How to build up Zayn 101.
Just have him win CLEAN for the next several weeks to months over guys like Axel, Dallas, Titus and Sin Cara type guys. Have the announcers talk about how he has been on a roll since exiting the Owens feud and his good showings against Rollins too despite the losses.
Next have him win matches against former World champs like Swagger, Henry, Sheamus and Big Show. Really hype these victories as big deals for Zayn as these guys are former champs and Zayn is much smaller than all four too. After the Big Show or Sheamus match (hell, make that a PPV win for him to make that a bigger deal), have him start an angle with Rusev for the US title.
Build this as the red hot Zayn going against the dominant champ. Have this simmer for weeks culminating with a Rusev/Zayn PPV match. Have Zayn go over CLEAN for the title.
Now have Zayn/Rusev battle over the strap for the next few weeks to months. They can even have him lose the title back and regain it to make the angle show more significance and further build Rusev too. After this angle blows off, have a now built up Zayn go after Rollins.
Rollins can talk how Zayn is beneath him, how he has vanquished him in the past, etc. Zayn can counter with he is not the same wrestler as then, etc. Have them wrestler on Raw with Rollins winning every time dirty but Zayn looking great each time. Finally have a title match on Raw that Rollins wins dirty again after Zayn was jusssssst about to win or even a Dusty finish of sorts. This will get the fans behind Zayn and just itching to pay to watch Rollins both get his penance and Zayn win the title. Make this/build this just as personal as Owens/Zayn. Have the blow off at a major PPV but make it a 2 out of 3 falls match. Have Zayn win and I guarantee a HUGE pop. Now you have a credible champ that has started from the bottom up, properly built up and now is believable in the role he is in (not like Ziggler for example had he won at SS).
By this point I am sure that the rosters will have changed, call ups have happened, etc. so you have new opponents for Zayn to start angles with. Insert guys like Nakamura (EXCELLANT match already in NXT), Joe, Jericho, Wyatt, Reigns, Ambrose, Balor, Styles etc to have matches and angles against to defend the title.
