Sami Zayn, a staple of WWE for over a decade, has become renowned for his versatility and charisma in the ring. The Montreal-born wrestler, who is a four-time (and current) Intercontinental Champion, former WWE Tag Team Champion, and former NXT Champion, has a storied career that began long before he entered the WWE universe.
Before joining WWE, Zayn wrestled as El Generico on the independent circuit, gaining prominence through promotions such as Ring of Honor, Chikara, and PWG. His official WWE journey began in January 2013 when he signed with the company and debuted on NXT television in May 2013. Zayn’s popularity skyrocketed in December 2014 when he won the NXT Championship, though his victory was marred by an attack from his longtime friend and rival, Kevin Owens.
Reflecting on his career trajectory, Zayn recently shared insights into a pivotal moment that led to his WWE signing. During an interview with Good Karma Wrestling, Zayn revealed that a specific match played a crucial role in catching WWE’s attention. “There’s one that we [Zayn & Kevin Owens] did in Ring of Honor, WrestleMania weekend. Actually, it’s what put me on WWE’s radar,” Zayn explained. “There was a scout there called Canyon Ceman and it was his first weekend on the job and he saw me in that match and that’s kind of the match that put me on the radar and got me hired in a weird way.”
The match in question took place during WrestleMania weekend in 2012 in Florida, and it was a Last Man Standing match. This bout proved to be a defining moment for Zayn, demonstrating his skill and earning him a spot on WWE’s roster.
Currently, Zayn is at the center of ongoing storylines as the Intercontinental Champion. Despite his recent clean victory over Bron Breakker at Money in the Bank, Breakker remains a significant challenger. On the latest episode of Raw, Breakker made a dramatic statement by interrupting Zayn’s title defense against Ilja Dragunov, delivering a powerful Spear and ending the show on a dominant note. This confrontation suggests that Breakker might be gearing up for another shot at the Intercontinental Title, potentially positioning himself for a significant moment at WWE SummerSlam.
