Video: WWE Star Sami Zayn Opens Up About Sharing The Ring With Bret Hart
This week's episode of "WWE Raw" in Calgary brought forth a mix of emotions for Sami Zayn. The former Intercontinental Champion notably donned the jersey of former Calgary Flames player Johnny Gaudreau, who recently died alongside his brother, Matthew, after being struck by a car. At the same time, Zayn shared the ring with WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart, whom he described as one of his childhood heroes. Following their in-ring segment on "Raw," Zayn opened up the experience in a post-show interview with Jackie Redmond.
"I said that stuff on television, but it's true. It's 100% true," Zayn said. "[Bret] was my hero growing up. And to share the ring with him in Calgary, the significance is not lost on me. I'm in a really, really strange kind of headspace, but listening to him talk also kind of lit a fire under me."
"To hear him talk about what it meant to be a champion and a Canadian champion, and listening to him, I realized, man, we haven't had that in a long time. And I want it to be me. I want to honor his legacy. I want to honor the template that he laid out for guys like me. So GUNTHER's got something that, as far as I'm concerned, it's on borrowed time because I'm coming. I'm coming for the World Heavyweight Championship."
It was an emotional night on #WWERaw for @SamiZayn.#RAWTalk
▶️ @peacock pic.twitter.com/9hQGFkMJPc— WWE (@WWE) September 10, 2024
Amidst his encounter with Hart, Zayn also came face-to-face with WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER, whom he, again, tried to convince into defending the title against him. Much like last week, though, GUNTHER issued a stern rejection to Zayn's challenge. This action prompted Hart to label GUNTHER as a "coward," and a fired-up Zayn to rain down with several punches until WWE officials pulled him and GUNTHER apart.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.