Posts Tagged ‘Sami Zayn’

Edge Interview: Why He Doesn’t Watch WWE Network, Christian Retiring & More

WWE Hall of Famer Edge recently spoke to AlternativeNation.net about a number of topics, including the Attitude Era, a John Cena heel turn, the WWE Network not working for him and much more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

The WWE Network and Sami Zayn: “They finally gave me the WWE Network. Once they asked me to do a show on it, they said, ‘Do you want it by the way?’ I said, ‘Yeah sure, why not?’ But for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to want to work up here in Canada. Every time I try to watch something it just freezes, so I haven’t really watched a whole lot of stuff. Before it was on the Network, it was on Sports Central up here, and if I was home from set, I would try to watch it Thursday nights. Then it got taken off Sports Central, I got the Network, and the Network didn’t work, so it’s kind of been out of my hands, I haven’t been able to watch it. But I know Sami Zayn, I’ve known him for a couple of years now, but I’ve always enjoyed what he’s done, when he was El Generico too.”

Christian Possibly Retiring: “Well he’s my best friend, so I know what’s going on with him more than anybody else. But he’s at that kind of point where you sit back and look and go, okay I’m definitely closer to the end of my career than the beginning. After awhile your body just starts telling you, this is a difficult job to do. When you’re in your 20’s and you think you’re indestructible, you can bounce back, but it gets harder when you start climbing into your 40’s.”

The Attitude Era: “I do think what’s been good, people are always talking about the Attitude Era, and all of this and all of that, but if you watch back, sometimes the matches weren’t that great because we had 2 minutes. It’s not possible to have a good wrestling match in 2 minutes, you can’t tell a story, you can tell a haiku. Since the PG era, I know when I was in matches, I had half an hour sometimes, 20 minutes, there I can tell a story. To me that’s the meat and potatoes of the whole thing, it all boils down to the wrestling at the end of the day. The Attitude Era was a lot about the hijinks backstage, and the matches kind of got forgotten about. It’s looked at with rose colored glasses because the ratings were good, and it was working for obvious reasons, but to me those obvious reasons were characters like Stone Cold, who would then get in and have a long match at a PPV. Characters like The Rock who would be entertaining, but still at the end of the day, they could go. I think now, you need a little bit of both.

Why He Doesn’t Watch The WWE Network: “I haven’t watched a whole lot. They finally gave me the WWE Network. Once they asked me to do a show on it, they said, ‘Do you want it by the way?’ I said, ‘Yeah sure, why not?’ But for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to want to work up here in Canada. Every time I try to watch something it just freezes, so I haven’t really watched a whole lot of stuff. Before it was on the Network, it was on Sports Central up here, and if I was home from set, I would try to watch it Thursday nights. Then it got taken off Sports Central, I got the Network, and the Network didn’t work, so it’s kind of been out of my hands, I haven’t been able to watch it.”

If There Was Ever An Awful Time For A 10-Person PPV Main Event …

If there was ever an awful time for a ten-person pay-per-view main event … this is it.

Why WWE is choosing to run with a ten-person elimination match for the upcoming Survivor Series show is completely beyond me. At this point in time, the depth among WWE’s roster is at one of the lowest that I can ever recall.

With top stars such as Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns on the shelf, and guys like CM Punk leaving at the peak of their popularity and Brock Lesnar working infrequently, WWE is left with very little at the top of the card. The only positive is that it forces them to move guys up the ladder at a faster rate than they normally might do.

With that being said, and I’m well aware that it’s a tradition to have multi-person elimination matches at Survivor Series, but I just can’t fathom why WWE is running with that concept this year, considering the state of their roster.

There’s been plenty of times in the past where they abandoned the elimination match concept at Survivor Series, so it’s not like something they have to make work because they do it every single year.

Regardless, that’s the direction we’re headed this year.

Having said that, one has to wonder how Survivor Series will come off later this month. WWE has put on some pretty solid pay-per-view shows in recent months, but I’ve got my reservations as to how well this show will come off in two weeks.

With pretty much all of the top guys either injured or involved in the main event, what is the rest of the show going to look like? Outside of Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose, thus far there’s virtually nothing on the Survivor Series undercard that I’m looking forward to.

Sure, Adam Rose vs. The Bunny will no doubt be an instant ring classic, but I digress.

All kidding aside, what’s left for the Survivor Series undercard? How many people that matter that aren’t tied up in the main event are left? The answer — not many.

It will be interesting to watch as the card continues to take shape in the final week of television next week leading up to the event.

By the way, if the stipulation in the Survivor Series main event has The Authority losing power if “Team Authority” loses the ten-man elimination main event, why isn’t Triple H trading his suit in for a pair of tights?

Beats me.

You would think with so much on the line, “The Game” would take matters into his own hands, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Unless I’m missing something, however, I guess it’s still possible, as last I checked there is one spot yet to be filled on the heel team. One would assume Triple H will fill that spot, although I haven’t seen any hints aimed in that direction.

While the roster is badly in need of some more depth right now, it is refreshing to know that the talent pool in developmental is as deep — if not deeper — than the current main roster in terms of promising young talent.

I can’t wait for guys like KENTA (Hideo Itami), Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens), Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Tyler Breeze and The Ascension to get their chance to make a splash on the main roster.

Look at some of the recent call-ups from NXT and how they are performing on the main roster. Guys like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and others are among WWE’s absolute top-tier performers these days. If WWE brings in guys like the names I just mentioned the way those guys were, as opposed to say, the way Adam Rose and Bo Dallas were brought up, the WWE main roster could be quite the group this time next year.

If and when that day comes, WWE can put on as many ten-man elimination matches as they’d like. For now, however, it just boggles my mind that they are choosing to do so with the roster in the state that it’s in.

What do you guys think? Leave your feedback in the “Comments” section below. You can also hit me up on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or on Twitter @MBoone420.

Video Of Finn Balor’s NXT Debut, Zayn Is #1 Contender & More

– Sami Zayn defeated Tyler Breeze to become the new #1 contender on this week’s NXT. He’ll challenge NXT Champion Adrian Neville next week.

– Finn Balor (formerly Prince Devitt) made his NXT debut on this week’s show, coming to the aid of Hideo Itami in his feud against The Ascension.

Finn Bálor looks to impress in his debut on WWE NXT.

NXT General Manager William Regal discussed Balor’s debut:

In this week’s exclusive interview, NXT General Manager William Regal talks about the excitement surrounding the arrival of WWE NXT’s newest superstar – Finn Bálor.

Finn Balor Talks About His NXT TV Debut (Video), Title Match At Next Week’s NXT

– As a result of his victory over Tyler Breeze in the number one contender match on tonight’s edition of NXT, Sami Zayn earned himself a shot at NXT Champion Adrian Neville on next week’s show.

– Below is a backstage video of Finn Balor talking about his NXT television debut from tonight.

Non-Spoiler Preview For Tonight’s Edition Of NXT On The WWE Network

The following matches were taped at Full Sail University for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:

– Charlotte & Bayley vs. Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch

– Tyson Kidd vs. Dash Wilder

– Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze (No. 1 Contender To NXT Championship)

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  • WWE Announces Date For Next NXT Live Special On The WWE Network

    WWE announced that the next NXT live special on the WWE Network will air on December 11th.

    WWE released the statement to members of the media which included a graphic that shows Triple H, Sami Zayn, Kevin Steen, Fergal Devitt, Hideo Itami, Charlotte and Adrian Neville.

    HHH will hold another conference call to promote the special prior to the event.

    Below is the aforementioned graphic:

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  • NXT Match Announced, Jericho Working On WWE Project?, Lita As Special Referee

    – Sami Zayn vs. Titus O’Neil has been announced for this week’s edition of WWE NXT on the WWE Network.

    – Chris Jericho noted via social media that he was recently in New York City filming footage for a new Jericho DVD project. According to various sources, it’s possible that the DVD could be a WWE project.

    – Below is a video of a CWE event in Canada where WWE Hall Of Famer Amy “Lita” Dumas is working as a special guest referee.

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    Rumored Top Matches For Next Live NXT Special On The WWE Network

    While there is still one more set of television tapings before the next NXT live special, which is expected to take place on December 11th on the WWE Network, based on what has been taped thus far, the following matches are rumored for the fourth live NXT special:

    NXT Championship:
    – Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn

    NXT Women’s Championship:
    – Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks or Becky Lynch, or a multi-Diva match with Bayley included

    NXT Tag-Team Championships:
    – The Vaudevillians vs. The Lucha Dragons

    – Hideo Itami and Finn Balor vs. The Ascension

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  • VIDEO: Sami Zayn Talks Wrestling On RAW, Doing Work For WWE 2K15 & More

    The following are highlights of a new Sami Zayn interview:

    On being in WWE 2K15: “I don’t remember hearing it initially. I was just at Full Sail one time for NXT and 2K was there and kind of just put me in a room and it was sort of you might be in the game, you might not, we’re not sure exactly. But the next thing I know, we flew to California, (Adrian) Neville and I, to do that motion-capture for certain moves that we do. So we put on the whole velcro suit and it was pretty cool, pretty surreal honestly.”

    O recently wrestling on RAW: “It was cool. Being on the road, for me, it just feels natural. I’m more used to that than being here honestly. This was an adjustment, coming to the performance center and not being on the road was the adjustment for me because I came from a wrestling background and was used to being quite busy. Now we’re getting back on the road, a few of us, (Adrian) Neville, myself and Tyler Breeze, The Ascension got a couple of opportunities. We’ve been on the road recently and it really just feels like home, honestly. Doing those three hour, four hour car rides … that’s cake and that feels right.”

    Check out the complete interview above.

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  • Sami Zayn & Adrian Neville Confirmed For WWE 2K15

    Video: First Official WWE 2K15 Gameplay Trailer

    2K posted the following on Instagram on Thursday afternoon, confirming that NXT stars Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn will be appearing in the new WWE 2K15 video game.

    Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville get their first looks at themselves in #WWE2K15.

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    2014 Third Quarter Matches of the Year

    Sunday’s Night of Champions pay-per-view marked the end of the third quarter of the WWE calendar. With only three pay-per-views left in 2014, fans have almost reached the end of another exciting year of rasslin’.

    With that said, it is now time to review the top matches from the third quarter. Feel free to compare these contests with the best matches from the first and second quarters:

    2014 First Quarter Matches of the Year

    2014 Second Quarter Matches of the Year

    Without further ado, here are the top five matches from the third quarter of 2014.

    5. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (Night of Champions)

    brockcenanoc

    Some might disagree with this choice, but I feel that it warrants inclusion. The contest perfectly juxtaposed the first contest between Cena and Lesnar at SummerSlam. Instead of Lesnar dominating from the opening bell, it was Cena who quickly hit an Attitude Adjustment and controlled the pace throughout much of the contest. The match was booked well enough that the outcome seemed in doubt, and the no-finish ending was the perfect way to keep the title on Lesnar, not make Cena look too weak, and inject Seth Rollins into the storyline.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpcBR75c5WY

    NXT Stars Work Tuesday’s WWE Tapings, Preview For This Week’s NXT (Video)

    – NXT stars Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze worked dark matches prior to the Main Event and SmackDown tapings on Tuesday night in Little Rock, Arkansas. Breeze worked a match with a local wrestler before Main Event began and Neville defeated Zayn prior to the start of the SmackDown taping.

    – Speaking of NXT, below is the video preview for this week’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network:

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  • Top NXT Stars Backstage At RAW Today, New Episodes Of WWE Slam City

    – Top NXT talent Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze are all currently backstage at the arena in Memphis, Tennessee for tonight’s post-Night Of Champions edition of WWE RAW.

    – WWE has released two new episodes of their animated series, “Slam City” on the WWE Network today.

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    (Credit: PWInsider.com)

  • Sheamus Talks His Night Of Champions Match, Devitt, Steen, Neville & More

    The following are highlights of a new Between The Ropes interview with Sheamus:

    On his match with Cesaro at WWE Night of Champions: “I had a lot of fun fella. It was definitely a blast. I needed that a lot because I felt like I’ve been just starting to hit my stride a lot more since I came back from my injury and needed that. So far, it’s been the highlight of my return to WWE.”

    On whether or not his own experiences with bullying pushed him toward fitness and bodybuilding: “Yeah it did. The training and stuff, that was important to me because I wasn’t happy with my body and I wanted to do something about it. I don’t know about the bully thing, maybe. It made me more self-conscious but I think it was more of the training stuff for me, just wanting to be healthier and fitter. I was lucky enough to have people around me to help me overcome the impression I was getting with bullying to where I didn’t even want to go to school. I wouldn’t even take the school bus, I’d walk, because I didn’t want to deal with it, the hassle. But I had good friends around me and a lot of kids aren’t that fortunate.”

    On Fergal Devitt and other new talent for WWE: “I think Fergal is going to thrive. I think he’s a phenomenal, phenomenal competitor in the ring and I think people are going to love him when he gets in there. When he’s in there, he’s not afraid to get hit or hit and I think he’s going to be a serious edition to the roster. It’s great and I think there’s a lot of other guys, Adrian Neville is another one, Sami Zayn, Kevin Steen. There’s a lot of guys who are chomping at the bit to get up here.”

    Check out the complete interview at BetweenTheRopes.com.

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  • Another WWE Star Under The Bunny Mask, Bunny To Wrestle This Sunday?

    As noted earlier this week, NXT star Sami Zayn has been the wrestler under the Bunny mask in Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” group on television recently. Apparently, Justin Gabriel has portrayed the Bunny a few times in the past few weeks as well.

    Speaking of the Bunny, there is currently talk within WWE of having him wrestle a match on the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view “Kickoff Show” this Sunday night.

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    (Credit: F4WOnline.com)

  • Neville, Zayn, Itami, Steen & Devitt Talk About Being “Leaders Of The New School”

    WWE.com has published an extensive feature looking at the “Leaders of the New School” – NXT stars Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Adrian Neville, Fergal Devitt and Kevin Steen. The article features quotes from each competitor and is definitely worth checking out. Here are some highlights of what they said about the “Leaders of the New School” coming together in NXT:

    Sami Zayn:

    “It’s just crazy to think where we all were a few years ago and where we are now. The other guys I tagged are guys we all crossed paths with for years all over the world on various small, independent shows. We thought we were doing something special at the time, but you don’t know if it’s going to pay off. Now that we’re all here under the WWE umbrella, it kind of validates all that.”

    When we were young, we all looked up to the Jerichos and the Guerreros and the Malenkos and all these world-traveled guys who started where they were from and then made a name in Europe, then went to Mexico, then went to Japan, then went to ECW, then WCW and then they ended their careers here in WWE. Those are the guys that I looked at like, “That’s what I want to be.” Now, we’re that generation — we’re the Guerreros, we’re the Malenkos. It’s not a coincidence at all.

    Kevin Steen:

    “I actually had a bit of a different mentality. I remember talking with Zayn about WWE, it must have been 2003, and I told him it wasn’t a dream for me — it was the goal. I appreciate all the chances I got to wrestle all over the world and I’m really proud to have wrestled in Japan and Australia and Italy. But it was never a necessity for me, because in my head, I thought, “When I get to WWE, I’ll travel with them and see all those places.” It was never something I felt I needed to do, but now that I’ve lived through those experiences, I realize how important it was in getting here.”

    Fergal Devitt:

    “I’d been doing it for about six or seven years when I ended up in New Japan. I was really just a boy and I became a man in New Japan in eight years. It came to a point where I could stay the rest of my career there and have the security of a job or I could step into the great unknown that is WWE and challenge myself. And that’s what I decided to do.”

    Adrian Neville: 

    “Honestly, it’s a huge risk, because we’ve got these reputations outside here and I know a lot of us made very comfortable livings outside here. To give up all that on what is essentially a flip of a coin, because a lot of decisions aren’t really in our hands as far as this place is concerned. One thing I liked about coming up is the ball was very much in our hands. Our success was based on what we did. That is the case to a certain degree here, but at the same time …”

    Hideo Itami: 

    “Everything changed [by joining WWE]. [I left Japan because] I wanted more. I wanted to be famous. I wanted to prove to myself. When I started, I didn’t think about WWE, but my dream became bigger and bigger.” When asked by Kevin Steen if he plans to reclaim the “Go To Sleep” finisher he popularized (which was later adopted by CM Punk), he said, “I hope! (Laughter.)”

    There is much, much more to the interview, including misconceptions about their generation, the WWE Performance Center and their goals in the industry. Head over to WWE.com to read the full article.

    Backstage Reason NXT Stars Didn’t Work WWE TV This Week

    As noted, several of the top NXT talents, such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze and The Ascension are all scheduled to go on the road with the main roster for live events and television to help cross-promote the NXT brand.

    The reason none of the guys worked the television tapings this week was said to be because this week was the “go-home” week for Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.

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    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Coverage Of Final Issue Of WWE Magazine, NXT Preview For Thursday (Video)

    AL.com has a featured article up today regarding the end of the WWE Magazine. The story notes that after 30 years, the final issue of the magazine is on newsstands now.

    – Below is the video preview for tomorrow night’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, which focuses on Sami Zayn’s road to the NXT Championship.

    Top NXT Star Working As Adam Rose’s Bunny

    NXT star Sami Zayn has reportedly played Adam Rose’s Bunny several times on WWE television over the past two weeks on WWE television.

    Zayn has been on the road with the main roster and apparently was the one who frog-splashed Titus O’Neil on last week’s RAW. The Bunny was wearing the same wrist tape that Zayn wore that night.

    The Bunny also did an impressive move at last night’s SmackDown tapings. Interestingly, Zayn worked those tapings in a dark match with other NXT stars.

    Of course, this doesn’t mean Zayn be revealed as the Bunny when he is eventually unmasked. In recent weeks, there has been some buzz that Darren Young will be revealed to be the bunny to continue his feud with former tag team partner Titus O’Neil.

    Backstage Update On WWE’s Plans To Cross-Promote NXT & Main Roster Talents

    In addition to the NXT names we reported earlier today that are scheduled to work next week’s WWE television tapings, which included Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze, former NXT Tag-Team Champions The Ascension are also scheduled to be among the NXT talents traveling with the main roster.

    All of those NXT names are set to work the non-televised live events with the main roster next week as well. It’s also believed that all of those NXT talents — including others from time-to-time — will be working a pretty regular road schedule with the main roster, meaning next week will not be a one-time thing.

    As we reported earlier today, WWE is looking to use NXT stars on the main roster events as a way to cross-promote both brands in a more legitimate fashion.

    As far as the opposite-side of cross-promotion is concerned, as has been the case for a while now, main roster WWE Superstars and Divas will continue appearing on the NXT television and live event shows from time-to-time as well.

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  • Tag-Team Match Announced For RAW, NXT Stars & Brock Lesnar Also Appearing

    WWE announced a Divas tag-team match for Monday’s RAW, which is the “go-home” show for next Sunday’s Night Of Champions pay-per-view.

    Brie Bella and AJ Lee will team up to take on the duo of Paige and Nikki Bella at the show, which emanates from the Cajundone in Lafayette, Louisiana.

    Also scheduled for Monday’s RAW, as noted earlier today, is the return of several top NXT talents. Currently booked for RAW (and SmackDown) next week are Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze.

    Finally, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is also scheduled to return at next week’s RAW. As seen on this past Monday night’s show in Baltimore, John Cena promised that he’s either kicking Lesnar’s ass, or Paul Heyman’s, if Lesnar doesn’t show up.

    WWE-NXT Cross-Promotion Update: Neville, Zayn & Breeze Set For TV Next Week

    Several of the top talents in NXT are booked for next week’s WWE television tapings. NXT Champion Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze are all scheduled to work both the RAW and SmackDown TV shows in Lafayette and Biloxi, respectively.

    Triple H noted during the NXT Takeover 2 promotional conference call that WWE will be doing more cross-promotion with the NXT roster and the main WWE roster. With several NXT talents scheduled for next week’s TV, this seems to be the beginning of that cross-promotion.

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  • VIDEOS: Post-NXT Takeover 2 Interviews With Hideo Itami, Sami Zayn & More

    Below are some post-NXT Takeover 2 backstage video interviews from Thursday night.

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  • NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way Results – September 11, 2014

    The following are results of the NXT Takeover 2 special, which aired on the WWE Network on Thursday, September 11, 2014.

    – The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara & Kalisto) def. The Ascension to become the new NXT Tag-Team Champions in the opening match of the show. The finish came when Kalisto pinned Viktor.

    – Baron Corbin def. C.J. Parker in a quick squash match that lasted all of 29 seconds.

    – Enzo Amore def. Sylvester Lefort with a rolling reverse cradle, holding his trunks during the pin. Lefort tried to run away after the match, but Big Cass clotheslined him. Louis attacked Cass and Lefort ran off, leaving Louis alone. Cass hit a big kick on Louis. Cass said to Amore, “Enzo, get the bucket!” in Dudley Boyz fashion. He poured the bucket on Louis and Louis ran off.

    – KENTA came out to the ring after being introduced by William Regal. KENTA announced that his new name is Hideo Itami. The Acension came out and threw him out of the ring and demanded a tag-title rematch. He came back in and cleaned house of both guys.

    – Bull Dempsey def. Mojo Rawley in about a minute with a diving head-butt. After the match, he gave Rowley another diving head-butt for good measure.

    – Backstage, Enzo Amore and Big Cass wanted to see somebody bald. They found Louis and Lefort ran away, leaving him alone yet again. Cass attacked him and carried him to the ring. Cass hit him with a reverse atomic drop and Amore took the towel off that was covering his head, revealing that he only had a little bit of hair left and no eyebrows.

    – Charlotte def. Bayley to retain the NXT Women’s Championship. The finish saw Charlotte hit a moonsault, followed by a neck-snapper for the pin. After the match, Sasha Banks came out and taunted Bayley and then attacked her. Charlotte ended up making the save.

    – It was announced that Hideo Itami (formerly known as KENTA) will be making his in-ring debut on NXT TV next week, which is actually being taped on Saturday night, September 12th.

    – Adrian Neville def. Tyler Breeze, Sami Zayn & Tyson Kidd to retain the NXT Championship. The finish saw Neville hit his spectacular Red Arrow on Kidd for the pin after Zayn had hit the running kick into the corner and had the match won, but Neville pulled the referee out of the ring so he couldn’t make the three count. This was definitely a “match of the year” candidate.

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  • Sami Zayn Interview: Working In Front Of WWE Crowds, Adrian Neville & More

    NXT Superstar Sami Zayn spoke to Journeyofafrontman.com this week to hype tonight’s NXT Takeover 2 live event on the WWE Network. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    Wrestling At WWE Live Events Compared To Full Sail University: “The Full Sail crowd, it’s a pretty unique and a pretty distinct environment, it’s very close quarters and a bit more of what I’m used to from my days on the independents. But the truth is, I sometimes think that it’s harder to win over a small crowd sometimes than it is to win over a big crowd. The Full Sail crowd is very enthusiastic, but so are the crowds at WWE live events. When you’re in arena with five thousand to ten thousand people, you know that you’ve paid your money to come and have a good time. You’re enthusiastic, you come to make some noise and have some fun. So those are very receptible audiences, they’re very receptive crowds. Whereas sometimes, you work smaller shows in armories or wherever else and it’s in front of 100-150 people. It’s kind of bright in the building. (laughs) They’re almost embarrassed to maybe cheer because you have to really work to get them with you. Full Sail’s nothing like that, obviously, they’re very enthusiastic. But it’s not night and day, really. A crowd’s a crowd and to me, it’s not so much about the size as much it is the energy we’re getting. I’ve worked in front of crowds of two hundred that sounded like a thousand and I’ve worked in front of crowds of five thousand that sounded like two hundred. It really varies with the energy level with any given crowd on any given night. It hasn’t been a huge transformation because you’re really still just doing your thing.”

    Adrian Neville As NXT Champion: “It’s great, I’m not the least bit surprised to be honest. Out of all the competitors, I know him the best and I’m the closest to him. I first met him and wrestled him in 2006, since then we’ve wrestled each other in eight or nine different countries all over the world before either of us even signed to the WWE. We’re longtime friends and longtime rivals in the ring. He’s probably if not my best opponent, one of my best components I’ve ever had in my career. So I’m not the least bit surprised, I’m so aware of what he is capable of. I’m not surprised that he became the champion and that he was able to rise to the occasion every time they’ve asked him to. He’s just unbelievably gifted and unbelievably unique. All you need to do is watch him once to realize what you’re dealing with and you’ll say, “Oh, wow! This guy’s on a whole nother level!” It’s just the beginning, really, because once he gets up on RAW every week and starts getting exposed to more eyes, it’s just a matter of time before he continues that rise to greatness.”

    Which NXT Star He’d Like To Work With: “One guy that I really think is starting to break out slowly is CJ Parker, I think he’s really good. He’s got a tremendous passion for this business. I think the first sort of debut in NXT with this hippie gimmick, he was a good guy, but it was just kind of corny and canned and the fans turned on him. It legitimately broke his heart. And now he has a legitimate chip on his shoulder and his hippie character morphed into more of a socially aware, socially conscious houlier-than-thou character. It’s way grittier and more realistic now. He really puts his heart into what he does and I think he’s gonna be good. And similarly, there’s Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady who are both just phenomenally entertaining. And I really look forward to their growth. I really look forward to watching them. And there’s a couple of guys that have been signs now, but have not yet debuted such as Kevin Steen and KENTA and Fergal Devitt. In my opinion, they are three huge, huge signings. They’re just taking three of the best guys from different corners of the world and bringing them to NXT. If you look back historically, when Vince first did that national expansion from a regional promotion to a national superpower, he did it by finding the best talent in all the territories and taking all the best talent. In a weird way, I feel like that’s what’s going on again now. You’ve got Kevin Steen from Canada, you’ve got Fergal Devitt from Ireland and you’ve got KENTA from Japan. He’s just selecting the best talent worldwide and we’re snatchin’ ‘em up. It’s just gonna make the product better here. These are my guys, these are guys I’ve come up with. So hopefully, we can all spearhead the revolution and be the next generation. We can take this business to an interesting place that maybe it hasn’t been before.”