WWE Had To Talk With Sami Zayn About Being Annoying Backstage

Sami Zayn is the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion after Clash Of Champions Gold Rush. That is a big spot for him to be in and he is very good at getting under fans’ skin as a heel. His proclivity to be annoying also ran backstage.

Ringside News exclusively reported several times about Zayn’s issues backstage in the company. He was said to be problem and even “sandbagged” himself with people who were trying to help him out.

While he spoke to New Day: Feel The Power, Sami Zayn relayed a story about how he had to have a meeting with WWE officials when his behavior got to be a bit “annoying.”

“WWE made me aware of some of my own actions. I came in and the big mantra was perception is reality. Even though I was 28 when I got there, I don’t think I was a fully mature person in some ways. I don’t think I was fully aware that I had my interpretation of what I thought I was and then there were a lot of people who didn’t agree with that. I see myself one way and they are seeing me in a very different way. It made me a lot more aware of how my actions are perceived by people who are not me. For example, what I might perceive as fun loving, let’s have some fun chat on the bus might be perceived as annoying.”

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“I always only looked through my own lens, but being around these people with all these different points of view starts making you look at yourself through their lens. On the independents, it’s a very different mindset. We are all just buddies. I would not call it a competitive environment. Everybody wanted to have great matches, but it’s not like you viewed the other person as a threat. When you come to WWE, especially back then, it’s different now, but it fostered a culture that the person sitting next to you was not your friend. He was a threat to your success. It was the culture at the time. I remember struggling with that.”

Sami Zayn wasn’t punished for taking time off from WWE. He was placed right back in his previous position. AJ Styles let it slip that Zayn’s wife was pregnant which makes the situation a bit more understandable.

Zayn is now the Undisputed IC Champion which will likely come with a lot of bragging. He might be annoying on camera because it’s his job, but hopefully he was able to heed those words of wisdom backstage.

Thanks to Wrestling News for the quote