Sami Zayn’s 2022 Breakout Could Be Prelude to Even Bigger Things

Working alongside The Bloodline has elevated him to new heights, but a major match at ‘WrestleMania’ is on the horizon in 2023.

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Sami Zayn has elevated himself to a new tier of stardom in 2022

This was a breakout year for Sami Zayn.

And his greatest moment of 2022 occurred when his T-shirt was ripped off by Roman Reigns.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Zayn possesses the ability to turn the ordinary—a hug from Jey Uso, for example—into the extraordinary. That was the case during a SmackDown near the end of September, as The Bloodline stood in the ring for an interview segment. Reigns feigned disappointment in Zayn, then enlisted Uso to forcibly remove The Bloodline shirt that Zayn wore with pride. But it was all showmanship from Reigns, who handed Zayn a new shirt, one that read “Honorary Uce.”

Those in attendance erupted as Zayn held up his new T-shirt. He did not even need the microphone to fully seize the moment, instead delighting the crowd with his handshakes and hugs.

A 20-year veteran of pro wrestling, Zayn is a master craftsman when he steps in the ring. In a free-flowing conversation, Zayn revealed the secret to his success.

“It’s a full-blown commitment to what I’m doing,” says Zayn. “That’s the best answer I can give.”

Every time Zayn steps on-screen, he is fully immersed in his character. Rami Sebei (his real name) takes a backseat, and every ounce of his energy is grasped to bring Sami Zayn to life. And when Zayn is firing on all cylinders, he is magnifying the personalities of those around him.

That has been the case with The Bloodline angle, his programs with Johnny Knoxville and assorted members of Jackass, which turned out to be a valuable part of last year’s WrestleMania, as well as the introduction of Logan Paul into WWE, when he bestowed a great deal of significance on Paul immediately upon his arrival.

“Some of these things weren’t predicted to work as they did,” says Zayn. “I don’t mean to get too philosophical with wrestling theory, but it extends to everything we’re doing. You have to put value on it, or else you can’t ask the fans to give you that value in return.”

Zayn’s work with The Bloodline appears designed to build a huge babyface from within a heel faction, and it has been fascinating to see it play out. The plot is centered on an easily identifiable story about fitting in, and viewers are excited to see which direction it moves next.

“It’s hard to articulate it, but some of these moments might not sound right on paper,” says Zayn. “Maybe some people felt that way during the Johnny Knoxville match with the Jackass guys at WrestleMania, or in my acceptance with The Bloodline, but for me, it’s all about treating every moment with importance. If it’s not important, why should the fans care? If I had said, ‘Logan Paul? This guy’s not even from here. He’s just a YouTuber and he doesn’t deserve our respect,’ then it’s over. That’s not how I looked at it. I thought working with him was like hitting a gold mine. I was doing a conspiracy thing where I was trying to make a documentary, and my character found this outside person with a global reach. So we put importance on him from the jump.

“And The Bloodline thing isn’t working just because of me. It’s everyone’s commitment to it. That’s what is making it so interesting and so enjoyable.”

One of the reasons that The Bloodline story line resonates so strongly is its legitimacy. Reigns and The Usos share a long familial history in pro wrestling, all intimately understanding a business that can be cruel, cutthroat and keep you away from your loved ones. Now they are on top of the world, sharing the wealth with family member Solo Sikoa, and standing beside the legendary Paul Heyman, who needs no introduction.

Zayn, however, does not possess a famed wrestling bloodline. He is a kid from Quebec, fighting for every inch of success he has earned. His success is a byproduct of his blood, toil and tears, equal parts of an unyielding sacrifice to his craft. He is not Roman Reigns; but Roman Reigns is not Sami Zayn.

Wrestling is not Zayn’s bloodline, but it is his heartbeat.

“Part of why the cheers rolled in for me with The Bloodline quicker than I expected, to be honest, is because it’s so earnest,” says Zayn. “You can see the desire to be with these people is genuine. It’s a very relatable story, but not in an unattainable way. You’re finally hanging out with the cool kids, and you realize they’re not that different.

“On paper, maybe people would think I don’t fit in on the top of the card. But I believe I’m pretty good at this. It’s so hard to separate a healthy dose of self-confidence from my delusions, but from an early age, even when I wasn’t that good, my performances stood out. Even in the church basement in front of 60 people in Montreal, it worked.”

One of wrestling’s boldest underdogs, Zayn has the chance to create a lasting moment in February when WWE brings Elimination Chamber to his hometown of Montreal. If the show features Zayn’s breaking away from The Bloodline to set up a showdown against Reigns, as has been speculated, it could be a career-defining moment. But Zayn is not giving away any spoilers. His primary focus is keeping the current story line creatively fulfilling.

“Wrestling is more on my mind now than it’s ever been,” says Zayn. “I used to think that the hard work is in getting here, and then you feel like you’ve made it, but the last few years is when wrestling has been on my mind more than ever during the week. Early on in my career, I’d always felt this strange distinction from other wrestlers on the indies. I always felt like I was a guy who wrestled, not a wrestler, if that makes any sense. So during the week, it was kind of on the shelf. But these past few years, there’s been a direct correlation with the amount of input that I’ve been able to get through onto the show and the amount of time it’s consumed me during the week.

“Once upon a time, I didn’t sit around all week thinking about what I was going to do that weekend. The past few years have been a great collaboration, and when ideas start to work, you start to think, ‘Where else can we go?’ Think of how invested people are with The Bloodline. People are already at a 10. That’s very creatively stimulating. It’s really, really fun.”

Speaking on a Friday afternoon, Zayn answered every question with thoughtfulness and sincerity. After years of grinding away on the indies, his charisma is now undeniable. Even the nonwrestling questions were fascinating. When asked, for example, what he would have done for a career had he never been exposed to pro wrestling, he noted that would have entailed going back into the classroom.

“I would have gone into teaching and something in the humanities,” says Zayn. “English teachers were the only ones that didn’t hate me. They were the only ones who saw my potential. Math teachers, they were always fed up with me.”

Fortunately, Zayn did find pro wrestling. It is still possible he will become a teacher, but he will do so in his area of expertise.

“Even now, my days are somewhat numbered as an in-ring performer,” says Zayn, 38. “There is still meaning to me in passing on the knowledge I’ve been able to accrue over the past 20 years now. I always gravitate toward teaching.”

Ever humble, Zayn was hesitant to proclaim that his best work was yet to come. Instead, he took a unique approach when discussing his future, offering an honest assessment of what will take place next.

“I’ve only been on the main roster for six years,” says Zayn. “In some ways, I’m just starting. Maybe I’ve already peaked. I’ve gotten to do so much. It’s been a great career, and I’m totally thrilled with it. Maybe the best is yet to come. But I’m extremely grateful with where I am and what I’m doing.”

For Zayn, the future is full of possibilities. This week’s Raw ended with a stare-down between Zayn and former best friend Kevin Owens, one where Zayn appeared ready to fight—yet Owens did not. There is a lot more in store for his story with Owens and The Bloodline, and it will be especially compelling to see where this journey leads him by next year’s WrestleMania—as well as his evolution beyond. Whatever role he plays, Zayn will remain fully committed to bringing it to life.

“I can’t give 90%; I can only give 100,” says Zayn. “It’s focusing on those little details that have got me in trouble before, but it’s also what’s got me this far.

“Each and every step of the ladder of success in my career, each jump that I took, I was able to stand there. I did that enough times and thought, ‘Why not me?’ So we’ll see what happens next.”

The (online) week in wrestling

• John Cena was brilliant in his SmackDown segment Friday. Even as he ages and becomes the type of part-time star he once used to criticize, Cena remains the biggest star in the industry.

• MJF and Ricky Starks wrestled an outstanding match last week on Dynamite, and there are still plenty of different directions for the two performers to take when they inevitably meet on pay-per-view. Starks has a critical segment on Wednesday night’s show when he gives an interview addressing the loss, and it will be interesting to see MJF battle Bryan Danielson, who has layers upon layers of greatness in his presence and presentation.

• Chris Jericho made headlines last week on Dynamite by putting the spotlight on Action Andretti, who defeated the legend in an outcome hardly anyone saw coming.

• Only a few months removed from a singles victory against Kazuchika Okada during the G1 Climax, Bronson Reed is no longer with New Japan Pro-Wrestling as he returned to WWE this past Monday on Raw.

Mandy Rose no longer employed by WWE

How did the Mandy Rose situation unravel so quickly?

Two weeks ago, she was NXT women’s champion and an integral part of the brand. Last Tuesday, she dropped the title to Roxanne Perez, ending her title run at 413 days. Then, the following day, she was released from her contract due to adult content she was posting on a subscription platform.

There are multiple layers to this situation. The content on her FanTime account was deemed too graphic by decision-makers in WWE, but she did not want to shut down her site. According to Rose’s agent, she has already made an additional $500,000 since she has been released. It is hard to champion that number without verification, but for Rose’s sake, hopefully it is true.

Rose is Amanda Saccomanno. She had been with WWE since 2015, and she brought value to both the main roster and NXT. Had she been given the opportunity, she would have continued to do so. In conversations with WWE executives, the point made repeatedly was that the content on her page was deemed too graphic. But a major distinction is that she was not portraying the character of Mandy Rose. The images did not include her in Mandy Rose gear or with the NXT title. Saccomanno sought to make additional money away from WWE. Sources close to the situation deny that WWE ever asked for a piece of the profit, but it is worth wondering how this would have played out if the company was receiving a percentage.

As of now, there is still a chance that Rose could return to the company. Stronger, better communicated guidelines would be needed this time, but both parties would benefit from her finding a way to sustain this relationship.

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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.