Sami Zayn might be best known for his time in WWE, but his wrestling career began all the way back in 2002.
Over the next decade, the star tangled with some of the wrestlers in the world as he plied his trade all over the globe. During this period, often under the name El Generico, Zayn featured for Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate, and DDT Pro Wrestling among others.
It was during his appearances with DDT that he shared the ring with Kota Ibushi, who is currently one of the most in-demand free agents in the world. Since leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ibushi has been heavily linked with WWE and AEW, although he’s yet to feature in either.
While sharing a photo of Ibushi in one of his wilder moments involving a street in East London and fireworks on social media, Zayn said that he wants to wrestle the star once more before all is said and done.
“This man is a lunatic and a gift to pro wrestling, and I need to wrestle him once more before my career is done.”
This man is a lunatic and a gift to pro wrestling, and I need to wrestle him once more before my career is done. https://t.co/ON4PFAfyN9
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) May 11, 2023
Sami Zayn Took A Massive Pay Cut To Sign With WWE
After finding success on the independent scene, Sami Zayn signed with WWE and joined NXT in 2013. Incredibly, the star recently revealed that he took a pay cut to join WWE, cutting his earnings from $100,000 per year to $39,000 per year.