"I see the occasional comment (that) I should be doing something more", Sami Zayn talks about his current role in WWE
WWE Superstar Sami Zayn will face Johnny Knoxville in an Anything Goes match at WrestleMania Sunday, and according to WWE's resident Liberator, he's very happy with his current character.
Sami Zayn is a WWE veteran at this point, having been with the company for almost a decade. While some have criticized WWE's booking of Zayn in recent years, the former Intercontinental Champion says fans need to realize that not everything is championship or bust.
In an interview with Sportsnet, Sami Zayn discussed how excited he is to be facing Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, and how he feels their clashing characters work well with one another on TV:
"It’s been a pretty unique experience because I don’t know, in all honesty, that this was always the plan....Our characters played off each other very well. He makes a fool of people and my character you want to see get made a fool of so there’s a natural connection there. I think the chemistry was good, and the reactions were good enough to get us to this point which is to face off at WrestleMania. I really enjoy it," said Zayn.
The time is almost upon us. https://t.co/Z3bIiRnOQF
Zayn went on to address fans who suggest that WWE should be doing more with the veteran. The former Intercontinental Champion doesn't believe that talent are being misused if they aren't competing for titles:
"I see the occasional comment (that) I should be doing something more, something better than wrestling Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania. I’m kind of thinking to myself, ‘what do you want exactly? What’s better?’ Unless you’re main eventing for the world title. Not everything is, ‘you’re main evening for the world title or you’re being misused." (H/T: Fightful)
The Conspiracy Theorist and Knoxville have been feuding since the start of the year. Things intensified with Knoxville cost Zayn his Intercontinental Championship in a title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Sami Zayn recently mentioned that an old gimmick he once had will never return
During an interview on the Cheap Heat Podcast, Zayn was asked about his old El Generico gimmick, a persona that Zayn utilized for years before arriving in WWE. While the El Generico character might still be popular with diehard fans, Zayn says the possibility of El Generico appearing on WWE TV is 0%:
"People have a fondness for the past," Sami Zayn said. "It's kind of normal that I get asked questions about past incarnations or past things in my career, 'will we see this again?' Some fans, and I take this as a positive because they have a lot of fondness towards my good guy days in NXT. There is a kinship there and they felt a connection to that character. I'll get messages saying, 'When are we going to get that guy back?' That guy doesn't exist anymore."
Zayn made his on-screen debut on WWE NXT in May 2013, quickly rising through the ranks and having memorable matches with the likes of Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Corey Graves, and more.