3 reasons why WWE edited out Sami Zayn's ‘AEW’ comment
WWE Superstar Sami Zayn shocked the world on the first RAW after AEW's Double or Nothing by going against the grain and mentioning the new, upstart promotion - something WWE has previously deliberately avoided at all costs.
Well, AEW definitely did no such thing at Double or Nothing, firing shots at WWE throughout the broadcast, with Cody Rhodes symbolically smashing a very familiar looking throne with a sledgehammer. Did that prompt the reaction from WWE? Or did Sami go off-script?
Well, lone thing is for sure, it definitely got everyone talking. An otherwise tame Electric Chair segment, hosted by Corey Graves, saw Sami Zayn shine as members of the WWE Universe asked him questions, when his 'AEW' line received an audible gasp and chants.
“You could’ve asked me anything. You could’ve asked me about AEW!”
The segment, though, is now completely gone from WWE's YouTube clip, with the company option to edit it out post-production.
So, why edit it out? Well, here are three potential reasons for the decision...
#3 Sami Zayn went off-script
Now, this is clearly the least likely option, but it's not impossible. The Electric Chair segment was almost definitely scripted meticulously from start to finish. With the members of the WWE Universe asking incredibly tame questions, one would have to believe they were stooges being fed questions. I would never assume that, of course, and there's a small chance it's not the case.
Even if those fans were in on the segment, though, and Graves, Charly Caruso and Sara Schreiber all knew exactly what was going on - Zayn's off-the-cuff AEW line may have been made of his own free will, either to take the segment into his own hands, or even possibly to provoke WWE.
With so many Superstars reportedly asking for their release or being unhappy, anything could happen if one of the unhappy Superstars is holding a live microphone. Contractually, of course, it may not be the smartest option, as WWE could sideline them for the remaining duration of their contract.
In which case, let's assume the line was scripted for the final two reasons. While I say it was scripted, of course not everyone has to be in on it, and there's every chance Corey Graves either didn't know, or is just very believable in how he quickly cut off the segment...