Sami Zayn has opened up about the moment he began to fear that becoming WWE Champion might never happen for him.
Now the Undisputed WWE Champion after finally reaching the mountaintop, Zayn reflected on the long road to the top and admitted that a recent defeat had badly rattled his belief. He pointed to a loss against Drew McIntyre at this past January’s Royal Rumble as the turning point.
“The one that really did my head in a little bit was coming up short against Drew this past January at the Royal Rumble, because after that one, that’s when I was already starting to feel like maybe I had missed my window,” Zayn said. “I couldn’t give up faith, but it was the first time my faith was shook, if I’m being totally honest.”
Despite those doubts, Zayn never wavered in his belief in his own ability, insisting he always knew he belonged among the company’s very best. “I knew I had the talent. I knew I had everything. I knew I was just as good as any of these guys. Drew, Roman, Cody, Seth,” he said. “And the proof is you’ve seen me mix it up in the ring with all of them. You’ve seen my body of work. There’s no question in my mind.”
For Zayn, sharing the ring with those top stars only deepened his frustration at falling short. “These are my peers, and that’s almost what made it more maddening,” he said. “‘Why them and why not me? Why is it so close and I just can’t get my hands on it?'”
