Interview: Sami Zayn on His New Heel Persona, His WWE Return, Having Creative Freedom for Promos

TVA Sports held a recent interview with Sami Zayn and some of the topics discussed included the inspiration for his new heel character, his recent return from injury, and having some creative freedom over the direction of his promos.

On the topic of the inspiration for his new heel character, Zayn stated it was inspired by several ideas he came up with for his character while he was away from WWE and by former WWE writer Robert Evans.

“It was a little inspired by my sick leave. I realized that I had a lot of bad habits and the break allowed me to see and correct them. I had some ideas and one of them went a step further in the process, but was not accepted. So I did not know what to do and Robert Evans (former WWE writer who was released recently), who is a good friend, suggested me to become a kind of criticism of the most passionate fans. Then, we decided to add that the bad habits that I had developed over the years, I would blame the amateurs for that, that I would direct my anger to have developed these habits towards the fans.”

On the topic of his recent return from injury, Zayn stated he originally hoped to return at this year’s Royal Rumble event but learned a week before the event that he was planned to make his official return at the post-WrestleMania 35 episode of RAW in Brooklyn, New York.

“At one point, in a very optimistic scenario, I had to come back for the Royal Rumble, but that was not the case. I knew the week before the event that I was coming back to Raw after WrestleMania. We had been told that I was coming back to Mania, but we did not know when I would have the doctors ok, that I had just a week before WrestleMania finally. There was also a possibility that I would come back to Raw in Montreal, but two or three days before Mania, that’s when I knew I was coming back the following Monday. And even there, I did not know that I was fighting. At first it was a promo, then a backstage segment, then finally a match, so it happens that plans change!”

On the topic of the tone of his promos since his return, Zayn stated he wrote the basis of his promo last week due to being given some creative freedom over the direction of his character’s promos.

“I wrote this [most recent] promo. I had a model of the promo that I wanted. I sat down with an agent and dictated my promo. He wrote it and passed the validation process. I do not know if I am one of those who has this privilege. But that night, I had the chance to say what I personally wrote. Sometimes you say things you do not necessarily want to say in a promo. And sometimes it’s more like what you had in mind.”

Translation via 411Mania.com.