Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston has suggested a new nickname for Sami Zayn based on being an Honorary Uce in The Bloodline and his friendship with Kevin Owens.
Sami has spent months trying to become an official member of The Bloodline faction with Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Paul Heyman. He recently had some conversations backstage with The Tribal Chief and it appeared that Sami was on his way to joining the group.
Kevin Owens battled Jey Uso on the August 29th episode of RAW. During the match, The Usos wanted Zayn to strike Owens with a chair but he refused. This led to Jimmy getting frustrated with Sami and taking his eye off of Owens. Kevin capitalized with a Stunner for the pinfall victory.
Earlier today, Kofi took to Twitter to suggest a new name for Sami that may allow The Role Model to stay loyal to both parties.
Man… i might be late on this but…I just realized that Sami been trying to get in with the Samoans…but there’s questions on wether he’s still boys with Kevin Owens… you think he can stay loyal to both parties by changing his name to ‘Sam Owens’ ? (I’m not high)
Man… i might be late on this but…
I just realized that Sami been trying to get in with the Samoans…but there’s questions on wether he’s still boys with Kevin Owens… you think he can stay loyal to both parties by changing his name to ‘Sam Owens’ ? ?
Sami has already hopped in front of a few Claymore kicks from Drew McIntyre in an effort to show his loyalty to Roman Reigns. It will be interesting to see how much more The Locker Room Leader is willing to take before he inevitably has a falling out with The Bloodline. The Usos’ younger brother, Solo Sikoa, joined The Bloodline at Clash at the Castle this past weekend and helped Roman retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship over Drew McIntyre.
Blood is important, sure, but it should never be used as a reason to exclude people. I’m not saying you or anyone else would do that, just making a general statement. Ok anyways look forward to meeting you soon uce! https://t.co/egzbgmhoXY
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens got to share a touching moment after this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The final segment of this week’s show featured a confrontation between the WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns and the #1 contender for the title Drew McIntyre.
The promo segment turned into a brawl towards the end. When McIntyre first tried to hit Reigns with a Claymore Kick, Sami Zayn interrupted and took the hit instead.
Roman Reigns then tried to hit a Spear on his opponent but the Scottish Warrior managed to counter. He hit a Claymore this time, and the show ended with McIntyre holding up the titles.
After the show went off air, Kevin Owens came out and shared a moment with his longtime best friend. Owens said that he is proud of Sami and that Zayn is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Though Kevin also mentioned that the former El Generico is too good to be ‘Roman’s bitch.’ Riddle then came out and got the two stars to hug.
The fans then got to see a tag team match where Kevin Owens teamed up with Riddle. They defeated the team of Butch and Ridge Holland. You can check out photos and videos from the dark segment below:
After SmackDown went off air, Kevin Owens came out & said that he's proud of Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens and Riddle beat Butch and Ridge Holland.
Before that, Owens & Zayn shared a cool moment in the ring. Owens praised Sami, but said he's too good to be Roman's b!tch. Riddle then came out and got Owens & Sami Zayn to hug#WrestlingIsLifepic.twitter.com/yZC3Tx9iYx
Kevin Owens is ready to hold tag team gold in WWE.
The Prizefighter recently spoke appeared on the TWC Show to discuss the matter, as it is the one title he has not held since joining the promotion back in 2014. In that time he has captured the NXT championship, the United States championship, the Intercontinental championship, and the Universal championship. However, Owens has not held a title in five years.
When talking about winning a tag title he states that his top pick as a parter is his longtime friend/rival, Sami Zayn.
“Of course. I’ve never been a tag team champion. I’d love to be tag team champion anybody. Well, maybe not anybody. There are a couple of guys I could see myself winning the Tag Team Titles with, obviously, Sami is at the top of the list.”
Owens and Zayn have been dominant as a tag team elsewhere in the pro-wrestling industry, so a win here would be what Owens calls, the ultimate good moment for the duo.
“That would be the ultimate good moment for us, to achieve that. We’ve been tag team champions everywhere we’ve went, except for WWE. We definitely have to get that checked off the list soon enough.”
Owens confronted Drew McIntyre on last night’s Monday Night Raw.
Sami Zayn discussed the prospect of retiring from active competition on the latest episode of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
Earlier this year, Zayn celebrated the 20th anniversary of his pro wrestling debut. Prior to joining WWE in 2013, Zayn had a lengthy run on the independent scene. Before the WWE Universe met Sami Zayn, he portrayed the masked character El Generico in companies such as PWG, Chikara, ROH and Dragon Gate USA.
At 38 years old, Zayn knows he can’t wrestle forever. He isn’t planning to hang up the boots any time soon, but he has thought about the next phase of his career.
When father time knocks on his door and he’s wrestled his last match, Sami Zan hopes to put his communication skills to good use.
“I don’t know, because it could be taken away when you’re not ready for it. ‘Till the wheels fall off, I suppose, and then when they do, I’d love to run my mouth and be Bobby Heenan, be Paul Heyman, or be whoever, you know.”
– Sami Zayn on retirement
Heenan and Heyman are undeniably two of the greatest talkers in wrestling history, so Zayn clearly has high aspirations for himself. Whether he works as a broadcaster or manager, there’s no doubt that Zayn has a lot to offer the business even outside the ropes.
Zayn has been out of action for several weeks due to an injury. He last competed at WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Since then, he’s been seen wearing a sling. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Zayn’s injury is “legit, but it’s not major, and they are hopeful of him being able to wrestle in a few weeks.”
Elsewhere during the interview, Zayn played the ‘word association game’ and named the first thing that came to mind about topics such as Seth Rollins, John Cena and Triple H.
You can stream Sami Zayn’s appearance Broken Skull Sessions right now on Peacock.
If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
A lot of famous wrestling stars come from very humble beginnings, and Sami Zayn is no different.
The WWE star recently appeared on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. During the interview, he told the story of how he started in wrestling. Zayn recalled that he had a friend who worked at a wrestling radio station. One day he called him. The friend told Sami that a local wrestler named Patty The Kid was willing to train them and the high-flying star took the offer in a heartbeat:
“It was 25 bucks a week so I can kind of afford that. So I go, and it’s just me, him and one other guy from the radio station, also about the same age – 18. There’s no school. Right? It’s my friend’s backyard, and a mattress that I guess they pulled from the garbage or something. We had that mattress for one week. And that was the end of that.
Then it was just the grass. His philosophy was, ‘Well, if you can learn to bump on grass, you’re gonna bump properly because there’s no room for error.’ Great philosophy if you don’t have a ring.”
‘Hey, I’m A Wrestler’: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn continued his training for six months. After that he was told that he was ready to wrestle but he needed a booking to get started. The former Intercontinental champion also told the story of how he got his first booking:
“So I trained for about six months and then it took two or three months to just kind of get my foot in the door. Get the opportunity to get booked. All I needed was one match, because then I could go around and start saying ‘I’m a wrestler. Can I work here?’
So I had a match, and then I remember taking the bus in the metro to the east end and go into this church basement. I go, ‘Hey, I’m a wrestler. I’d love to work for you.’ The guy looks around, and there’s like three people in the crowd. He’s is like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ That’s how I got booked”
According to a new report, one of WWE SmackDown’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with an injury.
During last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn was seen with his arm in a sling. It now seems that Zayn is dealing with a legitimate injury.
On this episode of SmacDown, Sami confronted Theory, Mr. Money in the Bank, on behalf of the Bloodline. During the segment, it was not clear if the injury was real or a storyline injury.
The Injury
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote that the injury is “legit, but it’s not major, and they are hopeful of him being able to wrestle in a few weeks.”
Judging by Zayn’s activity, it seems that the injury happened on July 2nd in the Money in the Bank ladder match at the 2022 Money in the Bank event. Since Zayn hasn’t wrestled since then, it would appear that that match is when the injury happened.
WWE may be setting up a stipulation that could see Riddle barred from SmackDown.
One-half of RK-Bro has made it a mission to find WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns and make him pay for his actions. Reigns cost RK-Bro their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title match against The Usos.
In storyline, The Bloodline is being credited with possibly ending the career of Randy Orton.
Riddle’s journey may come with a harsh consequence.
Riddle To Be Booted From SmackDown?
Fightful is reporting that Riddle is on tap for the June 10 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
In addition, there has reportedly been a pitch for Sami Zayn, an “honorary” member of The Usos, to try to get rid of Riddle on SmackDown for good.
One of the angles pitched was for Riddle to face Sami with the stipulation being that if Riddle loses, he can no longer appear on SmackDown.
The report notes that this was simply a pitch and it isn’t set in stone.
On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sami Zayn cost Riddle his tag team title match against The Usos by playing Roman Reigns’ theme song, causing a distraction.
When the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force, businesses were forced to adapt. WWE was no exception, which led to the birth of the ThunderDome. The ThunderDome was filled with virtual fans and piped in crowd noise, which left the door open for criticism.
There were some who praised the setup, as many fans were put off by quiet and empty arenas.
Sami Zayn On ThunderDome
Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Sami Zayn admitted that he actually thought the ThunderDome opened the door for creativity (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“I loved the ThunderDome era. It’s an unpopular opinion, I know, especially because I love the fans. And I’m not going to say that all the time but I do, I really have a deep love for all of you really. Very profound, really, really it means so much to me and I know how lucky we are to spend this time together, it’s a miracle that we’re all here, it really is so I don’t take that lightly.
“However, not having [the fans] there throughout the ThunderDome opened the door for some new creative ways to do things, which I personally, in my opinion, don’t think we as a company took full advantage of. We still tried to present the show as if fans were there but they weren’t there, especially before the ThunderDome, when it was in the empty PC.”
Zayn is currently involved in a feud with Drew McIntyre. He got himself counted out in their match on the April 8 episode of SmackDown. On April 22, Zayn will face McIntyre in a Lumberjack match.
Kevin Owens can’t turn to his own friend Sami Zayn when it comes to his conspiracy theory on Ezekiel.
Ezekiel has only been around for two weeks and he’s already been a thorn in the side of Owens. On the April 4 episode of WWE Raw, Owens ranted about how he went into his WrestleMania 38 match with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin injured.
This prompted Ezekiel to hit the ring. Kevin Owens claimed that the new upcoming star is actually Elias. Ezekiel insisted that Owens was mistaken and that he is actually Elias’ brother.
Kevin Owens Gets No Help From Sami Zayn
While Owens is convinced that Ezekiel is actually Elias, he hasn’t exactly done a good job of convincing others. He couldn’t convince Tommaso Ciampa during the April 11 episode of Raw and he can’t even convince Sami Zayn.
“There’s leaves growing out of his GD arm! Think!!!”
Owens has been calling for Ezekiel to take a lie detector test on the April 18 episode of Raw. It’s quite the extreme measure from KO. After all, Ezekiel does have some pretty damning evidence that he’s telling the truth.
A lot of people believed that Sami Zayn was bound for AEW once his WWE contract expired. That’s why it surprised many fans when he decided to re-sign with WWE instead. According to the WWE star himself, he stayed because the company has allowed him creative input and shown their appreciation.
The Great Liberator appeared on Out Of Character recently. During the interview, he revealed that he has creative freedom in WWE. When asked to elaborate, Zayn explained that while he doesn’t book his own stuff, he gets to pitch a lot of ideas:
“Well, let me just nip this in the bud. I don’t want to act like I’m booking my own stuff because I am not. [I have] input. And for the creative team and whoever to be receptive to my ideas [is good]. I don’t get all [things through].
Trust me, I swing a lot. I don’t think I swing a lot of duds, but sometimes I swing ideas that I don’t know why they won’t work and sometimes they tell me that won’t work because of XYZ. But a lot of things they’ll take. It’s not exactly how I envisioned it, but pieces of it get through. Like the documentary for example. And they take on a life of their own.”
I Am Over The Moon
Sami Zayn claimed that being heard by the creative makes him feel respected and valued in the company. According to him, WWE has really shown him their respect in the last few years. This is the reason why he chose to re-sign with the promotion:
“So yeah, for sure, having even a little bit of creative input. I think that’s really what’s taken my appreciation and my enjoyment of being here in WWE to another level. I’ll say, ‘hey, I really wish we could kind of do this’ and then some version of that happens, and I’m thrilled. I’m over the moon. What more could you ask for?” asked Sami Zayn, “That’s it. To just feel like you have a voice and you’re feeling heard, and when you actually go out there and do it. You feel respected and valued.
That’s really what kept me here. There are other factors for sure, but that was really it. It wasn’t – oh all of a sudden, my contract’s coming up and it’s time to negotiation and [they’re like] ‘Hey we really like you’, ‘Well where have you been the last two years?’ No, the last two years they’ve shown me that they value me. So, when they told me they want me to stay, I believe them. So I stayed.”
Sami Zayn has enjoyed his feud with Johnny Knoxville ahead of their match at Wrestlemania 38 Night Two on Apr. 3.
WWE has given Zayn the responsibility of working an Anything Goes Match against Knoxville for the company’s biggest event. While fans may feel disappointed in Zayn’s placement on the card, he has liked his Wrestlemania 38 feud. He also doesn’t believe that WWE is misusing him.
In an interview with Sportnet, Zayn shared his thoughts on working with the movie star. Sportnet’s Kevin Michie transcribed the following quotes.
“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, said Zayn. He explained, “…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.”
When responding to fans upset about WWE booking for Wrestlemania, he said, “…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.”
Johnny Knoxville (Photo: WWE)
How Much Will WWE Allow Johnny Knoxville To Do At Wrestlemania 38?
At 51 years old, it’s unclear how much WWE will allow Knoxville to do at Wrestlemania 38: Night Two. The movie star has a history of concussions and other physical abuse he faced. In the filming of the recent installment of Jackass, Knoxville shared on The Howard Stern Show that he suffered a broken wrist, broken ribs, and a concussion that caused a brain hemorrhage.
The match is billed as Anything Goes, allowing either opponent to use weapons. Zayn will have the duty of putting on a good match and safely guiding Knoxville through it. Fans of Knoxville should hope that WWE limits what happens in the match.
Sami Zayn’s character has gotten more ridiculous at every turn since his heel turn. The Great Liberator has received high praise for his amazing character work in recent times.
Though many have also wondered if we will see him going back to his babyface roots and bringing his NXT gimmick back anytime in future. The former NXT champion explained on The Cheap Heat podcast why he doesn’t want to do that.
Zayn mentioned how people ask him about his old character to this day. He claimed that he takes it as a positive but the guy people want to see doesn’t exist anymore:
“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?’” said Sami Zayn, “That guy doesn’t exist anymore.”
‘It Wouldn’t Be The Same’
Giving an example, Sami said that even if The Beatles came back today, you wouldn’t recapture the magic from the 60s. According to him it was lightning in the bottle and the Beatles today would be just the group playing songs from the 60s:
“Sometimes, you have to look at things that existed in that time and place and appreciate them for what they were and kind of wish that they wouldn’t come back because if they did come back, it wouldn’t be the same.”
Sami Zayn has not been announced for a match at WrestleMania this year. It’s possible that he will participate in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown.
Sami Zayn has shared what he expects to go down once he shares the ring with Jackass co-creator and star Johnny Knoxville.
In storyline, Knoxville has been a thorn in Zayn’s side for months. Knoxville even cost Zayn the WWE Intercontinental Championship. He lost the gold to Ricochet on the March 4 episode of SmackDown thanks to Knoxville’s interference.
Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville: What To Expect
Metro got a chance to speak with Zayn, who is scheduled to clash with Johnny Knoxville on night two (April 3) of WrestleMania 38. Zayn discussed his expectations for the match:
“On the one hand, yeah, I get to test that pain threshold of his, which he’s famous for. But on the other hand, if it’s straight up wrestling I don’t think anybody expects him to be able to hang with me.
“But the fact that it’s anything goes might open the door to some of the stuff he’s good at, which is the gags and the pranks and the weapons and whatever else it is….I think this whole thing has been a lot of fun, certainly for me.
“I hope it’s been fun for the audience as well, because we’ve gotten to build the match in some very unique and orthodox ways that you just don’t get to do with another WWE superstar. We’ve gotten to do some really outside the box, unconventional and fun things to build this match.”
Zayn admitted that he was never a fan of the Jackass series. The former NXT Champion said he simply doesn’t like to watch other people get hurt.
Johnny Knoxville pranked Sami Zayn by putting his phone number on a plane which resulted in Zayn receiving over 20,000 text messages.
Knoxville and Zayn are scheduled to face off against each other in a match at WrestleMania 38. Knoxville had challenged Zayn to a match, but Sami only accepted when the Jackass star helped Ricochet take the Intercontinental Title from Zayn
The Results Of Knoxville’s Prank On Sami
In an attempt to annoy Johnny, Sami spammed his phone number with text messages. Knoxville did not take too kind to this and found a way to get him back.
On the 11th of March, TMZ Sports released a video that showed Knoxville had pranked Sami by putting his phone number on a plane banner. Zayn has since received hundreds of calls, thousands and thousands of texts, and it seems like this won’t be ending any time soon. Sami blames Knoxville for this prank and for him losing his Intercontinental Championship.
Johnny Knoxville is stepping up his psychological warfare against WrestleMania 38 opponent Sami Zayn.
Knoxville, who is celebrating his 51st birthday on Friday, reveals that Sami Zayn got a hold of his personal phone number and was “stalking him” with text messages.
Sami Zayn crashed the premiere of the “Jackass Forever” movie. He used the event as an opportunity to call out his current rival on Smackdown, Johnny Knoxville. The two also came to blows on Saturday night in the 2022 men’s Royal Rumble match.
After Zayn berated the Jackass cast and attending media for awhile, he was led away by security.
“‘Look at him, Johnny Knoxville, the man of the hour! Let’s hear it for Johnny Knoxville,” Zayn shouted. “Are you getting this, Entertainment Tonight? I’m the bad guy for coming and trying to show respect!”
Video of Zayn being kicked out of the event was posted to WWE’s social media accounts:
Hahaha I’m sure I’ll be laughing even harder at the big @jackassworld world premiere tonight! Johnny Knoxville and I will be sharing all the laughs I’m sure! pic.twitter.com/yTakqFARHi
Zayn entered the Royal Rumble on Saturday in the #8 position. Johnny Knoxville would enter immediately after him in the #9 spot. Zayn eliminated Knoxville from the Rumble but was then eliminated himself shortly after by AJ Styles.
The 37-year-old recently re-signed with WWE. Zayn would later tell Pat Laprade that he is happy with his role in the company.
“It’s not the first time I’ve said it, but I’m really happy with my role with the company in recent years, especially the last year, year and a half,” a translation of Zayn’s comments read. “I’m doing the best job of my career, especially in terms of my character. I don’t know why people were really surprised. They have an idea in their heads that everyone in WWE is unhappy being there, unhappy with their role, that they want more or feel oppressed, or I don’t know what. For me, I’m really happy with my role and I can’t wait to see what I’m going to be able to do in the next few years.”
While the news of him re-signing leaked this week, Zayn actually re-signed around the time that Kevin Owens re-upped with WWE as well.
“Unlike with Owens, it wasn’t confirmed by company sources past other wrestlers. But the signing coincided with when they had him start working with Lesnar and Reigns on Smackdown.”
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Sami Zayn is currently involved in a program with Johnny Knoxville to promote the Jackass star’s appearance in the Royal Rumble. Last week, Zayn appeared as though he was going to do a Jackass style stunt in a shopping cart but backed out of it after deeming it to be unsafe.
Zayn has been with the company since 2013. He is a former NXT Champion and 2x Intercontinental Champion. Outside of WWE, Zayn is a 2x PWG Champion, 1x ROH TV Champion, and once held the ROH Tag Team Championships along with Kevin Owens.
Zayn has been with WWE since 2013. He’s a former NXT Champion and a 2-time Intercontinental Champion.
WWE was not the only company looking to retains Zayn’s services. Per Fightful, Zayn also had interest from people in AEW and Ring of Honor, before ROH went on hiatus.
He’s been involved in a program with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, who will also be part of the Royal Rumble match. It remains to be seen if these two will ever work a singles match, or if their mini-feud will be limited to the Rumble.
Both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were reported to have their contracts expiring in early 2022. Owens recently signed a 3-year deal to stay in the promotion.
“There has also been locker room talk that Sami Zayn (Rami Sebei, 37) did as well, but WWE sources have not confirmed Zayn having signed to us yet,” Dave Meltzer wrote.
Owens new deal with WWE is said to be in the $2-3 million range but does not include a no-cut clause. This means that while Owens is committed to WWE for 3 years, WWE only needs to provide him with 90 days notice that they are releasing him.
If, for whatever reason, WWE decides Owens is no longer worth the amount they are paying him, he could be released.
Sami Zayn has found himself entangled in a social media spat with pop star Melanie Brown (Mel B) of the Spice Girls.
WWE just wrapped up its latest tour of the UK on Wednesday with a live event from Manchester, England. Mel B, aka Scary Spice, was in attendance for the show at AO Arena. Evidently, she was not impressed with Sami Zayn’s actions.
Zayn took to Twitter to note that he was called a derogatory term by Mel B on the show. He was shocked when Mel B called him a p*ssy.
“Scary Spice just called me a p*ssy”
– Sami Zayn
She then doubled down on her comments when responding to Zayn’s Tweet.
Zayn tells Corey Graves that he got knocked to the floor during his match. While on the outside, he’s getting heckled by some fans at ringside.
“So I’m doing a little bit of back-talk,” said Zayn. “It was like, ‘Get up, you’re a coward.’ I’m saying, ‘Hey, I’m hurt. Give me a second. You don’t know what it’s like. I’m in pain right now.’ That’s when the line was uttered by Scary Spice, under her breath mind you. Because she was in the front row, it was almost as if she knelt down and whispered in my ear of what I know and you know what you’re being right now.”
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer has confirmed that WWE has added time to the contract of Sami Zayn for the period he missed after his shoulder surgeries in 2018.
The wrestling journalist previously reported that the former NXT champion’s WWE contract was going to expire sometime before the current year ends. Though later reports contradicted these claims.
Meltzer corrected his report about Zayn recently and he wrote that WWE “may have extended it as much as nine-and-a-half months so it could be March or April depending on the length of time it was frozen before he’s a free agent.”
The former IC champion signed a three-year deal with WWE back in June 2018. So his contract would have already expired if it wasn’t for the added time.
Unfortunately for Sami Zayn, he missed about 10 months of action after having double shoulder surgeries right after the signing of his current deal. This means he will have to wait until next year before he can get free.
His friend Kevin Owens seems to be on track to leaving WWE and joining his pals at AEW once his contract expires in January 2022.
The fans of Sami Zayn on the other hand will have to wait for an extended period before we can know what decision he makes about his future.
It appears that fans may have to wait a bit longer to see Sami Zayn reuniting with his friends at All Elite Wrestling than originally expected.
Author Pat Laprade recently provided some update on the WWE star’s contract. He recalled how the former NXT champion told him back in June 2018 that he had signed a three years deal with the company.
This means that Zayn’s deal would have already expired if it wasn’t for the time that was added to his contract for the period he spent on the shelf after his shoulder injuries in 2018.
The former champion missed around 10 months of action from June 2018 to April 2019 back then after tearing both of his rotator cuffs. So his contract will likely expire sometime in March or at the beginning of April next year.
This is excluding the time Sami Zayn missed while sitting out at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from April to August 2020. WWE officials had allowed wrestlers to stay home at the time without any penalty.
This means KO will be able to join his friends of the Elite at least a couple months earlier. Zayn, on the other hand, will likely have to wait a few extra months before being able to jump ships if he chooses to.
Kevin Owens has been hinting at leaving WWE when his contract expires. Latest reports suggest that Sami Zayn will get a chance to join him around the same time.
According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former NXT champion’s contract is set to expire before the end of this year as well.
While the exact date when Zayn’s contract ends is unknown, the news is still interesting considering his friendship with the Elite among others in AEW.
News about Kevin Owens’ contract expiring earlier than originally thought excited fans this week. The buzz started when Owens made and then quickly deleted a tweet teasing a reunion with some of the AEW stars.
Reports later revealed that Kevin’s deal expires in January next year instead of 2023 as originally believed. The Observer notes that the exact date for the expiry of his contract is January 31, 2022.
Now this new report about Sami Zayn makes things more interesting. It opens the door for another major acquisition for AEW after recent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.
Whether these two make the move or decide to stay with their current promotion will be revealed in future. This news is certainly expected to fuel the chatter about their future among fans in the coming times.
As a character, Sami Zayn has never been afraid to stand up and make his voice heard. Off-screen, he is a very different figure, however, one thing remains the same. His passion and his ability to express his point and hold down a conversation about it. Recently, Zayn joined Renee Paquette for another Oral Sessions episode.
During his chat, Sami Zayn spent some time talking about wrestling chants. Focusing on one in particular which is a common chant and one most wrestlers love to hear. However, for Sami, he finds it a little derogatory, especially when looking at the big picture of professional wrestling.
Listen now! Always great talking to Renee! This is a small part of the “authenticity” conversation. There’s a whole other part that suggests perhaps there is no authentic self, and looks at the idea of authenticity from a more deterministic point of view. pic.twitter.com/KAIK2DLK3F
“My favorite chant in wrestling, the ‘you deserve it.’ And I’m like ‘do you? Do you deserve anything?’” Sami Zayn said. “What about believing that chant? You know what? ‘I worked hard and I do deserve it.’ No, I don’t think so. Everyone works hard, with a few exceptions. The biggest source of, what’s the word I’m looking for, malcontent? The thing that leaves me in a state of unease is how amazing my life is and the juxtaposition with how awful life is for so many other people and the sorrow I feel for other people and how I have it so good. It’s not because I deserve it. That’s the point. I don’t deserve it any more than the next person. I don’t.”
Sami Zayn Feels Lucky to be Where He is and Remains Humble
The message Sami Zayn is trying to get across is not one of big headedness, nor is it one of disrespect to the fan base. He was saying that just because a wrestler wins a title, it doesn’t mean he deserves it any more than anybody else in the locker room. The wrestlers whose job it is to lose every match, or who go the distance week after week in thrilling non-title storylines. Everybody deserves it because while wrestling is about individuals, it is very much a team success.
“I believe it’s just mainly luck. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I worked hard. Whatever. Everybody works hard. And you know what, I’m really great at wrestling. I’m really really good. Not everybody is this good. But a lot of people work hard at a lot of things and don’t get the breaks, and I got breaks. And it’s time to acknowledge that. Don’t ever chant ‘You deserve it’ at me. I don’t want to hear it. I would much rather ‘you got lucky! You got lucky!’ That would be more accurate.”
Sami Zayn understands the importance of every cog in the wheel. He doesn’t begrudge anybody their success but feels the relationship of success between the individual at the top and the roster that helped get them there is often forgotten.
