WWE.com did an interview with Sami Zayn, here are some highlights:
What did it mean for you to have Bret “Hit Man” Hart introduce you, almost putting his stamp of approval on you?
ZAYN: That meant a lot. The first wrestling show I ever saw was Survivor Series 1997, in that very building, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in the Bell Centre. I paid 13 dollars. (There was a coupon in the newspaper.) Bret Hart was my hero. Now, the same guy I paid to see — my hero — was the one introducing me and shaking my hand when I got in the ring. It was surreal, very surreal. I guess I didn’t fully understand what it meant until it happened.
WWE.COM: Even though you couldn’t beat the U.S. Champion, after the match, Cena raised your arm and gave you the ring, while the crowd was still on their feet for you. In the face of everything you went through, what did that mean to you?
ZAYN: It’s bittersweet in a way. It was an amazing moment. I was just trying to have a great match with one of the best wrestlers ever. What an endorsement, from two of the biggest stars of all time. I can carry that going forward. After you have a match like that, you have momentum.
I’m happy that I was able to have the match that I did with one of the best ever in my hometown. You really can’t ask for much better. Ultimately, I’ll look back at it as a very positive experience. I wouldn’t be Sami Zayn if it went too well, there’s always gotta be a bump in the road. Overcoming it is the story.
WWE.COM: What’s your mindset in the face of injury?
ZAYN: I’m an easy-going, take-things-as-they-come kind of guy, not just in the ring, but in life. Experiences like this make you realize that a lack of certainty can be very unnerving. Not knowing what the future has in store for you can be unsettling, especially when you’re riding that momentum. In the blink of an eye, things change. That’s the nature of the industry we work in. It can be frustrating, but you have to keep your chin up and not get too down on yourself and believe that in some way that it’s all for the best. A lot of fans have been really supportive and have commended me. In a weird way, it could be the worst thing that ever happened to me or the best thing that ever happened to me.
One way or another, it will all work out. You keep going forward and you get ahead. I’m not going to let this destroy me, so you take it as it comes. You deal with it, see what you can do, do your best and it will all be OK. I’ll keep driving forward.
