Hated: All this for WarGames?

Loved: Sami Zayn continues to dominate on mic

I'd love to see Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn beat World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel this weekend, and I think if more stars were going to travel to Riyadh, that could happen with 946 interference. Sadly, I don't think that's the case, but I'm really glad that Zayn is cutting some strong, excellent promos ahead of the match, which is what we saw tonight.

Zayn came out to open "SmackDown" after laying out Reigns with a Helluva Kick post-946 beatdown on "Raw." He didn't get to address the crowd for long before Jimmy Uso came out to confront him. I loved how Zayn told Uso he is still his "Honorary Uce" and family is forever, pretty much the opposite of what he told Reigns, and I especially liked that Zayn told him that in a different world, he'd absolutely be helping the Bloodline in the fight against Royce Keys' faction.

I also loved the switch after that line, where Zayn said that in this world, he's finally WWE Champion. When he said he thought that Uso would be the one to understand, I was ever-so-briefly confused, thinking he had him mixed up with Jey Uso, who once held the World Heavyweight title, but because Zayn is no dummy, of course it quickly made sense. He explained that it's always been Jimmy to pull the trigger before anyone else, doing what he needs to do, like when Zayn's time in the Bloodline had run its course and it was Uso to beat him down first after he betrayed Reigns. I really loved Zayn bringing up all that history, even if the Usos don't get involved in the match tomorrow, as it helped strengthen this story with Reigns without the champion even being present.

Zayn is completely right in saying he's doing what he needs to get the respect he deserves, and finally, he has that respect from Reigns. After Monday, he has Reigns' attention, 100 percent, according to Uso, and he's ready for the fight.

WWE is also balancing the Zayn/Reigns Crown Jewel match and the Bloodline's feud with 946 much better than I expected. Keys and 946 attacked Uso after this promo, and instead of helping his "Uce," Zayn just walked away. I'm not sure how the Zayn vs. Reigns feud would continue to play out following Crown Jewel, but this all adds to their history for the next time they face off, which is going to be fantastic.

Written by Daisy Ruth