Sami Zayn has addressed the criticism surrounding his WWE Championship reign, pushing back against those who believe he doesn’t fit the traditional image of a world champion.
Since winning the WWE Championship, Zayn has sparked debate among some fans and wrestling personalities over what a top champion should look like. Speaking with ESPN New York, the new champion made it clear he has no problem with people simply not being fans of his work.
“Look, if you just don’t like me, that’s fine. You’re certainly allowed to not like me. But I think it’s like, if you start getting married to an archetype of what you’ve been taught, like this is what you should want and then that’s all you buy, without insulting anybody here, I just think that’s kind of a lack of free thought.”
Zayn encouraged fans to broaden their perspective rather than sticking to one preconceived image of what a champion should be.
“You’re allowed to want other products or enjoy other products. It shouldn’t be one thing has been sold to you and you should come to accept that it is the only way anything needs to be done. I would equate that with almost like staying in your hometown your whole life and never going to New York City and never realizing that there’s a whole planet out there, there’s billions of ways to do things.”
The longtime WWE star said his experiences traveling the world have shaped the way he views wrestling and life. “Maybe I say this because traveling the world has been so important to me and it’s shaped my worldview, but it’s like, man, broaden your horizons a little bit.”
Zayn concluded by dismissing the idea that there is only one acceptable mold for a world champion. “The idea that a champion needs to be this or needs to be that, I’m like, oh, well, you’re an idiot. Nothing needs to be anything, right? If it’s good, it’s good. I think the work I’ve been putting out over the last few years is good.”
