WWE News: X-Pac reveals Triple H had previously shot down the idea of turning Sami Zayn heel
What's the story?
Sean Waltman recently sat down with Kevin Nash as part of his podcast to discuss some of the recent events within the wrestling world. However, during the show, the pair touched upon Sami Zayn's heel turn, with Waltman revealing that he had suggested turning Zayn heel six months ago to a top WWE figure, who shot the idea down.
In case you didn't know...
At Hell in a Cell 2017, Sami Zayn sensationally interfered in the main event between Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens by pulling Owens out of harm's way as Shane McMahon attempted to hit an elbow drop through the announce table from the top of the Hell in a Cell structure.
Also Read: Top 10 swerves that could happen in the WWE by the end of 2017
The heel turn was cemented on the following SmackDown LIVE when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn reconciled, with Owens calling Zayn his guardian angel. Zayn stated that his motivation was because he was promised that SmackDown LIVE was the 'land of opportunity' by Shane McMahon, but McMahon didn't live up to his promises.
The heart of the matter
This was a shocking move by the WWE, and one that helped elevate Sami Zayn back into relevancy following a failed feud with Mike Bennett. However, X-Pac revealed in his podcast that he had suggested to a top WWE official that Sami Zayn turn heel around six months ago.
"Crazy thing, It might have been 6 months ago, maybe not that long ago…I was like, they aren’t doing much with Sami Zayn. It’s a crying shame because he’s one of the best talents they (WWE) has. So, I got on my phone, texted Hunter: you should turn Sami Zayn heel."
It would appear, however, that Triple H, much like the rest of us, saw Sami Zayn as the epitome of the underdog face and that turning him heel would never work, as Sean Waltman goes on to describe the reaction he got back from The Game.
"You would not believe how he crapped on that idea. I mean, he thought I was a complete moron for suggesting that."
What's next?
Currently, we don't really know what's next for either Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn, will they form a tag-team and go after the WWE SmackDown LIVE tag-team titles?
Will they work together to win the United States or WWE Championship? It's unclear.
Author's take
I'm reluctant to give Sean Waltman too much credit for being ahead of the curve when it comes to what to do with Sami Zayn, as changing a wrestler's allegiances is always one of the go-to moves when a wrestler's popularity is stagnating.
However, there's no denying that Zayn's recent heel turn has reinvigorated his character so maybe Triple H should have listened to him six months ago.