Is Sami Zayn a Forgotten Luchador? Exploring His Lesser-Known Wrestling Persona Before WWE Stint

Since his debut in WWE, Sami Zayn has become a household name and a fan favorite in the pro wrestling community. The Canadian pro wrestler whose real name is Rami Sebei, debuted at NXT in the year 2013. And after almost a decade, he is still a part of the promotion. In these 10 years, he has won the NXT and Intercontinental Championship titles, became a part of the Bloodline, and also left the faction.

With a decade-long career full of twists, turns, and fun, many fans are unaware of where the 39-year-old star was before he came to WWE. The Canadian star has established himself as a pro wrestler since 2004, but fans never recognized him because of his mask.

Was Sami Zayn a Luchador in the past?

Before he was called Sami Zayn, wrestling fans knew him for his red-tinted beard and hair. He had an entirely different persona. Zayn used to wear a mask that resembled the Great Sasuke’s mask. He went by the name El Generico. But don’t confuse this Generic Luchador with just a random pro wrestler. He broke out at the Philadelphia-based Combat Zone Wrestling as a favorite Luchador. 

He had his first fight at the CZW against Sexxxy Eddy in a fatal-4-way style match. While preparing for the said bout, he met someone named the 39-year-old Kevin Steen. The two somehow struck with each other and were always paired together during their time at independent circuits. After spending years trying to prove themselves as a dependable tag team, they finally made their debut at Ring of Honor.  

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The duo stayed there for some time until Generico left for another promotion. And there, Zayn’s popularity as a baby face was something beyond imagination.

Sami Zayn’s time as a baby face

Zayn worked as Generico with ROH from 2007 to 2009. After that, he was part of many independent circuits before making a stop at Super Dragon’s Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. The Luchador instantly became a hit there with fans, loving him to a great extent. And the most shocking thing about it was, apart from speaking some broken English, he barely interacted with the crowd. He left the California-based independent circuit in 2013 and again made a small appearance at ROH with his tag team buddy Kevin Steen.

During this run, WWE proprietor Vince McMahon spotted them. Sebei was rebranded as the energetic Sami Zayn upon his entry into WWE. His presence would pump the crowd due to this charisma and skillset. He made his way to NXT where his old friend Kevin Steen was rebranded as the new Kevin Owens. The duo then started their antics one more time at the promotion.

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Sami Zayn betrayed Roman Reigns back in the 2023 Royal Rumble to mark another chapter in a fulfilling career. What did you make of the less popular facet of Sami Zayn? Let us know in the comments section below.