Jim Ross has shared his thoughts on Sami Zayn’s WWE Championship win, and while he had mixed emotions at first, he ultimately viewed it as a smart move.
Speaking on Grilling JR, the Hall of Famer defended the decision to put the title on Zayn, pushing back on the criticism the reign received.
“I never had a problem that Sami Zayn got to be the champion. He’s a hell of a worker. He’s apparently very reliable and a decent guy. So what is there not to like?” Ross said. “He don’t have big arms. He’s not a big man, blah blah blah. But I think it was a good move.”
Ross explained that shaking things up is essential in the current wrestling climate.
“It switches things up, changes things a little bit, gives things a little different taste, and I think that’s important in today’s world,” Ross said. “Wrestling fans have short attention spans, but they love surprise, and they love news.”
Ross expressed sympathy for how much Zayn was criticized, recalling his standout work from earlier in his career.
“I feel badly that Zayn got panned so badly for winning a championship, because I always thought he was a hell of a worker,” Ross said, reminiscing about Zayn’s days as El Generico. “He was really good. So he’ll get over it. Everybody will get over it.”
