Sami Zayn says being part of WWE's Saudi Arabia shows completes him
WWE Superstar Sami Zayn rose to the main event scene in 2023 following a successful angle involving The Bloodline. He went on to compete in a world title main event match in his hometown of Montreal, Canada, against Roman Reigns. The two locked horns once again in Saudi Arabia in May.
The sports entertainment giant has a 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia in support of the Saudi Vision 2030. This past weekend, WWE held King and Queen of the Ring inside the Jeddah Super Dome. Zayn got to revisit the Middle East, but this time as Intercontinental Champion. He successfully defended the belt against Bronson Reed and Chad Gable.
Speaking on The Bump afterward, Sami said he is overwhelmed by the loud reactions he gets from the Saudi crowd each time he walks out into the arena. He admitted that it humbles him and makes him feel like he is on top of the world:
"I know a lot of people watching at home might not even know that I’m Arab or that I’m Muslim or that I’m Syrian, or whatever it is. But it’s such a central part of who I am as a person that when I come here, there’s a part of me that feels complete in a way that I don’t even know that’s missing when I’m not here."
The Intercontinental Champion did his entrance wearing a Kandura. This appears to be a norm every time Sami Zayn competes in Saudi Arabia.
"Just being around my people, my language, the food, the sounds, the smells, everything, it’s too hard to put into words unless you understand what that is, to be brought up in one culture, two cultures, really. [...] I’m on top of the world. I don’t have the words, just grateful, humble, proud, thankful to be here."
Last year at Night of Champions in May, Zayn headlined the event alongside Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in a winning effort. The duo were the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions at the time.
Sami Zayn is unsure if he will win a World Title under Triple H's WWE regime
While speaking to Mail Sport earlier this month, Sami Zayn shared his honest thoughts about Triple H taking over Vince McMahon's company. He made a surprising revelation.
Zayn felt that if WWE was still under McMahon's control, there was a chance he would win the World Title, even if by fluke. But with The Game's long-term storytelling approach, he revealed that if a wrestler is not in the Chief Content Officer's vision, chances are slim they are going anywhere.
"It's kind of a double-edged sword. He [Triple H] might see me in a way that lends itself more to being in that mix and possibly winning it. But on the other hand, I could have just slipped on a banana peel and won the World Title!"
Sami Zayn won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XL by bringing an end to Gunther's reign at 666 days, the longest in WWE history. During Zayn's latest title defense, though, commentator Michael Cole claimed that Sami's win over The Ring General was a fluke.