Sami Zayn has reflected on whether WWE made the right decision by having Roman Reigns defeat him at Elimination Chamber 2023, admitting there was a strong argument for a belt change in Montreal. The reigning Undisputed WWE Reigning champion in addition revisited his memorable The showcase of the immortals showdown against Johnny Knoxville and the famous “Feeling Ucey” segment involving The Bloodline.
Zayn was asked whether he believes he should have defeated Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Belt in his hometown of Montreal — during a fresh appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. On a related note, the showdown took place during the height of Zayn’s popularity following his departure from The Bloodline, with the Canadian attendees firmly behind him.
Although Reigns ultimately retained the championship, Zayn acknowledged that WWE could have justified a different outcome given the momentum surrounding his character at the time.
“At the time, I thought there was a case to be made for it, still going back to the domino effect thing, I don’t know. I really don’t know. I don’t think it’s ludicrous to say I should have. Equally important, i think anybody could have made that argument.”, if you were watching at that time.
Zayn what's more recognized that Cody Rhodes was experiencing tremendous popularity during the same period, with WWE building toward a larger strap storyline. Making it difficult to determine whether a victory over Reigns would ultimately have been the better decision, he hinted at that changing the outcome in Montreal could have affected the direction of several major stories.
“Although the situation was just, again, timing, and Cody was what's more red hot at that time, and they were building to something. Then it leads to Cody the next year, and then it’s more gratifying. To add further context, whatever it is, just yeah, I don’t know. Could, should, would- would it have worked? I think so.. Meanwhile, But who’s to say?”
Elsewhere in the interview, Zayn discussed his Anything Goes Showdown against Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania 38, which featured several elaborate stunts. Unconventional weapons inspired by Knoxville’s work with Jackass. While the encounter is often remembered for its comedy, Zayn emphasized that some of the physical punishment was far more painful than faithful might have realized.
“The table was crazy. That mousetrap table, that was a large one that really hurt. On a related note, but that’s the one kind of sore spot because it almost gets reduced to a comedy showdown.”
Zayn laid out that the combination of humor and genuine physical punishment was an essential part of the showdown’s success. He is confident that the more serious elements sometimes get overlooked on account of the unusual presentation.
“Part of what I love about it is it had a little bit of everything. There are comedic elements, yet there’s additionally some actual violence and some pretty serious bumps. That was one of them, but you needed them to have that fluctuation.”
The conversation also turned to Zayn’s time with The Bloodline, particularly the November 2022 SmackDown moment in which his now-famous “Feeling Ucey” remark caused Jey Uso to visibly struggle to contain his laughter.
Zayn laid out that making his fellow performers break character was never necessarily his intention. That said, once Jey began laughing during their interactions, it became increasingly difficult for him to maintain his composure.
“No, I don’t really remember that it was a goal. To add further context, after a few times, specifically Jey. After I got Jey, I think a couple of times, then it became, oh no, this is just gonna keep happening. I can’t stop it.” It's worth noting that jey had a problem where it’s like when you watch blooper reels, and then once they laugh once, they can’t stop.
As reported by Zayn, Reigns played a significant role in turning the moment into one of The Bloodline’s most memorable segments. Rather than allowing Jey to hide his laughter, Reigns recognized the attendees’s reaction and deliberately drew more attention to what was happening.
“I think what additionally took it to a different level is when Jey kind of tries to hide. Roman’s like, ‘no, no, no, no.’ Then the moment was over, then it was over.”
Zayn heaped praise on Reigns’ instincts and ability to recognize an unexpected opportunity, crediting his delivery with elevating the part beyond what had already become a memorable exchange.
“Again just a pro’s pro here. Understanding the energy in that room and the delivery to compound that effect was considerably, very well done, and probably is what cemented it. If it had just wrapped up at the laugh and the whatever, it’s already a very memorable moment. ‘Ucey?’ That cemented it.” Yet then the way Roman built up to it, like again, it’s music, right?
Zayn and Reigns are preparing to meet again under different circumstances, more than three years after their emotional crown encounter in Montreal. Zayn now holds the Undisputed WWE Championship, while Reigns is the World Heavyweight Title holder.
The two are planned to compete in a Champion vs. Champion match at WWE Crown Jewel 2026 on November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, adding another chapter to their shared history.