The road to WrestleMania 42 took another interesting turn on the March 6 episode of WWE SmackDown. Backstage, Randy Orton gave Sami Zayn a message that may have changed the way he thinks about his career.
The tension started earlier in the night because of Cody Rhodes and his unexpected return to the WWE Championship picture. Events involving Rhodes, Zayn, and Drew McIntyre led to an emotional backstage moment where Zayn began questioning whether playing fair in WWE really pays off.
The issue between Rhodes and Zayn began during their Elimination Chamber qualifying match, which also included Jacob Fatu. Cody Rhodes took advantage of Drew McIntyre’s distraction and pinned Sami Zayn to secure the win.
Zayn was frustrated. He confronted Rhodes about his actions, to which Rhodes replied that Zayn hasn’t held a WWE or heavyweight championship yet because he fails to take advantage of such opportunities.
And even on this week’s SmackDown, he again confronted Rhodes as the American Nightmare was getting another shot at the WWE Championship even after losing in the Elimination Chamber. Zayn said the whole purpose of the Elimination Chamber is to earn a championship opportunity, which Rhodes lost.
“You lost,” Zayn told Rhodes. “But you’re still getting this match tonight. So, once again, Cody, everything kind of falls into your lap here. And you know, who’s not getting a second chance? It’s me.”
Rhodes responded angrily and suggested Zayn might just be trying to get back into the title picture himself. Sami Zayn denied that idea. In the end, they walked away from the conversation, with Zayn awkwardly wishing Rhodes luck in his match against McIntyre.
Randy Orton Tells Sami Zayn To ‘Listen to the Voices’
Soon after, Zayn had another backstage conversation with the winner of Elimination Chamber 2026, Randy Orton.
Zayn asked Orton about what happened at the end of the Chamber match. Much like how Rhodes won the qualifier, Orton also took advantage of McIntyre’s distraction and RKO’d Rhodes, stealing the win to earn a title opportunity at WrestleMania 42.
Zayn asked Orton how he could justify turning on Rhodes like that.
Orton told Zayn that sometimes you have to be “selfish” if you want to succeed in WWE. Randy Orton then gave him a sinister idea.
He said that if Zayn wants to reach his level one day, he might need to start listening to the “voices” in his head.
“I believe in you. I think you just need to believe in yourself. One day, I think everyone knows you could have a world championship gold around your waist Sami… Maybe try listening to the voices,” Orton said while pointing to his head.
The comment left Zayn looking unsure about what to think.
By the end of the show, the WWE Championship picture changed again. In the main event, Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre. Now, the WrestleMania 42 title match will be between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
However, if Orton’s words truly affected Sami Zayn, the story from SmackDown could have bigger consequences than just the WrestleMania main event.
Read More: New Number One Contenders Named for WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles on SmackDown
