John “Bradshaw” Layfield believes Sami Zayn’s brief WWE Championship reign may ultimately benefit him more than many fans realize.
Speaking on Something to Wrestle, JBL suggested that Zayn’s nine-day run as champion, coupled with his emotional promo following his loss to CM Punk, could prove to be a turning point in his career. “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 also pushed back against criticism of the short title reign by pointing to one of wrestling’s most famous examples. “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. Very few people make it to be a world champion on that level, and that’s something to be said.”
The WWE Hall of Famer was especially complimentary of the promo Zayn delivered after losing the championship on Raw. “His promo was the best I’ve seen him do. Period. I thought it was awesome. If that’s the same Sami Zayn we get out of this, that’s a win for me.”
JBL also compared the performance to Zayn’s acclaimed work during the Bloodline storyline, praising his ability to maximize every opportunity he’s given. “He would steal segments with those guys.”
He concluded by highlighting what he believes is Zayn’s greatest strength. “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.”
