Sami Zayn Reflects On Evolution From El Generico To Current Character
During a recent interview with the New York Post, Sami Zayn discussed his current gimmick in WWE. He believes there is a lot of the real him within the gimmick right now. He believes it took a long time to get to this point, as El Generico wasn't a talker. However, he believes it clicks because audiences see him unravel.
"I definitely think there is a lot of the real me in there, a lot," Sami Zayn said. "I could have predicted that this was going to be me one day. Because I used to play foosball in high school with some guys that were really, really good, like tournament level, and I was OK. I was mediocre, maybe get a few goals on them. But ultimately, get annihilated. So the amount of trash talk that I would do and the way that I would get underneath these guys' skin, I knew I was onto something from a pretty young age.
"It just took a really long time for it to come out because the character that I played on the independents (El Generico) was not a talker, and then coming to WWE and being a good guy as I was for 15 years, I would say you're a little more constrained as a good guy. You can't just say whatever you want because you kind of got to worry about being likable. When you don't have to worry about that, the shackles are kind of off.
"The reason I think the character has kind of clicked is because you saw the unraveling of the character. It's funny because as a good guy, I think it worked really well in NXT because they got to see the progression and they got to come along for the ride and watch this character develop. Then you come to the main roster from NXT and they're just seeing this finished product. When you're not along for the ride, you don't click quite as much."
Sami Zayn has been heavily involved with the Intercontinental Championship over the years. He admitted he has a soft spot for that title, which he thinks is the case for many people his age.
"Chasing titles, I've never really been like that. But if there was one title I had a soft spot for it's the Intercontinental Championship. I'm not the first to say it," he said. "A lot of guys of my generation have said the same thing about the guys who kind of formed this new style. Early predecessors of the style that a lot of me and my peers kind of use now – pioneers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect.
"Those are the guys when I became less in love with the spectacle of wrestling as a child and more in love with the actual in-ring story of wrestling, that's when the guys in the Intercontinental Championship scene, I really started to gravitate towards them. So there's a sentimental spot there. And I do feel that recently, I have started to become a little bit more synonymous with the championship. And that's a really nice feather in my cap, I suppose."