At Elimination Chamber Sami Zayn will walk into what is arguably the biggest match of his career.
In front of his hometown fans in Montreal, Canada, Zayn will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. While Zayn has always been popular with fans, his stock has risen dramatically in recent months making him one of the top stars in the entire company.
This fan-backed rise has led to comparisons with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley who also found an unlikely path to main-event status. Much like Zayn, Foley was never the stereotypical WWE Superstar but earned his spot at the top on a wave of goodwill from fans.
Speaking on The Sick Podcast with Tony Mariano, Zayn commented on Foley, recalling reading his first book, “Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks,” a number of times. The former NXT Champion said that the book provided a blueprint for someone like him to reach WWE. Zayn added that he was flattered by the comparisons to the Hardcore Legend.
“Mick Foley was the guy, I read that book cover to cover I can’t even tell you how many times,” Zayn said. “There’s a kinship there. I do get a lot of comparisons to him with regards to the type of appeal he had and the type of appeal I currently have, which is just kind of a weird charisma that you can’t quite put your finger on because it’s not like conventional wrestling star, movie star good looks, or supreme physique. It’s not the conventional makeup of a wrestling superstar or whatever.
I’ve gotten that comparison a lot and I’m flattered by it because I think he was tremendous.”
Sami Zayn Set For Hero’s Welcome
After weeks and months of mistrust, Sami Zayn finally stood up for himself at the Royal Rumble, hammering Roman Reigns with a steel chair. On the following episode of SmackDown, he demanded a match with the Tribal Chief for the World Title and he got it at Elimination Chamber.
On the most recent episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes put his faith in Zayn, commenting that he wanted to see him at WrestleMania.
H/t to Wrestling Inc