A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling . It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than the other (depending on which way they twist) and the wrestler falls back to the mat on their side, or front. This is commonly employed by light and nimble wrestlers who can take advantage of their agility, and is often executed on a charging opponent, while charging at an opponent, or a combination of the two.
151-468: The most basic form of a dropkick, but potentially the hardest to pull off, is a standing dropkick first used by "Jumping Joe" Savoldi where the wrestler catches a standing or running opponent with a standard dropkick from a standing position. In order to be pulled off effectively, it requires great leg strength in order to gain elevation. Savoldi, a former All-American running back for Knute Rockne at Notre Dame, used his association with football to identify
302-429: A Double Chain match , when Cabana forced Corino to tap out. After the match Steen attacked El Generico and unmasked him. On December 18 at Final Battle 2010 El Generico and Steen ended their year-long feud in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor , where Generico put his mask on the line against Steen's ROH career. In the weeks leading up to the event, Generico debuted a new darker character and an all-black outfit. In
453-465: A front dropkick . Often a wrestler performing this maneuver will place a chair or other foreign object in front of the opponent's head, wedging the chair between the middle and bottom ropes such that it is relatively steady, and causing it to be driven into the opponent's face or head upon impact. This move was invented by Rob Van Dam as the Van Terminator , and later popularized by Shane McMahon as
604-605: A ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship , which was won by Ryder. On the April 4 episode of Raw , Zayn was scheduled to compete in a fatal four-way match against Owens, AJ Styles , and Chris Jericho to determine the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship , but was attacked by Owens, who attacked him with a Powerbomb through a table backstage, and replaced by
755-744: A two-time PWG World Champion and five-time PWG World Tag Team Champion . He is the only person to have won both of PWG's annual tournaments, the Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament in 2010 and the Battle of Los Angeles in 2011 . In ROH, he held the ROH World Television Championship and the ROH World Tag Team Championship as part of a team with Kevin Steen , with whom he later earned
906-612: A Beat the Clock challenge with Adrian Neville by defeating Leo Kruger, Zayn lost a number one contender's match to Neville on the November 27 episode of NXT . Zayn moved on to feud with Kruger and the feud culminated in Zayn winning a two-out-of-three falls match on the January 1, 2014, episode of NXT . After that, Zayn's obsession with his loss to Cesaro the previous year led to him challenging Cesaro to
1057-515: A battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Universal Championship , last eliminating Jeff Hardy to win the match. On the December 3 episode of SmackDown , Zayn would face the champion Roman Reigns for the title, but lost in 15 seconds due to Brock Lesnar attacking him before the match. On the December 24 episode of SmackDown , Zayn won a 12-man gauntlet match to become
1208-454: A battle royal to qualify for Team Raw at Survivor Series , but was last eliminated by Strowman. On the November 1 episode of SmackDown Live , Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler made an open challenge to any wrestler from the Raw brand. The following week, Zayn stated that Mick Foley wanted him to face Ziggler, but Commissioner Stephanie McMahon , who preferred Rusev , made Zayn face Rusev with
1359-400: A challenger for Caoz, the promotion's "Campeón Máximo". In the end, Kaiser came out of the match victorious. On April 24, El Generico wrestled for Chilean promotion Xplosion Nacional de Lucha (XNL), losing to Crazy Sid in an XNL Championship number one contender's three-way match, which also included XL. On February 26, 2012, El Generico visited Russia for the first time, making his debut for
1510-555: A claim for an NXT Championship match, champion Neville agreed to face all three in a fatal-four-way match at the next NXT TakeOver event. To hype that match, Zayn and Neville appeared on the September 8 episode of Raw , defeating Breeze and Kidd while making their main roster debuts. At NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way on September 11, Zayn nearly won the four-way match and the NXT Championship, but champion Neville stopped him by dragging
1661-476: A disorientated Zayn five times, ending his reign at 62 days. On the May 4 episode of Raw , Zayn was introduced by Bret Hart as John Cena 's opponent for his weekly "U.S. Open Challenge" for his United States Championship ; taking place in his hometown of Montreal. Zayn was heavily favored by the crowd over Cena, but ultimately lost the match. After the match, Cena let Zayn have the ring to an outstanding ovation from
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#17328837996811812-697: A duo introduced as ¡Peligro Abejas! (translated as Danger Bees!) in the fourth annual Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament eight-team tag tournament. After defeating Chuck Taylor and Scott Lost in the first round and the Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark) in the semifinals, Generico and London defeated the Young Bucks in the finals of the tournament to not only win DDT4, but also the PWG World Tag Team Championship, Generico's fifth time holding
1963-697: A fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules on May 22, but Miz retained the title. On the May 23 episode of Raw , Zayn defeated Sheamus to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match , but at the eponymous event on June 19, he was unsuccessful as the briefcase was won by Dean Ambrose . On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft , Zayn was drafted to Raw. At Battleground on July 24, Zayn defeated Owens. At SummerSlam on August 21, Zayn and Neville defeated The Dudley Boyz on
2114-600: A feud with Daniel Bryan, during which Bryan and Drew Gulak faced Zayn's Artist Collective partners Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro in various matches. On the first night of WrestleMania 36 on April 4, Zayn defeated Bryan to retain the title. On May 12, he was stripped of the championship after refraining from competing during the COVID-19 pandemic , ending his reign at 65 days. On the August 28 episode of SmackDown , Zayn attacked Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy and declared himself
2265-448: A job. Though reluctant, Angle made a match between the two with the winner earning a Raw contract, which ended in a no contest, leaving them both as free agents. On the April 16 episode of Raw , Zayn and Owens were awarded Raw contracts by Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon . At Backlash on May 6, Zayn and Owens faced Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman in a losing effort. At Money in the Bank on June 17, Zayn lost to Lashley. After
2416-654: A ladder war. This was his last appearance with ROH before signing with WWE. Generico travelled to Japan during the summer of 2007, where he worked for the Dragon Gate (DG) promotion as the gaijin (foreign) representative of the New Hazard stable. He returned to the promotion in July 2008, where he was announced as Tozawa-juku's "foreign exchange student." El Generico made his third tour of Dragon Gate in October 2009, when he wrestled as
2567-478: A losing effort against the team of Teddy Hart , Brian Cage, Cam!kaze, Flip Kendrick and Pete Wilson, with Generico being pinned for the win by Hart. In January 2013, Sebei signed with WWE after passing all medical tests. On February 13, Sebei made his debut for WWE's developmental territory NXT , but did not wrestle. Sebei's NXT in-ring debut took place at a live event on March 7 in Tampa, Florida , wrestling
2718-466: A losing effort in a Last Man Standing match and then disappeared from ROH. After Steen successfully defended the ROH World Championship on October 13 at Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope , he received a parcel containing Generico's mask. El Generico returned to ROH on December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday , where he unsuccessfully challenged Steen for the ROH World Championship in
2869-638: A match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship , which Reigns accepted. At Elimination Chamber on February 18, Zayn failed to win the titles from Reigns in a universally acclaimed match in front of his home crowd in Montreal . After the match, Owens saved Zayn from a beatdown from Reigns and Jimmy. On the following episode of Raw , Zayn offered an olive branch to Owens and proposed that they team up to bring down The Bloodline together, but Owens rejected it. Jey remained unbiased until
3020-698: A member of the Kamikaze stable. In early 2011, El Generico began making semi-regular appearances for the Japanese DDT Pro-Wrestling sister-promotion Union Pro Wrestling, making his debut on January 3 with a win over Shinichiro Tominaga. On September 19, El Generico won his first title in Japan, when he defeated Isami Kodaka for the DDT Extreme Championship . After successful title defenses against Shuji Ishikawa and Sanshiro Takagi , he re-lost
3171-418: A moonsault dropkick, a dropsault is an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with both feet and then executes a backflip, landing on the mat chest-first. Sometimes this move can see the wrestler land chest-first on another opponent. Many wrestlers perform this move with great care, as any slight twist in their body can injure them. This move was popularized by Paul London during his tenure in
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#17328837996813322-516: A motion picture contract with Hollywood and committed to appear in football and wrestling pictures. In 1941, he brought a new energy drink to market, called Dropkick, The Drink For "All Americans". Despite excellent pre-sales, including a contract with the University of Notre Dame to feature the drink in their stadium during the 1942 season, the business venture fizzled when the United States entered
3473-519: A non-title match, giving the Bucks their first tag team loss in almost a year and a half. On November 21 during the second night of the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles , Generico and Kevin Steen lost a title match against the Bucks. Later, he and Cabana saved the new PWG World Champion Kenny Omega from Brian Kendrick and the Bucks and made peace with him as they now had a common enemy. On May 9, 2010, Generico teamed up with "Intrepid Traveler" Paul London to form
3624-409: A rematch at NXT Arrival on February 27, which he lost, but Cesaro showed respect to Zayn after the match. Zayn then feuded with Corey Graves , with Zayn losing to Graves via referee stoppage on the April 3 episode of NXT after Graves capitalized on Zayn's head injury. On the May 8 episode of NXT , Zayn participated in a 20-man battle royal for an NXT Championship shot, with Zayn being involved in
3775-571: A rematch for the titles on the September 25 episode of Raw . Also at Payback, Cody Rhodes got Jey Uso—who was on SmackDown and had quit WWE shortly before Payback—reinstated as a member of Raw and it was revealed that someone was traded to SmackDown for Jey. The following month on the October 13 episode of SmackDown , new SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis revealed that Kevin Owens had been traded to SmackDown for Jey, in turn splitting Owens and Zayn. After Kevin Owens moved to SmackDown, Zayn declared on
3926-517: A rematch. On the March 18 episode of SmackDown , Zayn added an Anything Goes stipulation to their match, and Knoxville accepted the challenge afterwards. On the second night of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, Zayn lost to Knoxville after the latter's Jackass co-actors interfered in the match. Having felt as he had lost respect and credibility in the locker room, starting on the April 22 episode of SmackDown , Zayn sought to seek favor with The Bloodline ,
4077-450: A returning Cesaro . Because of the actions of Owens, Shane McMahon gave Zayn another opportunity on the April 11 episode of Raw to become a number one contender by having him face Styles, who had won the contender's match the week before, but Zayn lost to Styles. On the April 18 episode of Raw , McMahon booked Zayn and Owens in a match at Payback on May 1, which Owens won. On the May 9 episode of Raw , Zayn defeated The Miz to enter
4228-554: A six-man tag team match, where they defeated F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Johnny Gargano ). The following day ¡3.0le! was defeated by the Spectral Envoy ( Frightmare , Hallowicked and UltraMantis Black ) in a six-man tag team match. El Generico first wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) in 2005, earning a spot in a Four Corner Survival match at Do Or Die IV . He teamed with the Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos) in
4379-399: A six-way match. On April 13, El Generico made his debut for Evolve , a promotion closely affiliated with DGUSA, losing to Low Ki . After another loss to Ricochet on May 11, El Generico picked up his first win in the promotion on May 12 by defeating Sami Callihan . El Generico then had two singles matches against Samuray del Sol; the first on June 28 at Evolve 14 was won by El Generico and
4530-474: A steel chair and Orton delivered an RKO to Owens. Owens and Zayn defeated Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura in a tag team match at Clash of Champions on December 17 with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon and SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan as special guest referees and their jobs on the line after a fast count by Bryan. Zayn and Owens then both scored non-title victories over WWE Champion AJ Styles on respective episodes of SmackDown Live , thus earning
4681-411: A tag team match unmasked under his real name. Sebei eventually settled on the ring name Sami Zayn . Zayn made his televised debut on the May 22 episode of NXT , first defeating Curt Hawkins in the opening match and then challenging and scoring an upset win over Antonio Cesaro later in the show. The following week, he took part in an 18-man battle royal to determine the number one contender to
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4832-623: A tag team match, where they defeated Genki Horiguchi and Ryo Saito . The two continued their winning ways on December 8 at Evolve 18, where they defeated the Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno and Stupefied). From 2005 onwards, El Generico has made several appearances for the German Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) promotion. On March 4, 2012, El Generico defeated Tommy End to win wXw's 2012 16 Carat Gold Tournament. On May 19, El Generico defeated Big van Walter to also win
4983-629: A title opportunity against Styles in a handicap match at the Royal Rumble on January 28, where they failed to win the title. Zayn later stole Tye Dillinger's #10 spot at the Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by eventual winner Shinsuke Nakamura. Zayn walked out on Owens during a tag team match against Styles and Nakamura two nights later on SmackDown . Zayn faced Owens on the February 6 episode of SmackDown Live to determine who would face Styles for
5134-600: A triple threat match at King and Queen of the Ring , where Zayn retained his title after pinning Reed. At Clash at the Castle: Scotland , Zayn defeated Gable to retain the title, ending their feud. At Money in the Bank , Zayn successfully retained the title against Bron Breakker . On the July 15 episode of Raw, Zayn defended his title against Ilja Dragunov , but the match ended in a no contest after Breakker attacked both Dragunov and Zayn. At SummerSlam on August 3, Zayn lost
5285-578: A triple threat match tie. As a result, Zayn faced the other two winners, Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd in a triple threat match on the next episode of NXT , where Kidd won to become number one contender. At NXT TakeOver on May 29, Zayn lost to Breeze in another number one contender's match. In June 2014, Zayn went on to feud with Tyson Kidd after Kidd abandoned him during their match against NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension . After Zayn defeated Justin Gabriel , both Kidd and Gabriel attacked Zayn, who
5436-422: A tryout dark match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) at the promotion's Impact! tapings, losing to Amazing Red . The following day he defeated T. J. Perkins in another dark match. On April 20, 2011, El Generico made his South American debut, when he wrestled for Peruvian promotion Leader Wrestling Association (LWA), facing Apocalipsis, Axl and Kaiser in a number one contender's match to determine
5587-557: A two out of three falls match at Manhattan Mayhem 2 and a ladder match advertised as a "Ladder War" at Man Up . This final match became the Main Event of ROH's third pay-per-view. Also during this time, Generico broke out as a singles competitor, having a strong run in the Race to the Top Tournament of 2007. He defeated (in order) Delirious , Chris Hero and Davey Richards , only to lose in
5738-484: A two-time IWS World Heavyweight Champion , and would achieve breakout success in the United States with Los Angeles -based promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and then- Philadelphia -based promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), all under the ring name El Generico , using the character of a luchador from Mexico with the catchphrase "Olé!". He wrestled while masked from 2002 until 2013. During his time in PWG, Sebei became
5889-484: Is XXX , but would be found "not guilty, for now" in regard to betraying The Bloodline. At the Royal Rumble , Reigns proceeded to have the rest of The Bloodline beat Owens down following the match, but Zayn refused to join the beatdown and eventually hit Reigns with a chair, leading to the entire Bloodline (excluding Jey) attacking Zayn, turning face for the first time since 2017. On the February 3, 2023, episode of SmackDown , Zayn attacked Reigns and challenged him to
6040-498: Is also the only participant to consecutively appear in the first eight Battle of Los Angeles tournaments from 2005. On February 24, 2007, Generico defeated former partner Tornado to win the PWG World Championship during his title run with Cape Fear. Later that year, while Generico was still World Champion, he and Steen defeated PAC and Roderick Strong for the belts, making Generico the only man in PWG history to hold both
6191-499: Is often used to attack lower parts of the opponent than the modern dropkick. Another variation, known as a shotgun dropkick, sees the wrestler charge from one corner to an opponent standing in the middle of the ring and dropkicking them with such force that it catapults the opponent into the corner. This was popularized in Japan by Takahiro Suwa and Yasushi Kanda before Finn Bálor made it famous in America. A missile dropkick involves
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6342-559: The 2008 King of Trios , where he teamed with Player Uno and Stupefied , again, as Team IWS. After defeating the F1rst Family ( Arik Cannon , Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz) in their first round match on March 1, Team IWS was eliminated from the tournament later that same day by Los Luchadores de Mexico ( Incognito , Lince Dorado and El Pantera ), who went on to win the entire tournament. The following year, on March 27, El Generico returned for
6493-460: The 2009 King of Trios , this time teaming with Matt and Nick Jackson as Team PWG. They were eliminated from the tournament in the first round by The Osirian Portal (Amasis, Escorpion Egipcio and Ophidian ). The following day El Generico entered the Rey de Voladores tournament, but was defeated by Kota Ibushi in his four-way elimination semifinal match, which also included Jigsaw and Nick Jackson. On
6644-484: The 2024 Royal Rumble , Zayn entered at number #30 and eliminated Priest before being eliminated by Drew McIntyre . On the March 11 episode of Raw , Zayn won a gauntlet match to earn an Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther at WrestleMania XL . On Night 1 of WrestleMania XL, Zayn defeated Gunther to win the Intercontinental Championship for the fourth time, ending Gunther's record-setting title reign at 666 days and giving him his first pinfall loss on
6795-454: The Coast to Coast . Sami Zayn uses a somersault version during the independent circuit as El Generico. The move is also damaging to the person performing the move, as Shane McMahon had hit the back of his head after landing the dropkick upon landing due to the force recoil. In this dropkick an attacking wrestler runs towards an opponent and jumps up sideways striking an opponent's head or chin with
6946-512: The Hart Legacy Wrestling (HLW) promotion in Calgary . In the opening four-way elimination match, El Generico and Samuray del Sol were victorious over Cam!kaze and Pete Wilson, Brian Cage and Trent Barreta , and Andrew Hawkes and Ryan Rollins. As a result, the two earned a spot in the main event ten man tag team match, where they teamed with Barreta, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Jack Evans in
7097-725: The KO-D Openweight Championship in the former promotion. Upon signing with WWE in 2013 and taking on the ring name Sami Zayn, he began wrestling without a mask in WWE's developmental brand NXT , eventually winning the NXT Championship . After being promoted to the main roster, he would become a four-time Intercontinental Champion . Starting in 2022, his popularity with fans would begin to skyrocket thanks to his critically acclaimed work with The Bloodline faction. In addition to his other WWE accomplishments, Sebei also wrestled in
7248-638: The KO-D Openweight Championship , DDT's top title. El Generico made his first successful title defense on October 21 in a rematch against Ibushi. On November 25, El Generico defeated KO-D Tag Team Champion Mikami for his second successful defense of the KO-D Openweight Championship. On December 23, El Generico lost the KO-D Openweight Championship to Kenny Omega in his third defense. On March 31, 2012, El Generico made his debut for Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA), when he defeated Chuck Taylor, Cima , Lince Dorado, Rich Swann and Samuray del Sol in
7399-511: The NXT Championship , but was eliminated by Mason Ryan . On the June 12 episode of NXT , Zayn suffered his first pinfall loss in NXT in a rematch with Cesaro. On the July 17 NXT , Zayn failed to win another number one contender's match also involving Cesaro and Leo Kruger . On the July 31 episode of NXT , Zayn teamed with NXT Champion Bo Dallas against Cesaro and Kruger; after Cesaro and Zayn brawled to
7550-602: The Trios Tournament 2005 , losing to the Rottweilers. At Stalemate , he lost to Roderick Strong , then teaming with Sal Rinauro against The Embassy at New Frontiers (and losing). He only received a few more matches, losing to Austin Aries at Fate of an Angel and getting his first win against fellow IWS alumnus Kevin Steen at The Homecoming (a match that didn't even make it to the event's DVD). His final ROH match of this run
7701-537: The University of Notre Dame , where, beginning in 1928, he played football for the Fighting Irish teams coached by Knute Rockne . His first start for Notre Dame came during his sophomore year against would-be national champion, Georgia Tech, after Rockne's first, second, and third string fullbacks all fell to injuries. The following week, coach Rockne moved Savoldi from running back to the line, and Savoldi briefly quit
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#17328837996817852-443: The goal line to win the game. Although commonplace now, diving over the line of scrimmage could be dangerous during a period of leather helmets and little, or no, shoulder padding. Other career highlights for Savoldi came on October 4, 1930, when he scored the first ever Notre Dame touchdown at the newly opened Notre Dame Stadium ; and one week later, when he scored three touchdowns against Navy, sealing his fame as "the first hero in
8003-818: The wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship . On August 12, 2012, he lost the title to Axel Tischer in a four-way match, which also included Bad Bones and Karsten Beck. In October 2009 El Generico traveled to Poland to take part in Do or Die Wrestling's event in Warsaw, defeating Michael Kovac in the main event of the show. In May 2010, Generico competed in the main-event of Capital City Championship Combat's show, Stand Alone. On October 23, Generico competed at Pro Wrestling Superstars' inaugural show in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where he teamed with Paul London to defeat Joey Silvia and Jake Manning. On January 11, 2011, El Generico wrestled in
8154-494: The "Land of Opportunity". On the October 24 episode of SmackDown Live , Zayn lost to Randy Orton , failing to acquire a spot on Team SmackDown to face Team Raw at Survivor Series . At the Survivor Series kick-off show on November 19, Zayn and Owens defeated Breezango ( Tyler Breeze and Fandango ). Later that night, Owens and Zayn interfered in the main event and attacked Shane, which backfired after Shane attacked both with
8305-410: The "real" Intercontinental Champion, eventually reuniting with Cesaro and Nakamura backstage; however, Cesaro dismissed him from the locker room so that he and Nakamura could have some discussion by themselves. At Clash of Champions on September 27, Zayn defeated Hardy and AJ Styles in a triple threat ladder match to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship by handcuffing both with the ladders. On
8456-589: The 1929 and 1930 seasons. Upon Savoldi's expulsion from Notre Dame, he was first signed by Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers, but when local Chicago Bears fans heard the news, their harsh criticism of George Halas not signing Savoldi led to an elaborate double-cross of Lambeau. According to Halas, Lambeau had broken the newly created "Grange Rule" by signing Savoldi prior to his senior class having graduated. But as soon as Lambeau retracted Savoldi's contract, Halas signed Savoldi, and Jumping Joe joined
8607-617: The 2010 Feud of the Year award from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . He has also performed in Chikara and Evolve . Having wrestled internationally, Sebei competed for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) in Germany, where he won the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship , and also competed in Japan for DDT Pro-Wrestling and Dragon Gate (as well as its American branch ), having won
8758-516: The August 19 episode of SmackDown , he competed in a fatal five-way match to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship, which was won by Sheamus . In the following weeks, the tensions between Zayn and Jey Uso , another member of The Bloodline, escalated as Jey did not trust Zayn, and they constantly argued. On the September 23 episode of SmackDown , Reigns declared Zayn an official "Honorary Uce". At Survivor Series: WarGames , Zayn, along with The Bloodline, defeated
8909-691: The Bears win their final three games of the season (including a 21–0 upset of Lambeau's Packers on December 7, 1930 at Wrigley Field), Savoldi was invited to re-join his fighting Irish team in a Notre Dame All-Star vs West/South All-Star game in the Los Angeles Coliseum . During the 20–7 victory, Savoldi scored three touchdowns. During the All-Star game, he caught the eye of two famous spectators—wrestling promoter Billy Sandow and former world champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis . Savoldi agreed to meet Lewis and Sandow
9060-592: The Bears. Lambeau and the Packers then protested with commissioner Carr, but the commissioner allowed the Bears to keep Savoldi as long as they were willing to pay a fine of $ 1,000 per game that Savoldi played in. The Bears started Savoldi at the halfback position opposite Red Grange , and in his first game (only ten days after leaving Notre Dame), he scored the only touchdown in a 6–0 victory over Ernie Nevers ' Cardinals on Thanksgiving Day in Wrigley Field. After helping
9211-854: The FLQ promotion in Quebec as Stevie McFly. On July 14, 2002, as El Generico, he made his International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) debut at the Scarred For Life event in a count out victory. On October 18, 2003, at Blood, Sweat and Beers, Generico lost to Carl Ouellet in a three-way match also involving Kevin Steen . On November 15 at Payback's A Bitch, El Generico defeated Kevin Steen in their first-ever singles match against each other. IWS held its fifth-anniversary show "V" on June 15, 2004, at Le SPAG, where Generico defeated PCO in an IWS title match for his first IWS World Heavyweight Championship, only to have Kevin Steen reclaim his number one contendership won earlier in
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#17328837996819362-793: The German-occupied part of Italy. Calosi was the inventor of the highly effective magnetic trigger used in the Silvrifici Italiano Calosi (SIC) torpedo, which the Germans used extensively. Savoldi and colleagues Donald Downes and Andre Pacatte located Calosi in Rome. They moved him, his commander Admiral Minisini, their wives, several technicians, and secret documents on the SIC to the Amalfi Coast , where they were picked up by US forces. Calosi's party went to
9513-405: The House of Truth, Roderick Strong, but after the match was attacked by Elgin and Martini. Colt Cabana came out to make the save but was stopped by the House of Truth's advantage in numbers. This led to Christopher Daniels coming out, but he ended up turning heel and hitting El Generico with the Book of Truth and Cabana with the Angel's Wings, thus joining the House of Truth and revealing himself as
9664-562: The IWS World Heavyweight Championship at Violent Valentine. On March 22, at Know Your Enemies, Generico lost the IWS World Heavyweight Championship to Steen a three-way match also involving Max Boyer . In 2004, members of the IWS started making appearances in the popular independent company Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG). El Generico held the PWG World Tag Team Championship five times with four different partners: with Human Tornado as 2 Skinny Black Guys, Quicksilver as Cape Fear, Kevin Steen , and Paul London as ¡Peligro Abejas! . Generico
9815-487: The Independent Wrestling Federation (IWF), where he faced Ivan "Locomotive" Markov and won. Later in the year, on September 16, they wrestled in a rematch and this time Markov was victorious. On September 8, 2012, Generico made an appearance for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), unsuccessfully challenging Masada for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship . After signing with WWE, El Generico made his final Canadian independent appearance on January 18, 2013, when he worked for
9966-433: The Intercontinental Championship for the third time in his career. On the March 4 episode of SmackDown , Zayn lost the title to Ricochet after interference from Knoxville, ending his reign at 21 days (recognized by WWE as 13 days). Zayn then challenged Knoxville to a match at WrestleMania 38 which was made official shortly after. The following week, Zayn failed to regain the Intercontinental Championship from Ricochet in
10117-423: The Intercontinental Championship to Raw; Strowman attacked Zayn before the match and attacked him until Foley came out to stop the match. On the November 28 episode of Raw , during Strowman's match, Zayn attacked Strowman, leading to a faceoff between him and Foley. On the December 12 episode of Raw , after Zayn defeated Jinder Mahal, he refused to be traded to SmackDown and wanted a match with Strowman. The match
10268-460: The March 6 episode of Raw , where he hit Zayn with a superkick, then proceeding to beat him along with Jimmy and Solo Sikoa . On the March 17 episode of SmackDown , Cody Rhodes invited Zayn and Owens to hash it out so that they can reunite to fight against The Bloodline, but Owens again declined to team up with Zayn. Later that night, Zayn confronted Jey in the ring and was beaten up by The Usos, and Owens ran out to save Zayn and embraced him. At
10419-474: The March 7 episode of Raw , Zayn made a surprise return to the main roster and attacked Owens, who was attempting to attack Neville after their match. This led to a tag team match on SmackDown , in which Zayn and Neville defeated Owens and The Miz . Zayn continued to score victories against the likes of The Miz and Stardust . At WrestleMania 32 on April 3, Zayn competed against Owens, Dolph Ziggler , The Miz , Stardust , Sin Cara and Zack Ryder in
10570-435: The McGregor Project under the assumed identity of Giuseppe DeLeo. The real Giuseppe DeLeo was a captain in the Italian Army who had been captured in North Africa. The McGregor Project used Savoldi and other Italian and Italian-American contacts to expedite the Italian surrender to the Allies in 1943. Savoldi's first operation (July–December 1943) was with Lt. Mike Burke, Lt. John Ringling North, and Peter Tompkins. Their mission
10721-417: The Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank on May 19, Zayn was attacked backstage and left unable to compete by what was believed to be Braun Strowman, however it was later revealed to be Brock Lesnar , who took Zayn's place in the match. After the event, Zayn began teaming with Owens again, and they defeated The New Day ( Big E and Xavier Woods ) at Stomping Grounds on June 23. However,
10872-597: The November 13 episode of NXT in which Neville appeared to injure himself during the match, but he took advantage on Zayn checking on him to win the match and retain the title. Neville agreed to Zayn's request for a title rematch, with Zayn vowing to quit NXT if he lost. At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, Zayn defeated Neville to win the NXT Championship, and was congratulated by many other NXT wrestlers afterwards, including Neville and Kevin Owens (the former Kevin Steen). The show ended with Owens powerbombing Zayn onto
11023-424: The October 16 episode of Raw that he will show the world what he can do on his own, until he was interrupted by The Judgment Day , but was able to fend them off alongside Jey Uso , starting a feud with the stable in the process. Zayn had his first match since splitting from Kevin Owens on the October 23 episode of RAW against Drew McIntyre in a losing effort after some outside interference from Rhea Ripley . On
11174-508: The October 2 episode of SmackDown , Zayn defeated Hardy to retain the title. On the November 13 episode of SmackDown , Zayn retained the title against Apollo Crews by countout. At Survivor Series on November 22, Zayn lost to United States Champion Bobby Lashley in a champion vs. champion match. On the December 25 episode of SmackDown , he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Big E , ending his second reign at 89 days. At Royal Rumble on January 31, 2021, Zayn entered at No. 3 but
11325-511: The October 30 episode of Raw , as Ripley, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio , and JD McDonagh were in the ring, Zayn interrupted them, and stated that despite being alone, he would continue to fight The Judgment Day until the group ended. Following that, Judgment Day attempted to attack Zayn, however, Zayn escaped. Later that night, a match between McDonagh and Zayn was announced for the Crown Jewel Kickoff show, and Zayn took on Damian Priest in
11476-476: The ROH World Tag Team Championship to The American Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards). Generico then suffered a knee injury, sustaining damage to his Medial collateral ligament . On December 19, 2009, at Final Battle 2009 , ROH's first live pay-per-view, after a loss to The Young Bucks , Steen turned heel by attacking El Generico. He then formed a team with Colt Cabana and together
11627-403: The Royal Rumble on January 29, Zayn entered at No. 8 and lasted over 47 minutes before being eliminated by The Undertaker . On the January 30 episode of Raw , Zayn defeated United States Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match, but failed to win the title the following week. On the February 13 episode of Raw , Zayn responded to comments made by Samoa Joe during a backstage interview, and
11778-501: The Savoldi all-stars. As a wrestler, Savoldi became known for his finishing move, the flying dropkick (the pro wrestling move known today as simply the " dropkick "). From the early 1930s through the end of his career in 1950, Savoldi was credited as having originated the move but today that attribution is disputed between him and Abe Coleman . Interpromotional wars were raging at the time, and on April 7, 1933 at Chicago Stadium , Savoldi
11929-670: The US and developed countermeasures against the SIC for the Allies. During his third major mission, Savoldi worked undercover in Naples , where he infiltrated the local Camorra and helped break up one of the largest black market operations in all of Italy. While undercover, Savoldi again assumed the identity of Giuseppe De Leo, but he worked in civilian clothing, posing as a rogue operator. Savoldi spoke Italian in several dialects as well as French, Spanish, and some German, and his dangerous work behind enemy lines
12080-477: The WWE Championship at Fastlane , which ended in a double disqualification after Styles, who was on commentary, attacked Zayn and Owens, leading to SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan scheduling a triple threat match for the WWE Championship involving both Owens and Zayn. Zayn then said he would lay down for Owens, only for Zayn to pin Owens in a fatal five-way match. At Fastlane on March 11, Styles retained
12231-412: The WWE Championship in the six-pack challenge. On the March 20 episode of SmackDown , Zayn and Owens were (kayfabe) fired by Bryan as punishment for an attack against McMahon the week prior. At WrestleMania 34 on April 8, Owens and Zayn lost to Bryan and McMahon, and would have been rehired to SmackDown if they won. On the following Raw , as free agents, they asked Raw General Manager Kurt Angle for
12382-401: The WWE. This move has also be used to attack both a standing opponent as well as an already supine opponent . Popularized by Jumping Joe Savoldi and Abe Coleman , the front dropkick involves the wrestler jumping kicking forward so that they hit the opponent with the soles of both feet. This enables the wrestler to fall backwards to the mat, landing on their upper back and shoulder area. This
12533-525: The World and World Tag Team titles not once, but twice at the same time. In mid-2009, Generico entered a lengthy feud with the tag team Men of Low Moral Fiber, consisting of Kenny Omega and Chuck Taylor , recruiting Colt Cabana , referee Rick Knox , and former partner Human Tornado (effectively reuniting 2 Skinny Black Guys) to stand by his side. At PWG's sixth anniversary event, Threemendous II , 2 Skinny Black Guys defeated current champions The Young Bucks in
12684-469: The back, Dallas lost the match and later blamed Zayn for the loss. On the August 21 episode of NXT , Zayn lost to Cesaro in a two-out-of-three falls match to conclude the feud. On September 6, Zayn made his WWE debut at a house show in his hometown of Montreal , where he defeated Cesaro. When Zayn targeted Dallas' NXT Championship, Dallas cost Zayn his match against Cesaro's fellow Real American Jack Swagger . Dallas held an open challenge to determine
12835-572: The decade, touring New Zealand in 1936, appearing in Hawaii and Australia in 1937, and spending a lengthy time in Europe shortly before World War II . Savoldi was approached by the U.S. government in 1942 about joining the war effort in an espionage role. He was chosen due to his fluency in multiple dialects of Italian, his expertise in hand-to-hand combat, and his deep knowledge of the Italian geography—including
12986-478: The end El Generico won the match and thus forced Steen out of Ring of Honor. On March 2, 2011, ROH announced that El Generico had signed a new contract with the promotion. On April 1 at the first night of Honor Takes Center Stage , El Generico was defeated by Michael Elgin from the House of Truth following interference from a masked man, led by Truth Martini . The following day, El Generico defeated another member of
13137-437: The event, it was reported that Zayn had surgery to repair both of his rotator cuffs. He was later reported to have undergone a successful double shoulder surgery. After ten months of inactivity due to injury, Zayn returned on the April 8, 2019, episode of Raw , losing to Intercontinental Champion Finn Bálor. The following week, Zayn defeated Strowman with the help of Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre , earning Strowman's spot in
13288-519: The final match of the tournament to Claudio Castagnoli. After the feud with the Briscoes ended, Generico and Steen spent several months feuding with the Hangmen Three in an inconclusive feud that carried on into 2008. They also worked through the tag ranks and attempted to win the tag titles, but came up short in a tag title tournament at Up For Grabs . Generico took ROH World champion Nigel McGuinness to
13439-514: The finals of the tournament by The Young Bucks. On February 19, 2005, El Generico made his debut for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania –based promotion Chikara , taking part in the 2005 Tag World Grand Prix , where he teamed with Kevin Steen as Team IWS. The team made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, before being defeated by the SuperFriends (Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush ). El Generico returned to Chikara three years later to take part in
13590-538: The finals to win the tournament, becoming the first person to have won the PWG World and World Tag Team championships as well as the DDT4 and Battle of Los Angeles tournaments. In the process, Generico also earned himself a match for Steen's PWG World Championship. On October 22, El Generico defeated Steen in a ladder match , following outside interference from The Young Bucks, to win the PWG World Championship for
13741-494: The first round but lost to Finn Bálor in the semi-finals. On November 6, Zayn was announced as a part of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series , however, on the November 12 episode of SmackDown , Zayn faced Jeff Hardy in a match with the stipulation that whoever lost was removed from the SmackDown Survivor Series team, which Zayn lost, thus removing him. On the November 26 episode of SmackDown , Zayn would compete in
13892-520: The first round by The Osirian Portal (Amasis, Hieracon and Ophidian). The following day El Generico entered his second Rey de Voladores and defeated Pinkie Sanchez, Zack Sabre Jr. and Marshe Rockett in his four-way elimination semifinal match to qualify for the following day's finals. The following day El Generico defeated the 1–2–3 Kid in the finals to win the 2011 Rey de Voladores . El Generico returned to Chikara on July 30, 2011, when he reunited ¡3.0le! with Scott Parker and Shane Matthews in
14043-483: The following day at a local gym, and after an informal tryout in which Strangler Lewis proclaimed Savoldi the strongest man he had ever wrestled, Sandow eventually signed Savoldi to a contract in May 1931. Savoldi's debut match took place in February 1931, wrestling under the management of Puss Halbritter, and before formalizing his contract with Sandow, he appeared in a final charity football game in Kezar Stadium with
14194-629: The interior of Benito Mussolini's compound. Savoldi was assigned to the Special Operations branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), with the code name "Sampson". He took part in missions in North Africa, Italy, and France during 1943–1945. As a member the 2677th Regiment APO 512 , Savoldi took part in multiple missions behind enemy lines. His service in Special Operations included at least three successful, high-visibility missions, all within
14345-435: The kickoff show. On the September 12 episode of Raw , Zayn appeared on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel segment, where he was attacked by Jericho, leading to a match at Clash of Champions on September 25, which Jericho won. On the October 17 episode of Raw , Zayn began a feud with Braun Strowman after preventing him from confronting Raw General Manager Mick Foley . On the October 31 episode of Raw , Zayn participated in
14496-490: The latter's debut match. Both men were given a standing ovation and both showed respect and embraced each other following a critically acclaimed match, and while Nakamura left the ring, Zayn was left waving goodbye to the live audience, signaling his final appearance in NXT. On January 24, 2016, at the Royal Rumble , Zayn competed in the Rumble match at No. 20, eliminating Kevin Owens before being eliminated by Braun Strowman . On
14647-468: The limit at Age of Insanity , but eventually lost. On September 19, 2008, Generico and Steen finally won the ROH World Tag Team Championship by beating The Age of the Fall at Driven . Generico lost a second match to McGuinness at Glory by Honor VII . Generico was booked in another match against McGuinness at Caged Collision , which he lost. On April 10, 2009, at a television taping, Generico and Steen lost
14798-424: The live crowd following the match. However, Zayn had injured his shoulder before the match and underwent an MRI for further analysis. At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, Zayn's NXT Championship rematch against Kevin Owens ended in a no contest when Zayn was unable to continue the match. Owens continued assaulting Zayn until the debuting Samoa Joe made the save. This was used to write Zayn off television as he
14949-469: The lore of Notre Dame's $ 750,000.00 stadium." Savoldi averaged 11 yards per carry and 40 yards per kick off return, and due to his size (5'11" 218lbs) was known for his punishing style of running the ball. His career came to a sudden end on November 17, 1930 when he withdrew from school after divorce papers were filed, and news of his secret marriage was leaked to the press. Savoldi and his Notre Dame teammates were undefeated national champions during both
15100-528: The main event of WrestleMania 39 night one, Zayn and Owens defeated The Usos to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship (consisting of both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships ). This match also marked the first time a tag team match main evented WrestleMania since its inaugural show, as well as the first time the tag team titles headlined the event. The critically acclaimed match
15251-628: The main event of several pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania 39 , where he became one half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions (the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships) alongside longtime best friend Kevin Owens . Rami Sebei was born on July 12, 1984, in Laval , Quebec , Canada to Syrian migrants who relocated from Homs to Laval in the 1970s. Sebei trained under Jerry Tuite and Savio Vega and made his professional wrestling debut on March 1, 2002, for
15402-639: The main roster. Zayn then gave Chad Gable a title shot on the April 15 episode of Raw as a token of gratitude for assisting him in defeating Gunther, where Zayn successfully defended the title. As he was celebrating with his wife at ringside after the match, Gable would attack him in front of his wife. On the April 29 episode of Raw, Zayn defended his title against Bronson Reed , which he won by disqualification after Gable attacked him. One week later, Zayn attacked Gable during his match with Reed, causing another disqualification. Later that night, Zayn announced that he would defend his title against Gable and Reed in
15553-520: The man who had cost El Generico his match against Elgin. On June 26 at Best in the World 2011 , Generico defeated Daniels to win the ROH World Television Championship . He lost the title to Jay Lethal on August 13 at the first Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings under the Sinclair Broadcast Group banner. On March 30, 2012, at Showdown in the Sun , El Generico faced the reinstated Kevin Steen in
15704-417: The move as the "drop-kick" and the press also called it a "flying dropkick". The dropkick in its current form was thought to perhaps originated by "Jumping Joe" Savoldi , although wrestler Abe Coleman , known as "Hebrew Hercules" and "Jewish Cougars", can also be seen in early video using a feet-first dive at an opponent's waist. Coleman, listed at 5'2" in height, called the move a "Kangaroo Kick" and claimed
15855-415: The move was inspired by kangaroos he saw on a tour of Australia in 1930. When Savoldi performed the "drop" kick in 1933, the press simply said it was another name for Coleman's existing "kangaroo" kick specialty. The wrestler runs and slides feet first at the opponent, kicking them with both feet, like a baseball player sliding into a base. It is usually performed by a wrestler in the ring sliding to kick
16006-440: The next title contender, but he banned Zayn from competing. However, Zayn masqueraded as the masked El Local and defeated Dallas to earn his title shot. The match occurred on the October 16 episode of NXT , but NXT General Manager John Bradshaw Layfield restarted the match when Zayn won despite Dallas' foot being on the ropes and then Dallas sent Zayn into an exposed turnbuckle to retain his title. In November 2013, after tying
16157-692: The night against Excess 69. Generico lost to Steen for the IWS World Heavyweight Championship . On September 11 at CZW High Stakes II, Generico, Steen and Excess 69 lost to SeXXXy Eddy in an IWS four-way match which was unofficially chosen as "CZW Match of the Year". On August 20, 2005, at Extreme Dream II, Generico lost to Chris Bishop in the Extreme Dream Tournament final match for the IWS Canadian Championship. On February 16, 2008, Generico defeated Kevin Steen for
16308-409: The number one contender for WWE Championship after losing a six-pack challenge. Zayn defeated Baron Corbin at Backlash on May 21. Zayn was later announced as one of the participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on June 18 along with AJ Styles, Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Shinsuke Nakamura , in which he was unsuccessful in winning. Zayn
16459-457: The number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. On the January 7, 2022, episode of SmackDown , Zayn entered a feud with Johnny Knoxville after Knoxville announced he would be entering the Royal Rumble match . At Royal Rumble on January 29, Zayn entered at No. 8, eliminating Knoxville before he was eliminated by AJ Styles . On the February 18 (taped February 11) episode of SmackDown , Zayn defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win
16610-403: The opponent, usually seated at a corner turnbuckle and hits him with a dropkick. The most common variation of this is a rope-aided version, where the wrestler uses the ring ropes to elevate his body, connecting with a dropkick to the opponent's chest upon landing. Used by Jeff Hardy and Jack Gallagher , the latter calling the move The Gentleman's Dropkick . Also known as a backflip dropkick or
16761-457: The referee out of the ring as he went on to win and retain his title. This caused tension within Neville and Zayn's friendship. After Zayn lost another match, this time to Titus O'Neil , he vowed to start a "road to redemption" leading to the NXT Championship, which saw him defeat Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil and Tyler Breeze in singles matches. Zayn was rewarded with a title match against Neville on
16912-405: The rematch the following day at Evolve 15 was won by Samuray. El Generico returned to Dragon Gate USA on July 28, when he and Samuray were defeated in a tag team match by A. R. Fox and Cima. On September 8, El Generico and Samuray del Sol faced off in another Evolve main event, which was won by El Generico. On November 4 at Dragon Gate USA's Freedom Fight 2012, El Generico teamed with Samuray in
17063-434: The ring apron or from inside the ring, jumps towards their opponent, and extends their legs to hit them in the head or chest with the soles of their feet. In this variation, the wrestler executes a traditional dropkick, but twists his/her body while performing it in a standing position. There is also a slight variation where the attacker holds on to their opponent by the head with one hand while dropkicking them. This variation
17214-440: The ring apron to ruin their reunion. Zayn retained the title against Neville in a rematch on the January 14, 2015, episode of NXT , but suffered another post-match attack by Owens. After an irate Zayn demanded a match against Owens, even if it meant putting the title on the line, a title match was set for NXT TakeOver: Rival . At the event on February 11, Owens captured the title from Zayn via referee stoppage, having powerbombed
17365-537: The ring for a couple more years, wrestling his final match in 1950. He then went back to university to work towards earning his qualifications for a teacher's degree, and eventually started a program to mentor hard-to-reach kids before becoming a full-time science teacher at Henderson County High School in Henderson, Kentucky . Savoldi died in 1974 at the age of 65, and is buried in Henderson. In October 1931, Savoldi signed
17516-479: The same title based on Ford and MacBain's book lasted 26 episodes. Savoldi resumed his wrestling career before war's end, but his ability to move around in the ring would begin to diminish due to the onset of arthritis . He tried promoting in the Chicago area for a while between 1946 and 1948, and is credited with nicknaming and training the first African-American pro wrestling champion Bobo Brazil . Savoldi returned to
17667-464: The second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11 but defeated him in a rematch at Hell in a Cell on June 20. On the July 2 episode of SmackDown , Zayn failed to qualify for the men's Money in the Bank ladder match at the namesake event after losing to Owens in a Last Man Standing match , ending their rivalry. In October, Zayn entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he defeated Rey Mysterio in
17818-519: The second time. On March 17, 2012, El Generico re-lost the title to Steen in a three-way match, which also included Eddie Edwards . After agreeing to a deal with WWE , El Generico made his farewell appearance for PWG on January 12, 2013, when he and Kevin Steen entered the 2013 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament . After wins over the Briscoe Brothers and Future Shock ( Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly ), El Generico and Steen were defeated in
17969-590: The show's main event where he lost via disqualification after Jey Uso took out Priest while fending off the other members of The Judgment Day. At the Crown Jewel Kickoff Show, Zayn would defeat McDonagh. At Survivor Series: WarGames , Zayn teamed up with Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes , Seth "Freakin" Rollins and the returning Randy Orton in a WarGames match against The Judgment Day's Damian Priest, JD McDonagh, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor , and Drew McIntyre, where Zayn's team would emerge victorious. In
18120-510: The sole of their highest foot, with similar execution as a big boot . A front dropkick variation, in which the attacking wrestler does not twist like in a normal dropkick, is also possible. Drew McIntyre uses this as a finisher and calls it the Claymore . Swerve Strickland also uses this as his finisher called the House Call . In this variation, the wrestler jumps onto the ring ropes from either
18271-408: The squad before being moved back to the running back position. The All-American fullback was first nicknamed, "Galloping Joe," followed by "The Wandering Wop," followed by "The People's Choice," before finally earning the moniker "Jumping Joe." The nickname that finally stuck, was a result of a play he made in a 1929 game against Carnegie Tech , when he scored a touchdown by diving up and over
18422-422: The stable that was led by Roman Reigns . On the May 27 episode of SmackDown , after helping the group on a couple of occasions, Zayn was deemed an "Honorary Uce" and became an associate of the group. On the June 24 episode of SmackDown , Zayn defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match . At the eponymous event on July 2, Zayn failed to win as the match was won by Theory . On
18573-419: The team of Drew McIntyre , Kevin Owens, and The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch , and Ridge Holland ) in a WarGames match . After the match, due to Zayn showing his loyalty to the stable by delivering a low blow to Owens, Jey finally accepted Zayn as part of The Bloodline and the stable celebrated. In January 2023, Zayn would be in a conflict with The Bloodline, which led to a Tribal Court for Zayn at Raw
18724-516: The team of Zayn and Owens drifted apart again after Owens turned face and reignited his feud with Shane McMahon. After their team disbanded, Zayn lost to Rey Mysterio twice, first at Raw Reunion , and second in the gauntlet match the following week. Zayn then competed in the King of the Ring tournament, but lost in the first round to Cedric Alexander . On the August 20 episode of SmackDown Live , Zayn joined forces with Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura after attacking The Miz . Zayn
18875-408: The third night of the tournament, El Generico was defeated by Arik Cannon in a singles match. El Generico's next appearance for Chikara occurred almost two years later on January 23, 2011, when he faced Eddie Kingston in a losing effort. For the 2011 King of Trios El Generico came together with 3.0 (Scott Parker and Shane Matthews) to form ¡3.0le!. The team was eliminated from the tournament in
19026-522: The title to Kodaka on January 3, 2012. El Generico has also made some appearances for Union Pro's parent promotion, DDT Pro-Wrestling , most notably defeating Kota Ibushi in Ibushi's return match from a shoulder injury on May 4, 2012. On August 18, El Generico wrestled his first match in the Nippon Budokan , defeating the debuting Konosuke Takeshita . On September 30, El Generico defeated Kota Ibushi to win
19177-545: The title. On December 11, 2010, El Generico earned himself a shot at the PWG World Championship, when ¡Peligro Abejas! successfully defended the PWG World Tag Team Championship against Chris Hero and the PWG World Champion, Claudio Castagnoli , the team known collectively as The Kings of Wrestling . Generico received his shot at the PWG World Championship on January 29, 2011, during the WrestleReunion 5 weekend, but
19328-441: The titles against Imperium 's Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser , Pretty Deadly , and The Judgment Day 's Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio in several matches on Raw and SmackDown , but they lost the titles to The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Bálor in a Pittsburgh Steel City Street Fight at Payback after interference from fellow Judgment Day members, ending their reign at 154 days. They were unsuccessful in
19479-459: The two men had a memorable showing that eventually earned them a full-time spot on the roster. Throughout 2007, the two teams feuded with one another, having several memorable matches including (but not limited to) a great match on the Driven pay-per-view, ROH's second-ever. Their feud came to an end following a brutal Street Fight at Death Before Dishonor V: Night 1 , a steel cage match at Caged Rage ,
19630-420: The two of them started a feud with Steen and his new partner Steve Corino . At the following pay-per-view, The Big Bang! , Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino via disqualification when Steen used a chair on his former partner. On June 19 at Death Before Dishonor VIII , Steen defeated El Generico in a singles match. On September 11 at Glory By Honor IX Generico and Cabana defeated Steen and Corino in
19781-436: The upper torso or head of a wrestler standing outside and beside the ring. A variation involves sliding to kick the head of an opponent hung upside-down from the turnbuckles . In defensive terms, a baseball slide can be used to counter an Irish whip , as the whipped wrestler slides before they hit the ropes. It can also be used to slide under an opponent, usually as a technique to avoid an attempted kick. The wrestler sets up
19932-525: The war, and the ensuing sugar rationing eliminated his ability to mass-produce the drink. Sami Zayn Rami Sebei ( Arabic : رامي سباعي ; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler . He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn . Sebei made his professional wrestling debut in 2002 under the ring name Stevie McFly . Prior to joining WWE, he competed for Montreal -based promotion International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS), where he became
20083-454: The winner going on to face Ziggler for the title; Zayn defeated Rusev to earn the title match. On the November 15 episode of SmackDown Live , The Miz defeated Ziggler for the championship and Zayn instead faced The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series on November 20, which Zayn lost. On the November 21 episode of Raw , Mick Foley ordered Zayn to compete in a match with Braun Strowman as punishment for failing to bring
20234-426: The wrestler jumping off the second or top turnbuckle and performing the dropkick on a standing opponent. In this variant, the attacking wrestler first sets up the opponent such that he is near one corner (or side) of the ring in a seated position, before himself proceeding to the opposite diagonal corner (or side) and ascending to the top or second rope. From this position the wrestler leaps at his opponent and performs
20385-564: Was rated five stars by Dave Meltzer and became the eighth main roster WWE match to receive five stars, making it the first five star match in Zayn's career. On the April 28 episode of SmackDown , Zayn and Owens retained their Undisputed Tag Team Championship in a rematch against The Usos. As part of the 2023 WWE Draft , Zayn, along with Owens, was drafted to the Raw brand . At Night of Champions , Zayn and Owens retained their Undisputed Tag Team Championship against The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Zayn and Owens then retained
20536-560: Was a loss to Homicide at Dragon Gate Invasion . Generico returned to ROH in late 2006, making an appearance at Dethroned , where he was defeated by Brent Albright . Following this, he took part in (and lost) a Four Corner Survival match to Jimmy Rave at Final Battle 2006 . In 2007, El Generico formed a permanent team with Kevin Steen, taking on the Briscoe Brothers at the Fifth Year Festival: Philly . Much like many previous matches, they were defeated in this encounter, but
20687-507: Was attacked by Joe. At Fastlane on March 5, Zayn lost to Joe. On the March 27 episode of Raw , Zayn defeated Owens in a no disqualification match to end their feud, saving his job and qualifying for Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, which he failed to win. On April 11, Zayn was traded to SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shake-up . The following week on SmackDown Live , Zayn failed to become
20838-610: Was born two months premature in Castano Primo (Italy). He spent his childhood in Castano Primo and Bergamo (Milan, Italy) and was raised by his grandmother and an aunt before finally joining his family in Three Oaks, Michigan at age twelve. Giuseppe Savoldi anglicized his first name to "Joe" and became an athlete in high school, excelling in football, basketball, baseball, and track. After graduation from Three Oaks High, he enrolled at
20989-451: Was defeated by Castagnoli. On April 9, El Generico teamed with Ricochet , who filled in for London who was unable to appear at the event, in a match, where they lost the PWG World Tag Team Championship back to The Young Bucks. On August 20, Generico entered the 2011 Battle of Los Angeles , defeating Claudio Castagnoli and Willie Mack in his first round and semifinal matches. Later that same night, Generico defeated old rival Kevin Steen in
21140-564: Was eliminated by Big E. On the February 12 episode of SmackDown , Zayn teamed with King Corbin and defeated The Mysterios ( Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio ) to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match at the namesake event . At the event on February 21, Zayn was the second man eliminated by Kevin Owens. His gimmick would be tweaked into a deranged conspiracy theorist who believed that WWE bosses were holding him down, and he soon reignited his feud with Owens. Zayn lost to Owens on
21291-530: Was highly regarded according to several, now declassified, documents. The 1946 book Cloak and Dagger by Alastair MacBain and Corey Ford includes an entire chapter titled "The Saga of Jumping Joe", recounting Savoldi's participation in the McGregor Project. The book was later adapted to film under the same title, Cloak and Dagger starring Gary Cooper . Savoldi's friend, former OSS agent, E. Michael Burke acted as technical advisor. A 1950 NBC radio show of
21442-425: Was innovated by David Von Erich and popularized by Curt Hennig . Joe Savoldi Joseph Anthony Savoldi Jr. , (born Giuseppe Antonio Savoldi ; March 5, 1908 – January 25, 1974) more commonly known by his nickname "Jumping Joe" Savoldi , was an Italian-American professional wrestler , football player , and Special Ops agent for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II . Savoldi
21593-405: Was involved in a double cross on heavyweight champion Jim Londos . After a tangle by the ropes, referee Bob Managoff declared Savoldi the winner by pinfall and awarded him the title. Vigorous arguments were waged over whether Savoldi had truly won the match, and whether Londos' title had even been on the line. As a result, Savoldi and Managoff were suspended in some territories and the title change
21744-511: Was made for Roadblock: End of the Line on December 18 with a time limit of 10 minutes, which Zayn won after completing 10 minutes. On the January 2, 2017, episode of Raw , Zayn lost a Last Man Standing match to Strowman, ending the feud. On the January 23 episode of Raw , Zayn defeated Seth Rollins to win Rollins' opportunity in the Royal Rumble match after Rollins was distracted by Triple H . At
21895-462: Was not universally recognized. Londos continued to bill himself as world champion, while Savoldi went to the New York area claiming the same, until he was defeated by Jim Browning on June 12 at Yankee Stadium . After peace was made between rival promotions, a Londos/Savoldi rematch was held at Chicago Stadium on January 31, 1934. Londos won the contest. Savoldi continued his wrestling career throughout
22046-497: Was positioned as Nakamura's mouthpiece . At Clash of Champions on September 15, he helped Nakamura retain his title. As part of the 2019 draft , Zayn was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Following the draft, he would also become the manager of Cesaro . At Survivor Series on November 24, Zayn accompanied Nakamura in a non-title match against United States Champion AJ Styles and NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong , which
22197-572: Was saved by his friend, NXT Champion Adrian Neville. Zayn later defeated Kidd twice to end the feud, once in a singles match on the July 17 episode of NXT as well in a tag match with Adam Rose against Gabriel and Kidd, which was the first round of a tournament for an opportunity at the NXT Tag Team Championship. Zayn and Rose lost in the second round to The Lucha Dragons ( Kalisto and Sin Cara ). When Zayn, Kidd and Tyler Breeze each staked
22348-524: Was set to undergo shoulder surgery. After a seven-month hiatus due to injury, Zayn returned on the December 23 episode of NXT (taped at the NXT TakeOver: London event on December 16) and defeated Tye Dillinger . On the March 16 episode of NXT , Zayn cut a promo talking about his future in NXT until William Regal came out and gave Zayn a match at NXT TakeOver: Dallas against new signee Shinsuke Nakamura on April 1, where he would be defeated in
22499-578: Was then involved in a brief feud with Mike Kanellis , whom he lost to in the latter's debut match on the July 18 episode of SmackDown . A rematch between the two was set for Battleground on July 23 which Zayn won. At Hell in a Cell on October 8, Zayn helped Kevin Owens defeat Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell match, turning heel for the first time in his career. On the October 10 episode of SmackDown Live , Zayn referred to Owens as his "brother" and explained that his actions were due to McMahon not giving Zayn opportunities despite SmackDown being dubbed
22650-578: Was to escort Italian-American film producer Marcello Girosi (whose brother Massimo was commander of the Italian Navy) around the Mediterranean theater. Savoldi may have provided security for OSS chief "Wild Bill" Donovan , when he met with General George S. Patton in Palermo on 10 July 1943. Savoldi's second operation as part of the ongoing McGregor Project was to extract Italian scientist Carlo Calosi from
22801-407: Was won by Strong. On the January 31, 2020, episode of SmackDown , Nakamura lost the title to Braun Strowman, despite interferences from Zayn and Cesaro. At Elimination Chamber on March 8, Zayn, Nakamura, and Cesaro defeated Braun Strowman in a 3-on-1 handicap match to win the Intercontinental Championship; Zayn won the title by pinning Strowman. On the March 13 episode of SmackDown , Zayn began
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