Abu Dhabi: Syrian origin WWE wrestler Sami Zayn could be the success story that will bring wrestlers from the Middle East and India into the wrestling entertainment brand, head honcho Paul Levesque, recently back from a counting trip in India, said ahead of a bout on Saturday night that will be broadcast in the UAE.
Levesque, WWE Executive vice president but better known by his in-ring name Triple H, is no stranger to success with the WWE: a 13-time world champion with the organization with a pro-wrestling career spanning two decades, he is regarded as one of the finest performers in the pro-wrestling industry, so his opinion carries a lot of weight.
Zayn, born Rami Sebei, currently performs for WWE’s NXT brand, the professional development brand for the WWE.
“He is so good and so emotionally captivating as a performer, and you got to remember this is a guy that came out of a mask [Zayn had previously performed wearing a mask], his facial expressions and the way he can captivate you emotionally, and the way he does things it’s extraordinary from where he’s come from with none of that to where he now. It’s amazing.”
Viewers in the UAE can watch Zayn on Saturday night on OSN Sports 2 at 8pm as he competes for the NXT Championship against Adrian Neville in the main event of NXT Takeover: R Evolution. The stakes for the match are high, with Zayn saying he will leave NXT if he fails to capture the title.
The WWE itself will be coming to Abu Dhabi in February 2015, with three live shows set to take place at Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium from the 12-14.
When asked by Gulf News if Zayn’s Arab background could inspire and encourage other Arabs to try and make it into the pro-wrestling industry of the WWE, Triple H said he believed it could. “Absolutely, I think that definitely helps. For the second time we were just recently in India and in those trips over there we’ve had talent coming in from all over the Middle East. A large focus to us is finding the best athletes all over the globe, whether it’s Japan or somebody from China, Brazil, or the UK.
“We’re trying to make our product as global as possible and give it to as many people as possible. If that means that they can reach onto somebody that is like them and speaks their language, and we can make them a cultural hero then, yeah, that’s awesome. That’s an even better proposition for us because as that happens more and more people see the WWE as a viable opportunity for them and a dream for them that they can achieve.”
Triple H compared Zayn to WWE legend and Hall of Famer, Ricky Steamboat. “I do think he can succeed, I think it would take some time, he is the slow built kind of guy. Every time you see him he wins you over with that emotion and that quality and that realness. He lets you inside who he is as a person, you know it’s very Steamboat-esque, in a way, that level of emotional connection to a talent that takes you and really invests you in him as a person and a character. His growth curve has been phenomenal, he had all the tools, but to see him do what he’s done in a relatively short period of time is awesome and I can’t wait for him to get that opportunity on the [main] roster.”
