Sami Zayn may have ended the Gingerbread Man storyline after backstage criticism reportedly led to the WWE character being dropped.
The storyline became part of Sami Zayn’s feud with Trick Williams leading into WrestleMania 42. At WrestleMania 42, Williams defeated Zayn to win the WWE United States title. The feud also introduced the Gingerbread Man character.
The story eventually led to Zayn attacking and seemingly destroying the Gingerbread Man character on SmackDown last week. The segment also fueled more discussion about Zayn’s recent heel-like behavior. Now, a new report has claimed that several people backstage were not supportive of the gimmick.
A WWE source reportedly described the gimmick as “hokey and archaic”
According to a report from WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, there was internal criticism surrounding the Gingerbread Man storyline. The report stated that multiple members of WWE’s creative team pushed back against the heavy use of the character on SmackDown.
A source close to the creative process reportedly described the gimmick as “hokey and archaic.” The report also stated there was notable pushback during discussions about the direction of the storyline.
Despite the criticism, the angle remained part of WWE programming until last week’s when Zayn destroyed the character. That moment appeared to bring the feud to an end while also continuing Zayn’s character shift on television.
Read More: Backstage Expectation For John Cena’s WWE Backlash Announcement Revealed — REPORT
