In what was one of the best-executed heel turns since Seth Rollins stabbed his Shield brethren in the back, Sami Zayn pulled Kevin Owens to safety at WWE Hell in a Cell 2017.
The end of WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 delivered a couple of “first time in a long time” moments for me.
First, I was legitimately afraid that the top of the Cell was going to give way while Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens battled on top of it. Through all the backdrops, powerbombs, and slams, the top of the cell seemed to give a little more, and everyone was sure that one, or both, of them, would crash to the canvas below.
Although that undoubtedly would have been a moment to remember, thank God neither of them did.
Secondly, for the first time in a long time, I felt like a fan again. I’ve always felt like a fan, but I’ve always had an idea of what was going on. Deep down I knew what the outcome was going to be, even if it wasn’t the outcome I wanted, i.e., Lesnar vs. Strowman at No Mercy. I knew Lesnar was going to win, but I really wanted to see Strowman walk out with the red belt over his shoulder.
Sunday night though WWE threw me a curveball, and it hit me between the eyes. I’m still reeling from it.
Credit: WWE.com
Shane knocked Owens off the side of the cell and sent him crashing through an announce table below. Once he reached the ground, instead of going for a pin in this Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell match, Shane cleared off another table, positioned Owens on top of it, and began his climb to the top of the Cell.
Once on top of the Cell, Shane gave his sign he was about to jump, the cross drawn from forehead to sternum then on each shoulder, and WWE went to a wide shot, and we could see someone in a hoodie at the bottom of the cell. While this is not entirely unheard of, usually, in moments like this WWE works hard to keep ringside people out of shots like this.
Shane jumped, and the hooded figure pulled Owens to safety. Everyone watching at home yelled, “What was that?” When the camera panned to reveal longtime friend turned rival of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, everyone in the WWE Universe gasped then jumped to their feet.
Credit WWE.com
Finally, WWE is doing something with their most underutilized talent.
This moment is one of those; I will never forget, I had no clue WWE had plans on doing this. I hoped they would, and thought they should, but I had no clue they were actually going to pull the trigger and go through with it, especially at Hell in a Cell. Everyone thought it would happen at Survivor Series at the earliest. Like I said before, WWE threw us a curveball, and it took everyone by surprise.
Finally, for the first time in a long time, I am excited for SmackDown Live this week. For no other reason than to see what Sami Zayn’s reason is for what he did Sunday.
The good news now is, since Sami is a heel, he can now take on face competitors like AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Roode, and not be looked at as a jobber, or someone who is obviously going to lose.
Next: Are Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Really on the Same Page?
This opens a plethora of new storylines WWE can pursue. This new found aggression should lead to more wins, and hopefully Sami’s first WWE Title on the main roster. Seeing Zayn as US Champion, and Owens as WWE Champion would be a moment for the history books.
WWE finally got one right, while their booking recently has been a bit “hit and miss,” WWE hit it out of the park with this one. It was nice to be surprised by WWE again, and I hope WWE does it more often.