As one of the most popular The Bloodline, which culminated in him main eventing WrestleMania 39 with Kevin Owens and dethroning The Usos as the Undisputed Tag Team Champions. But since the Bloodline story has run its course, and all of that timeline, including Owens, have their own new paths, Zayn's future has seemed less than clear.

By declining Seth Rollins' offer to have him traded to Friday Night SmackDown to steer clear of the new faction he'd created, and by proxy turning down a number one contender spot against either John Cena or Randy Orton, Sami Zayn's future within the confines of WWE story arcs seems a lot less clear. With Karrion Kross lurking around the corner, and the teed-up story on Monday Night Raw for Zayn to go after World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso, in the same vein as John Cena's heel turn, WWE are unwilling to pull the trigger on the Sami Zayn heel turn and are now in a difficult position to build a long term storyline that will eventually lead to a World Championship win.

The Underdog’s Stale Journey: Why Sami Zayn Needs a Change

Sami Zayn has been the perpetual underdog of the WWE roster since his breakout moment as a part of The Bloodline story, which saw him become an integral part of their story, as well as the catalyst for Jey Uso's breakaway and the stable's eventual collapse. After WrestleMania 39, he became the underdog again, this time by challenging and ultimately defeating Gunther to end his historic 666-day reign as Intercontinental Champion at WrestleMania XL.

But after back-to-back historic reign endings at WrestleMania, Zayn was not on the card for WrestleMania 41, not factoring into a single storyline or setup for the event, and fans were left questioning whether WWE had moved on from their plucky underdog, and that was a time for a change in direction. But was a heel turn the right move, and what motivation would he have to do so? A simple calculus can be found - Zayn is following in the footsteps of John Cena, a championship win by any means necessary, and regardless of who is in his way.

Seth Rollins’ SmackDown Offer: A Bold Move for Zayn’s Future

With Zayn returning to the Raw roster on the April 21st episode, it wasn't immediately clear how he'd factor into the new post-Mania landscape, especially as Jey Uso's World Heavyweight Championship reign had begun. With Seth Rollins aligning himself with Paul Heyman, and subsequently recruiting Bron Breakker to their stable, Zayn had an opportunity to transition off the Raw roster to SmackDown, allowing him to stay out of dodge and away from this new "future" as Rollins envisioned, but also receiving the first shot at the winner of John Cena and Randy Orton's match for the WWE Undisputed Championship.

Zayn was offered the front spot for an opportunity that'd eluded him for his entire career, one that would give him the win he'd desperately wanted to attain. Much like Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, and Jey Uso before him, Zayn may have had the opportunity to have his own movement and crowd behind him, potentially altering the trajectory of the John Cena retirement tour by taking the Rollins offer.

The Missed Opportunity: What Could Have Been for Zayn and SmackDown

Ultimately, Sami Zayn chose to stay and fight his way to the top of the Monday Night Raw roster and refused to be threatened by Seth Rollins or his stable, setting the table for a potential sustained program with either Rollins or Bron Breakker. Zayn, in his quest to stay pure and true to himself, refused to acquiesce to threats of violence and punishment, and is now in the direct line of fire for Rollins.

Zayn's character in his post-Johnny Knoxville era has been one of truth and purity of self, and doing the right thing even when it may cause him great personal strife and anguish. But with his purity comes great cost to his goals, and turning down Rollins' offer puts him back in the general populace of WWE talent, without clear direction or a shot at championship gold, but with his integrity intact. On SmackDown, he could have been a leader of the pack, pursuing his first-ever World Title, perhaps after John Cena leaves at the end of the year, opening up an important spot on the roster.

Sami Zayn may not have taken the bait Seth Rollins laid for him, but one person isn't convinced that he won't eventually make the selfish choice for himself. Since January, Karrion Kross has been floating around Zayn, waiting in the shadows to remind him of his goals, his ambitions, and what he'll actually need to do to get there. His integrity and moral standing would get him over quickly with the fans, especially in the face of the Cena heel turn, but Zayn could also fail prey to Kross' predictions, and he would follow in the footsteps of Cena, who gained the WWE Championship by any means necessary

Fans Speak Out: Zayn Still Resonates as a Babyface, But Many Want to See a Heel Turn

In the age of social media, everyone has an opinion on the best idea or best move for a particular character and what their next step should be. After his choice on Raw, many fans stand by Sami Zayn in his decision, regardless of what Rollins may have offered him, and that by staying true to his morals and integrity, he will not only become WWE Champion, but also the true People's Champion.

However, there are also many who have expressed being tired of Zayn's underdog routine, which is understandable, considering WWE seems unwilling to pull the trigger on him. Should Zayn fall victim to his urges and wants in his career, and follow the dark path Kross has laid for him, the story would need a very compelling rationale and clear directive for the necessities of the turn.

So where does Sami Zayn go from here? Does he remain the People's Performer and future People's Champion, a true man of his word, and stay the course, getting to his prize by being himself, or does he follow the dark path and take matters into his own hands, selfishly and without remorse? Without a clear reasoning for a new heel turn, something that he's done before, Zayn's path, at least for the short term, seems best suited to staying the course, even if it means waiting longer for his big win.