Sami Zayn gets denounced by WWE legend for lackluster 2023 run
Reminiscent of a certain "Yes!" man and his meteoric rise to superstardom, which peaked with the "Miracle on Bourbon Street" WrestleMania main event in 2014, Sami Zayn broke new grounds as a WWE Superstar between 2022 and 2023.
His hard work was rewarded with a show-closing Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania 39, despite another worthy contender for that spot on the card. Earlier today, Hall of Famer Ric Flair admitted to getting "p*ssed" at the company's decision.
Speaking on The Wrestling Classic, The Nature Boy claimed that it's clear now that no match should have succeeded Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship. The legend pointed to how Sami Zayn has not done anything particularly of note ever since:
"She and Rhea Ripley should have main evented last year," Flair said. "Now that The Bloodline thing is done ... I love Sami and Kevin ... But, what is Sami Zayn even doing right now?" [From 24:00 to 24:16]
Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley had ramifications on WWE programming. As the year draws to a close, The Eradicator is still the red brand's top champion and has cemented her place as one of the company's biggest stars.
John Cena tips his hat to Sami Zayn for connecting with the WWE Universe
While appearing on Andrew Santino's Whiskey Ginger earlier this year, 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena touched on Sami Zayn's surge in popularity.
Big Match John revealed that Sami Zayn worked hard for three years in "reconstructing" his on-screen character. The latter's "Honorary Uce" angle in The Bloodline Saga is what got fans to empathize and love him:
"I gotta give Sami his comeuppance. Here’s a guy who’s been in the business a long time and worked really hard in circuits outside the WWE and made a great name for himself, then got in WWE in the NXT program and made a great name for himself, and then got into WWE and kind of struggled to connect with the audience," Cena disclosed.
He then got down to brass tacks about The Underdog from the Underground and how much the latter's run has resonated with him:
"Everyone now, because he’s very popular now, thinks it’s like [snaps fingers], alright, it clicked. His character went through a major reconstruction just about three years ago, maybe even a little more than that. It’s taken him three and a half years, and now all that hard work, and I can see it, I can see how hard he works, and I see how he’s invested in connecting with the audience. It’s paid off. Everybody loves him because they know who he is."
In May, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeated Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in the main event of Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The show was also notable for the loud pop Zayn got from the live crowd.
Was Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens' WrestleMania 39 moment warranted with the benefit of hindsight? Sound off in the comments section below!
If you use the first quote, give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription and credit The Wrestling Classic.