8 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE Raw (16 Sept - Results & Review)

Ups…

8. Sami Pleads His Case

Few wrestlers can make fans rally behind them like Sami Zayn. His uncanny ability to get crowds to buy into him during his promos should be studied and replicated.

Monday, Zayn gave an impassioned plea for a World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther, first by detailing why it would mean so much to him – tying in Bret Hart’s appearance last week – and then by calling Gunther a coward for refusing to face him, which has worked on so many meathead jocks through the years.

Gunther, however, wasn’t moved and once again declined to face Sami. The only potential in-road Zayn seemed to make was his challenge to Ludwig Kaiser to speak for himself instead of Gunther and to focus on his desires. But any notion that it was working was quickly dispelled, and Kaiser showed his loyalty to Gunther once again in attacking Sami.

Sami is an ideal challenger for Gunther, but it feels like it’s too early in his title reign to pull the trigger on the only man to beat him on the main roster. This could have been saved for a few months and a potential title change might have felt more believable. Still, Zayn did a great job here, right down to sowing dissension within Imperium. Let’s see what happens next.