"They won't stop... this is insane" - Backstage reaction to Elias and Kevin Owens' WWE RAW segment
Kazeem Famuyide, a former WWE writer, recently reflected on the loud reaction that Kevin Owens and Elias received during their memorable RAW segment in Seattle.
On the October 1, 2018 episode of RAW, Elias made fun of the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team’s move to Oklahoma City a decade earlier. The Seattle crowd reacted with heavy boos for the next six minutes, prompting WWE producer Kevin Dunn to turn the arena lights back on.
Famuyide, who came up with the promo idea, said on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast that Dunn was taken aback by the overwhelmingly negative reaction. He also revealed that Owens thanked him after the segment:
“I had no idea they were gonna react the way that they did," said Famuyide. "I had Kevin Dunn in my ear yelling, ‘They won’t stop… this is insane.’ They were putting the house lights back on just to get them to keep booing... Because Kevin [Owens] is not a huge sports guy, as soon as he comes back in the back he gives me a big hug.”
"It doesn't make sense... It's like having a basketball team in Seattle." 😮👀
@IAmEliasWWE @FightOwensFight
#WWERaw, 10/1/18 👇 https://t.co/qI3U7NYuzk
In hindsight, Famuyide wishes he had told Lio Rush to mention Seattle SuperSonics legends Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp later in the segment. Owens (with Elias) went on to defeat Bobby Lashley (with Rush) that night.
Kazeem Famuyide created another memorable WWE moment
What would #TheNewDay's 5-TIME CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION be without...KING @BookerT5x?! #SDLive https://t.co/jdFOelZKPw
Five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T welcomed The New Day into The Five-Timers Club on the August 28, 2018 episode of SmackDown. The idea was based on "Saturday Night Live" inducting celebrities into The Five-Timers Club when they have hosted the entertainment show five times.
Kazeem Famuyide said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon enjoyed the segment, which took place shortly after The New Day became five-time Tag Team Champions:
“That was the first time I got like a real [congratulations]," Famuyide continued. "Vince comes up and is like, ‘That was good, that was good. That was funny.’ We got the Booker spinaroonie, we got to make fun of [Byron] Saxton a little bit. We got the Big E joke. It was just really fun and it was the first segment on SmackDown, so there was a lot of pressure.”
Three-and-a-half years later, The New Day are now 11-time Tag Team Champions. Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods were also named the greatest tag team of all time in a WWE Network series in 2021.
Please credit The Sessions and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.