Sami Zayn came so close to reaching the summit of the pro wrestling industry, he could almost taste it.
Before a deafening, sold-out crowd at last year’s Elimination Chamber event in Montreal, the red-headed hometown hero hit Roman Reigns with his patented "Helluva Kick" and pinned him for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The audience nearly blew the roof off the Bell Centre. But Reigns, the current face of the franchise, kicked out and thanks to some outside interference from his minions, eventually won the match.
Zayn finds himself in a different spot as he heads to WrestleMania 40 this weekend in Philadelphia. He’s not in the main event. But he doesn’t mind taking the scenic route to the top.
“I think I’m in a really good position, but I haven't lost sight of the fact that that world title is still the big one that I'd like to get one day before this is all said and done. It’s more satisfying when you see a guy come close several times and not quite make it (before winning),” Zayn says on a phone call from New York City.
“Do I think Montreal would have been the perfect moment? Yes, selfishly, of course I think that. But I do think there's somewhere to go from there.”
That somewhere is in the squared circle against Gunther, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, holding the title for more than 660 days. Zayn is excited about the prospect of ending the Austrian wrestler’s unprecedented run this Saturday on the first night of WrestleMania. It will be his eighth appearance at wrestling’s marquee spectacle.
Zayn says it’s “very poetic” that this year’s WrestleMania is in Philadelphia, since he likens his career trajectory to Rocky Balboa’s. Like the city’s fictional hero, created and portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, he’s been an underdog at different stages of his journey.
“Rocky is one type of underdog in the first ‘Rocky,’ when he's an unknown and he makes a name for himself. And he's a different kind of underdog in ‘Rocky IV’ when he's already been a champion and done all these things, but he's going up against a monster. I feel these WrestleManias are my Rocky stories in a way. This one would be the closest to ‘Rocky IV.’"
The 39-year-old is one of several Canadians competing at WrestleMania 40, including his longtime friend and fellow Montrealer Kevin Owens, who faces Logan Paul and Randy Orton for the United States Championship on night two.
At last year’s WrestleMania in Los Angeles, Zayn and Owens ended another historic title reign when they dethroned twins Jimmy and Jey Uso to become the Undisputed WWE Tag Team champions.
Zayn says the rabid cheers he and Owens receive in Montreal are responsible for their success in WWE. In 2015, when he made his main roster debut facing John Cena in his hometown during an episode of Monday Night Raw, the arena rallied behind his every move.
“That crowd just responds so well to me in the arena that it just seeps through the television and it's infectious. It just makes you seem like such a huge deal,’” he says.
“I don't know that there's another city that treats their hometown guy the way Montreal treats me and Kevin Owens. It’s just exceptional.”
Zayn has run with that momentum to become one of WWE’s most popular stars, captivating audiences with his mix of in-ring agility, comedic chops and compelling promos. He hit his stride in 2022 when he was involved in a storyline with Reigns, the company’s biggest star, joining his stable The Bloodline.
At that year’s Royal Rumble, as the group was ganging up on Owens, Zayn came to his friend’s defence, setting up a showdown between himself and Reigns. Many considered it to be WWE’s hottest storyline in years.
“I hope I get to be at the centre of something like that again in my lifetime,” Zayn says. “Even for Roman, for whom there's a case to be made has had a top-three career of all time — I dare say the vibe and the buzz going into our match, I don't know if any of his other matches have had that.”
Zayn has faith that he’ll get another chance at a “storybook ending” where he wins the Universal Championship, but he admits popularity is fickle in pro wrestling.
“It’s a very, very delicate balancing act because sometimes when you don't strike right when it's a perfect time, you could miss momentum so quickly, sometimes even in a week," he says.
"It's really crazy, especially with the Internet, because it creates a large vocal community where you can discuss at length how you felt about something. It just amplifies that momentum and that goes in both directions."
Regardless, Zayn is focused on this weekend, promising to “do something memorable that leaves its mark on WrestleMania history.”
Beyond his own legacy, he realizes he’s carrying the torch for Canadians in pro wrestling.
“I feel very proud to even be included on that list. Who knows what the next generation is going to look like, but when you talk about Roddy Piper and Bret Hart, and you talk about Kevin Owens and myself, there's almost a 20-year gap,” he says.
“Hopefully it's not another 20-year gap until the next premier talent out of Canada leaves their mark on WWE.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
