Sami Zayn shares a wholesome moment in Saudi Arabia ahead of title defense at WWE Night of Champions
For years it's been well-known that WWE Superstar Sami Zayn never traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when the company hosted events there. However, this year, Zayn is visiting the host country of the Night of Champions; and he couldn't be happier.
Sami Zayn, real name Rami Sebei, last competed in Saudi Arabia for WWE in 2014, where he was featured during a WWE house show circuit in Riyadh. However, the former NXT Champion decided not to make the trip in later years for several reasons, most notably due to geo-political tensions after Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties with his native country of Syria in 2011.
Earlier this year, the two countries began working out their differences, with diplomatic ties officially reopening earlier this month.
In preparation for his big tag team match at Night of Champions, WWE's resident Liberator decided to take the opportunity to visit one of the world's most holy cities, Mecca. Specifically, Zyan visited the Masjid al-Haram, one of the most important sites for those practicing Islam.
In an emotional tweet, the former Intercontinental Champion shared photos of his experience and thanked WWE for allowing him to travel the world.
"Being a pro wrestler and being with WWE has taken me to places I never dreamed I’d get to see and do things I never thought I’d get to do. It has provided me a life filled with incredible experiences that I will cherish forever. This one is at the top of the list. لالحمدلله," Sami Zayn tweeted.
Being a pro wrestler and being with WWE has taken me to places I never dreamed I’d get to see and do things I never thought I’d get to do. It has provided me a life filled with incredible experiences that I will cherish forever. This one is at the top of the list. الحمدلله https://t.co/z7h1am3MID
The one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, along with his partner Kevin Owens, will square off in an epic encounter with The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and The Enforcer of The Bloodline Solo Sikoa.
The bout will be Zayn and Owen's second title defense since winning the championship on Night One of WrestleMania 39.
Sami Zayn sent a stern message to The Bloodline ahead of their match at WWE Night of Champions
During a live appearance on WWE's hit social media-based show, The Bump, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens sent a message to The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and Solo Sikoa ahead of Night of Champions.
Zayn specifically made a point to express how "extremely personal" their feud has become and that his goal is to "crash" Reigns' celebration of being the Universal champion for 1000 days.
"As I've said, maybe this is a little different for him than it is for me, but for me, this is extremely personal. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't still holding on to some stuff from The Bloodline. It is going to be so satisfying to crash his 1,000-day celebration by making sure he loses on what should be the biggest night of his entire reign as champion," said Sami Zayn. [From 0:01 to 00:22]
Who do you think will win at WWE Night of Champions? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments section below!