Sami Zayn made his name in pro wrestling as El Generico, the generic luchador. Generico was an independent darling for years before finally signing with WWE and joining the NXT brand unmasked and under a new name. Before that, El Generico was a decorated wrestler.
When it came time to debut his new character in WWE, El Generico went back to his home country to take care of orphans. The storyline ending was funny, but many fans have been clamoring to see a return of Generico. Ring of Honor and PWG fans from that era have a fondness for him that has lived on for many years.
Sami Zayn recently addressed the status of the El Generico character on the Cheap Heat podcast. Sami said that while he understands fans who would like to see it return, it just wouldn’t work. Zayn went so far as to say that person doesn’t exist anymore.
“People have a fondness for the past. It’s kind of normal that I get asked questions about past incarnations or past things in my career, ‘will we see this again?’ Some fans, and I take this as a positive because they have a lot of fondness towards my good guy days in NXT. There is a kinship there and they felt a connection to that character.
I’ll get messages saying, ‘When are we going to get that guy back?’ That guy doesn’t exist anymore. If the Beatles, if they were all alive, if they came back now, you can’t recapture what you had in the 60s. It would be the Beatles of today playing songs from the 60s, but it’s lightning in a bottle.
Everything is a product of time and place. Sometimes, you have to look at things that existed in that time and place and appreciate them for what they were and kind of wish that they wouldn’t come back because if they did come back, it wouldn’t be the same. Nothing is the same. It’s all a product of when and where it existed.”
El Generico may not be coming back, but fans can still catch Sami Zayn in action. Sami is set to take on Johnny Knoxville in an anything-goes matchup at WrestleMania 38. With a fresh contract in his pocket, Sami will be with WWE for a long time. We will have to wait and see what’s next. It doesn’t sound like it will be a run as El Generico.
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H/T Fightful
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