10 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Were HUGELY Influential
8. Sami Zayn
As mentioned, Colt Cabana revolutionised the way in which the independent contractor sold merchandise.
No longer did they need to grift into the small hours after the show, smiling through exhausted, hurting bodies, desperate for rest, in a bid to get the punters to buy their latest design. They could now make money in their sleep, provided they'd come up with a strong enough design - and this new delivery system dovetailed across the rise of social media and its ability to capitalise on and disseminate a new trend or catchphrase or whatever.
While Colt built the market, the Young Bucks monetised it best. In the early-to-mid 2010s, they, alive with creativity, sold t-shirts in staggering numbers by branding their meta, bratty irritant personas. The money they earned was not remotely insignificant. It provided them with options. Not desperate for what was then the only big payday in wrestling - the WWE deal - relative financial security allowed them to take further risks, and it was this mentality, in part, that drove the formation of AEW.
It was Sami Zayn, then working as El Generico, who in 2009 relayed to them the importance of selling merch in an industry heavily weighted in the favour of the promoter. Generico would hawk his wares in full gimmick during the intermission of PWG shows, all but demanding the fans buy his stuff.
Generico taught them how to work the room and get paid - does the Hot Topic deal happen if he hadn't taken it upon himself to mentor the young tag team?