Sami Zayn Discusses Being Influenced By Matt And Jeff Hardy During Their WWE Run

Sami Zayn, one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, answered a bunch of fan questions during his appearance on "WWE's The Bump" this week. 

"What was your favorite tag team growing up?" asked one fan, a question that got Zayn nostalgic as he remembered his formative years in the business.

"If we go really young, I love Demolition," Zayn responded. "Really, it was the Hardy Boyz. Actually, they were so pivotal to my whole life. They came into my world at an age where even the idea of becoming a wrestler, or training to become a wrestler, was not possible at all. I was just so inspired by them because it seemed like younger and smaller guys [had a chance]."

Zayn was a 12-year-old fan when The Hardys took the U.S. wrestling scene by storm with their backyard promotion, OMEGA, which ultimately led to Matt and Jeff Hardy signing with the WWE. Reflecting on those years, Zayn didn't hold back on his praise for the legendary brothers from North Carolina.

"They were doing their stuff in the backyard. I gravitated towards them," Zayn admitted. "They were massive inspirations on me — in my late fanhood and early years of wanting to be a wrestler, and training to become a wrestler." 

Despite crossing paths with the Hardys in WWE, Zayn never had a singles match with Matt, but did have a brief rivalry with Jeff for the Intercontinental Championship back in 2020. The last singles bout between Zayn and Jeff took place in November 2021, a little over a month before Jeff walked out of a live event, leading to his WWE release. With the Hardys and Zayn locked into long-term contracts with their respective promotions, it's unlikely fans will get to see them share the ring in the near future.