Sami Zayn Says Idea For Story With Roman Reigns Was Talked About Before WWE Survivor Series 2021

Sami Zayn details how he began working with Roman Reigns. 

Zayn and Reigns became linked on-screen after WrestleMania when Zayn was looking to win back the respect of the locker room following a loss to Johnny Knoxville at WWE WrestleMania 38. Since then, the story has progressed to where Zayn is now an Honorary Uce and a member of the Bloodline alongside Roman, Jimmy & Jey Uso, & Solo Sikoa. 

Speaking to Peter Rosenberg, Sami offered insight into how the story began. 

“I won’t pull the curtain back too much, but the idea was kicked around about a year ago, a good six months before the seeds were even planted on screen. The first time I think there was any interaction between myself and the Bloodline was just after WrestleMania. In actuality, the idea was first discussed going into Survivor Series of last year. I was doing this whole thing on SmackDown where I was the longest-tenured member as the locker room leader. I thought it’d be something interesting with the locker room leader and Head of the Table. The premise being, the Head of the Table isn’t in the locker room anymore. I wasn’t originally envisioning being a full member of the Bloodline or anything like that, just something to where Roman and I can occasionally get on screen together in a light-hearted way and I’m giving him these reports of what’s going on and what he needs to be careful for. Every once in a while, I get things kicked my way too. That was sort of the idea,” he said. 

When asked if it was something just Sami pushed for, Sami said, “It was talked about with Roman as well. We were sitting at catering one day, and I heard an interview that he did with Ariel Helwani where he was very kind towards me and saying nice things about me as an on-screen character and that he’d like to do something down the road with me one day. We got to talking and I don’t remember exactly how it went, but it was a mutual thing.”

Roman had praised Sami Zayn in an August 2021 interview with Ariel Helwani, saying how Sami would pop him and that more Sami on TV is a good thing.

Sami previously commented on how he and Roman benefit from each other as an on-screen pairing. You can find his full comments by clicking here. 

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.