In WWE, Sami Zayn started out as the pure babyface protagonist of NXT before continuing his underdog shtick on the main roster. Before long, he underwent a heel turn, becoming an obnoxious, self-obsessed nuisance to WWE television, and a two-time Intercontinental Champion in the process.

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Of course, even WWE fans know that Sami Zayn used to wrestle on the independent scene as the masked “generic luchador” El Generico, and had a popular tag team/rivalry with Kevin Steen, now known as Kevin Owens in WWE. But let’s take a look at aspects of Sami Zayn’s pre-WWE career that fans might not be aware of.

10 Stevie McFly

Sami Zayn's early days as Stevie McFly

Believe it or not, El Generico was not actually the wrestler’s initial gimmick. The future Sami Zayn actually started his career way back in 2002, wrestling under the funny-but-not-embarrassing ring name of Stevie McFly, an acrobatic high flyer wearing shorts and a T-shirt. It was under this name that he captured his first title, the MWF Provincial Championship, holding it for over 200 days.

A highlight video of one of his title defenses -- set to The Offspring’s Million Miles Away -- is available online, revealing that even back in 2003 he already had a pretty nasty Brainbuster in his repertoire.

9 The Story Behind His Mask

Sami Zayn as El Generico

Stevie McFly already had several matches under his belt in the Quebec wrestling scene before getting a booking for local indie Internet Wrestling Syndicate (now known as International Wrestling Scene). IWS needed a guy to get squashed by a wrestler named TNT, but they gave McFly a replica mask of the lucha libre legend Octagon to conceal his identity and thus save his credibility.

However, something special happened during the match -- the crowd got behind the hapless El Generico, and what was supposed to be a one-off gimmick eventually turned out to be a beloved character.

8 Brainbustaaahhhhh!

Sami Zayn brainbusters Kevin Owens on the apron

In WWE, Sami Zayn utilizes a corner Yakuza Kick (called the Helluva Kick) as a finisher, but on the indies that was merely a signature move. As El Generico, he had one of the wildest and most popular finishers, and one that WWE would never, ever let him keep.

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Called the Brainbustaaahhhhh!, the maneuver was basically a top rope Brainbuster. In other words, El Generico would basically drop his opponent on his head on the top turnbuckle. He did bust out a variation of it in WWE once, delivering a Brainbuster on the apron to Kevin Owens.

7 His First Match With Kevin Owens

Kevin Steen vs. El Generico

As alluded to, Generico/Zayn has a legendary rivalry/friendship going on with fellow Canuck Kevin Owens/Kevin Steen, dating back all the way to 2003. Their first match would happen in their local promotion of IWS in a three-way match with veteran Pierre Carl Oullet, a.k.a. future ROH star PCO.

The two would have a singles match together the following month, and also make their debut in Southern California indie sensation Pro Wrestling Guerrilla against one another in November 2004.

6 Had Several Tag Teams

Paul London and El Generico in PWG

While his partnership with Kevin Steen is arguably one of the most important aspects of his indie career, El Generico had several partners during these pre-WWE years. In addition to Team Photosynthesis with fellow Canadian indie worker Beef Wellington, Generico had several tag teams with funny names in PWG.

These include Two Skinny Black Guys with Human Tornado, Peligro Abejas with Paul London, Cape Fear with Quicksilver, and Two Husky Black Guys with Willie Mack. El Generico would be a pretty accomplished tag team wrestler, holding the PWG World Tag Titles five times, including twice with Steen.

5 Tried Out For Impact

El Generico makes his debut for Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA)

El Generico had his first brush with Impact Wrestling at PWG’s 2005 show Guitarmageddon, unsuccessfully challenging Christopher Daniels for the X Division Championship. Nearly six years later, however, Generico would actually get a couple tryouts in the Impact zone in January 2011, wrestling two dark matches for the weekly Impact, reportedly showing off his signature moves in matches with TJ Perkins and Amazing Red.

Reportedly these tryouts caused WWE to hold off on signing him due to a lawsuit with Impact, but either way fans missed out on El Generico being an X Division joke character or forming a tag team with Shark Boy.

4 Wrestled For DDT

Kenny Omega and El Generico in DDT

El Generico was a great in-ring performer, but also capable of doing comedy, which made him perfect for the absurdist Japanese indie DDT Pro-Wrestling. He first showed up in DDT in January 2011, and by September captured the DDT Extreme Championship, During his time with the company, he had matches with Kenny Omega, DDT founder Sanshiro Takagi, and even deathmatch legend Jun Kasai.

RELATED: 10 Funniest Moments Of Sami Zayn's Career

In 2012, El Generico would reach the apex of the company by defeating Kota Ibushi for DDT’s top title, the KO-D Openweight Title. After scoring successful title defenses against Ibushi, MIKAMI, and fellow generic luchador El Ligero, Generico would lose the championship to Kenny Omega.

3 Only Put His Mask On The Line Once

Kevin Steen vs. El Generico in PWG

Considering his lucha libre shtick, it would be a shame if El Generico didn’t put his mask on the line at some point, It turns out it happened just once in his indie career, following his betrayal at the hands of Kevin Steen at ROH’s Final Battle 2009.

One year later, at the 2010 edition of Final Battle, Generico would have his epic showdown with Steen, wrestling a 30-minute unsanctioned “Fight Without Honor,” putting his mask on the line against Steen’s ROH career.

2 Wrestled WALTER

WWE WALTER

All kinds of wrestlers cross paths in the indies, some of which may prove very surprising. One such example in El Generico’s past is his three matches against future NXT UK Champion WALTER from 2010 to 2012 for Germany’s top indie Westside Xtreme Wrestling. WALTER -- then known as Big Van Walter -- scored two wins straight over El Generico, but Generico won where it counted.

In May of 2012, El Generico defeated Walter for the wXw Unified World Wrestling Title, ending the Austrian’s year-long reign with the belt.

1 His Final Indie Matches

Kevin Steen and El Generico

El Generico would sign with WWE in January of 2013, and then begin to wrestle his final matches on the indies. First, he would team with Kevin Steen in PWG’s DDT4 Tournament, reaching the finals and losing a match against The Young Bucks for the PWG World Tag Team Championship.

Following a singles match against Chuck Taylor for Quebec’s BATTLEWAR promotion, the soon-to-be Sami Zayn would wrestle his final indie match for Calgary’s Hart Legacy Wrestling, teaming with Samuray Del Sol (a.k.a. Kalisto in WWE), winning a four-way elimination match.