Sami Zayn has nothing but respect for Finn Balor heading into their high-stakes clash at WWE SummerSlam.
On night two of SummerSlam, Zayn and Balor will square off in a number one contender’s match, with the winner earning a future shot at CM Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship.
Speaking with ESPN ahead of the event (see video below), Zayn reflected on his own journey back into title contention while praising Balor, noting that the two have experienced similar paths when it comes to chasing the top prize in WWE.
“It’s just muscle memory. I don’t know how else to describe it,” Zayn said. “This has been the pattern of my career for a very, very long time. Work, work, work to get put in these positions, catch a raw deal every now and again, and learn to just put your head down and erase your memory real quick.”
Zayn then turned his attention to Balor, calling him one of WWE’s best performers while acknowledging the similarities between their respective careers.
“Because the challenge in front of you is always gonna be a tough one, and like you said, Finn Balor, look, unbelievable, unbelievable. I can’t say enough good things about him as a performer, and he has his own journey too,” Zayn said.
“I mean, he won it for a day. It’s not actually terribly dissimilar for me in some ways. He won it, held it for a day because of an injury and that was it, and now he’s been trying to chase that and get back to that for ten years. It’s similar to me in the sense that it felt like something that was within my grasp ten years ago, and I just have to keep beating my head against the wall to finally get there.”
While Zayn made it clear he respects Balor’s road back to the main event, he admitted it’s been difficult adjusting to life after recently losing the WWE Championship.
“I take nothing away from him. But again, I just don’t feel like I should be in this position. I just held the championship about 20 days ago. I was the champion. This time three weeks ago, I was the champion,” Zayn said.
“So to already be pushed out and already be put back in this position, it’s just very, it’s been hard. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Still, Zayn said his focus remains on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.
“But look, I’m good at this. I’m good at forgetting the past and swallowing the injustice, for lack of a better word here, swallowing it and just taking it on the chin and getting ready for the challenge that lies ahead,” he said. “And so that’s what I’m doing now.”
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 8/2 for live WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results coverage, including Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor.
