WWE’s top star reflects when he presumed WWE would portray him in a “terrorist persona” on television
WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn reveals that he always thought he will play a stereotypical role if he ever made it to WWE.
Sami Zayn (via The US Sun)
Undisputed Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn is probably one of the most popular WWE superstars. His character is relatable to fans as a goofy, fun-loving, yet dedicated wrestler. However, while working in the indies, Zayn thought that his WWE career would be very different.
While talking on Inside The Ropes, Zayn revealed that he always thought that if he ever made it to WWE, he would play the role of a terrorist and have a character similar to that. He said, “That was just the perception and the portrayal of Arabs and Muslims on television. Never mind WWE, just in the media. It was always sort of a thing in the back of my head [that] I’d love to change that one day.”
Sami Zayn also said that, being Muslim, fans have always had a negative image of the religion while watching the product. He aimed to change perspectives as one of the top talents on the roster. Fortunately, Zayn was successful in doing so, as he became the first Muslim and Syrian-descent superstar to main event WrestleMania in any capacity.
WWE has also helped Sami Zayn with the portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in a better way through their recent tours to the Middle East. Sami Zayn became the first Syrian to appear on WWE programming in Saudi Arabia after establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Champion also visited the sacred Mecca, as the trip was covered by the WWE documentary crew. Zayn referred to the trip as an enriching experience.
Multiple times when WWE used the terrorist angle in their programming
Portraying Middle Eastern wrestlers as heels is not new to WWE. The trend can be seen for over four decades, as The Iron Sheikh was one of the most hated heels in the industry during the 1980s. His character as an Iraqi sympathizer during the Gulf War got a lot of heat from the fans as he feuded against The American Hero Hulk Hogan.
In late 2004 and 2005, Muhammed Hassan debuted on WWE programming and started attacking WWE Superstars. His character was an Arab-American who hated Americans and was accompanied by a group of terrorists. Unfortunately, the segment when Hassan and his group attacked The Undertaker coincided with the London bombing, which killed several people.
The network immediately canceled Hassan’s character, and the storyline was scrapped immediately. Due to the fan backlash, the wrestler playing the character of Muhammad Hassan, Marc Copani, retired from wrestling. He only returned for one match in 2019, which was over 15 years after his run in the WWE.
In case you missed it:
- WATCH: Johnny Knoxville tries to OBLITERATE Sami Zayn’s action figure using a blender on his birthday
- Sami Zayn BLASTS $245.9 billion worth Elon Musk for buying Twitter and calls it unusable due to terrible changes
Jaydeep Kulkarni
(488 Articles Published)