Booker T believes WWE got it right with Sami Zayn’s latest Undisputed WWE Championship victory, particularly because of the promo that set the stage for his match with CM Punk.
Zayn defeated Punk for the championship on the September 11 episode of SmackDown in Mexico City, beginning his second reign with the title.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker praised the presentation leading into the match. “I loved the promo that Sami cut before the match, because it was just so wrestling. It just had everything about it,” Booker said. “It just had that throwback feel for me as far as wrestling goes.”
Booker was particularly impressed by WWE returning the championship to Zayn after his first reign had been viewed by some as transitional. “For somebody like Sami to win it after people thought, well, he was just a transitional champion, and then for him to get it back, it just, I love wrestling, man,” he said. “When it’s done right. And I think this was done very, very, very well.”
Booker also reflected on Zayn’s evolution throughout his WWE career, remembering the high-risk offense he regularly used after first reaching the main roster. “I watched that kid when he first got on the main roster. He had that babyface fire, and he would do the jump where he would go through the two bottom turnbuckles all the way to the floor,” Booker said. “I was like, man, this kid’s gonna kill himself. Thank God he stopped doing that. I’m sure his shin bones got all messed up from that many, many times.”
For Booker, Zayn’s ability to reinvent himself has been one of the keys to his longevity. “He was willing to show the world that hey, I’m willing to do this to let you people know I’m different than anybody else. And he transitioned from that to this look,” Booker said. “I always say, if you don’t know how to change with the times, the times will pass you by. And Sami has been able to totally change himself throughout.”
That includes Zayn’s memorable run alongside The Bloodline, where he frequently incorporated comedy into his performances. “Even when he was doing the stuff with the Bloodline, a lot of it was comedic. It was so funny,” Booker said. “But I tell people that when you can’t do that in professional wrestling, you’re missing the boat. You don’t understand what’s going on.”
Describing Zayn as a “Swiss Army knife,” Booker argued that his willingness and ability to fill different roles has helped him reach the top. “He’s going to be a player. He’s going to get the work done,” he said. “He’s got this far, not by osmosis. He didn’t slip on a banana peel and make it this far. He’s definitely gone out there and worked his butt off to put himself in a certain position. You play the role, and you get rewarded.”
Booker also stressed the significance of being recognized as WWE’s champion, regardless of how long a particular reign lasts. “Not the championship, the title. Not the belt, the title,” Booker said. “When you walk to Sami’s office, on the door it has champion Sami Zayn. That right there speaks volumes. They can never take that away from you.”
Asked whether WWE had been planning Zayn’s victory for an extended period, Booker admitted he didn’t know, while noting that wrestling plans can change quickly. “I don’t know if it was a long-term plan or not, but sometimes plans change,” he said.
Booker used an example from NXT, where he currently works as a commentator, to explain how a title change can sometimes happen simply because those involved believe the timing feels right. “Like Hank and Tank. They came in to work a match last month and they won the titles, because we thought, hey, tonight is the right time. It just feels right. Let’s pull the trigger on this,” Booker said. “Somebody might have come with an idea, and somebody said, yeah, let’s do that.”
He believes WWE’s current creative process also differs significantly from the system under Vince McMahon. “It’s not like it used to be, where the show is pretty much written and one person has to sign off on it, like Vince did back in the day,” he said. “Vince would see, they would write the show, and then right before, he would rewrite it again. It’s not like that anymore. I think ideas are coming from so many different places, and I think it’s a matter of taking those good ideas and using them.”
Booker then recalled an unexpected opportunity from his own career, when Rick Martel didn’t have his wrestling gear and plans changed as a result. “Someone didn’t bring their gear. Rick Martel forgot, didn’t bring his gear, and he had no boots or anything,” he said. “And they say, well, we’re gonna put the title on you tonight, knowing that I was gonna be the transitional to drop it to Rick Martel somewhere. But in my mind, that was never gonna happen.”
Rather than viewing himself as a temporary champion, Booker saw the unexpected title win as an opportunity to prove he deserved more. “I said, man, I’m gonna take this belt and run. Opportunity knocked,” Booker said. “That wasn’t supposed to happen that night. It just happened, and it put me in a great position.”
