JBL believes Sami Zayn deserves to be viewed as a legitimate WWE Champion—not merely a transitional titleholder.
Speaking on Something to Wrestle, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed the growing debate surrounding Zayn’s championship reign and dismissed comparisons to the old-school concept of a “mailman” champion.
“You talk about the transitional champions, you know, like Stasiak, at one point,” JBL said, explaining that promoters once used a “mailman” to carry a championship from one babyface to another. “I don’t think Sami’s a mailman, my opinion. I think he’s a champion, and they’re gonna give him a shot. Sami is just a champion, not a transitional champion, not a mailman. I think he should be treated as such.”
JBL compared Zayn’s opportunity to previous WWE decisions that saw fan favorites overcome seemingly impossible odds, including Eddie Guerrero defeating Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan’s rise to the top at WrestleMania XXX.
“You got the future of the company, there’s nobody that looks like Brock, and it turned out to be true. And you put it on this Latino star that was really popular. People thought that was wrong too.”
He also praised Zayn’s ability to connect with audiences regardless of the circumstances, recalling his standout performances during WWE’s empty-arena era.
“He became his own soundboard. He became his own crowd. It was really entertaining to watch. Some guys just figure out a way to get over. Sami Zayn has always done that.”
JBL further pointed to Zayn’s acclaimed role in The Bloodline storyline as evidence that he belongs at the top of the company.
“That stuff with the Bloodline was just freaking entertainment. You can’t be that entertaining and not be really good at your craft. Everything he’s done, he’s been great at. And so I think he’s going to be great at this too.”
While acknowledging that only time will determine how successful the title reign ultimately becomes, JBL made it clear he believes Zayn has earned the opportunity. “Sami Zayn is worth a shot, and I think he’s going to be good. We’ll know in two months whether it’s the right thing or not. I think it was, and I hope it was.”
