Sami Zayn Debuts in WWE, Hits John Cena With Bonkers Flying DDT

Sami Zayn had one of the more monumental debuts I can remember in WWE on Monday night’s Raw. If you’re not following any of this, John Cena has been issuing open challenges to face him for the US Championship belt. Last night in Montreal, local legend Bret Hart came out not to answer it, but to introduce the debut of Sami Zayn, who grew up around the area and has been a standout in NXT, WWE’s developmental league.

Zayn obviously didn’t beat Cena — nobody ever really does — but he put on a great show with acrobatics like this flying DDT through the ropes:

Just imagine, for a second, that you’re Sami Zayn. Your lifelong dream is to make it to WWE, and it happens in your hometown via an introduction from Bret Hart, who you had to grow up idolizing, and your first match is against John Cena. That’s pretty damn special. Yes, it’s scripted, but within the parlance of the genre it signifies that WWE has grand plans.

Now, Cena gets a lot of crap because we’re fatigued with his character, but as a person it’s incredibly hard to find fault him. He’s taken been relegated from the main event with the US title, and instead of sulking about it and going through the motions he’s elevating not just mid-carders, but someone like Sami Zayn. Credit where it’s due.

[Display image via PWM]