Sami Zayn Doesn't Expect USA/Canada Political Tensions To Affect WWE Elimination Chamber

Sami Zayn recently took part in an online media call heading into WWE Elimination Chamber this weekend. He is set to face Kevin Owens in an Unsanctioned Match.

During the Q&A, Sami spoke in detail about his feelings on wrestling as an escape from day-to-day struggles. He also revealed he doesn't believe the current political tensions between the United States and Canada will negatively impact the show.

He explained:

"I don’t think truly that will factor into anything with regards to the Elimination Chamber. I like to talk about wrestling at length and I like to talk about wrestling as sort of a reflective art form in the world with regards to history and sociology and how it kind of mirrors society at the time. [...] Wrestling always had a political representation of the zeitgeist of the time. So in the 1990s during the Persian Gulf War obviously we had Sergeant Slaughter with the Iraq stuff. Prior to that, in the 1950s we had Nazi villains. Whoever the villains were in the political climate were reflected in pro wrestling.

"Now, I think in a strange way we’re doing a sort of anti-reflection reflection, wherein we just simply don’t touch politics as a company. Nothing about the political climate is reflected in the product anymore and I think in some ways that’s also a reflection of the society we currently live in and the sensitivity to these things [...] WWE is meant to be like an escape from all that stuff.

"And it’s not like an abstract idea when you get into the conversations of tariffs; people are feeling that at the grocery store or the gas station, they’re feeling it in day-to-day life or they will. [...] So I think you want to go somewhere where you just kind of forget about that stuff altogether. I think that’s what WWE provides now. Politics has become so into the mainstream and it’s almost turned into an entertainment form in its own right, which I have a lot of say about, but I won’t get into that.

"All this to say WWE I think is a place to kind of take that hat off and just enjoy it for what it is. And I think everybody who purchased their tickets to Elimination Chamber is there for a great show. They’re not there to think about this stuff, they’re not there to boo Americans or cheer Canadians or whatever. They’re there for the show and we’re going to give them a great show."

As well as Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Elimination Chamber will feature the men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches, as well as Tiffany Stratton teaming with Trish Stratus to face Nia Jax and Candice LeRae.

Cody Rhodes will also give an answer to The Rock following last week's SmackDown. No further matches have been announced at the time of writing.

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