Sami Zayn was in danger of becoming like many former World Champions where their big win is eclipsed by months and months of failure. Or in the worst case scenario, the fans would forget he was still in the company but Sami managed to bounce back relatively well since dropping his EBWF World Championship to The Miz. He only competed in the one match since that loss and picked up an important win over Jeff Hardy – someone who was flying high with so much momentum and that had meant a lot to him. However, Sami’s important win over the former Breakout Champion was overshadowed by the fact that Sami wasn’t a part of the Survivor Series pay-per-view, a historic event.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault, however, Sami himself didn’t do enough in time to earn a spot on the card but the disappointment couldn’t be hidden. Last year Sami was recruited by CM Punk to be in his team, this year there was no such invite or offer and instead he was forced to watch all of the action unfold from the back with the other guys and girls who didn’t make the show either. But he used that as motivation to put in hard work again and work his way to the Christmas Eve of Destruction card and knew he’d be willing to put his body on the line again, just like he did the previous year.
His opponent on tonight’s edition of Warfare was a familiar foe, he had met Syxx in the ring on numerous occasions and despite losing out in their first ever meeting, Sami managed to get the upper hand by grabbing a couple of wins himself and wanted tonight to be no different. Right now it didn’t really matter who Sami was facing because one way or another he needed to become relevant again and he had a perfect opportunity to showcase what he’s all about by defeating Syxx.
The crowd inside the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas were still settling down during a commercial break, as they found the seats they exploded into cheers as red and yellow lights were flashing throughout the arena and the PA system started to blast “World’s Apart” by CF0$ with the fans aware that Sami Zayn was going to be making his way to the ring. Eventually the fan-favourite emerged on to the stage with a grin on his face, wearing his black wrestling tights along with the ‘Zayniacs’ green t-shirt. He shouted “Let’s Go!” into the camera before skipping down the ramp in his usual, upbeat fashion, pumping the crowd up on the steel steps before getting into the ring.
He took a microphone from the side and walked around the ring, smiling as he did. He leaned on the ropes as his music stopped but the one thing he didn’t realise he missed the most was the loud ‘Ole!’ chants spreading around the arena. He laughed and mouthed ‘thank you’ before getting back into the middle of the ring and addressing the EBWF fans in attendance.
SAMI ZAYN
Thanks guys…it’s definitely been a while since I came down that ramp and into this ring, in front of all of you with a genuine smile on my face. The last time I was competing on Warfare I wasn’t exactly the same Sami Zayn that you people love and pay to watch. I’ll be man enough to admit that the loss against The Miz for the EBWF World Championship hit me harder than I thought it would, and the reality of having to start from the back of line really hit me hard. But I’ve realised it’s no good dwelling on that because the only reason I ever became the Intercontinental or World Champion is by working hard…so I’m pretty sure I can do that again.
On one side of things I’m happy I was fortunate enough to say I have been a World Champion in this company, an unlikely one at that…but a World Champion nonetheless. On the other side, I’m pissed off because I know for a fact there is nobody on this roster who can out-wrestle and outperform me and it’s only a matter of time before I’m standing on that top rope and lifting the championship again, I can guarantee you that.
But before we fast forward a few months and talk of how we’re going to celebrate…tonight we focus on Syxx. Now we all know Syxx and I have had our run-ins in the past and I’ll be the first to admit that the first time we met, he surprised me because I genuinely believed he was over the hill and taking up a valuable spot. It just so happens I was right; it just took another effort for me to prove that. Which I did.
Tonight I plan on doing much of the same, something that has become the norm where Syxx climbs out from the rock he lives under, tries to move in this ring and I hit him with a Helluva Kick and just go to prove that he’s only here to make up the numbers. I’m not worried, not one bit, the only thing I’m worried about is deciding how this match is going to end because we’ve already seen you fall to my foot a few times, maybe tonight I’ll decide to choke the existence out of you with the Koji Clutch.
Honestly, I don’t even have anything against you. You don’t know me, I don’t know you, we don’t talk at the back, we don’t hang out or anything. All I know is that we’re very different, because while you seem to be happy being this old man who isn’t even needed here and continued to eat loss after loss after loss and you continue to lose all credibility you once had. Every single loss kills me every time, and NONE will hurt more than having to hear I lost to Syxx for a second time in my career.
I still have what it takes to be at the top and another win over you will just go to show that sooner or later I’ll be back in title contention and that nobody can stop me. Whereas another loss for you won’t even matter, you’re already at rock bottom and there’s no chance you’re ever moving on up, not while I’m around and determined to move on up again.
I remember in our first match, the whole build-up, I’d be lying if I was saying I wasn’t excited. Of course I was! You’ve been around for a long time, mixed it up with some of the biggest names the wrestling industry has ever seen and here I was getting a glorious opportunity against you, for the championship as well. I thought it was sort of an honour to step into the ring with you, you know? We all know how it went, I talked a lot, you beat me, but that’s not the point.
The point is, I personally feel the roles have reversed. While you mixed it up with the big names, your Shawn Michaels’, your Triple H’s, your Razor Ramon’s…I mixed it up with Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Daniel Bryan. While you were part of some of the biggest groups in history, I was struggling to make ends meet going from promotion to promotion. While you were busy being Intercontinental Champion, I was busy busting my ass off to earn a shot against you, but now…while you’re a forgotten star…I’m a former EBWF World Champion.
Do you see what happened there? Everything you did in your career just vanished, just like that, because nothing you have ever done or will do will top my story and there’s WAY I’m letting that change. It was an honour to share a ring with you over a year ago, but now it should be an honour for you to step into the ring with me, because I know you never, ever thought I’d go as far as being a World Champion.
In a few moments you’ll be out here and we both know achievements won’t matter, what matters is you understand that you can’t ever beat me again. You may be this ruler of an imaginary house in that crazy head of yours but by the end of tonight I will enter House Syxx and I am going to burn that bitch to the ground with you still in it.
Fans cheered as Sami was staring angrily into the camera, turning red as his music hit once more. He dropped the microphone and pumped himself up a little more as he took his shirt off, waiting for his opponent to make his way to the ring in a very determined mood.