In a recent conversation with Fightful, Sami Zayn looked back on his time on the PWG roster in 2009 and also the ROH roster of 2008.
He recalled the many talented wrestlers from those rosters who have since gone on to join WWE and AEW, stating:
“Remembering the circumstances back then is something that isn’t easy. Consider the caliber of independent wrestlers who stayed on the independent circuit for years on end. Bryan Danielson, Seth Rollins, myself, Kevin, Nigel McGuinness, we all spent our time there because we weren’t being signed during that era. We were essentially a band of outcasts doing our thing and laying the groundwork for our own experience. Looking back, you realize what an incredible time it was, particularly for those independent promotions where you could witness the performances of world-class wrestlers. Everyone has improved since then, but we were damn good at that time. Just take a look at a PWG poster from 2009, or a Ring of Honor poster from 2008, and see the incredibly talented people who have since moved on to wrestle for WWE, AEW, TNA, or Japan. It was a roster filled with world-class talent. But the tough call back then was identifying who among us had the makings of a WWE superstar. We were all more than capable. Talent was never the issue. The mentality was that the true talent was already there, and what WWE wanted was something completely different. It wasn’t like looking at Bryan Danielson and thinking, ‘Nope, he isn’t cut out for WWE.’ It simply wasn’t about that. Talent wasn’t the key determining factor then. Many other elements came into play in those days. Times have changed, and so has the landscape of wrestling. There is a sense of loss in some respects because you no longer see talents evolve and develop on the independent circuit. Being an independent wrestler is no longer about honing your craft in the wild, being nurtured till you’re a fully developed, polished product. Now, just as soon as anyone begins to make a bit of noise, they’re snapped up and signed by one of the major promotions. Maybe I’m out of touch because I’ve been away from the independent scene for quite some time. But I certainly know it’s not the same as before.”