Sami Zayn teases character change amid WWE absence

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn shared a massive tease today on social media. The former Intercontinental Champion has not competed in a match since the November 21 episode of WWE SmackDown.

Zayn teamed up with The Motor City Machine Guns, Rey Fenix, and Shinsuke Nakamura in a loss to Solo Sikoa's MFT faction in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match last month on the blue brand.

The veteran took to his official X account today amid his hiatus to hilariously tease a character change. A fan edited Zayn's face over Michael Jackson's Thriller album cover, and he responded by claiming it would be his new gimmick.

"Gimmick change coming soon," he wrote.

Ilja Dragunov returned last month after missing over a year of action due to a torn ACL. The Mad Dragon answered Zayn's Open Challenge for the United States Championship and captured the title. Dragunov is scheduled to put the title on the line against Tommaso Ciampa this Friday night on SmackDown.

WWE Hall of Famer reacts to Solo Sikoa pinning Sami Zayn

Wrestling legend Mark Henry recently commented on Solo Sikoa pinning Sami Zayn during the traditional Survivor Series elimination match last month on SmackDown.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio After Dark, The World's Strongest Man praised the 41-year-old as a performer. Henry noted that WWE views Solo Sikoa as the future, and Zayn ran out of ammunition during the match.

"It came down to where Sami Zayn was the last one in and it was Sami versus three. Just the fact that he was able to get it down to just him and Solo is a testament to how great of a talent Sami is. But at the end of the day, Solo is the featured guy and is going to be going forward and was able to end up finishing off Zayn...He (Sami) ran out of ammunition... he didn't have enough left," said Mark Henry.

Zechariah Welch 🎄☃️❄️

@Zackwwe10

Solo Sikoa Pins Sami Zayn To Get Him And The Rest Of MFT And is The Sole Suvivor! What. A. Match. #SMACKDOWN

Sami Zayn has never won the World Heavyweight Championship or the Undisputed WWE Championship during his time on the main roster. It will be fascinating to see what the company has planned for Zayn when he returns from his hiatus.