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Monday 7 November 2016 – EBWF Monday Night Warfare – Allstate Arena – Rosemont; Illinois
Sami Zayn: Ah yeah, right there, still a little bit of pain.
The camera caught Sami wincing in pain, as he was sat on the chair in his wrestling gear, and still bandaged up from what happened at Fanniversary. Before his match could even begin, the cameras caught him knocked out cold backstage and his match with Randy Orton never went ahead. Dr. Hope Clemente was then in shot, checking up on Sami’s shoulder, a part he’s injured on numerous occasions during his career.
Dr. Hope Clemente: How much is a little bit, Sami?
Sami winced again, despite trying his best not to.
Sami Zayn: You know, just a little bit, it still moves fine.
Dr. Hope Clemente: Well, there’s a “little bit”, or there’s an injury there to an extent where you can’t be cleared to compete tonight, which one is it, it doesn’t sound like a “little bit” to me, in my expert opinion.
Sami Zayn: Look, I’ve been in here with you more times than I care to remember. Each and every single time, I sit here and I wince in pain, then you tell me you’re going to have to tell them I can’t compete, and then eventually you give in and clear me to wrestle, I’m begging you now, not tonight, not in this match.
Dr. Hope Clemente: I can’t keep doing these favours for you, Sami. You know that, and the end of the day, if your shoulder is hurt to an extent where I don’t think you can compete, and I let you go out there against Jimmy and Baron, and you hurt yourself even more, it’s my ass on the line, not yours.
Sami Zayn: Think of it this way, I’m not going out there for 45 minutes for a Hell in a Cell match that’s up in flames. It’s a tag team match, which means if I can’t go at full speed, I’ll still have Alex there to lighten the load, and I’m sure Jimmy and Baron will get the hint as well to go a little easy.
Dr. Hope Clemente: Still gotta do these test, Sami. No more sob stories I’m afraid.
Sami begrudgingly sat there with a sulk on his face, as Dr. Clemente continued to test out his shoulder. As she came towards the end of it, we saw Renee Young walk into the shot with a microphone, waiting to hear whether Sami would be able to compete.
Dr. Hope Clemente: Well from what I can see, it looks like you can just about compete tonight, and I mean it, it’s close. You’ve injured that shoulder repeatedly, aggravate it further and you could be on the side lines for a little while, so I’d be careful out there, if I were you. Other than that, you’re ready to go and compete in your match tonight, thankfully, whoever took you out didn’t decide to take you out of action completely, so we’ll get you a new set of bandages on it, for you, sound good?
Sami Zayn: That’s the best I could hope for, thanks Doc.
She proceeded to put a new set of bandages on Sami, as Renee approached him.
Renee Young: Sami, a lot of people have been worried about all of this, and the events that unfolded at Fanniversary. Any information you have about the attack you suffered?
Sami exhaled, thanking Hope once more as she finished up and walk out, as Sami managed to put on his Harrington jacket over one arm, and not the other.
Sami Zayn: I…I’ve lost count on how many times it’s happened. I think the only difference this time is that it was more cowardly than before, whoever it was decided they didn’t want to get caught and gloat that they took me out of my match. I guess we can rule Randy out, though. I mean, I was looking forward to our match, and I can only apologise that I couldn’t make it to the ring and that we couldn’t give the fans a match they deserved, because he and I both know we would have torn the roof off the place. But, maybe some other time I guess.
Renee Young: Any idea or suspicions you may have over who it could be?
Sami Zayn: It could have been anyone, Renee. It could have been you for all I know. I’m not going to go all Sherlock Holmes and try to figure out who it was, where would that get me? I can’t go around accusing anybody either, but yeah, I have my suspicions. Whoever it was clearly doesn’t want me in a particular situation, whether that be at the top of the card, or in title matches, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’ve had issues with a particular group these last few weeks, and it just so happens we’re sharing a ring tonight. Now, I’m not saying it was one or all of them, I’m just saying I won’t be surprised if it was, because that’s them in a nutshell.
Renee Young: At least we do have some good news, you have been cleared to compete tonight, and it sounded like it was from the skin of your teeth as well. It’s a strange one for you tonight, you’re teaming with Alex Riley tonight and the two of you have been o opposite ends, usually when he’s out there supporting The Miz.
Sami Zayn: Yeah, I heard about that. It is a weird one, but hey, I’m not going to complain. I like Alex, I hope he milks this one for as long as he can, it’ll be nice to see The Miz as the butt of the joke for once and treated like a monkey. I can’t lie, there’s perhaps no chemistry between Alex and I, but I’m sure we can find a way to get through the match and who knows, maybe for once, having The Miz in my corner can be beneficial. That’s something I never thought would happen, ever.
Renee Young: Do you think you and Alex stand a good chance of winning against a bona fide team in Jimmy Havoc and Baron Corbin?
Sami Zayn: I think so, I don’t see why not? Stranger things have happened and we could spring out with a surprise or two of our own. We’ve seen some tension in their camp lately, maybe that’s something we can target and take advantage of. If not, I still feel I have enough in my tonight to out-wrestle them both, and show them that even with one arm, I’m better than they’ll ever be. So yeah, I’m not going to stand out there wondering how we’re going to work together, I know I’m good and Alex is coming off a massive win, and he has the momentum on his side and has a point to prove that he was always this great…animal hidden away and held down. It’s time to unleash that, show the world what you have, and what better way to do it than to take out two champions. I’m looking forward to seeing what he has to bring, just as much as I’m looking forward to kicking that stupid smile off of Jimmy’s face.
Renee Young: As confident as the two of you do sound, why is it these fans should believe that you stand a chance against as you said, two champions from this company?
Sami Zayn: Renee, me and Baron defeated Edge and Randy this year. Think about that, as I said, strange things have happened and they’ll continue to happen. Anybody can beat anyone in this company, and we’ve seen that this year more so than any. I have one final point to prove against The Broken, just one guy left to beat and that’s who I’ll be focusing on tonight. They’ll want to prove they’re still to be taken seriously, and Alex has a point to prove that he’s the best-kept secret in the EBWF. I know which camp I’d rather be in.
Renee Young: So, what are your thoughts on Jimmy and Baron? The titles changed hands at Fanniversary, momentum is still on their side as well…
Sami Zayn: Let's be honest, who is Jimmy Havoc anyway? I think the ridicuously quiet reactions on a weekly basis tells you what these people think of him. That's when the concession lines are full and they're quieing to use the bathrooms, that's his level in this company, he can't be included in the the conversation with, let's say, the elite of the company, hell, even I'm trying to get there. That tells you where he's currently at, so what he does in his pathetic little life doesn't bother me. But...I’m excited about facing them, let’s see if they can continue that momentum. They’ve done everything they said they will so far, and to me it seems like it’s going to be an easy ride for them to the top. I can tell you they won’t get there that easily with me still here. They can switch titles as many times as they want to me, it makes no difference to me until they put a title on the line against me, and I take it from them. I’ve beaten some of them before, and it’s just about shutting their mouthpiece and the brains up, once that’s done, perhaps they’ll wake up and realise they’ve been following a phoney and sooner or later, Jimmy will be in the dark matches with nobody to turn to.
Renee Young: The last couple of times you’ve mentioned them in that sort of light, they’ve stepped up and proved you wrong, is that the tactic tonight?
Sami Zayn: What good is it beating a subpar Broken? We want the best version of them, and the best way to do that is to rile them up, make them feel worthless and make them doubt themselves. I know it’ll piss them off, I know they’ll target me and this shoulder and probably take me out of action for a couple of weeks, but a win makes all of that worth it, and that’s what I plan on doing tonight. Win, at any costs. They won't be able to live with us tonight, hat'll be another promise Jimmy has broken.
Renee Young: You and Jimmy have been in a war of words lately as well, he beat you, and PJ Black, he thinks he deserves to be the champion, and not you and he’s hit out at your character as well. How do you respond to that?
Sami Zayn: Jimmy is being…Jimmy I guess. This is what makes him feel alive, relevant and worthy. He doesn’t have anything in himself to show for it, instead he chooses to attack others to make himself feel better, and that’s okay because he’s not the first to say it and he certainly won’t be the last. Nobody cares what the latest emo kid to walk through those doors has to say because he had a tough time as a teenager, and sure, in my bubble I talk about succeeding and defeating Chris or AJ for the World Championship. But…what has Jimmy done to warrant a position in that conversation? He thinks one victory over me and PJ puts him at the top? No, that means he’s content with being damn average because deep down he knows that’s where his level is, and that’s where it’ll remain because when you strip all of the theatrics away and you put he and I in a ring once again, I can put my career on the line and tell you that it’ll be walking away victorious. So talk about my bubbles and my success, but the fact is that my lowest days in this business are still more successful and relevant than he is, or ever will be. You think I need somebody by my side at all times? No, because I’m not a bitch to have someone bigger than me hold my hand and protect me when a threat does some along, and then stand at the front when everybody does the dirty work for him. So fine, go ahead and soak in the one victory he has over me, I really couldn’t care. When it comes down to it, Jimmy isn’t good enough, and while I’m around, he’ll never reach the top. If and when he does, then I’ll admit in the middle of that ring that Jimmy Havoc finally freakin’ made it. So you can bitch, and cry, and dissect rats in your Mom’s basement but you should know, I AM the threat, I’ll always be the threat, and you’ll always be underneath me. If he thinks he’s on my level because of one victory he has over me, boy, is he going to struggle when the going gets tough. I’m done, he can celebrate the little wins in life, when he has a World Title around his waist, then we’ll engage in conversation, and only then I’ll think maybe he matters to me and this company. Until then, he’ll always be useless.
Renee Young: Thank you for your time, Sami and good luck in your match tonight.
Sami Zayn: Thanks, Renee.
Renee walked away as Sami continued to look on the ground, circling his arm in great pain, trying to deal with it, knowing it would get much worse in the ring.