Sami Zayn On Partying Less While On The Road, Performing High-Risk Moves, El Generico
Sami Zayn spoke with Joe.co.uk on a number of wrestling topics. Here are some of the highlights:
How things have changed while on the road compared to the previous generation of wrestlers:
"It's not just the wrestling industry that has changed, the world has changed. Unfortunately a lot of that generation paid a very heavy price for it. And it would be very silly for our generation to not learn from their mistakes. Not to mention the WWE wellness policy as well, which I think is a great thing, honestly. It sort of keeps people in check! But at the end of the day I think matches are at a higher level than ever, the quality of talent we have now has never been better, and the work rate has never been higher."
Worrying about long term sustainability with more high-risk moves being used in wrestling today:
"Well, there was a time when I would have said yes. But I think even that is scaling down a little these day. Definitely, we are performing more moves now, and they are high impact moves. The game has changed since the '80s, where you could punch and kick and headlock, and do one suplex, and that's a 25 minute match. Those days are gone and you've got to adapt accordingly. But I think when I started wrestling on the independents it was definitely a time when people were pushing the envelope on how risky or dangerous some stunts could be. Whereas now I think a lot of the stunt show aspect of it has gone down. There's a lot more technical skill executing these moves than it is falling off a giant scaffold or something like that. I think the stunt show aspect of the business has regressed, which is a good thing."
What happened to El Generico (his gimmick before signing with WWE):
"There a lot of parallels between my style and his, I suppose, but I never actually met the man. But from what I hear I think he's still running an orphanage, still fighting the good fight in Mexico. That's as far as I know."
You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Source: Joe.co.uk