In Fightful’s recent conversation with Sami Zayn, he reflected on his notable wrestling feud with Johnny Knoxville back in 2022, culminating in a standout fight at WrestleMania 38. Read along for the significant excerpts from the chat:
Conjuring up memories of the match, Zayn elaborated, “Not long ago, I was part of this comedy performance for the Netflix is a Joke Festival in Los Angeles. Shockingly, Johnny Knoxville, whom I’ve not met in years, appeared and even added to the show’s dynamic. This incident took me down memory lane to our match. There has been much adieu about the clash, and I’m sincerely proud of it. However, people seem to ignore the exciting and creative journey leading up to the match. There were numerous ideas I wished to execute, many of them quite unconventional, which never saw the light of day. It’s this behind-the-scenes work that I remember being heavily invested in.”
Speaking on how the match evolved him, Zayn shared, “Interestingly, the aftermath of the match served as the catalyst for the Bloodline arc which unfolded later in the storyline. Stepping into creativity mode, my character was redesigned to include components such as exposing my contact number to the fans. Ecstatic fans would contact me, and I would even answer them while I was in the tub. It was an experience like no other – never before had a wrestler engaged with fans on such a personal level. A simple phone call from them would blossom into full-blown excitement with friends and family joining the call. And while the specifics of the actual match were subject to time limitations, I take immense pride in what we accomplished. The encounter with Knoxville will forever link us together, at least in the realm of wrestling.”