WWE News: Hall Of Famer Says He Clashed With Sami Zayn Backstage
Arn Anderson served as a backstage agent in WWE for a number of years before he was fired in 2019. During that time, he instructed superstars on how to get the best out of their matches per management’s guidelines, but not everyone responded positively to the Hall of Famer’s advice. On the latest episode of his ARN podcast, Anderson explained how he and Sami Zayn clashed a few times.
As quoted by WrestlingNews.co, Anderson was asked if Zayn would make a good agent, but he didn’t have positive things to say about the Friday Night SmackDown superstar. Anderson said that Zayn’s self-confidence and belief in his own ideas caused him to butt heads with him when they worked together.
According to the Hall of Famer, their arguments often stemmed from what Zayn believed to be “small things.” Anderson, meanwhile, thought that those were the most important elements to get right.
“When you have to help a kid who is fresh from NXT or from somewhere else that comes on the roster, and you are faced with x number of minutes in this position on RAW or SmackDown, as they agent, it is your responsibility to make sure that match is good and it reflects all the rules put in place by the boss, known or not known. You have to be involved in every little aspect of things that in the storytelling process makes sense.”
Anderson went on to say that Zayn isn’t “creative enough” to come up with a new story at the drop of a hat. Due to the unpredictable nature of WWE, it’s not uncommon for plans that have been discussed all day to change at the last minute. Anderson believes that Zayn’s inability to adapt to these conditions would make him a bad agent.
During the conversation, Anderson also discussed how some superstars only need a hand signal to know how much time they have, and what they have to do in the ring. This was more commonplace during Anderson’s in-ring days, however, and he revealed that superstars have to be more managed these days.
Anderson also said that agents need to be “qualified” to tell the talent that they’ve lost some minutes for their match. While he didn’t elaborate on what criteria that entails, it’s highly likely that he was referring to those who have a proven track record of success, both in the ring and as backstage personnel. If that’s the case, his words suggest that Zayn needs to change his attitude before he earns that right.
