Sami Zayn says his faith was “shook” prior to winning the WWE Title at Night of Champions
While speaking on the RAW Recap podcast, Sami Zayn reflected on his journey to becoming WWE Champion at Night of Champions 2026…
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t lose faith, and I certainly didn’t lose faith after the match in Montreal. I’m not going to say it wasn’t a heartbreaker, because it was, no doubt. But I thought, ‘This is the closest I’ve come, so I’ll just get closer and closer until I get there.’
The one that really did my head in a little bit was coming up short against Drew this past January at the Royal Rumble. Because after that one, that’s when I was already starting to feel like maybe I had missed my window. I couldn’t give up faith, but it was the first time my faith was shook, if I’m being totally honest.
I knew I had the talent. I knew I had everything. I knew I was just as good as any of these guys—Drew, Roman, Cody, Seth. And the proof is you’ve seen me mix it up in the ring with all of them. You’ve seen my body of work. There’s no question in my mind that these are my peers.
That’s almost what made it more maddening. Why them and why not me? Why was it so close, and I just couldn’t get my hands on it?
After losing at the Rumble, I think that’s where you saw me kind of losing it or crashing out backstage over the months. I think what was happening was maybe the realization was setting in deep down that I’d missed that window.”