WWE Ending Sami Zayn's Babyface Push

Over the past couple of months, Sami Zayn has had an increased profile as a babyface on Raw - he beat Seth Rollins for a slot in the Royal Rumble match, then he feuded with Samoa Joe leading into Fastlane. However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the brief turn in Zayn's fortunes was only temporary, and now looks to be coming to an end.

The entire impetus for Zayn's mini-push was the lack of top faces on the Raw roster. Once Seth Rollins went down with a torn MCL, Roman Reigns was the only upper-card singles babyface, forcing the company to use Zayn higher up the pecking order. However, now that Chris Jericho has turned face and that Finn Balor is expected back imminently, there's no longer a vacuum for "The Underdog from the Underground" to fill.

Where Zayn goes from here is unclear. A crowded WrestleMania card has left many emphasized superstars - including Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Finn Balor - without many options at the show of shows. All of these men could feasibly end up in the event's battle royal, but it's hard not to look at that as a step down from where some of these competitors ought to be.