Sami Zayn Reflects on Feud with Roman Reigns: “I’m Not the Chosen Guy, and That’s Fine”
WWE superstar Sami Zayn recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast to discuss the huge matchup he had with Roman Reigns at the 2023 Elimination Chamber premium live event earlier this year, and how he felt about losing in his hometown of Montreal. Highlights from the interview are below.
Sami Zayn acknowledged that there are few times when wrestlers capture lightning in a bottle the way he did with the Reigns match, and he wonders if he’ll ever get back to that spot. Despite the atmosphere being so memorable, he still lost in the end. Zayn admitted that the loss was hard to deal with, stating, “I’m not the chosen guy, obviously. I’ve been handed a lot of opportunities, and I’ve delivered on a lot of those opportunities throughout my time with the company. I’m grateful for all of it, but clearly, I don’t think anyone would say, ‘Oh clearly, he was being positioned to be the top guy or be the most popular guy on the show.’ Obviously, that’s not the case, and that’s fine. But I guess in the back of your head, you’re always banking on your ability to get there. Somehow or another, you just feel like you’ll get there, and then it is hard to get there. It’s almost miraculous to get there, or to get one of these organic runs that the audience sort of wills into existence.”
Zayn went on to express his uncertainty about whether he will ever reach that level again. He believes that his investment and equity with the audience from that storyline will keep him in their good graces for a while, regardless of the next storyline he’s involved in. He acknowledged that getting so close to the top and falling short was a hard pill to swallow, but he still values the impact he made on the fans during that time.
After the loss to Reigns, Zayn admitted that he was feeling down and disappointed. Triple H even talked to him about his comments at the post-show press conference, where Zayn expressed his disappointment. Triple H reminded him of the incredible match and atmosphere that the fans experienced, and how his comments brought down the mood. Zayn realized that while he was focused on his own disappointment, the fans still viewed the match as something incredible and historic.
Main eventing WrestleMania 39 and winning the tag team titles alongside Kevin Owens helped to soften the blow of the loss at Elimination Chamber for Zayn. He acknowledged that it took some time for him to fully bounce back from the disappointment, but the achievement of main eventing WrestleMania and winning in a historic match made him realize how special the whole experience was.
In the interview, Zayn also discussed the nagging injuries he’s been dealing with over the last several months. You can read more about that here.
Sami Zayn’s reflections on his feud with Roman Reigns provide insight into the emotional journey of a professional wrestler and the challenges they face in their pursuit of success. Despite not being the “chosen guy,” Zayn’s ability to connect with the audience and deliver memorable performances has earned him a special place in their hearts. While the loss in his hometown was difficult to