8 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (4 Mar - Results & Review)

3. Sami Continues His Winning Ways

Sami Zayn’s redemption story finally got into gear last week when he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura, giving credence to his remarks about confidence and finding a path to WrestleMania.

He continued that upward trend Monday night, defeating Ivar in a short but fun match that saw Zayn overcome the Viking’s size and explosiveness. Sami’s never-say-die attitude played nicely against a 300-plus pounder who can fly around the ring almost effortlessly while using brute force to squash an opponent.

Zayn’s win set him up nicely for next week’s gauntlet match, which could be the path he’s been describing for WrestleMania, to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Honestly, it feels like it’s almost too early for his redemption story to climax – Sami is best when facing adversity, and clearing his path four weeks out feels too soon.

Perhaps this is a false dawn and he’ll have to buckle down one last time, but it was important for him to continue that momentum at this stage.

One mild criticism: Zayn should have won this match before Adam Pearce announced the participants for the IC gauntlet match, perhaps even making this a deciding factor in Sami getting the nod over Ivar. Instead, it felt like more of a sour grapes match with no real stakes, which slightly diminished its impact.