Predicting What's Next For Sami Zayn After Losing WWE Championship vs. CM Punk on Raw

Sami Zayn's boyhood dream became a living nightmare on Monday's Raw when his Undisputed WWE Championship reign ended after just nine days, courtesy of the returning CM Punk.

Where does The Last Real Good Guy go from here after seeing years of hard work and dedication extinguished before his run ever truly got started?

As it turns out, Zayn's path forward can be determined by looking to his past.

Sami Uso

Zayn responded to his loss Monday night in Chicago with an impassioned, curse-filled rant that momentarily erased any hint of the "good guy" persona he had desperately tried to uphold, despite a clear heel turn.

That rant, captured as he came through the curtain, was broadcast across the company's social media outlets.

It was also shared by an intriguing peer:

Jacob Fatu shared the video with a blood-drop emoji, hinting that Zayn may be in line to rejoin the faction that brought him his greatest success before his championship victory.

The Bloodline was undeniably at its strongest and best when Zayn was an honorary Uce; an adopted member of the family. Narratively, the faction was never better, more popular, or more entertaining than it was during Zayn's weekly interactions with The Usos and Roman Reigns.

Now, driven by fury after seeing the fruits of his labor ripped away by an opponent he had not planned for, what better way for Zayn to respond than by rejoining The Bloodline to combat shared enemies such as Punk and Cody Rhodes?

It brings the group back full circle, creates opportunities for him to interact with Fatu, and allows him to stand alongside Jey Uso and Reigns, having been at the same mountaintop that they were and/or are.

That creative direction is almost certainly better than the alternative.

The Alternative

Zayn hangs around the top of the card on SmackDown, thanks to the quality of his work but also the lack of main event heels, and he proceeds to lose every major contest he competes in.

He loses credibility with the audience because he is still the same old guy who gets close but always loses, still cuts brilliant, impassioned promos that keep him just over enough with the audience that WWE Creative cannot shove him back down the card.

It is a place called booking purgatory, where Zayn can still flex his in-ring and mic muscles without ever truly getting close to winning the title again. Many others have been caught there before, too. He stays as great as he has ever been, but shows no signs of upward momentum, which is disappointing for both him and his fans.

All things considered, reuniting with The Bloodline at least gives him purpose aside from eating pins from Rhodes, Punk and Trick Williams every week in singles and tag team matches.