, anyone could make that argument. But then again, the timing and Cody were hot at the time too, and they were working on something… say.
He compared the finish of their title match to Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series in 1997. the infamous Montreal Screwjob. Zayn attended as a fan at just 13 years old. He said he’s 95 percent sure everyone in the arena remembers the feeling after his match with Reigns, just like he remembers how he felt after witnessing the Screwjob.
“What a gift to be able to do that,” he said. “Because that’s what we’re really doing, we’re playing with people’s emotions.”
If you use any quotes from this article, credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and credit ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.