While Sami Zayn’s WWE Championship reign lasted just nine days, John Layfield believes the short run may have done wonders for the former champion.
Speaking on Something to Wrestle, JBL suggested that Zayn’s brief reign and the fiery promo that followed his loss to CM Punk could elevate him going forward.
“You may have given Sami some real life out of here that he wouldn’t have had without these nine days as champion. You may have done something huge for him here,” JBL said.
JBL pointed to history to make his case that a short reign is nothing to be ashamed of, recalling a legendary example.
“People always say, ‘Oh, he just held it for nine days.’ Tommy Rich, hottest babyface in the world back in the 80s, he was NWA world champion for seven days,” JBL said. “Very few people make it to be a world champion on that level, and that’s something to be said.”
JBL was especially impressed by the promo Zayn delivered in the aftermath, calling it a career highlight.
“His promo was the best I’ve seen him do. Period. I thought it was awesome,” JBL said. “If that’s the same Sami Zayn we get out of this, that’s a win for me.”
The veteran drew a comparison to Zayn’s acclaimed run in the Bloodline saga, praising his unique ability to make the most of any situation.
“He would steal segments with those guys,” JBL said, recalling Zayn’s performance during the crowdless pandemic era. “Sami Zayn has figured it out better than anybody else. It is just about making the best of the situation. That’s what I thought he did this past week as well.”
