Sami Zayn Was Due Main WWE Roster Push Before Injury

Would Kevin Owens be on main roster right now if Zayn was healthy?

Sami Zayn was going to be a regular member of the main WWE roster if he didn't hurt his shoulder prior to his match against John Cena on May 4. Now that he's out, his best friend Kevin Owens has been put in that spot even though Zayn's a face and Owens is a heel. The news comes from a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Live podcast where it was mentioned that Zayn would be full time on the main roster following the May 20 NXT Takeover event. It likely would have seen Owens beat Zayn again leading to Zayn leaving NXT for good with that Samoa Joe debut still likely taking place. Instead, Owens took out Zayn with a Powerbomb on the ring apron and Zayn is expected to be out of action for about six months. Zayn has been with WWE since January 2013. He was a huge signing at the time because he was one of the best indy wrestlers in the world. He made his name as El Generico wrestling in a mask, but when WWE signed him they took the mask off and gave him a new name. Some fans were concerned because of how good he was while wearing the mask, but Zayn quickly showed that he was a tremendous all around performer that is more than just one of the best in-ring performers in the world. His growth as a talker as well as a charismatic babyface has been awesome to see. As we have noted in the past, Zayn's shoulder injury was a recurring problem for him going back years before he was in WWE, so long term it's probably for the best that he had surgery done this week. He's still got a very bright future although for at least the short term it must be pretty frustrating for him since he same so close to being a regular on the main roster. With Owens now on the main roster, WWE can pick up their feud on Raw and Smackdown where Owens should be an established top heel by the end of the year. It will be great for Zayn because the bigger Owens gets, the better it will make Zayn look when he goes after him. It could be one of the best WWE feuds of 2016.
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John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.