Sami Zayn Opens Up on Fractured Cody Rhodes Friendship, Eyes Redemption at WWE Night of Champions

Sami Zayn is heading into WWE Night of Champions with a championship opportunity and a lot on his mind — including the deteriorating friendship with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes that has defined much of his recent storyline.

Ahead of the triple threat title match pitting Rhodes against Zayn and GUNTHER at today’s Premium Live Event in Saudi Arabia, Zayn sat down with ESPN’s SportsCenter to break down how things went sideways between himself and the man he once called a close friend. In his own words, Zayn didn’t shy away from acknowledging his own shortcomings — while also pointing a subtle finger at Rhodes.

“I’ll admit I haven’t totally been myself the last few months,” Zayn said. “I’ve been chasing that title for a very long time. It’s a hard thing to deal with sometimes, a loss like that. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t always been my best self, but I’ve really put my best foot forward and I just felt like Cody being champion — and I’m not trying to make any accusations here — but I think having the championship has changed him a little bit. Maybe me not having the championship has not always made me act the best way, but there’s kind of been rifts in our friendship.”

The fracture has been building since Zayn’s loss to Drew McIntyre at January’s Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia — the same country where Night of Champions now takes place, giving this match a full-circle quality Zayn himself acknowledged. That defeat seemed to trigger a slow heel turn, with Zayn adopting the persona of “The Last Real Good Guy” who believes he has been consistently overlooked while Rhodes has been handed every opportunity as WWE’s chosen star.

Things boiled over most visibly on the June 19 episode of SmackDown, when Zayn served as Special Guest Referee for a Rhodes vs. GUNTHER title match and drew heavy criticism for his conduct. SportsCenter host Kevin Negandhi suggested Zayn “went rogue” that night — a characterization Zayn flatly rejected.

“I disagree with your assessment that I went rogue,” he said. “I got pushed to my limit just like anybody else. I think almost anybody else in my situation would have done the same thing.”

With GUNTHER having already come up short in two recent title shots — including at WWE Clash in Italy and on that June 19 SmackDown — Zayn sees tonight as his best shot at reclaiming the spotlight. “Any way you cut it, we’ve got this triple threat match for the WWE Championship and I get a chance to redeem myself,” he said. “For me this is a bit of a full circle thing, and it’s a chance at redemption. That means a lot to me.”

Whoever walks out of Night of Champions with the title may have little time to celebrate. The King of the Ring final between Oba Femi and Jey Uso is also on the card, with the winner expected to position themselves as the next contender.