6 Sami Zayn facts you need to know

• Sami Zayn is one of the most popular names in the wrestling world right now
• Zayn is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE and performs on the Raw brand
• His hard work over the years has led him to finally becoming the WWE Intercontinental Champion, currently in his fourth reign

One of the most popular names in the wrestling world right now is Sami Zayn, but how much do you know about him? For starters, Zayn is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE and performs on the Raw brand.

Despite joining Vince McMahon’s promotion more than a decade ago, he only became a superstar while on the same storyline as Roman Reigns and The Usos. His hard work over the years has led him to finally become the WWE Intercontinental Champion, currently in his fourth reign. He is one of the big stars in the promotion right now.

With that said, let’s bring you a few interesting facts about Sami Zayn you should know:

Sami Zayn is the current holder of the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Photo/ WrestleTalk.

1. His Real Name Is Rami Sebei

Sami Zayn was born on 12 July 1984, in Quebec, Canada. The name his parents gave him at birth was Rami Sebei and still uses it except when in the ring or attending a wrestling-related function.

2. He Is Of Syrian Descent

Sami Zayn’s parents are Canadian immigrants who moved to the country from Syria in the 1970s in search of a better life. As already mentioned, his parents gave birth to him while living in Canada.

Zayn hasn’t forgotten about his roots and has teamed up with the Syrian American Medical Society to provide medical support in Syria which has been a war zone for many years.

3. Used The Ring Name El Generico Pre-WWE

Similar to a good number of stars in WWE, Zayn worked for various promotions where he made a name for himself. Zayn started his career at International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) where he spent seven years.

The Canadian initially used the ring name El Generico during his early career days and only changed to Sami Zayn after signing with WWE. However, he used the name Stevie McFly starting his professional career back in 2002. He used to wear shorts and a T-shirt and gained attention for his acrobatic moves.

As El Generico, he had a rare finisher known as the Brauinbustaaahhhhh, which was basically a type of rope Brainbuster. In simple terms, he used to drop his opponent on his head on to the top turnbuckle. We have seen him perform the move in WWE a few times.

4. Why Did He Wear Mask

During the early years of his professional career, Zayn was hired as a jobber by the local promotion Internet Wrestling Scene (IWS). In order to conceal his identity, they gave him a mask which he used to perform with. Despite all that, fans later found out who he was.

5. He Was Never A Heel Before WWE

Sami Zayn has been signed to WWE since 2013. Photo/ WWE.

Prior to 2017, Zayn was never a heel despite working with various promotions. The position of a heel only came to him after meeting Vince McMahon. While speaking to WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin in one of the episodes of Broken Skull Sessions, Zayn revealed that he opted to be a heel after a talk with McMahon who informed him that he hadn’t achieved success because he was a babyface.

Since turning heel, he has recorded several upset victories and then became one of the stars in the promotion. He has also worked with top superstars.

6. He Is Multilingual 

Due to his Syrian heritage, Sami Zayn speaks Arabic fluently. When he wrestled in Saudi Arabia back in 2023, he was welcomed by the fans and even spoke in Arabic. On his way to the ring, Zayn wore a Thobe, which is a traditional Arabic garb and was met with widespread acclaim from fans.

Zayn is also fluent in English and his linguistic versatility has allowed him to engage fans from various backgrounds. The wrestler has also previously spoken in French at a WWE event. French is taught in Canada, so that’s where he learnt it.