The Undisputed WWE Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn at the WWE Royal Rumble: Riyadh premium live event reportedly sparked internal debate right up until the day of the show.
In the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, Dave Meltzer provided insight into the bout, which saw McIntyre retain the WWE Championship over Zayn in just under 16 minutes.
According to Meltzer, Zayn had been actively pushing for a title win at the event.
“I don’t think Zayn should have won and neither did [Paul ‘Triple H’] Levesque in the end,” Meltzer stated. “Still, this was a subject of discussion as to who would win right until the day of the show since Zayn was pushing for it.”
Despite the competitive billing, the match drew criticism from fans who felt Zayn received very little offense before ultimately losing clean.
Meltzer noted that the hope was for the audience to believe a title change was genuinely possible, especially given Zayn’s history in the region.
“He’d never lost in Saudi Arabia,” Meltzer noted. “The idea in theory was for him to take people on a roller coaster ride, with McIntyre, of the title being in grave jeopardy and getting the crowd believing there would be a title change. Instead, it was one-sided and watching it made you think Zayn just isn’t even on that level.“
That perception didn’t match the original intent.
One source told Meltzer that the McIntyre vs. Zayn title match was initially scheduled to take place after the Women’s Royal Rumble and before AJ Styles vs. Gunther on the four-match card.
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(H/T: Fightful Select)
