Since debuting in WWE, Sami Zayn‘s character has been a happily naive, tough luck babyface. The gimmick brought he and his fans nothing but disappointment, so when Zayn turned heel at Hell in a Cell, a world of possibilities opened. However, being a heel wasn’t just foreign to the Sami Zayn the character, but the performer as well.
Zayn recently appeared on E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness and discussed the intricacies of being a heel. Since he had to learn on the fly, Zayn consulted arguably the best mind in professional wrestling, Vince McMahon, on how to improve his act. However because Zayn has been rather insignificant on WWE’s card, he and McMahon didn’t have much of a rapport.
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“My interactions with Vince have been a little more limited because I haven’t been in as many prominent storylines. Now, this is something that I feel like he has sunk his teeth into. Just to get to pick his brain a tiny bit about how he views the character,” said Zayn.
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After years of being sunshine babyface, Sami was eager to receive any and all pointers on how to be a heel. However, Vince’s suggestion seemed counterintuitive at first.
“He didn’t even get into detail. Some of it he would just say smile out there. Am I like really? Smile?” questioned Zayn.
‘And then I would do it and I’m like oh man, of courseโฆ It’s so much more heat than just going out there and scowling and being like: ‘you did me wrong’, yeah whatever, you’re angry, cool. Everyone is angry. But if you are smiling, it is so much more obnoxious and so much more dislikeable. It is such a simple thing. Once you execute it and it works, it’s just another light bulb that goes off,” explained Zayn.
In just a few weeks of work, Zayn has become a lovely heel. His mischievous energy is incredibly offputting as it nurtures fans’ vitriolic sentiment towards his already neurotic character. This new, nefarious version of Sami Zayn is only going to get better.
We can’t wait to hate Sami Zayn!
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