Sami Zayn could have left WWE this spring; the three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion’s contract was set to expire, so he could have walked out the door the same way a number of other stars have over the past few months. Instead, “The Master Strategist” inked a new deal, so he’s set to stay with the company for the foreseeable future.
In an interview with Cultaholic Wrestling’s Tom Campbell, Zayn explained his reasoning behind his decision; he noted that he feels happy, appreciated, and “simulated creatively” with the promotion.
“I was already in a very good place with WWE and they made it very clear, not just when it was time to negotiate but in the last year, year-and-a-half, whatever it is, I’ve definitely gotten the impression and they have said as much that I’m a valued part of the roster and I feel valued and I get a lot of television time,” said Zayn. “So I’ve been very happy and stimulated creatively even, which I know is a difficult thing to get in WWE sometimes,” he continued.
“With so many moving parts and so many talented people sometimes, inevitably, you kind of get left behind but I haven’t felt that way in a very long time with WWE. So that was really the main factor driving my decision to stay. I was very happy to stay because I felt valued, I felt appreciated and it was reflected as such by the amount of television time I got. For me, it was a bit of a no-brainer to stay right now.”
Zayn’s contract extension happened in around the same time his best friend, Kevin Owens signed a new deal with the company. It’s easy to assume that Owens’ decision might have played a part in Zayn’s choice to stay. But when asked about the matter, Zayn noted that while they weren’t exactly in the process together, seeing his friend make his decision might have “helped” on a subconscious level.
“I don’t know, that’s a good question,” said Zayn. “I don’t know because we’re actually on separate brands but our contracts were coming up at around the same time. So I don’t know. It’s not like we were in it together with regards to negotiations or even decision-making. Whatever decision he made, I don’t know if it 100 percent was going to influence my decision or vice versa but on a subconscious level, I’m sure it helped.”
The full interview is available here.
With the ink practically still wet on his deal, Zayn has been featured on WWE SmackDown in recent months. He had a brief run with the WWE Intercontinental Champion, and he’s been feuding with Jackass Forever star Johnny Knoxville. The two stars will clash in an Anything Goes Match at WWE WrestleMania 38.
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