10 Things We Learned From Sami Zayn On Stone Cold’s Broken Skull Sessions Podcast

Zayn cut Austin off when the legend tried to put over NXT's free-flowing system. According to Sami, it was actually very "rigid" when he first arrived (both as FCW and then during the earliest days of NXT). He recalled getting into trouble with Terry Taylor for daring to hit a springboard crossbody during a six-man vs. The Wyatt Family.

He'd apparently done it the wrong way.

Things didn't change until WWE signed Cesaro. Despite working some shots in FCW beforehand, the Swiss star was considered "a main roster guy" by the time he worked matches on NXT. Sami said that his standing with the office meant others on the brand felt more comfortable pushing the envelope a little.

Zayn cited his stellar match with Cesaro at NXT: Arrival in February 2014 as evidence of how things quickly changed overnight. That 23-minute scorcher couldn't have happened without somebody 'dropping down' from Raw or SmackDown to lead the way.