John Cena Gives Major Props To Sami Zayn For Connecting With WWE Universe

Sami Zayn has reached his peak in popularity over the last several months thanks to his long-term storyline with The Bloodline. Once an honorary member of the faction, Zayn now finds himself realigned with Kevin Owens to take on The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a featured match at WrestleMania 39. The 38-year-old continues to draw praise for his performances and reactions with John Cena now being the latest to chime in during a recent interview with "Whiskey Ginger."

"I gotta give Sami his comeuppance," Cena said. "Here's a guy that's been in the business a long time and worked really hard in circuits outside WWE and made a great name for himself, then got in WWE in the 'NXT' program and made a great name for himself, then got in WWE and kind of struggled to connect with the audience. Everyone now, because he's very popular now, thinks it's like, 'Alright, it clicked.' His character went through a major reconstruction just about three years ago, maybe even a little bit more than that... I can see it, I can see how hard he works and I see how he's invested in connecting with the audience."

Cena has witnessed firsthand how Zayn has evolved over the years as they first crossed paths in a United States Championship open challenge in May 2015. Years later, they found themselves competing in a WWE Championship six-pack challenge in the main event of WWE Fastlane 2018. Recently, Cena returned to "SmackDown" in December as he and Owens teamed up to beat Zayn and Roman Reigns in a blockbuster tag match.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Whiskey Ginger" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.