10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2019 (So Far)

8. The Critic Of The Critic

Brock Lesnar Paul Heyman
WWE.com

Sami Zayn's post-WrestleMania Raw return was the highlight of a desperately disappointing edition of the flagship show.

Greeted by a thunderous pop from the second his entrance music hit, Zayn landed hard on his a*se after slipping on the ramp, but the scathing promo he cut after his loss to Finn Bálor served as more than just an on-the-night turn for the returning faux-babyface.

Perhaps parroting Vince McMahon's verbiage but finding the way to but a cute and decidedly Sami Zayn spin on it, the 'Underdog From The Underground' hurled grief on top of grumbles at one of the year's loudest and loyalest crowds, digging deep into his diagram to find the appropriate levels of scorn he was cast to exhibit.

It was a brilliant relaunch for the character, until it was tragically halted in order for Zayn to step back in as Kevin Owens' best buddy in the 'Prizefighter's feud with The New Day.

It may be that he was too good at it - Zayn's assides on not remotely missing wrestling perhaps jived with the fans that feel the need to take a break too, or those in the audience not entirely heart-eyed with everything McMahon sends their way.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett