Tag: Sami Zayn

WWE Reportedly Did AEW Mention On RAW To Make The Show Seem Edgier

WWE officials reportedly scripted Sami Zayn’s AEW mention into Monday’s RAW, according to a new report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The idea behind the name-drop was that it makes RAW edgy because someone said something they might not be allowed to say.

We noted before how the AEW mention was edited off the YouTube replay, but it was left on the USA Network website and app replay. The mention was also left in the Hulu replay, which is usually heavily edited.

While multiple sources are now reporting that the line was scripted, many if not most people within the company were told otherwise. It was previously reported that Vince McMahon “flipped out” backstage when Sami made the mention, and he did act like he was freaking out, according to the Observer. The Observer notes that since the buck stops with Vince in WWE, either his behavior was a miscommunication, which is what the Observer was told, or an attempt to “work the boys” backstage.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon Reportedly Furious Over AEW Name-Drop During WWE RAW Segment, More Backstage Talk

There have been conflicting reports over whether or not Sami Zayn’s AEW name-drop on last night’s WWE RAW was scripted. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the line was scripted, but co-host Bryan Alvarez said he heard otherwise. PWInsider then reported that several sources said Zayn’s AEW line was not scripted, and was likely something that Zayn improvised as he is known to pitch his own verbiage for promos. PWInsider also pointed to how WWE could have used their 15-second delay to bleep the plug out, if they had a real issue with it.

In an update, Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live yesterday that Vince McMahon was furious when AEW was mentioned live on RAW. Alvarez fueled the speculation with stories from multiple sources.

“These are two facts about the situation, alright? There are absolutely people who insist that Sami was given the OK to mention AEW, alright?,” Alvarez said. “I’ve even heard from one person who said that in the script that went around in the morning yesterday, it was in the script that he was going to mention AEW. One person said that. I had another person say, and Dave had people tell him that it was a scripted line. Now, with that said, I heard from multiple people, far more people in fact, and people that heard from other people, that all said, the line was not scripted, the line was not supposed to be said.

“I was also told from multiple people that when it happened, Vince flipped his lid. He was furious that this happened, OK? So, that’s literally… those are the two things that I can tell you. So, however you want to figure out what the hell is going on here, there’s various ways that you could explain this. The one that people seem to think is the most likely, is that a small number of people were told that he was given the OK, and that they’re working the boys and flipping out about it. I don’t know what the answer is, all I know is that some people were told that he was given the OK, but most people said that he wasn’t, and that Vince flipped out. I wasn’t there, I don’t know how the flip out occurred, I wasn’t there to witness it, but I do know that the people there who absolutely 100% believed that he was very angry, that this was not him putting on a show for people, that this was not him trying to work the boys, that he was angry when this got on the air. I don’t know how to explain everything, I just know that’s what happened last night.”

If the line was not scripted, it’s believed that Zayn could face some sort of consequences. Meltzer speculated that he could be suspended. Stay tuned for updates on the situation and check out the name-drop in the clip below. As we’ve noted, WWE did edit the AEW mention out of the segment that was posted to YouTube, seen below.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Sami Zayn’s AEW Reference On WWE RAW Was Reportedly Scripted

Sami Zayn name-dropping All Elite Wrestling on Monday’s RAW episode was reportedly scripted, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. As seen below, WWE edited the line out of the video that they uploaded on their YouTube channel.

Sami was a guest for a new segment on RAW called “Electric Chair”, where a wrestler sat in an electric chair while Charly Caruso, Kayla Braxton and Sarah Schreiber took questions from fans in the crowd. After several questions, Sami ripped on the crowd for what he was being asked. Sami said that they could ask him about anything, including about his love life, if he was a good kisser and “even about AEW.” The crowd popped for the AEW reference and Seth Rollins’ music immediately hit.

The questions in the segment were from real fans, however their questions were screened. Meltzer said a backstage source noted that the AEW mention “was so f–king stupid.” Meltzer’s co-host, Brian Alvarez, said that he heard from a different source that the line wasn’t scripted, however Meltzer noted that the person who he spoke to was in the meeting before the show.

You can hear the name-drop in the Twitter clip below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Why Aleister Black And Kevin Owens Are Missing WWE Saudi Arabia Event

Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Aleister Black will not be appearing at the upcoming WWE Super ShowDown event on Friday, June 7th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Black’s absence was a company decision due to some of his tattoos having a religious connotation. Black has generally kept quiet regarding the meaning behind his body art, although he did reveal the meaning of his back tattoo in an interview with The Daily Star in 2017.

“I don’t really talk about the meaning of my tattoos, but I will give you that one,” Black said. “The being on my back is Lilith, in some folklore she is the first woman to ever rebel against paradise. The reason she is there for equality, equality for every man and woman – which is the most important thing there is.”

Bryan is likely not appearing at the event for the same reasons that he skipped last November’s Crown Jewel show in Riyadh. While he wrestled at WWE’s first big show in Saudi Arabia, The Greatest Royal Rumble, last April, he had since learned more of the country’s treatment of homosexuals. Bryan was also upset that Sami Zayn was not being allowed on those shows because of his Syrian ancestry, which he felt was racist. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Syria in 2012, and Zayn had started a #SamiForSyria mobile clinic in Syria in 2017.

WWE issued the following statement at the time regarding Zayn’s absence from the event:

“WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.”

According to The Observer, company sources stated that Owens is declining to work the show because his family asked him not to go. It was noted that there may have been other reasons, including Zayn not being allowed to work the show. Owens had been in a program with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. Dolph Ziggler was pulled out of an appearance in Australia the weekend of Super Showdown and will now face Kingston for the title.

The only other star that refused to work Crown Jewel was John Cena, who is not scheduled for WWE Super ShowDown.

WWE Super ShowDown takes place on Friday, June 7th, at the King Abdullah Sports City’s King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Braun Strowman Reportedly Injured, Backstage News On Why He Was Pulled From WWE Money In The Bank

Sami Zayn defeated Braun Strowman in the Falls Count Anywhere main event of last night’s RAW to earn Braun’s spot in the men’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match at the May 19 WWE Money In the Bank pay-per-view.

Strowman is currently dealing with an injury, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, but that is not why he was pulled from the match. There’s no word yet on injury details, but Strowman could be working through some sort of biceps or triceps injury.

Regarding Strowman losing his Money In the Bank spot to Zayn, Meltzer reported that the removal was a part of a longer storyline that will play out over the next month or so. Strowman is working hurt, but the injury is not bad enough that he needs to take any time off right now.

There’s been a lot of speculation on Strowman’s WWE future as of late. He reportedly received heat from WWE officials after winning the 6th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35. The end of the match was said to be a mess as Strowman forgot some of his spots. It was reported in late April that the botched spots are why Strowman hasn’t had much of a push since winning the Battle Royal.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Sami Zayn Returns On RAW, Unleashed Tirade On The WWE Universe

Last night’s post-WrestleMania 35 edition of WWE RAW, Sami Zayn make his return to the ring. He lost to new WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor.

After losing, Sami cut a heel promo on the crowd. “I can honestly say, from the bottom of my heart, I did not miss this… and I did NOT miss any of YOU,” he said.

“It tuns out WWE is a super toxic environment. It’s not because of the McMahons. And it ain’t because of the other WWE Superstars,” he continued. “It’s because of this audience, and your ugliness!”

This was Sami’s first match since June 2018 as he was forced to take time off to undergo double shoulder surgery to repair both of his torn rotator cuffs. Sami’s last match came against then-Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley at Money In the Bank 2018, and his return match was against the current Intercontinental Champion.

Sami Zayn Reportedly Ready To Return To WWE

Image result for Sami Zayn returns soon

Last night on SmackDown Live, Kevin Owens returned to the ring for the first time since undergoing double knee surgery last October. His best friend, Sami Zayn, is ready to return to action as well, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

Zayn has been recovering since undergoing double shoulder and rotator cuff surgery back in June. It appears that Zayn is now just waiting for WWE to work on a way to bring him back.

It is unknown if Zayn will return as a face and work with Owens, or continue working as a heel. It is also not known what brand he will be appearing on.

Throughout the time of the injury, Zayn was not rushing to get back into the ring. This past December, Zayn appeared on the Talk is Jericho podcast and stated why he’s not itching to return as soon as he can.

“Maybe I’m overstating my lack of desire to return,” Zayn prefaced. “I do miss performing, but like [Jericho] said, I’ve been doing this a super long time. We’re on the road a lot. [Jericho] know[s] how it is. I just know that when I’ll be back, I’ll probably enjoy it. But I’m not sitting there itching and clawing [to return]. And I don’t know that my employer will want to hear that, like, ‘does this guy not care?’ But, no, I’m not even close [to being cleared to return]. I need a couple more months!”

The former NXT and PWG Champion has been rehabbing inside the Performance Center down in Florida. WWE aired the promo below for his return last December, however have not run any other promos hyping his return since.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens Returning To WWE RAW Soon

Image result for Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens Returning To WWE RAW Soon

WWE announced on last night’s RAW that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will be returning to RAW soon.

Owens has been out of action since undergoing double knee surgery back in October. Sami underwent double shoulder surgery and has been out of action since June. Sami and Owens were involved in a storyline together before Sami was put on the shelf.

Sami took to Twitter and commented on his return:

Sami Zayn Out Of Action Until 2019 With Two Torn Rotator Cuffs

sami zayn wwe injury details shoulder torn rotator cuff cuffs surgery

Raw will be without Sami Zayn for the foreseeable future … as the wrestler revealed both his shoulders are busted and surgery is required before he can return.

Zayn told WWE.com he’s got two torn rotator cuffs and underwent surgery to fix one of them today in Birmingham, Alabama.

“I guess people don’t know about this injury; I’ve been working with it for some time,” Sami explained. “I don’t know exactly when I tore it. I think I tore it, or initially injured it, on a Montreal Live Event. Which is ironic because I injured my left shoulder — now somewhat famously — in Montreal in my [Raw] debut against John Cena. And at a Live Event this past August wrestling Jinder Mahal, I think I injured it then.”

He continued: “But then my left shoulder, a.k.a my bad shoulder, started to act up again as well. That shoulder hasn’t quite been the same since surgery anyway, so I had just kind of gotten used to the fact that that shoulder was the bad one. But it started to get progressively worse, so basically, long story short, it turns out I have two torn rotator cuffs. The left one and the right one are both torn. I just underwent surgery on the right one, and then in about six or seven weeks, I’ll be undergoing surgery on the left one, and hopefully I can come back healthy and happy.”

As we previously reported, Sami traveled to Alabama to determine how serious his shoulder injuries were. Zayn says he learned surgery would be required after getting an MRI on “the bad shoulder.”

No exact return estimate was given, but Sami says he’d like to be “in the mix” for WrestleMania.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Sami Zayn Currently Out Of Action With Injury

Related image

Sami Zayn is currently dealing with an injury, according to PWInsider. Zayn has been working through the injury but is now headed to Birmingham, Alabama this week to have the injury examined.

Sami was booked to take the easy loss to Bobby Lashley at Money In the Bank because of the injury.

No word yet on specifics of the injury but Sami was not at last night’s RAW and Money In the Bank was his last date until he’s able to return. Stay tuned for updates on his status.

Source: WrestlingINC