WWE News: Sami Zayn opens up about high-risk moves, El Generico and partying less
What's the story?
Sami Zayn spoke with Joe.co.uk recently and talked about his journey in WWE, high-risk wrestling moves used today and what happened to El Generico when he moved to WWE.
In case you didn't know...
Zayn wrestled in the independent wrestling circuit as El Generico, using a Luchador character from Mexico with "Ole!" as his signature phrase.
He joined WWE in 2013, debuting on the NXT brand and then moved up to RAW and finally was drafted during the Superstar Shakeup to SmackDown Live.
The heart of the matter
In the interview with Joe.co.uk, Zayn spoke on a number of wrestling topics, including about how the wrestling industry has changed over the years. He said the WWE Wellness policy is a great thing and has managed to keep people in check, who otherwise were out of control in the olden days with wild parties and a drug-fueled lifestyle. He also gave his opinion on the high level of matches and talent that the WWE has today.
I think matches are at a higher level than ever, the quality of talent we have now has never been better, and the work rate has never been higher.
On the fact that today's wrestlers are using a lot of high-risk moves, Zayn said that high-risk stunts have reduced and that is a good sign for the business in general.
I think when I started wrestling on the independents it was definitely a time when people were pushing the envelope on how risky or dangerous some stunts could be. Whereas now I think a lot of the stunt show aspect of it has gone down. There's a lot more technical skill executing these moves than it is falling off a giant scaffold or something like that.
When asked about the El Generico character, Zayn spoke highly of the luchador and his work at an orphanage in Mexico.
There a lot of parallels between my style and his, I suppose, but I never actually met the man. He is fighting the good fight in Mexico. That's as far as I know.
What's next?
Sami Zayn was in a feud recently with Aiden English on Smackdown Live and faced off against long-time nemesis Kevin Owens on the recent Smackdown episode.
Author's Take
Zayn is a high-quality in-ring worker who deserves to be in a higher spot on the card in WWE today than where he is at right now. His feuds on the independent circuit with Kevin Owens were nothing short of legendary and the WWE has sometimes used it to their advantage but not pulled the trigger on Zayn yet.
I certainly hope he gets pushed into a more significant program than against Aiden English, and gets his rightful spot in the WWE business.