Backstage details on Sami Zayn's position in WWE currently - Reports
Sami Zayn has easily become one of WWE's most popular superstars. Despite this, rumors have circulated that upper management in WWE does not view the Canadian native as a "top star". However, a new report is attempting to put all this talk to bed.
Zayn has played an intricate role in WWE programming over the past year, going from the unwanted loyal lackey of The Bloodline to the biggest underdog in the hearts and minds of fans. While Zayn's work has been highly praised by all, speculation about the star's stock in the eyes of WWE brass has left many concerned. Luckily, these fears seem unfounded.
Today marks my 21st anniversary as a pro wrestler.
My 20th year in the business was somehow my best. It started crazy and it ended crazy, with an incredible range of emotions in between.
Thanks to everyone who came on the ride with me. Lots of love. https://t.co/m4X3DVXklF
According to a report by Fightful Select, a "higher-up" proclaimed that Zayn is not only highly respected by everyone in the company but is undoubtedly seen as one of the promotion's top talents. The source noted that WWE having Zayn face Roman Reigns for the championship in his hometown at Elimination Chamber was "no accident" and noted that he's been the company's "MVP" since last summer.
The source also made sure to mention that WWE's plans for Sami Zayn and his run for the WWE Universal Championship were "solid" and anyone claiming that WWE didn't view Sami Zayn as a top-tier competitor was either ignorant of the on-screen product or was blatantly lying.
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Despite losing to The Tribal Chief in Montreal, Zayn's story with The Bloodline is far from over. After weeks of sparring with The Usos on his own, Zayn and Kevin Owens finally rekindled their friendship and reunited as a team. The duo will now face Jimmy and Jey Uso for the WWE RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships on Night 1 of The Showcase of the Immortals.
John Cena recently spoke very highly of Sami Zayn, commending him for "reconstructing" his character
During a recent interview with Andrew Santino on Whiskey Ginger, 16x World Champion John Cena offered praise and massive props to Sami Zayn for his current run and stark rise in popularity.
“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 noted that Zayn's connection to the WWE Universe came from nothing but hard work from the former NXT star.
"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." [h/t: Fightful]
Sami Zayn has had three matches with John Cena in his WWE career, first facing him in his RAW debut in a United States Championship Open Challenge in 2015. His final match with Cena took place late last year when he and Roman Reigns took on the duo of Kevin Owens and Cena in a losing effort.