WWE SmackDown was in full build mode for Clash in Paris, as several stories either gained steam or added new pieces to shake up the eventual match. That was true of feuds like Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill or Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair’s ongoing rivalry with Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice. That said, neither of those had the biggest shakeup, as WWE made an unexpected change and moved one key Superstar from Raw to SmackDown full-time, and it couldn’t have been at a more perfect time.
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Tonight’s WWE SmackDown began with Solo Sikoa and his MFTs jumping in the ring, but soon they were interrupted by Sami Zayn. Zayn got a major reaction from the SmackDown crowd, but he would get an even bigger one when he revealed that he wasn’t just confronting Sikoa in the moment.
Zayn took great pleasure in revealing to Sikoa that not only was he now an official SmackDown superstar, but he was going right after Sikoa’s WWE United States Championship. That drew Sikoa’s ire, and the MFTs came in to attack Zayn accordingly, but Zayn got some help from his former Bloodline teammate Jimmy Uso.
Jimmy ran out and helped Zayn in the ring, but the numbers advantage was still in Sikoa’s favor. That’s when Jacob Fatu hit the ring and ran right past Tala Tonga to collide with Sikoa in the ring. While it took all three superstars, they did finally get Tonga out of the ring and knocked him down to the floor, and Nick Aldis then revealed that he had set up a six-man Tag Team match for the main event of SmackDown that would feature Zayn, Uso, and Fatu against three MFT members.
Why It’s the Perfect Time for a Move
This is a welcome move for Zayn, as he just wrapped up a storyline that never reached its potential due to the departure of Karrion Kross. Zayn won their last match against each other at SummerSlam, which pretty much closed that book on that story even before it was known that Kross wasn’t returning to WWE.
Even before that story, Zayn had already been featured in storylines or feuds with Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker, CM Punk, and Jey Uso. After his story with Kross, it was unclear what he would do next, but there weren’t that many fresh options on Raw to jump to next.
Now that he’s on SmackDown, that changes up considerably. Not only does this story allow him to fit right into an established history with Jimmy Uso, but it also allows him to bring new energy to that history and story with the presence of Jacob Fatu, whom Zayn hasn’t really interacted with when they’ve both been on the same side. While we are still Bloodline adjacent, this still represents something fresh that Zayn can work with and make even better, especially with the United States Title in his crosshairs.
This also means Zayn has a new locker room to work with in regards to potential opponents. Aleister Black, Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre, LA Knight, Randy Orton, R-Truth, Rey Fenix, and Andrade all present intriguing potential feuds for Zayn after this current story is done, and if more call-ups happen over the next few months from NXT, that pool expands even further. It’s a great move for Zayn and will hopefully help his current run find some new (and much-needed) direction.
Who would you like to see Zayn match up with on SmackDown? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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