Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2023/01/27/sami-zayn-speaks-on-royal-rumble-winning-over-paul-heyman-creative-under-paul-levesque/
Sami Zayn spoke about his affiliation with the Bloodline and maneuvering within the political sphere of WWE when speaking to BT Sport.
Ariel Helwani sat down with Zayn on Thursday to promote the Royal Rumble. Zayn said several times that he was unaware of the plans for the Rumble. Zayn has not been announced for the Rumble match and could create a polarizing reaction whether he is included, or not in the 30-man match.
When Helwani noted that there could be a fan revolt if Zayn didn’t win the match, Zayn contended that “if it’s done right you can do almost anything” but if done badly, you can have that contempt. He also doesn’t believe the audience is the same as in 2014 and 2015 when Daniel Bryan didn’t win the Rumble and they revolted in the crowd on those nights.
He was very candid about the political machinations that exist and stated that “it’s a different political game in the tippy top level” that he is currently residing in as a member of The Bloodline and arguably, the most beloved figure in the company today. Zayn said of all the people in The Bloodline, he felt he needed to win over Paul Heyman the most, stating he looks at the big picture and the strategy. Helwani asked if he has achieved that status with Heyman, and Zayn responded that he’s won the fans over, and therefore, that wins Heyman over.
About being the title holder in WWE, Zayn said there is a difference between being a champion and being “the face” of the company. He believes he can win the title, hold it for several months, do the media tours, and be fine but has physical limitations to becoming “the face” of the company in the realm of John Cena or Roman Reigns. He also acknowledged that his passion and lack of filter when engaging with other talents to put together matches or how he carries himself is both a blessing and a curse as it’s fueled him to become a top performer but also rubs others the wrong way.
Helwani asked if he would be in the position if Paul Levesque wasn’t running creative, to which Zayn said, “I don’t know”, but when pressed by the host, acknowledged “probably not”. Zayn noted he was never on-screen with Reigns until after Levesque took over and based on that, he assumed his chances of being in this spot were unlikely under the prior regime.
Finally, they spoke about the Elimination Chamber event next month in Montreal with Zayn agreeing that the city is as much a part of the story as anything else. He has had trouble conveying to others what Zayn and Kevin Owens mean in their home market and that’s akin to Shinsuke Nakamura in Japan rather than any U.S. talent in their home city.
The show at the Bell Centre on 2/18 is virtually sold out with over 13,000 tickets distributed, so far.
BT Sport will be releasing a second portion of the interview with Zayn where he discusses his memories of Jay Briscoe.