Sami Zayn Interview: May 4 "Monday Night Raw" Appearance

On the May 4 edition of “Monday Night Raw,” NXT star Sami Zayn made a surprise appearance on the program, accepting John Cena’s open challenge for the United States Championship. Zayn, a Montreal native, was well-received from his hometown fans, and even received a special introduction from fellow countrymen and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

Unfortunately, Zayn appeared to suffer a shoulder injury just prior to the match getting underway. His health has his status for the May 20 “NXT Takeover” live special up in the air. At the event, Zayn is slated to face NXT Champion Kevin Owens in a rematch from the last live special.

WWE.com published an interview with Zayn, who discussed his match with John Cena, in addition to his uncertain injury status.

Zayn discussed getting emotional after hearing the response from the Montreal crowd:

“I was really emotional. When they were doing the “Ole” chants before I even came out, I had a giant lump in my throat. I thought I was going to burst into tears the second I walked through the curtain. I was just taking it all in. I was almost angry in a way, a proud kind of angry. It’s very hard to describe. It’s hard to put into words.”

“It really exceeded my expectations. OK, fine, I’m from Montreal, but you never know how much the fans know. They’re fans of Monday Night Raw. NXT has grown by leaps and bounds, especially over the last year because of WWE Network, but you don’t know who’s going to know you and who’s not. I was astonished by the reaction when I came out.”

Zayn also talked about his mindset following his shoulder injury:

“I’m an easy-going, take-things-as-they-come kind of guy, not just in the ring, but in life. Experiences like this make you realize that a lack of certainty can be very unnerving. Not knowing what the future has in store for you can be unsettling, especially when you’re riding that momentum. In the blink of an eye, things change. That’s the nature of the industry we work in. It can be frustrating, but you have to keep your chin up and not get too down on yourself and believe that in some way that it’s all for the best. A lot of fans have been really supportive and have commended me. In a weird way, it could be the worst thing that ever happened to me or the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“One way or another, it will all work out. You keep going forward and you get ahead. I’m not going to let this destroy me, so you take it as it comes. You deal with it, see what you can do, do your best and it will all be OK. I’ll keep driving forward.”

Check out the entire piece, here. Zayn also hit on the presence of Bret Hart for his entrance, and getting to work with John Cena.