Sami Zayn is considered by many as one of the best wrestlers in WWE at the moment. He has put on some spectacular matches with the likes of Cesaro, Neville, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Chris Jericho, Nakamura in both NXT and WWE. The ‘Underdog from the Underground’ joined the WWE Wrestlemania conference call soon after WWE Fastlane ended and shared his views on wrestling with journalists from around the world.
Here is how the interview turned out:
#1 What are your thoughts on Rick Rude being the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame?
Oh, this is news to me. I’m just finding out now that Rick Rude is being inducted. I hadn’t heard yet, so I think that it’s pretty great. I was a big fan of his when I was younger, and obviously, you know, he was super, super talented, and he just had a really unique look and style about him. So I think it’s pretty cool. Anybody who left a lasting legacy on the WWE, I think, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame at one point or another. He’s definitely an interesting choice. I think that’s great.
#2 What can we expect from you at Wrestlemania?
Well, to be honest, I really don’t know because this time of the year is so crazy and Wrestlemania is so big. There are always these marquee matches, and real estate is really, really tight on Wrestlemania. So I really don’t know what I’ll be doing.
Right now, I’m kind of involved in some, you know, a bit of a problem with Samoa Joe. Whether that will carry on to the show at Wrestlemania or not, I really don’t know. It remains to be seen, but the card for Wrestlemania is, you know, always changing… It’s a big show, and I’m really not sure what I’ll be doing on it if I’m being completely honest with you.
#3 Can you say some words in Spanish for the WWE Universe in Spain?
Laughs… Well, my Spanish is a bit broken, but I could just say, “Ola Amigos in Espania from your Amigo Sami Zayn.”
#4 You made your Wrestlemania debut last year, so what was your experience like?
It was pretty incredible, you know, and I don’t take it for granted because now a year later, I find myself unsure of what I’ll be doing at Wrestlemania. So I realise how lucky I was too kind of come up at the right time, where I was already figured into a storyline with Kevin Owens because of our history there. I kind of got called up at a time where I was able to come right into the scene, you know, and be on Wrestlemania, my first Wrestlemania – The biggest Wrestlemania of all time in Dallas.
So it was pretty overwhelming; honestly, it was awesome. It was just an awesome experience, but now with this year being a little more uncertain for me, I really realise how precious the spot on Wrestlemania is. It kind of just makes that moment or memory of being at Wrestlemania last year even more cherished and even sweeter.
#5 After wrestling on the independent scene for so many years, what was the transition to NXT and WWE like?
It really wasn’t too bad because of the whole point of NXT, the whole reason it is there is to get you ready for the WWE. So NXT is really like a mini version of WWE RAW or SmackDown. I felt pretty well prepared to go in. My time in NXT is real, really precious to me. It was really cherished. I think I accomplished a lot there and we did something as a group also that was special and really made NXT into something.
That one weekend in particular last year in Dallas, where I had my last NXT match and my first Wrestlemania match was a really cool sort of symbolic weekend of making that transition. Ending my NXT career against Nakamura and really getting my WWE career started by performing at Wrestlemania in a ladder match; that was a really cool weekend. It summed it all up for me in a lot of ways about where I’ve been and where I’m headed now. Now I’m here, you know, my time in NXT was great but now I’m in WWE, and I just want to be on much more Wrestlemanias for years to come.
#6 When the 2017 WWE draft come up, would you prefer to stay on RAW or move to SmackDown LIVE?
I really don’t know if I have a preference. In some ways going to SmackDown LIVE would be really, really cool. I feel like there are a lot of great opponents there for me. I think there are a lot of opportunities there. I could really see myself being in a pretty good spot up there wrestling even for the WWE Championship. But the thing is, let’s say the draft was tomorrow; I would feel a little incomplete like there was more I could have accomplished on RAW.
I like to leave each place a little better than I started. I’d like to do more on RAW and make RAW a better place and accomplish more on RAW before I can start even thinking about going to SmakDown. But if that is the way the chips fall and I end up on SmackDown, you know, I’d be happy to be there, but I still do feel that I have more to accomplish on RAW.
#7 Wrestlemania has begun taking shape. So what can we expect from this edition taking into account that we already have Lesnar against Goldberg?
Well, you got a pretty huge main event there with Lesnar and Goldberg, especially now that Goldberg is going into it as the Universal Champion. As you said the card is only just starting to take shape really, so I don’t know how everything aligns, but if you look at Wrestlemania’s history, especially like the last five years or so, you really see that you’re almost guaranteed a great show no matter what the card is. It’s always blockbusters; it’s always the heavy hitters. It’s going to be pretty huge. I just hope I can do something worthwhile on the show – that’s it.
#8 Do you think that we could have surprises like the return of Finn Balor or another superstar?
Yeah. I know Finn Balor is just about ready to be cleared medically, which is great. Obviously, he left as Universal Champion, he was undefeated, and he had to relinquish that title. So you figure he is coming back to a pretty prominent spot that will definitely help the show. I don’t know if he’ll be back before Wrestlemania, at Wrestlemania or after Wrestlemania, I really have no clue. But I do know that any time he does come back, he is going to make RAW a much more interesting show because he’s such an interesting character.
#9 Over the last few weeks, you’ve renewed your rivalry with Samoa Joe from NXT. What has it been like getting back in the ring with him and do you enjoy facing that kind of hard hitting opponent and have really physical matches?
Yeah, Joe is the kind of guy that will, you know, when you’re in the ring with him, it really tests you out, and it tests your physical limitations and abilities. For that reason, I like being in the ring with him, but I don’t really like his actions over the last couple of weeks. He’s aligned himself with Triple H, which is kind of interesting to see where that goes. But definitely, as far as being with him in the ring, I really enjoyed my tie with him at NXT.
Even though we’ve known each other for twelve years, I first met him in 2004-05, the first time we got in the ring with each other was at NXT. I really enjoyed being in the ring with him then, and I enjoy it now. But it’s tough; there is no doubt about it. He is a really, really tough competitor. He is a 100% legit, so you have to know what you’re in for when you’re in the ring with him.
#10 When you’re in the opening match of a PPV, does that affect your preparation at all? Does it change your approach in any way, even like just having less time to prepare?
Yeah, maybe a little bit. When you’re on first or second, you get that kind of really, really hot crowd where they’re just excited the show has started. They are very enthusiastic, and the later you are in the card, the tougher it is because the WWE shows nowadays are really, really good, and there are really good matches so, the crowd gets tired from reacting to all these great matches. It’s harder and harder to elicit the response you want sometimes.
So the later you are on the card, the harder your job is, but a part of me likes that. But on the other hand, being first or second and knowing that you’re going to have a great crowd is also kind of good. I guess in an ideal world, I’d like to be the main event every night but if I wasn’t, a nice spot on the card is usually the second or third match because it has some time to warm up and it’s that right balance where they’re not really tired yet, but they’re warmed up.
The first match is your responsibility because you’re opening that show and you are dictating how the crowd is going to be for the rest of the night. So if your match sucks, then the crowd might suck for the rest of the night. So it’s a lot of responsibility but anyway, you know, there is kind of no bad spot on any WWE PPV.
#11 Your match with Nakamura last year, as many pundits had it down was the match of the year for NXT, and the Daily Mirror named your bout against Kevin Owens at Battleground as the WWE PPV match of the year. So what does that mean for you to have two of your matches rated so highly by fans and observers?
Well, it’s an honour because in this day and age, as I said earlier, there are so many great matches. The bar has been set really high as far as work rates and everything else, so if you can have a match in this day and age where not only do we have not only tonnes of great matches but tonnes of great content.
There is just so much content available. So if you can create some sort of match, you know, a story that would really live on and capture not only people’s attention at that time and captivate them at that time, but that could live on in their memory – I get asked about that Nakamura match and that with Owens a year later.
So if you can have that long lasting effect on someone, that’s when you know you’re creating something good. So, you know, I’m honoured and I’m proud to be a part of those matches, and I do think they were two of my better matches. So I’m very proud of them myself, and more importantly, I am honored that the fans remember and appreciate them all this time later. That really means the most to me.
#12 Unfortunately, at Fastlane, you lost against Samoa Joe. Is that defeat a failure for you or a source of motivation just days away from Wrestlemania 33?
Joe is really tough, and there is not a whole lot you can do if you’re getting choked out like that in the Coquina Clutch. You find yourself in a pretty bad position so there is really not a whole lot you can do. You win some, you lose some, and that’s just the way it is. I see sometimes the fans make a much bigger deal of these losses than I personally do, because, you know, you can’t win them all – you just can’t. So you do your best, and that’s it.
You lose a few here and there, and you have just got to be good at forgetting those losses or using them, like you said, as motivation to kind of drive yourself forward. So it doesn’t really stop my momentum. I think I’m in a good place right now and I feel like I’m just sort of on the cusp of doing something really good and really breaking out into that next level.
I feel like I’m just outside that bubble and testing myself against guys like Braun Strowman or Samoa Joe is really what I think are going to take me to the next level. So I don’t look at these losses in any way just as a defeat. I use them as motivation if anything or I just move forward.
#13 Which match do you need this year at Wrestlemania 33 to progress in your career?
I really don’t know. I don’t know what the next step is for me to take me to the next level. I know where I’d like to be – I’d like to be on a featured match on Wrestlemania, not just this year but every year. I’d like to be somebody that fans are excited to see what he’s going to do this year at Wrestlemania.
I feel like I’m not quite there yet. I feel like I’m getting there and I feel like, you know, time is kind of the enemy, but it is kind of on your side too. Because the more work you put in, the more you just constantly and consistently give good performances against good opponents and constantly exceed people’s expectations, the more you really endear yourself not only to the crowd but that’s also how your career just takes off. It’s just consistency and time.
I’d love to tell you all I need is one good match against Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania and that’s it I’m set, but that’s not how it works. It has to be just repetition over and over and constantly delivering the goods every time I’m out there. That is how I’m going to get to where I need to be, which is in an important match at Wrestlemania every year. That is where I’d like to be.
#14 The crowd doesn’t hesitate to chant your name each time you appear on stage. How do you deal with this enormous popularity?
Well, I really appreciate the fan support. I think it’s a matter of time where the more I put and the more effort they see me putting in, and the longer that continues, the cheers and the support that I get from the WWE Universe will continue to grow and get louder and louder and better and better.
The WWE Universe or fans, they don’t owe you anything. They are going to give you what you give them. So if you give them your heart and your soul every night, every single night – every time they see, and you deliver the goods, then the more they see that the more they will love you and support you and the more you will endear yourself to them.
I have got to keep on this task that I’m doing. I appreciate cheers, I appreciate the support but I know the cheers and the support are just going to continue to intensify the longer I keep going and the harder I keep going. So that is what I’m going to do.
#15 What are your thoughts on Kevin Owens’ loss to Goldberg at Fastlane? What was your initial reaction to Kevin losing that main event spot?
I’m pretty split on this. A part of me obviously resents Kevin. There is a lot of history, and it is a pretty volatile relationship especially where we are at now. But at the same time, if you take Kevin out of it and you take my history out of it, this is still a guy that has worked 15 years to come this close to being in the main event of Wrestlemania.
To have it slip through his fingers right before it happens, part of me is glad it happened, but part of me is like, “It sucks for him because he came real close.” He held that Universal Championship for a long time and then when you come that close to actually defending it at Wrestlemania, and you fall right before the finish line, I think there is a sick part of me that takes some joy in that as far as, after all, he has done to me, to see him kind of get his.
But there is still a part of me that thinks he’s still a guy I have known for 15 years. He is still a guy who has worked his a** off to get to where he has. So there is still a part of me that thinks it sucks to see it happen.
#16 You say you feel like you’re just on the edge. You are right there, and the fans are behind you. How difficult is it to stay patient?
That is the kind of struggle or challenge that a lot of performers deal with. Wrestlers in the WWE, and otherwise. I think you sometimes want the world her and now, and you want everything to come and fall into your lap right now, and you think you deserve it, but sometimes it really is just a question of being in the right place at the right time. I feel like my success in this industry has just come down to a matter of consistency, and when those opportunities come, you’re prepared to knock it out of the park because you have been consistent and because you have been doing your reps, and you’re the right guy at the right time. I get it that I’m not the poster boy. Come on… I’m not a guy that you looked at ten years ago, and you said that this guy is a guaranteed main eventer in WWE. By sheer virtue of working hard and getting good because I worked hard and consistently delivering, I got to be in the WWE, to begin with. So it just takes time. Even if I tell myself that, of course, I’m going to have my struggles with, you know, sometimes I feel like why isn’t now the time. That is just the gig. Some guys get it quicker, some guys get it later, and I like to believe there is something to be said about the slow burn, about people really being alongside you for that journey and for that struggle. I think that creates a different kind of bond with the audience where they really, really believe in you, and they are really for you versus ‘if I got this a little quicker.’ If I had won the Universal Title when Finn Balor had vacated it, would fans really have bought into me? Maybe yes, maybe no because some of them have been there a long time following my career but to a lot of the WWE Universe, I’m new. They have been following me for a year. So they haven’t really seen my struggle or seen my journey. So I think there is something to be said about doing it the hard way and I just hope it pays off. There is nothing much more that I can do than work my best and hope for the best.
#17 You mentioned earlier about the real estate at Wrestlemania. What do you think about the veteran performers like Goldberg? Are you happy to see them in top spots or would you rather see younger talents like Kevin Owens and yourself headlining?
Well look, there are two ways to answer this question. Selfishly, of course, part of me thinks, “Hey get the hell out of here. This is our show. We work here every week.” I mean it would be stupid to ignore that, or it would be silly to pretend that doesn’t exist. I can say a lot about Kevin Owens, but I have also seen him for the last eight months busting his a** as the Universal Champion. Doing street fights on live events, going through tables every night, getting beaten up, working his a** off for the last eight months. So, personal feelings aside, of course, you think to yourself he works hard all year and deserves to be rewarded when the time is right. But at the same time, there is no denying that Brock Lesnar coming in or Bill Goldberg coming in – the fans like it, it is good for business, and it is good for me in a roundabout way. So selfishly do I wish I was main eventing Wrestlemania and not Bill Goldberg? “Yes, absolutely.” But might it be better in some way, somehow to bring these guys in to help business? “Sure, if it is helping business, it helps me.” That is what it is truly about. Selfishly as a performer, I want to be the guy who wants to help this business grow, but if other people can come back years later and help it grow, then I’ll take it. If anything, the only thing I’d like to see is a little bit more of a mix with some of these past generation talents with the current roster. For me as a fan, that is what I would like to see. For me, it’s really cool to see a guy like Chris Jericho, who has been back here for this last year or two, and he has mixed it up with all of us. So for me, that is what I want to see. I want to see a guy from a past generation and how is he going to fare against our generation. That is what’s cool and interesting for me to see. That is what made the Rock vs. Hulk Hogan so interesting. Maybe a bad example because they are two of the biggest icons ever in the history of our industry. It was a generational clash. And it was a clash of the past versus the present and the future, and that is what I want to see. I want to see more of that. I guess it is cool to see these two mammoths, Brock and Goldberg go at it, but I’d rather see Brock and Kevin Owens, and I’d rather see Goldberg and me. Or me vs. Brock or Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns. That is I want to see. I want to see the past generation mix it up with this generation and that’s what I’d like to see more of as a fan.
#18 You talked about working with Samoa Joe. How big of a responsibility is it to be a debuting Superstar’s first opponent? You also did it with Nakamura last year.
I think there is an art to it. It is hard to do it right. But I think I have been around long enough, and I am good enough at this point to know how that should go. But in a lot of cases, like you mentioned Nakamura and Joe, those are two world class guys with 15 years plus experience. So they are going to help themselves too. They are going to be spotlighted because they know how to put the spotlight on themselves. They know how to stand out. That’s why they have gotten this far. So if anything, I’m kind of proud to be a part of these guys’ legacy, but I obviously don’t like it when it is done at my expense. I don’t want to be at the losing end of that equation. Unfortunately, in the case of Nakamura and Joe, I was on the losing side of the equation, but outside of that, I’m still happy to help.
#19 Is there any special Wrestlemania moment of yours? Perhaps something that defines the spectacle and drama of Wrestlemania.
Well, there is a lot to go from, but if you think of just a single moment, I don’t think there is anything that defines Wrestlemania anything more than Hulk Hogan and the Rock standing across each other and the crowd just going ballistic. If I have to explain what Wrestlemania was to somebody who has never seen wrestling, who has never seen WWE, who has never heard of the concept of Wrestlemania, I would show them a 5 second video clip of the Rock and Hogan standing motionless in the ring, looking at each other while 70,000 people are jumping up and down. That is Wrestlemania encapsulated in one single moment. It’s right there.
#20 A moment that also defines Wrestlemania was when the Undertaker’s streak ended. Do you remember what you were doing at that precise time?
Yes, I was with the WWE, but I hadn’t debuted with the roster yet. I was still at NXT, and so I actually snuck out to the production area so that I could feel the energy of the crowd while watching the show. And I was as shocked as everybody else. It was really, really one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history. The only thing that I could compare it too was when I was in the building in 1997 Survivor Series, the one that Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels screw job went down in 1997. That same weirdness in the air, that same sadness for a lot of people – it was very reminiscent of that. Those are two of the most shocking things that have ever happened in wrestling, and I was in the crowd for both of them. So I don’t know what else to say other than it was shocking, really, really shocking.
#21 If you have to pick an opponent for Wrestlemania considering there is a lot of talent right now in WWE in guys like AJ Styles, John Cena, Randy Orton or even part timers as Triple H, Brock Lesnar, even the Undertaker, who would you choose?
Ugh… It’s hard to say. I mean obviously, with the history I have, if I could main event a Wrestlemania with Kevin Owens one day, like WOW! That would be pretty much as big as it can get considering we’re two guys who started wrestling each other in front of forty people 16 years ago. You know, the journey coming full circle, in a way, I’d have to say, Kevin Owens. But I think there would be a crazy level of electricity in the air if it were like a John Cena or Roman Reigns or something like that. That would be pretty cool too.
#22 You were famous as El Generico before coming to the WWE. Is there a chance that one day El Generico might make a comeback but this time, in the WWE?
Well, I get compared to this El Generico fellow a lot. I can see that there are some similarities, but I don’t know where he is these days so I can’t really say. If he should end up in WWE, I really don’t know. It’s really something I have no control over, especially since I don’t know the guy.
#23 You talked about facing Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania. But if you could pick any wrestler, living or dead, who would you like to face?
Well, if I could go back in time, it would be great to wrestler Bret Hart who was my hero as a kid. Or maybe Hulk Hogan when I was even younger than that. But probably Bret Hart I would say. If I could choose anybody ever, yeah, then probably Bret. Maybe Shawn Michaels too.
#24 Now if you had to make a tag team for Wrestlemania, who would you pick?
If I was going to be in a tag team, right now the landscape is a little tight, so I don’t know. You know one thing Kevin and I used to talk way back when he and I were getting along, we were friends, and we were partners, was one day winning the tag team titles in WWE. If things ever change between he and I, it’s hard to imagine now, but if we could somehow get back on the same page, it would be a dream come true to one day win the tag team titles with Kevin. I don’t know if it will ever happen just because our relationship is so strained now. Same with Neville. Neville would be a guy that I would love to win the tag team titles with. I actually really enjoyed teaming with Dean Ambrose. I feel like I teamed a lot with him last year and I really enjoyed the chemistry we had. So he would be a cool tag team partner if I ever went to SmackDown or he ever came to RAW.
#25 WWE has changed quite a bit in the last 3-4 years. So is there anything that surprised you when you joined the NXT?
I think it has been more of a slow sort of transformation and looking at it now; it’s more surprising I guess, seeing the result all these years later since I signed. I think that has been the most surprising thing and even cool in a way to see all these guys that I came up with in my generation joining the ranks since I signed. From Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, all these guys that I’ve known for years ending up here too. It cool because these are guys, if you look at a show poster of some company like Pro Wrestling Gorilla or something like that from back in 2005-06, then you see all these names, and now we are all in the WWE. So that’s really cool. There is a sense of accomplishment there that we kind of took over. Our generation took over, and I hope it is for the best in the long term for the business. But I would say that is kind of the weirdest thing looking back on it now and looking around the locker room and saying whoa. It’s just crazy.
#26 What kinds of things do you try to do yourself to make your character fit with the theme music and is it possible that the theme music can be more over than the wrestler and vice versa?
Well, the theme music’s job is to basically set the tone for what you’re about to see. The second that music hits, the emotional response that is connected to that wrestler should be triggered. SO that’s really the function of theme music. So I don’t necessarily think that music can be more popular than the performer. I think music is popular because it reminds you of the performer that is about to come out. It reminds you of the emotion of the performer that is about to come out. For example, like Bayley has got a very upbeat song and when her music hits, everybody cheers. They are not cheering the song, but they are cheering the emotion that the music triggers when they think of Bayley. I think it’s very, very important to have music that sort of ties into the character. But having said that sometimes, you know, my music personally is very upbeat, very happy but you know there are times when I’m involved in a rivalry with someone that I’m not happy about or feeling so cheerful or joyful, but that’s the music that is hitting. So it’s kind of funny how that music needs to be all encompassing because nobody is just one thing. You’re not just the happy go lucky sort of bubbly person. A good character has a lot of depth to it. At times he is bubbly, at times is funny, at times is ready to kick some a**. It varies. So ideally the music should be all encompassing for that character. But it’s definitely an important part of the presentation.
#27 What is the one quality that you would like to change about Monday Night RAW? Is there anything that you would do creatively a little bit like presentation wise?
For starters, I think the fact that there are three hours really changes the game. Three hours vs. two hours is very, very different. So the show is going to have an entirely different feel. I don’t know; it’s easier said than done. Everybody can complain and say that this sucks and that sucks or why are they doing this or whatever, but it’s pretty hard to write a three-hour show every week for the last twenty years. It’s hard to do, and I don’t know if I was at the helm of it and in charge of it, it’s hard to say what I would do differently. If there is one thing that I would like to see more of really, it’s not even in the way that the show is presented so much. I would just bring out the personal aspects of these rivalries. Because I find that it’s almost in the world in general, like these wars that are fought you know, you look at the wars in the Middle East; you don’t even know what they are fighting about anymore. They have just been fighting for so long. And sometimes I feel like on WWE RAW you kind of see that happen. You’re not even necessarily attacking someone for the root of the issue. You’re just doing it because he did something to you last week, so you’re doing something this week, so he does something to you next week, and then you go to a pay per view which is fine and makes sense of how you tell a story. But at times, I find the root of the program, the root of the rivalry is sometimes lost in a ‘You did this, so I’ll do that.’ I’m the kind of person that likes to see the more personal, more emotional aspects of the rivalry. I like to see more of that brought to the forefront. It’s all there already, for me it needs to be highlighted a little more. I would highlight a little more emotion and you know, personal sort of grit. I would like to see that highlighted a little more. All things considered, I think the show is pretty good.
#27 What are your thoughts about Fastlane, not just your match but about the whole show?
Well, I have, to be honest, I didn’t get to see the whole show. After my match, I had to ice my back, and I had to do some things. So I didn’t get to see the whole thing. I got showered up. I was planning on watch it last night on the Network which is one of the great things about the Network, you can watch stuff the same night but I kind of fell asleep, so I didn’t get to see it all. I’ll probably watch a little bit of it today backstage at RAW. They usually have a monitor where you can see it. But what I did see was I saw the main event, I saw Roman Reigns with Braun – that was really good. I saw the girls’ match. I thought what I saw was pretty decent. It was good, and the main event was certainly interesting. Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman was really good. I heard Neville and Jack Gallagher had a really great match. I can’t speak about the whole pay per view, but I have to imagine that it was pretty good.
#28 When Mick Foley said that he saw himself in you, did you feel the same way?
Definitely, because Mick Foley was one of my biggest inspirations to actually becoming a wrestler. Hulk Hogan when I was a kid and Bret Hart when I got a little older, those were my inspirations, those were my heroes. But then as I got old enough to where training to become a wrestler might actually be a possibility and really having that desire to one day become a wrestler, I think Mick Foley inspired me more than anyone else. So to say that he saw a lot of myself in him, first of all, it’s an honor, and also I feel the same in return, no doubt about it.
#29 Kevin Owens was the Universal Champion, and Bobby Roode is the NXT Champion. Can you tell us what is the secret of the Canadian wrestlers to have such success?
I don’t know. I was thinking about it not long ago. I don’t know what it is. I just know a lot of great wrestlers have come from Canada. I don’t know what it is about it; I don’t know why but it’s just the way it is. A lot of great wrestlers have come from the states too if you really add it up, probably more so than Canada. But I don’t know, Canada has just produced some really, really great wrestlers. I really don’t know what to attribute it to. I feel like maybe it goes back to the days of Stampede Wrestling. You know, I really don’t know. Maybe Canadian guys coming out of that territory in those days, it was a bit more gritty, hard nose style and I think they popularized that and the Canadian wrestlers that were successful from that area kind of embodied that hard-hitting, gritty style. So the Canadian wrestlers that followed those wrestlers kind of carried on that tradition of quality story-telling and hard hitting action. I think maybe that is what it is; I don’t know. I just think that we do have a very strong sense of what makes this business great and we try to embody those things to the best of our abilities.
#30 What would you say to those fans who are putting SmackDown over Monday Night RAW?
That’s fine. As long as they are enjoying the show, good for them. I just appreciate you guys supporting WWE, I really do. I always feel like any show I’m on is better because I’m on it. Actually, I have felt like that my whole career. Even when I was wrestling in little shows in front of a hundred people, I always thought, “Well this is the place to be because I’m here.” So, I feel like RAW is ‘The Show.’ I don’t really watch SmackDown. If I were on SmackDown, then SmackDown would be the show. That’s the way my brain has always worked. But if you prefer SmackDown, it’s fine. Just thank you for the support, either way.
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