Sami Zayn Responds To Fans Who Didn't Like WWE WrestleMania Jackass Match
This past Friday, the newest episode of Stone Cold Steve Austin's "Broken Skull Sessions" aired on Peacock TV in the United States and on the WWE Network everywhere else. This time, his guest was former "NXT" and WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn.
While on the show, Sami Zayn was asked by the Hall of Famer about his match against "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville. It was technically Knoxville's second professional wrestling match. In January, he competed in the 2022 edition of the men's Royal Rumble — though Knoxville was supposed to make his professional wrestling debut in 2007 against the late, great Umaga before plans were altered.
When Zayn was asked whether or not he expected to be in the match, he had this to say. "No, obviously not. I mean, I couldn't predict 20 years ago, when Jackass was huge, I'd be in the ring with Johnny Knoxville in front of 75,000 people." Zayn claimed to be very proud of it, appreciating Austin for loving the match. Zayn explained how defensive he is of the match, saying, "If you don't like that match, then you're stupid — at least in the [wrestling] business."
"I feel like, with whatever I'm doing, I gotta be fully committed to it," Zayn said, following up on Austin's comment about Zayn playing his part in the match after the mouse trap mishap towards the end of the match. "But there's also this other side of me — with this thing of carrying myself because you know being in this business, carrying yourself a certain way to get taken seriously or get respect [is important]," said Zayn commenting on wanting to be taken seriously, even after the match with Knoxville.
While still on the matter of the Mania match, Sami Zayn said that he would've instead done the match against Knoxville and done it well, rather than do a program in the main event scene with Brock Lesnar or current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.