For the first time since WWE entered into an agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2018 to host premium live events, Sami Zayn was part of a Saudi show at WWE Night of Champions.
Zayn had previously gone to Saudi events with WWE in 2014, but had not been to the yearly, and then twice a year, events that started in 2018 with the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Speaking on WWE After The Bell, Zayn commented on speculation as to why he never made the trip.
"It was a really heavy trip. A lot went into it, to be honest. The fact that I haven't been there in a few years, and that there has been so much speculation as to why I'm not going and the political reasoning and this and that. I won't get into all of it, but I will tell you that 99.9% of what you've read online about this subject is completely fabricated, completely just...people assuming things and then running with those assumptions and adding onto them. It's wild," he said. "Anytime they can't get concrete answers, that's kind of what tends to happen. It's human nature, almost."
Zayn said that he hadn't made the trip since 2016, but was excited to be there because the people in the Middle East are "his people."
"The actual event itself, and the reception from the audience, it's kind of what I've been waiting for, for a while, in a way. I would have been the natural representative for those shows, and I just wasn't. It was good to finally be put in that position," he said.
Zayn headlined the event, defending the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Titles alongside Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa.
Elsewhere during the interview, Zayn discussed the "cinema" of the Bloodline. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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