#9 – Sami Zayn
Ole!
Who is Sami Zayn? Well, if you ask Kevin Steen, he'll tell you "Sami Zayn is a b**ch!" Most importantly Sami Zayn is a Canadian pro wrestler who's worked all around the world for more than a decade. There's legend of a mask-wearing maniac named El Generico, who quietly retired to Mexico last year to…save puppies, feed orphans, or some other weak B.S. All we really know about Sami Zayn is that he's one of NXT's brightest stars, and if his flawless two-out-three falls match against Antonio Cesaro is any indication, WWE is quite high on the high-flyer. Since they are headlining the live debut of NXT on the WWE Network later this month with that same rematch, it's safe to say he's at least on management's radar.
So what are his downfalls? Certainly not his in-ring repertoire, which includes an impressive knowledge of lucha style (Ole!), submissions, high flying ability, and a hard-hitting arsenal that includes a killer big boot. Perhaps his pedigree? Nope – he's Canadian. If there's anything history tells us, it's that Canadians are just straight-up better than everyone else at wrestling. I used to think Zayn's size would keep him from getting over, but if he were to bulk up by about 20 pounds, he'd actually be slightly bigger than Daniel Bryan. I've seen him go to war with guys twice his size (aka Steen) and come out the other end with his hand raised. If Zayn had a weakness, I'd say it's that his promo ability, or potential lack thereof, is relatively unknown. Having worked most of his career under a mask, cutting scathing orations on his opponents hasn't exactly been a priority. That's not to say Sami can't talk – we just don't know yet.
One other potential thing WWE will have to keep track of is his age. Zayn is approaching 30-years-old, which is far from a deal-breaker, but if they want to bump him up to the main roster and get as many years out of him as possible, they need to move soon.
