Sami Zayn Proves Character Reinvention Can Lead To Career Rejuvenation
One man in WWE who has proven his value time and time again is "The Honorary Uce," Sami Zayn. It doesn't matter what the narrative is for Zayn's character –- Sami shows up each week and gives his absolute all into what is expected. This is a reputation that has followed Zayn throughout his career, ever since he introduced the "El Generico" masked luchador character in 2002. The persona was a silly yet captivating character from Mexico who never said anything except his "Ole!" catchphrase. For about a decade, Generico would establish himself as a must-see talent with promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Chikara, ROH, DDT Pro, and others, before he was officially signed to a WWE developmental contract in January 2013.
Being signed by the world's most popular wrestling company is a lot of pressure for anyone, but especially someone that presented themself so impressively on the indies. Zayn didn't let that deter him, debuting a new, maskless character in "NXT." This underdog, all-heart character got over big with the "NXT" audience and culminated in one of the show's most memorable early moments, when Zayn put his career on the line to face Pac (fka Neville) for the "NXT" Championship. Zayn would emerge victorious to the delight of the fans — though the night he won his first title in WWE was also the night his real-life best friend, Kevin Owens, debuted, attacking him and beginning a frenemy rivalry that would thread through the remainder of their careers.
The Honorary Uce Shines
When Zayn moved up to WWE's main roster, there was natural speculation from fans that his character wouldn't be utilized to its greatest potential. But after numerous variations of the talkative, always-passionate Zayn person, culminating in his current "Honorary Uce" status, it's hard to argue that his WWE career should have played out any other way. Zayn has spent a large chunk of his main roster time feuding with the aforementioned Owens, but also teaming with him. The duo even partook in a major tag team match at WrestleMania 34, succumbing to defeat at the hands of Bryan Danielson and Shane McMahon in Danielson's first match back since 2015. Regardless of if they are feuding or joining forces, Owens and Zayn will forever be bound by their lifelong relationship and their chemistry inside the ring.
Putting Owens in the rearview mirror, however, allowed Zayn to lean into new directions for his gimmick, such as The Artist Collective stable, a storyline with "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville that led to a WrestleMania bout, and even his recent conspiracy theorist/great liberator gimmick, though none of those storylines have allowed Zayn to shine quite like his current role in The Bloodline alongside Roman Reigns, The Usos, Paul Heyman, and Solo Sikoa. On paper and when analyzing the group as a whole, Zayn sticks out like a sore thumb, but the creative team's ability to lean into that humor and dynamic has made him must-see TV as of late.