The recent changes in WWE’s leadership have brought about a significant transformation in the company’s weekly programming. This shift has been particularly felt by current Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, who has experienced working under both Triple H and Vince McMahon’s regimes.
Speaking on Gorilla Position, Zayn shared insights into the creative differences between the two regimes and highlighted the increased freedom that WWE superstars now enjoy.
Sami Zayn Discusses WWE’s Regime Shift and Creative Freedom
“In some respects, 100%. In some respects, he’s still the boss at the end of the day. When it comes to how you do whatever you’re going to do, there’s definitely a lot more freedom. Look, Vince [McMahon] definitely had his way about things, and it was successful. People can turn around in hindsight, point fingers, and say this and that,” Zayn remarked.
Zayn emphasized how the previous management operated within certain constraints, shaped by past successes, which sometimes limited creative expression. However, under Triple H’s leadership, there’s a sense of breaking away from those confines and finding new avenues.
“We were working in a box; there’s no question about that, but those boxes get built because of success. Things work, so you keep the things that work, and the things that don’t work kind of get discarded, which is great. But what happens is that you paint yourself into a box. Now, you have a new visionary, and you have that box that gets opened up a bit. I think over a long enough timeline, we have to be very conscious of what we’re doing to not just be in a new box or a slightly bigger box. There’s a million ways to do things,” Zayn explained.
Recently, Sami Zayn defended his Intercontinental Championship on WWE RAW against Chad Gable in front of his hometown crowd. Despite a fierce contest, Zayn managed to retain his title.
However, the aftermath saw Gable unleash a brutal attack, signaling a new chapter in their rivalry. It remains to be seen how this storyline will develop in the coming weeks, showcasing the ongoing evolution of WWE’s product under its new leadership.
