Tommy Dreamer believes Sami Zayn earned his first WWE Championship through years of storytelling, pushing back on the idea that his title victory only happened because Night of Champions took place in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on Busted Open, Dreamer said he began believing weeks ago that WWE was building toward Zayn capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship, noting that the real story had shifted away from Cody Rhodes and Gunther and toward Cody and Zayn.
“About three weeks ago—maybe even closer to a month ago—I said I could see Sami Zayn actually winning this WWE Undisputed Championship.
If you look at the story that was being told, the story really wasn’t between Cody and Gunther. The story is between Cody and Sami Zayn.
Sami Zayn has been chasing this championship for 10 years. I believe this was his 10th opportunity at a world championship, and he finally did it. He finally got it.”
Dreamer said he never viewed Zayn’s victory as an upset, adding that the longtime WWE star had earned the moment through years of consistently delivering whenever he was called upon.
“Sami’s promo and Sami’s stuff with Cody made me believe that Sami could do it, and it wasn’t an upset.
A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, he only won it because it was in Saudi.’ No, man. The guy deserved it. And I don’t say ‘deserved’ much.
He’s always in the right mix. He was such a big part of The Bloodline. I don’t look at Sami as the face of the company, but he goes out there and he works super-duper hard. His selling is amazing. How the people get behind him is amazing.
Now he just has another layer. I thought he was going to lose and then go full-blown heel. I don’t know if he needs to go full-blown heel. He thanked the people that backed him and loved him.”
Dreamer also praised WWE for taking what he called an “unpredictable” approach to its storytelling, arguing that Zayn’s championship victory proves the company is no longer simply playing it safe.
“People say WWE plays it safe. But right now, I don’t think I can use the word ‘safe.’ I would use the word ‘unpredictable.’
Some of the things we’ve seen happen over the last couple weeks in WWE, I don’t think it’s safe. I think it’s unpredictable.
You’re taking the title off Cody Rhodes and putting it on Sami Zayn. That doesn’t scream safe to me. That’s unpredictable. That’s a surprise. That’s shock and awe.
If I would have told you three months ago that on the road to SummerSlam Sami Zayn was going to be your Undisputed WWE Champion, you would have thought I was crazy.
Everybody thought I was crazy, but here we are talking now at the end of the month, and Sami Zayn is your Undisputed WWE Champion.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Busted Open with a h/t to WrestlingHeadlines.com for the transcription.
