Sami Zayn appeared on Huge POP! and defended the Gingerbread Man storyline on WWE SmackDown, which has drawn online criticism and internal creative pushback reports.
“There’s this serious WrestleMania program for the United States Championship that involves a Gingerbread Man. On paper, sounds kind of silly,” Zayn said. “But the week we did it, where it was me under the suit, and I’m dancing, and then I clock those guys, I thought that was great.”
He was more measured about a later segment. “Then the following week, with the mannequin, it felt a little bit more lifeless to me. Not as great, maybe a little silly.”
Zayn framed execution as the deciding factor. “I don’t think the concept of the Gingerbread Man by itself is ridiculous or silly. It’s all in execution and on a week-to-week basis… I don’t think the concept of involving a Gingerbread Man on its own is ridiculous because this is pro wrestling and we do all kinds of fun things.”
The storyline involves Zayn, Trick Williams, and Lil Yachty in a United States Championship program.