Johnny Knoxville Vs Sami Zayn Was Not In Original Plans For WWE WrestleMania

Sami Zayn is scheduled to have a high-profile match at WrestleMania 38 against Jackass star Johnny Knoxville.

Zayn says he was not expecting to be in this position weeks ago, but things changed after it became apparent that WWE fans were getting behind Knoxville.

"I don't think this was ever the plan for WrestleMania," Zayn told The Dallas Morning News. "I think he was here doing some stuff for Jackass Forever, doing the Royal Rumble and promoting his movie – and that's all well and good. Then, he showed up here [on SmackDown], and – I'm going to say this. I don't like him. I have a problem with him, and I'm going to beat him up. So, let me just get that out of the way because I'm about to say something kind of nice about him.

WWE's top conspiracy theorist, Sami Zayn, continued on about what it has been like to share a WWE ring with Knoxville.

"Every single time I was in the ring with him, every time he snuck in the ring or he did what he did or whenever his music hit, it was, by far, the biggest reaction on the show that night – and I know because I was in the ring for all of them," Zayn said. "So, the fans love him, and I think what happened is there is such a gravitation toward him and the response was so good that I think it ended up pushing this story further, which has both been a good thing and a bad thing for me because, you know, now I have to deal with all his shenanigans and his ... ugh ... all the stuff that comes with dealing with Johnny Knoxville.

Sami Zayn wrapped his thoughts on Knoxville by expressing what aspect of the match does make him excited.

"But, yeah, that performer side of me for sure is excited because I know the fans are excited, and I know they are getting a kick," Zayn concluded. "I know every time his music hits they are going to go crazy. And I think he is a great foil for my character, and I'm a good foil for him. He's a great prankster, and I'm the kind of villain that you want to see seething.

"I think it's a natural fit for that, and he's a natural fit for WWE. His fans, the world of Jackass, and the world of WWE, it's like peas in a pod. So, I am happy to be doing this, and I think I'm going to be even happier when I'm standing over him after the bell has rung and I've decimated him in the middle of Dallas."