Sami Zayn was one of the most popular stars in WWE NXT and when he made his main roster debut there was talk he could be the biggest pure babyface in the WWE since Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Some claimed that he could never turn heel, comparing him to Steamboat, one of the only wrestlers who remained a face his entire career. However, he is now one of the more entertaining heels on WWE SmackDown Live and he credits that to the genius of Vince McMahon.
Sami Zayn’s WWE Heel Turn
Sami Zayn learned that the WWE was going to execute a heel turn with his character and re-align him with his former best friend and tag team partner Kevin Owens. According to Zayn, he wasn’t sure how to play the role of a heel and asked Vince McMahon about it before heading out for his first heel promo.
While appearing on Edge and Christian’s podcast (via Wrestling Inc ), Sami Zayn retold the story of his heel turn and how it proved to him why people call Vince McMahon a “genius.”
The original story was that Zayn asked McMahon what he thought he should do when he went out to the ring to hug Kevin Owens after his heel turn. McMahon told him to just smile and act like he did when he was a face. Zayn said that confused him but he did it and the fans just ripped into him for it.
Sami Zayn said that Vince McMahon’s vision is different than everyone else’s. He said that people will see things one way but McMahon will see them in a completely different light and many times, it is Vince that is right.
Sami said that he did it the first week and it worked. After a couple of house shows, Zayn said that he got it just tight and that everything Vince McMahon explained to him was exactly the way it turned out.
What Is Different About Sami Zayn?
While it seems that heel Sami Zayn acts the exact same as babyface Sami Zayn, the WWE superstar said that is the entire point. In an interesting comparison, Zayn said that he is like that girl who has quirks that make you love her even more. However, once you break up with the girl those quirks now seem annoying.
With his character, Sami Zayn said that he does the same things that made WWE fans love him before but since he is a heel, fans now hate these characteristics because his intentions are different. While some wrestlers change their appearance and attitude when they turn heel, the Sami Zayn heel change is more cerebral.
[Featured Image by WWE]
