Sami Zayn would be your new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion but Lady Luck just wasn’t on his side.
At the Road to WrestleMania tour’s stop at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum Zayn would pin Roman clean but there was no official to make the count.
This main event was far different than I have seen at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in quite some time. It felt like a pay-per-view match not the main event of an untelevised house show.
When it is time for the main event the fans respond in kind serenading Sami with his theme song but welcoming Roman with a raucous ovation.
Once in the ring, Reigns paraded around with his championship belts as Sami looked on from one of the corners. After the introductions were made the crowd sang Sami’s song again hyping him up. Roman waved Sami off and tried to quiet down the crowd with a finger to his lips. The crowd booed him even more. Roman looked out into the crowd menacingly with disapproval. Sami got out of a headlock by slinging Roman into the ropes. Roman countered with a shoulder tackle driving Sami to the mat. Roman blew the disapproving crowd kisses raising his index finger to the sky.
Sami grinded Roman down with a headlock as amazingly the crowd broke out in competing ‘Let’s go Sami!’ and Let’s go Roman! chants. You would have thought most of the crowd would have been behind Sami but here we are. Roman caught Sami off the ropes with an elbow. Sami counted his teeth in a corner. Sami stunned the champion by clotheslining him in the ring and then right over the top rope to the floor.
A brawl erupted on the floor with Sami labeling Roman with punches from behind and Roman ramming Sami’s head into the ringside barricade. Sami would block Roman’s attempt and ram his head into the ringside steps instead. Roman would position Sami for a Drive-By. Sami would catch him with a clothesline instead.
Back in the ring, Sami stood Roman up in a corner delivering ten haymakers to the head and following that up with a flurry of punches. That left Roman stunned on the mat. Sami punched Roman twice in the middle of the ring but with one shot Roman knocked Sami to the mat. Roman would tear at Sami’s face before putting him in a headlock.
With Sami in a corner Roman would charge only for Sami to get out of the way. Roman hit the steel post hard and tumbled out of the ring. Roman easily regained the advantage though with a big boot to the head knocking Sami silly. Sami fell into the ropes barely able to stay on his feet. Roman punched him another eight or nine times before finally putting the boots to him in frustration. Roman smiled as he paint-brushed Sami with some open hand slaps to the face. Thrown into the ropes Sami leaped over Roman and hit him with a couple of clotheslines and Tornado DDT from the top rope for a two count.
Sami made the mistake of climbing to the top rope again. Roman just hauled off punching Sami in the face almost knocking him out. Sami would slam Roman off the second rope for another two count.
Roman stopped a Helluva Kick by shielding himself with the official and then purposely shoving Sami into the official so they collided. The official fell out of the ring to the arena floor. Roman nailed Sami with a Superman Punch. With the official down Roman brought a steel chair into the ring. The crowd booed with disapproval. Roman just smiled waving his finger in the air at them. Roman swung at Sami but missed. Sami hit him with a Superman Punch. Roman dodged another Helluva Kick spearing Sami in the middle of the ring. Roman covered Sami and a new official slid into the ring to make a two count.
Sami got to his knees. Roman slapped him some more. The two exchanged haymakers back and forth with the crowd booing Roman and cheering Sami. Roman accidentally speared the new official who went down like a ton of bricks. Sami would finally catch Roman with a Helluva Kick but just like Roman earlier, there was no official to make the count.
Sami brought the first official back into the ring. Roman punched Sami in the “lower abdomen” and pinned him with a spear.
After the match Roman took to the microphone as some disappointed fans began heading for the exits.
“Naw. Naw. Turn your asses back around. If you aren’t buying a Bloodline shirt turn your asses back around,” said Roman demanding that Toronto ‘acknowledge’ him.
Feeling disrespected Roman beat on Sami some more. Roman grabbed another steel chair. Sami speared Roman as he swung the chair and hit him with yet another Helluva Kick as his music started playing. Roman fled the ring.
Sami thanked the crowd to close out the show.
The WWE is returning to Toronto on August 18th for a Smackdown broadcast. Tickets are on sale now. The special code is “Toronto”.
Road to WrestleMania Toronto Results
Charlotte Flair (c) versus Shayna Baszler – Smackdown Women’s Championship
It was supposed to be Sonya Deville but I guess that firearm charge probably blocked her entry into Canada. Flair won the match with Natural Selection and signed a ton of autographs, took a ton of photos after the match.
Winner: …and still WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair.
Ridge Holland versus Joaquin Wilde
Wilde brought out his Legado Del Fantasma buddy Raul Mendoza down to the ring with him. It was Wilde’s agility versus Holland’s strength. Holland fought off Mendoza’s interference to not only give Wilde 10 Beats of the Bodhrán but a powerslam for the win.
Winner: Ridge Holland
Rhea Ripley versus Raquel Rodriguez
This was a fantastic match. One hopes this is a preview of things to come. Ripley was way more over than Raquel. There were lots of “Let’s go Mami!” chants. At the start of the match Rhea kept bailing out of the ring after failing to match muscle with Raquel. “I didn’t know Mami was a chicken,” said Raquel. Raquel actually got Rhea up and slammed her to the mat. Rhea would win though with Riptide.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
LA Knight versus Santos Escobar
Knight was supposed to fight Bray Wyatt in a Lights Out Street Fight. Since Wyatt isn’t around Knight demands to fight a “Maple Leaf idiot”. He gets Escobar instead. The crowd doesn’t seem happy there is no Wyatt. Escobar ends up winning with a sunset flip off the top rope.
Winner: Santos Escobar
Knight has a tantrum. He demands that the official strike the victory and the match from the record. He specifically asked for a “Maple Leaf idiot” and Escobar isn’t one.
Kevin Owens music hits. He come down to the ring dressed in his street clothes. Owen reminds Knight that they are more similar than they are different.
“I made the decision a few years ago to borrow…let’s be honest…I stole ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s finishing move and you stole your entire personality from The Rock,” said Owens. “The only thing your forgot to steal from him was his talent.”
Owens challenges Knight to a Toronto Street Fight.
LA Knight versus Kevin Owens – Toronto Street Fight
Highlights of the match:
Kevin Owens asks a fan for their KO sign. He puts it over Knight’s face and punches him. KO then handed the sign back to the fan.
The fans chant We want tables! Owens answers: You want tables? Why do you want tables? He pulls one out from under the ring and stands it up in a corner. A chair comes into play. Owens is backdropped onto two steel chairs.
Knight is thrown into the table but it doesn’t break. They try the spot again and the table finally breaks. Owens pins Knight with a Rock Bottom, a hilarious People’s Elbow and a Stunner.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Ricochet versus Gunther (c) – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
The match is cut short when Imperium swarms Ricochet. Braun Strowman makes the save. He demands a six-man tag team match and invites Drew McIntyre out. The match was originally supposed to be Gunther versus McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship.
Winner: Ricochet via DQ.
Ricochet, Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre versus Imperium
McIntyre and Gunther have little contact as for most of the match Ricochet is cut off from his partners. Gunther does kick McIntyre off the ring apron but Drew gave Gunther a Claymore Kick later on. Drew wins the match for his team with a Claymore Kick on Ludwig Kaiser.
Winners: Ricochet, Brawn Strowman and Drew McIntyre.
Roman Reigns (c) versus Sami Zayn – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match
Winner: …and still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
TOP PHOTO: Roman has a secret. Courtesy: Steve Argintaru (Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn), Slam Wrestling.
RELATED LINK
https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2023/03/05/wwe-road-to-wrestlemania-toronto-photo-gallery/
