The best match of the week didn’t happen in the ring, but during a heated verbal showdown backstage between Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
On Friday’s SmackDown, Rhodes approached Zayn — the man he defeated last week in a Triple Threat match with Jacob Fatu to qualify for Elimination Chamber — offering his friend a pep talk, insisting Zayn had nothing to be ashamed of.
“Yeah, I know I have nothing to be ashamed of,” Zayn shot back. “If anybody should be ashamed of themselves here, it’s you.”
Revisionist History
Zayn reminded
Rhodes that he came to his aid when Drew McIntyre interfered in the match. Zayn’s reward? A Cross Rhodes — and a loss at the hands of his supposed pal.
Rhodes dismissed the accusation as a matter of perspective, using sports cliches to support his position. “That was chaos. The match wasn’t over, the bell hadn’t rung, the whistle hadn’t blown,” he said. “You fell back into a Cross Rhodes. It’s an opportunity I took advantage of.”
Both versions bend the truth.
Yes, Zayn fought off McIntyre — but only after McIntyre blasted Rhodes with a Claymore and draped Zayn on top of him. Had Zayn gotten the pin, perhaps he’d be the one apologizing. Instead, Rhodes kicked out, and the match continued.
However, Zayn didn’t “fall back” into anything. Rhodes came from behind, hooked him, and hit the Cross Rhodes for the win.
Dirty? Debatable. Rhodes’ retelling of what happened, though, is dubious. But he’s right about one thing: the ball was still in play.
In January, Rhodes hesitated when Jacob Fatu interfered in his defense of the Undisputed WWE title against McIntyre. He chose confrontation over survival — and it cost him the gold. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He took the opening, as a competitor should.
“Those are the opportunities,” Rhodes explained, “that when they’ve come to you, you haven’t taken advantage of them. And that’s why you haven’t become WWE Champion.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the fans watching in the arena let out an audible, “Ooh.”
Zayn responded, calling Rhodes the “golden boy,” chosen by WWE for that position, and he wasn’t. He talked about trying to finish his story for a decade, but that everything blew up in his face because he tried doing the right thing, something he felt Rhodes knew nothing about.
That’s when Rhodes reminded him how doing the right thing cost him his title, before placing Zayn’s failure where it belongs: on Zayn.
As Rhodes walked away, Trick Williams briefly taunted Zayn before walking off. Zayn, frustrated, chased down Rhodes and apologized to him. The crowd’s reaction was audible, with many booing and a light “Sami sucks” chant starting up.
Sami Is His Own Enemy
Tough as it was to hear, Rhodes was right. Zayn took his eyes off the prize. Even if it was the noble thing to do, it cost him, and that’s on him.
Still, Rhodes framed the events to protect his image, distancing himself from the fact that he was looking out for himself. Smart for an athlete, but a poor look for a role model.
And it’s why Zayn shouldn’t have apologized. While Rhodes’ assessment was correct, his attitude deserved a punch in the nose and a promise by Zayn to prove him wrong.
Instead, he conceded to Rhodes, ultimately proving his so-called friend right: the only thing in Sami Zayn’s way is Sami Zayn.
