Felix Upton on November 28, 2019
WWE has a multi-cultural roster. This took some time to achieve, but the “world” in World Wrestling Entertainment seems to be fully realized at this point.
Sami Zayn recently spoke to DC 101 about how he deals with stereotypes in WWE. It is a new era in pro wrestling where Arab characters don’t have to play the same turban wearing heel roles that they were pigeonholed to in the past. This is something that The Underdog From The Underground takes full advantage of.
“For me personally, it’s one of the things I love about this generation. Shinsuke’s [Nakamura] gimmick doesn’t revolve around him being Japanese.”
“Like me, being Arab, I’m not coming out with a turban or acting the way the Iron Sheik acted. I’m a performer who happens to be Arabian.”
“Finn Balor, he’s an Irishman and it’s not like he comes out with a box of lucky charms or waving an Irish flag talking with a funny accent to be Irish. It’s just a lot more rooted in reality of who we actually are and not playing this caricature or this stereotype of our background.”
“So, I applaud Mustafa Ali for that for trying to break that. It’s something I have been interested in as well.”
Sami Zayn might not be invited to Saudi Arabia due to his Syrian background, but he doesn’t seem to mind that. He applauds those who were able to break those stereotypes in pro wrestling as they entertain a fan base that is much more aware of what cultural diversity looks like.
Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the quote
November 28, 2019 10:03 am
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