Sami Zayn On WrestleMania Intercontinental Title Win: I Needed This More Than I Can Put Into Words

Sami Zayn reflects on dethroning Gunther.

Sami Zayn reflects on his big victory on WrestleMania 40 Night One.

On Night One of WrestleMania 40, Sami Zayn challenged the formidable Intercontinental Champion Gunther. In a bout that received praise from many fans, Sami Zayn would dig deep in order to dethrone the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history.

In a digital exclusive posted to WWE’s YouTube, Byron Saxton caught up with Sami backstage after his huge victory and asked him how he was feeling after the match.

“Yeah, I don’t know what to say, I’ll be honest. It’s hard to put it into words. I don’t know, maybe some people can relate to this, some people can’t. But I had a really good year in a lot of ways last year. A lot of ways it was very tough and a lot of ways that people don’t necessarily know about. When you do something big, sometimes it’s really hard to reconcile with what’s on the other side of that, because you might have to come face to face with the fact that it might not be, I don’t know, as big, as good, or whatever. You might not be as big, as good, and the shadows that are behind you can seem like they’re bigger than anything that’s ahead. I hope I’m not being overdramatic when I say I needed this. I needed this more than I can put into words, more than, you know, you talked about that self-doubt. Some of it was on television and you saw it for yourself. A lot of it you don’t see. You know, when I’m doing those long drives where I’m on the phone, my family back home missing me and all that, there’s just a lot. To end this, this historic moment, Intercontinental title reign that.. look, hats off to Gunther. Probably the most physical match I’ve ever been in and I tapped into something that I didn’t even know I had in me.”

Zayn would then bring in his wife and son, noting that he feels like the world is his now.

“You know, right before I went out, he said, ‘you can do it’ and man, that hit me. That hit me. Then, you know, I’m getting the tar beat out of me, and I see her ringside. I see tears in her eyes. That hits you, man. I don’t know. I don’t know, Byron. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer here. But just so many, so many feelings. But I think above all else, pride to be holding this fourth time. That puts me in some pretty elite company. But this is the most elite company I care about right here, just standing right next to me. I feel like the world’s mine right now.”

Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship reign ended at 666 days, with Sami’s winning being his fourth Intercontinental Championship.

For the full results from night one of WrestleMania, you can read more about that here.

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