When will Sami stop being the "Underdog?"
Heading into Money in the Bank, most fans in the Scotiabank Arena were pretty confident that they would see at least one title change on the show, as Bron Breakker was a heavy favorite to dethrone Sami Zayn as the Intercontinental Champion.
Sure, Zayn came into the match with the champion's advantage and was working the match in his home country of Canada, but Breakker was absolutely crushing dudes on RAW weekly heading into the show, and after effectively writing Ricochet off of television with a brutal backstage beatdown, the timing felt perfect for the former NXT Champion to get back into the title picture on the main roster, even if it came at the expense of the “Underdog from the Underground,” who has always been more suited for the chaser role, not the veteran champion.
And yet, in the cleanest finish on the card, Zayn pulled out the win, hitting Breakker with the Helluva Kick for the 1-2-3 and leaving the ringside area to celebrate with his friends and family… or did he?
Catching up with Cathy Kelley during the Money in the Bank post-show, Zayn discussed what it was like to keep his title reign alive, only he didn't sound like the conquering champion, but an exhausted man who sounded as tired as he looked.
“Honestly, I'm not in really a mood to celebrate even though I feel good, honestly, I think I'm just spent. I don't really know how to put it; I'm emotionally spent. We talked earlier about having the comedy show, preparing for that but also preparing at the same time for the physical challenges of Bron Breakker poses, and it's hard to juggle, but here's the thing: I accused Bron Breakker of underestimating me, which he did, I was fully prepared to go to war with an absolute beast, a freak of an athlete and I think, despite of all of that, and he took me to hell and back, I think I actually underestimated him because he, I mean, he took me to a physical low that I haven't felt in a long time, maybe ever,” Sami Zayn told Cathy Kelley after Money in the Bank.
“Again, maybe it's the end of a lot of exhaustion, I don't know what it is, but full marks to him. But I know that crowd was behind me, but even then, when I got that 1-2-3, I could tell a lot of folks were suprised. And I don't know how many times I need to keep doing this, how many times I need to overcome these odds or whatever it is; I don't know how many times I need to defy the odds before the odds change. So I don't know, part of me feels vindicated, I don't know, it's a whirlwind for me right now. But I feel like I said I was going to do something, and a lot of people didn't think I would, and I did; I'm walking out of Canada still the Intercontinental Champion, and I just feel good.”
While Zayn did take some serious damage in the match from Breakker, it's not like he had to pull out every single trick from his arsenal to get the deal done, as he didn't bring to his El Generico's old finishing move – the Brainbustah!!!!! – to set up the finish like he did at WrestleMania. Maybe it's just that, after years of being the underdog, Zayn wants to finally feel like he's taken seriously as a champion, as even in his home country, fans were underwhelmed to see him come out on top.
Sami Zayn vows to keep proving his doubters wrong
Continuing his conversation with with Cathy Kelley, Sami Zayn was asked about his emotional battery, with the reporter noting that she had never seen him so physically and emotionally drained during their time working together. While Zayn admitted that the match did take a lot out of him, he also noted that he's had matches like this before and wished fans would finally start taking him seriously as a fighting champion.
“I think when you add all of those variables up, that's what you get, and it's been hard. It's been hard being the Intercontinental Champion. It's a lot of physical tests, like winning it was hard enough against Gunther, the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time, I think no contest,” Sami Zayn noted. “And I had to go to hell to get this thing, and now there haven't been any breaks up to and including tonight, there's no night off, there's no night off. So I don't know, man; I know people kind of think, ‘Ah, he pulled that one off, but he won't pull the next one off.' I'm just going to keep doing what I do until people start seeing it's not a fluke, it's not an accident, it's the real thing. And I don't know what else to say but that.”
Is Zayn simply wearing himself too thin, going from RAW to his comedy show and then a massive Money in the Bank match in less than a week? Or is the emotional toll of not being taken seriously simply wearing him thin, with the ruckus reaction he earned at Elimination Chamber 2023 being replaced by a more muted response when he actually retained his title a year and a half later? Either way, maybe fans should start taking Zayn more seriously, as while he may still be the “Underdog From the Underground,” he still deserves to be taken as seriously as any other champion in professional wrestling, especially considering his impressive resume.