Johnny Knoxville has revealed how pleased WWE was with his debut performance at WrestleMania against Sami Zayn.
Looking to become the latest celebrity to achieve success inside the squared circle, the star of the Jackass franchise made a public address in 2022 that he wanted to enter the Royal Rumble and compete at WrestleMania. Knoxville’s antics angered Sami Zayn, who felt that the Hollywood star did not deserve a place in the match as he hadn’t earned it. After dumping Zayn over the top rope on an episode of SmackDown, Knoxville qualified for the match.
Although Zayn made sure that Knoxville would not win the Royal Rumble, their rivalry was far from over. With Knoxville doing everything possible to make Zayn’s life a living hell, the former Intercontinental Champion challenged the actor to a match at WrestleMania 38, which Knoxville accepted.
What followed was one of the most chaotic matches in the history of WrestleMania. With cameos from Chris Pontius and Wee Man along with the use of an air horn, mousetraps and a giant hand, commentary could not contain their laughter from watching the madness unfold. Many fans also expressed their joy for the match both inside the stadium and online, praising the encounter for being much better than many had predicted. While the fans were happy with what they saw, how did higher-ups within the company react?
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Knoxville stated that they received a standing ovation when they made their way to the back, adding praise for Zayn’s part in the encounter:
“Aside from having to actually look at Sami’s big, dumb face, I was thrilled with the match. Afterward, it felt like we did something special. To walk in backstage into [the] Gorilla [position, right behind the curtain], I think they call it, they stood up and clapped–and those guys and girls have seen it all. For them to clap, I took it as a big compliment. And I hate to say anything good about Sami Zayn, but he did an amazing job in that match–an amazing job losing, I should point out.”
Sami Zayn Reacts To Negative Comments
One year on from his loss to Knoxville, Zayn had one of the biggest turnarounds in WrestleMania history as he and Kevin Owens triumphed over The Usos in the main event of the 2023 event to become the new Tag Team Champions. Zayn is hoping for repeat success in Philadelphia as he challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 40. Unfortunately for Zayn, the WWE star found himself on the receiving end of negative comments as many felt that he was not the right choice of challenger for the event. During a recent interview, Sami Zayn addressed the fan backlash.