On today’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shared a backstage rumor about how Sami Zayn is perceived by Triple H and Vince McMahon.
Neither Triple H nor Vince view Sami as someone who could be “the face of the company.” This is not to say that Sami couldn’t appear in the Royal Rumble, or even win the title at some point. Zayn just isn’t seen as a top tier star that the company could hitch their wagon to.
This echoes Zayn’s own statements to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport about being the face of the company. Zayn has been very realistic about his position within WWE. He admits that if done correctly, fans would buy him winning the title, but that he isn’t someone like John Cena or Roman Reigns that the company would get behind for 5 to 10 years.
Zayn’s participation in tonight’s Royal Rumble has yet to be confirmed. As of this writing, there are still 11 open spots in tonight’s men’s Rumble match. The Royal Rumble will air live on Peacock tonight at 8:00 PM EST from San Antonio, Texas.