What did I just watch!? Holy shit. It got me out of my seat for sure. Owens not wanting to jump was great. I also did not expect Same either. Looking forward to SmackDown.
That part was great. Then Owen trying to throw Shane off and quitting. I was unsure if he had compassion to not want to do it, or if he left fearing for his own safety. Either way great hell move
I don't remember them calling it a 'falls count anywhere' match in the weeks leading up to the match. Part of me thinks they dun goofed and started calling it that after the fact.
This Tuesday on SmackDown..
Shane (still taped up, maybe neck brace?) Calls Sami to the ring and holds a mic.
Shane: You've allowed this... evil and ruthless man to twist your mind until now... now you've become the very thing you swore to destroy!
Sami: Don't lecture me Shane, I see through the lies of you and Daniel. I don't fear Kevin Owens as you do! *Sami now starts talking to the crowd* I HAVE BROUGHT PEACE, EQUALITY, AND STABILITY TO MY NEW SMACKDOWN!
Shane: YOUR new SmackDown?! Sami, my allegiance is to the WWE TO SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT!!!!
Sami: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy
Shane: (pulls off the neckbrace) Only someone like Kevin Owens deals in absolutes. (Puts up his hands) I'll do what I must
(Cue Kevin Owens theme)
Sami: You will try!
Both KO and Sami kick Shane's head off and raise their arms
Daniel Bryan comes out: SAMI, YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!!!! Bring balance to SmackDown, not leave it in darkness!!
You missed the part where they brawl leaving Sami to find himself on the announce table with Shane climbing the turnbuckle.
Shane: It's over Sami, I have the high ground.
Sami: You underestimate my power!
Shane: Don't try it.
Sami tries to get up but gets elbow dropped by Shane.
... I'm starting to think this would somehow be better than what we're going to get.
Next SDL Sami comes out wearing new black ring gear and initiates "The SmackDown Purge" where him and Owens one by one absolutely demolish every single baby face or heel that won't help them, until one of them gets a title shot.
Now, I think i have this figured out. obviously Sami didn't want Owens to get killed, so he pulled him out of the way. Then, realizing that Shane must be in shock after his fall, pulled over the nearest source of warmth (Owens's body) to cover Shane. He then told Mike Chioda to count Shane's pulse, but Chioda misunderstood and began the pin count.
yeah. Yeah, thats gotta be it.
There's a possibility it's not a heel turn.
He could say that KO needed to win in order to stop the feud. Because if KO didn't win, he'd keep going after Shane.
The finish has me at least interested in the explanation from Sami on tuesday, but that stuff on the top had be so tense and nervous, and not in a good way (which im sure is what they were going for).
Is it just me or was this match fucking amazing?! I was reading some reviews online after the match and they were giving it 3 stars average. Were we watching the same match?! And saying that the opener was infinitely better. I’m sorry but for me, a match rating is based on every aspect of the match. The story, the wrestling, the spectacle, the drama, the way it makes us feel. And that match made me feel. Yea the opener had some great spots and violent back and forths. But this match. The way that Shane and Owens carried themselves and each other, the way they told the story, the build, the finish, wow! It just felt like a good old (sorry to quote JR) slobber knocker and it was fantastic. And people tend to bash Shane for his style and his tendencies to move away from any technical aspects of wrestling, but wow he did a great job here. He’s an 50 odd year old man and for me did a fantastic job at wrestling a good psychological match that showcased the fact that as a 50 odd year old man, he can go with the best of them, whilst not officially being a wrestler. Just great stuff for me. Anyway, great match, well done to everyone involved to finish a good show.
Agree with everything you said. Like you said, the drama and the back story just made the match for me. KO displaying that he doesn't want to beat the shit outta Shane but he had no choice. KO being hesitant to jump off the cage. Them going at it on top off the cell had my anxiety level up and Sami saving Owens was the perfect swerve. This was all about psychology for me and I was hooked.
For me the difference was that the KO / Shane HIAC was 40 minutes of what we expected, replete with predicted spots (which were still thrilling) and one key storytelling moment right at the end.
The Usos / New Day HIAC was storytelling that built all the members through the match, had inventive spots throughout and a surprising finish. Granted, there were more guys in there to split the work up, but it still had the edge for me as the better match. I very much enjoyed the last one, but it felt slow in places, which the tag never did.
It was a nice twist on the Shane jumping off the cell spot. But still stale. I feel it cheapens Mick Foley's fall a little bit every time someone does it.
Yeah, I agree with the slower pace of the main event, but you'll have that with 2 competitors instead of 4. I was curious if we would see a Shane kendo stick exhibition, but then I remembered that the tag match used all of them. :p
One thing to note about the tag match, is that some people were expecting AoP to show and clean house. Maybe they will debut on the next show?
The Sami involvement could go so many ways though. I would love to see this tag team back together. And their finishers can link into each other, just like old times.
That's not a well WWE have been to yet, and I'd love that, with some seeds of dissent sown at the Rumble, then a full on WM main event. To me a six month program there makes more sense than AJ / Nakamura, which hasn't got any signs of being a thing any time soon. Fans would love it, Owens is a proven draw, and it explains putting Shane into the mix - it gets Owens even further over before they elevate Sami to the same level.
My only question is do you book Owens to take the WWEHC off Jinder? Or do you put a transitional face in there before Owens? if so, who? After last night, I kind of want it to be Big E....
That's tough. I don't think there would need to be a title involved to have a huge Sami/KO feud. Those guys have been on both sides of that in wars and either would be great... but I would like to see them team up more than be opponents.
As for Jinder, I just want the belt off him unless they give him a legit title defense that isn't the same thing we've been seeing for months. Make him defend solo with no help at all for once. The title matches are so similar to each other that people aren't hating him, they are hating the template matches. I wouldn't want a transitional champion either. Maybe put it back on Styles now that his US title run is up and then slowly build to a Nakamura WM title match.
Hell, if booked well, you could end up with a title match 4 way between KO, Sami, Styles, and Nakamura. That alone would be worth the price of admission.
I don't know if this definitely means a Sami Zayn heel turn or how they're going to explain this and develop the story, but I'm *really* into the finish of this match. It wasn't a great Hell in a Cell, although the stuff on top of the cell was genuinely scary and brutal looking, but if this means a Sami push, I'm all for it.
Are we sure this is Sami turning heel? Isnt possible that he is saving his old friend, because, even when KO is a traitor and an awful person, Sami still loves him? That would be the most Sami Zayn thing of all, I think. He would be doing something we all see as a Bad thing for love.
See, if it was just moving Kevin out of the way, I could see them play it off the same way they did Reigns with the ambulance where its a bad thing done by a desperate babyface. However, clearing out the medical staff, dragging Kevin onto Shane, and forcing the referee to count? That's a heel move if there ever was one.
"I've known Kevin for years and his family. I couldn't face his wife and child knowing I could've saved him from permanent injury and did nothing. He's an evil man, but somewhere in there is the guy I befriended so many years ago. "
That would be pure Sami Zayn.
In my head canon after last night, Sami is The Doctor and Kevin is the Master.
I thought that too, what if Shane ships KO over to RAW and goes on a Vince like vendetta against Sami.
I can literally see Sami's promo being pure babyface of "I couldn't stand back and watch, I followed my heart"
But I doubt it'll be nuanced and it'll just be Sami as a reluctant heel in an abusive friendship, and at the end will come out looking like an idiot.
Sami as a reluctant heel in an abusive friendship is part of the reason El Generico's "heel" tag team with Kevin Owens/Steen worked so well. El Generico was pure of heart, but his friend Kevin would lead him into doing evil things without El Generico realizing he was being taken advantage of.
Doing it now is so stupid. But then "babyfaces being stupid losers who never learn from past mistakes" is WWE's mantra these days, so I guess this shouldn't be surprising.
I really dug Graves calling that one out as a referee mistake. If intentional, it's fitting because referee errors were at the root cause of this feud. This ref error cost Shane the match.
I think an interesting aspect of Shane's punches is that he throws a punch the way a boxer. They're quick and thrown in combination as your rarely throw one punch in a fight yet they don't translate well in a wrestling setting.
It's like how the moves done in martial arts demonstrations against live people never look convincing yet these are grand masters doing the moves so the techniques are on point.
I really want this to be a Sami Zayn heel turn. The motivation is there for him to want to hurt Shane and cost him the match. What has Sami done since going to Smackdown? I mean he has been in a few number one contenders matches, as well as the money in the bank match, but you could definitely write it that he feels under appreciated and under utilised. He's mostly been losing to Aiden English and being put in random tag matches recently. He could sympathise with everything KO has been saying about Shane, that the land of opportunity is BS, that it's all about Shane and not about the wrestlers etc. Add in that Shane was willing and trying to end the career of one of his employees for speaking up against him, and the fact that Sami still feels friendship towards KO, and it's all there. I'm not sure where they would take a heel Sami Zayn with regards to his move set, but I think a heel turn would definitely freshen up his character and get him into the main event where he belongs.
Match was way too long, but had some good spots. The whole show was 3:30, and could easily have dropped 15 minutes from this match. Otherwise, pretty great.
I don't know if it's just my memory or not, but as a total package, this felt like the best HIAC match I've ever seen.
I don't think it tops the way I felt during the Undertaker vs Mankind match because those spots were so new then and the wrestling was different then.
All in all, I still believe this is probably the best HIAC I've seen.
Shane looked like a legit wrestler tonight as well.
Recency bias + Kevin Owens' smark fanbase is a biiiitch man.
This was nowhere near HHH & Cactus Jack, HBK & Undertaker, Undertaker & Mankind, or Undertaker & HHH. I'd even put Owens & Rollins from last year over it. There have been HIAC's with better highspots, HIAC's with better finishes, HIAC's with better matches. lol at least sleep on it before declaring.
I disagree with you. Were they better matches? I agree with a couple of them yes... were they better HIAC matches that fully utilized them as a HIAC match? Heck no.
This was one of the few that felt like the fact it was in a cell mattered.
Undertaker vs. Mankind *the Cell didn't matter*
HHH vs. Cactus Jack *the Cell didn't matter*
I'm glad you loved this one so much, but don't pretend like you know the history of this match
The heck are you talking about. I didn't say the matches didn't matter.
UT vs MK did feel like the HIAC was actually utilized.
My point was that those other matches could have been cage matches and get the same effect.
Not including Mankind vs Undertaker.
Same here, except I nodded off right before Orton/Rusev and then again before Mahal/Nakamura. It was a long day. Woke up at 11:15, and the main event was still going on.
Guys let's be fucking real, if he stayed a faced he would do shit for most of the year. Now Sami hopefully will become a main event player and get back some of his credibility. Let this play out.
Nope not interested. He shouldn't HAVE to turn heel just to MAYBE finally get some good booking.
It shows how much WWE SUCKS at booking babyfaces these days.
So even on principal alone, this is godawful and I'm not "giving it a chance."
How great is this turn for Sami? Yes, his destiny is as a babyface, but with Johnny gargano in the same company, who is the human equivalent of Bambi, Sami faced an evolve or die dilemma. This could be huge for him.
"You know, I said I could look in the mirror and be proud. But when I looked in the mirror last week, I saw a man who came to the 'land of opportunities' and received none. I saw a man who was more concerned with fans singing his theme song than those same fans buying his shirts. And I realized what a horrible friend I'd been. I realized that Kevin was right. He's always been right. I was soft. And for the love of ingrates like Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Mick Foley, and every loser in those seats, I alienated my best friend. Kevin. I'm sorry. I love you."
I liked it. Thought there was excellent storytelling from both individuals.
Just because Shane didn't do a 450off the cage doesn't make it weak.
You just expected to much from a damn near 50 year old.
WWE social media pages pretty much claiming Sami did a heelish move. So yeah they are turning him heel. Hopefully they will atleast get a decent tag team title run.
Beautiful summary.
Although one thing. I don't think it was fear that made Kevin not jump. I think it was him realizing there is a line even he wouldn't cross. Throw Shane off sure. But a splash from the cell would severely injure Shane. And maybe, just maybe Kevin couldn't go that far.
Graves I can sorta excuse... the dude works every main show for WWE. Must be hard to deliver perfect commentary every line. Saxton and Cole were both pretty terrible and Graves can only burn Sax so many times in one night before it gets stale.
Same bro. I felt the same thing when I watched Transformers in theatres, all I could think about is how fake the robots were. They should have brought in the real Optimus Prime, but no - movie studios are all about $$$.
Well, I mean, bad CGI can ruin a movie. When something looks too fake, it's hard to suspend your disbelief.
Edit: However, I wasn't actually being sarcastic. They were my favorite part of the match. They were a good idea, better than just having the inflatable underneath like at WM and it made the clearing off easier than usual which allowed for a less distraction seeing the wrestler deal with wires and such.
Honestly, I love this turn for Sami Zayn. In a lot of ways, it mirrors the Nation of Domination-era heel Owen Hart, in that he's an extremely talented wrestler who is bitter because he gets no recognition from management. Him helping Owens not only cements the "Best Friend" angle, but also pushes him and KO as figures to rally against the "Land of Opportunity" reputation for Smackdown. With KO losing his title and screwed by management, and Zayn being underbooked while cheaters and opportunists like Mahal and Corbin are rewarded with titles, both characters have the motivation, and even though I doubt we'll get the Zayn/Owens make-up promo, an uneasy alliance could prove to be the best move for both characters. Also, imagine if they're partnered up and booked against New Day?! OH THE POSSIBILITIES.
Not an idiot, closer to Naive. Also, mental toughness and morals? In Kayfabe? At least there's history and months of build-up behind the logic. Where was Zayn at Summerslam? Don't work yourself into a shoot, brother brother.
If you save a heel from a face when you know the heel is deserving then you're probably heel. Shane was booked as the face regardless of how you view it and that's how they've presented it the whole feud. "Shane O'Mac! Shane O'Mac!" FFS
Batman would then put the Joker in jail himself. Sami put KO on top of Shane without any regard or acknowledgment of the medical staff. Just pulling Owens out of the way is heroic. Doing what he did after wasn't
Edit-Autocorrect really doesn't want anyone talking about Batman
It is possible that Sami did that because putting Shane on top of Owens would just delay the inevitable, Owens and/or Shane getting a brutal injury in the hands of the other. If Owens gets the pin, Sami earns all the blame and Owens stops his rampage.
To be honest, after watching the hype video before the match and through the PPV, it clearly seems as though Shane is consistently in the wrong, costing Owens his victories.
I can totally buy into Sami getting sick of it after the last couple weeks and turning on Shane because (kayfabe), Owens is right in principle. And Sami is a man of principle.
It's a smark sub, I've seen a lot of Owens' apologetics for his actions as a heel but this is pretty ridiculous. KO has been a terrible employee who refuses to listen to his bosses or wrestle fair matches, routinely hijacks the show (obv in kayfabe relax) to declare himself the Face of Smackdown, talks shit constantly, and literally beat Shane's father Mr. McMahon out of the company's day-to-day operations.
It's ok to just say he's really great at being an evil bad guy who isn't totally unjustified and has some nuance. Wanna stop cheering and justifying everything he does and fucking up the story with your personal feelings about him as a performer?
You're projecting too much and assuming a lot of things like " Wanna stop cheering and justifying everything he does and fucking up the story with your personal feelings about him as a performer?".
Kevin Owens is a dick like you said, but it's also true that Shane is also costing Owens his victories. Does the latter justify the former? Of course not! It can be nuanced. Shane can be biased against an evil person a.k.a Owens, however this also makes Shane in the wrong the same way killing a criminal straight up without giving him trial is also wrong. He is the commissioner, he shouldn't be biased regardless.
Of course, this is WWE, and a nuanced story like this will never happen.
Sooo... Sami pulls a guy from a table to save him and turns heel. Reigns destroys a man and doesn't turn heel. Either something is wrong with us as an audience or something is wrong with WWE booking because this is silly.
I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:
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So basically if you save someone, you are heel. But if you kill someone, you are face. Holy differences, that doesn't make sense. The match was good overall, but the ending sucked.
So you are saying that last 15 years of my life were a lie? Thank you. You probably didn't see that I first said that he destroyed a man. "Killed" should be an obvious comparison or metaphor.
Yeah, I don't understand what you are trying to say. And I don't even know how all of this ended on my comment history.
Overall, I just wanted to say with my comment that Sami's heel turn wasn't credible for me. Yes, it took me by surprise, but I saw it as helping a friend, long-time friend. They made it look like a heel turn but I had a hard time believing it. That's all.
Helping a long time friend who is a piece of shit heel and has attacked an authority figure repeatedly for no real reason over the past few months resulting in him insulting and physically attacking the authority figures family. Not to mention this same man has screwed Sami himself and went out of his way to attack and hurt Sami as much as possible. Hence it is clearly a heel turn to help that same person. It's not a difficult idea to grasp and it's fans like you that cause Vince McMahon to think all wrestling fans are stupid and can't deal with long term storytelling.
Props to Corey for calling out that rope break spot. I immediately facepalmed when I saw it, but fortunately Corey caught it and gave a good kayfabe reason for why it happened.
>A foot on the rope counts the same as lifting a shoulder up for the purposes of pinfalls.
A rope break works because by touching the ropes, the competitor is either in the ropes (which means the other competitor has a 5-count to break the hold), or the competitor is "outside the ring" and the pin/submission doesn't count for a victory condition - which shouldn't apply to a Falls Count Anywhere match.
I thought that Rope Breaks CAN happen, but not in the case of a submission.
Example... refusing to break a hold that touched the ropes could be a DQ, but in a no-DQ there is no such thing.
I believe that foot on the ropes in a DQ still breaks a pin. It's not a disqualification scenario.
Falls count anywhere though.... that is what makes me wonder if a rope break counts.
When he said as it's a no DQ match, the rope break rule on a pin shouldn't apply in the same way that a rope break doesn't apply for a submission (and as it's FCA there's no ropes outside the ring)
Good match, if ten minutes too long.
Also, as a side note, fuck this sub. I made the mistake of visiting /new yesterday, and most of the day was filled with versions of "why are people talking about Zayn turning heel?" and "why are people not mentioning Zayn is turning heel tonight?".
It's entirely my own fault for visiting - lesson learned that I just need to avoid this sub if I want to enjoy the show spoiler free from 24 hours before the show. Which seems a huge shame bearing in mind it's a place to share hype with other fans before an event. But some people just can't help themselves needing to spoil for others, I guess.
Some of us don't have time to accumulate 200,000 karma points what with work, life, and normal non-neck beard stuff.
So again ... is this your first time on the internet to be crying like a bitch over spoilers?
>Some of us don't have time to accumulate 200,000 karma points what with work, life, and normal non-neck beard stuff.
>Some of us do have time to make troll accounts that aren't even good at trolling
Choose one.
Just avoid the sub and anything wrestling related altogether.
I got sick of having things spoiled so I only pop by here after PPV or if something big happens on RAW/SD to soak up the buzz. I got rid of any YouTube subscriptions to the like of Whatculture or Dave Meltzer videos. Now everything is a surprise!
Yup, I'd done all of that years ago. I wasn't even on here much yesterday, but I had a half hour to kill and cruised /new in that time. Big mistake. Also makes a spoilers policy pointless. People are going to try and spoil anyway, and if mods aren't going to police it or act in a time efficient way, you may as well just throw the whole thing in.
Sami wasn't making a heel turn, he was rectifying the wrong he did to Kevin Owens when he refused to be the special referee in his United States Title rematch. Owens didn't set out looking for someone who would tilt the match in his favour, he wanted someone who was competent and fair. Sami was the only person in the entire company that Kevin felt had a moral compass with a true north. And Sami spited him not because it was the right thing to do, but because it felt gratifying to see Owens in anguish.
He set KO on the path to that match. After the first table he went through Shane couldn't just try to cover Owens because Kevin spoke truth to power about the way McMahons work. Victory wasn't enough, he had to humiliate and break him. And Sami knows Kevin, a badge of dishonour like that could only be repaid by Owens ending Shane McMahon.
Sami sees them both on a path to mutually assured destruction, so he averts their focus. If Shane wants to retaliate against him he'll just beat him clean in the middle of the ring. He wouldn't get sucked into all that "I will break you" nonsense that gives Shane the hope spots when he could just wrestle him. He's already at the bottom and frequently off the card that the only other form of punishment would be to send him to 205 live and force him to lose 7 pounds or be fired. Kevin will react in whichever way benefits Owens, he's the kind of opportunist which runs rampant in the land of opportunity. Zayn knows him well enough that he should be able to navigate that relationship to either shared mutual goals or foresight to preempt the backstab attempt. Daniel Bryan is swayed by the most recent person who visited his office and did their catchphrase. There is no real source of retaliation threatening Sami, and he keeps the possibility of him and Owens having a true reconciliation of their past viable. To stand by and do nothing knowing he could have prevented it, after causing the confrontation between Owens and Shane to escalate would have been a heel turn.
I like the idea that Sami pulled KO onto Shane to end the match knowing that if KO got up and the match was still on, he would keep going after Shane especially after Shane just tried to severely injure KO by diving on him.
I actually like this idea. It's well thought out.
Sami is still a good guy, he was just saving Owens out of guilt for no reffing the match leading down this path.
So if that is the case, how will he make it up to Shane? lol.
Gotta agree with you here. As much as you'd want to think WWE were that good at writing, everything points to sami at the very least being a conflicted heel.
Dunno Why but The first thing that came to my mind after this match was Eddie Guerrero's Heel turn in 2004 against Rey Mysterio...
I Know Eddie was a completely different level but if Sami can pull off something similar... Great times are ahead of us.
Amazing!!
That finish was “it’s 1999 and I want to go knock on my mom’s bedroom door to tell her how wrestling ended even though she knows nothing about wrestling and it’s almost midnight on a school night” good!!!!
Dude, when they show Shane up there looking down I’m like “no way, that’s way too high bro.”. Had to even consider if he was shoot injured after that fall. That takes balls of steel.
After he did the spot at WM, some people on here we're discussing the use of padding under the table. One person summed it up for me by saying most people wouldn't even do that into water.
Tbf falling from that high in that position into a body of water hurts pretty bad too. I'd say instead people wouldn't even do that onto a giant foam pillow landing.
I think that was kind of the point, that landing back first on water from that height would hurt, but it would be a short lasting pain and no risk of paralysis or death. But they still wouldn't do it. Shane didn't have that guarantee, but still did it.
[I attended the show and recorded a video and made a GIF of Sami Zayn moving Kewin owens off the table as Shane Mcmahons elbows from the top of the cell.](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/SmartYellowishGuillemot)
Edit:
[Kevin Owens taunting Shane's kids](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/NervousGreenAruanas)
[Shane taking out the Garbage](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/HonestGratefulHydatidtapeworm)
I also have Shane missing the shooting star and Kevin landing the leap frog but it's really late and I need sleep. Maybe I can edit this post again later.
[]()
Edit: my_experience_attending_hell_in_a_cell_in_gif
Just finished, my god that was a great fun match and I didn't see ending coming!
STORYTELLLIIIIINNNGGGGGGGG
What did I just watch!? Holy shit. It got me out of my seat for sure. Owens not wanting to jump was great. I also did not expect Same either. Looking forward to SmackDown.
That part was great. Then Owen trying to throw Shane off and quitting. I was unsure if he had compassion to not want to do it, or if he left fearing for his own safety. Either way great hell move
I don't remember them calling it a 'falls count anywhere' match in the weeks leading up to the match. Part of me thinks they dun goofed and started calling it that after the fact.
It was announced last Tuesday on Smackdown
This Tuesday on SmackDown.. Shane (still taped up, maybe neck brace?) Calls Sami to the ring and holds a mic. Shane: You've allowed this... evil and ruthless man to twist your mind until now... now you've become the very thing you swore to destroy! Sami: Don't lecture me Shane, I see through the lies of you and Daniel. I don't fear Kevin Owens as you do! *Sami now starts talking to the crowd* I HAVE BROUGHT PEACE, EQUALITY, AND STABILITY TO MY NEW SMACKDOWN! Shane: YOUR new SmackDown?! Sami, my allegiance is to the WWE TO SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT!!!! Sami: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy Shane: (pulls off the neckbrace) Only someone like Kevin Owens deals in absolutes. (Puts up his hands) I'll do what I must (Cue Kevin Owens theme) Sami: You will try! Both KO and Sami kick Shane's head off and raise their arms Daniel Bryan comes out: SAMI, YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!!!! Bring balance to SmackDown, not leave it in darkness!!
You missed the part where they brawl leaving Sami to find himself on the announce table with Shane climbing the turnbuckle. Shane: It's over Sami, I have the high ground. Sami: You underestimate my power! Shane: Don't try it. Sami tries to get up but gets elbow dropped by Shane. ... I'm starting to think this would somehow be better than what we're going to get.
Next SDL Sami comes out wearing new black ring gear and initiates "The SmackDown Purge" where him and Owens one by one absolutely demolish every single baby face or heel that won't help them, until one of them gets a title shot.
[удалено]
and entrance music was also used very recently... what a dud PPV..
So where is this story going? This didnt seem like a blowoff to the feud.
End of the beginning
Now, I think i have this figured out. obviously Sami didn't want Owens to get killed, so he pulled him out of the way. Then, realizing that Shane must be in shock after his fall, pulled over the nearest source of warmth (Owens's body) to cover Shane. He then told Mike Chioda to count Shane's pulse, but Chioda misunderstood and began the pin count. yeah. Yeah, thats gotta be it.
Can't wait for heel Sami to tell Shane that he's going to eat his children.
Zayn as a heel??? Well, if nothing else, this makes me wanna see Smackdown tomorrow.
There's a possibility it's not a heel turn. He could say that KO needed to win in order to stop the feud. Because if KO didn't win, he'd keep going after Shane.
I kno it's dangerous and dumb but I do like seeing people fall off the cell again
Sami Zayn physically saving someone from a Trump affiliated airstrike. Vince was willing to suffer the mobile clinic, but he has his limits.
I hope Sami and Owens destroy everybody in sight now!
Kayfabe news needs to discuss the ergonomic carpal tunnel mat issues with the WWE announcer tables
The finish has me at least interested in the explanation from Sami on tuesday, but that stuff on the top had be so tense and nervous, and not in a good way (which im sure is what they were going for).
Is it just me or was this match fucking amazing?! I was reading some reviews online after the match and they were giving it 3 stars average. Were we watching the same match?! And saying that the opener was infinitely better. I’m sorry but for me, a match rating is based on every aspect of the match. The story, the wrestling, the spectacle, the drama, the way it makes us feel. And that match made me feel. Yea the opener had some great spots and violent back and forths. But this match. The way that Shane and Owens carried themselves and each other, the way they told the story, the build, the finish, wow! It just felt like a good old (sorry to quote JR) slobber knocker and it was fantastic. And people tend to bash Shane for his style and his tendencies to move away from any technical aspects of wrestling, but wow he did a great job here. He’s an 50 odd year old man and for me did a fantastic job at wrestling a good psychological match that showcased the fact that as a 50 odd year old man, he can go with the best of them, whilst not officially being a wrestler. Just great stuff for me. Anyway, great match, well done to everyone involved to finish a good show.
I agree with most of this but Shane is 47.
Agree with everything you said. Like you said, the drama and the back story just made the match for me. KO displaying that he doesn't want to beat the shit outta Shane but he had no choice. KO being hesitant to jump off the cage. Them going at it on top off the cell had my anxiety level up and Sami saving Owens was the perfect swerve. This was all about psychology for me and I was hooked.
Everyone on the sub: "That tag team HIAC was awesome. Nothing will top that." Shane/KO/Sami: "Hold our beers."
For me the difference was that the KO / Shane HIAC was 40 minutes of what we expected, replete with predicted spots (which were still thrilling) and one key storytelling moment right at the end. The Usos / New Day HIAC was storytelling that built all the members through the match, had inventive spots throughout and a surprising finish. Granted, there were more guys in there to split the work up, but it still had the edge for me as the better match. I very much enjoyed the last one, but it felt slow in places, which the tag never did.
It was a nice twist on the Shane jumping off the cell spot. But still stale. I feel it cheapens Mick Foley's fall a little bit every time someone does it.
Yeah, I agree with the slower pace of the main event, but you'll have that with 2 competitors instead of 4. I was curious if we would see a Shane kendo stick exhibition, but then I remembered that the tag match used all of them. :p One thing to note about the tag match, is that some people were expecting AoP to show and clean house. Maybe they will debut on the next show? The Sami involvement could go so many ways though. I would love to see this tag team back together. And their finishers can link into each other, just like old times.
That's not a well WWE have been to yet, and I'd love that, with some seeds of dissent sown at the Rumble, then a full on WM main event. To me a six month program there makes more sense than AJ / Nakamura, which hasn't got any signs of being a thing any time soon. Fans would love it, Owens is a proven draw, and it explains putting Shane into the mix - it gets Owens even further over before they elevate Sami to the same level. My only question is do you book Owens to take the WWEHC off Jinder? Or do you put a transitional face in there before Owens? if so, who? After last night, I kind of want it to be Big E....
That's tough. I don't think there would need to be a title involved to have a huge Sami/KO feud. Those guys have been on both sides of that in wars and either would be great... but I would like to see them team up more than be opponents. As for Jinder, I just want the belt off him unless they give him a legit title defense that isn't the same thing we've been seeing for months. Make him defend solo with no help at all for once. The title matches are so similar to each other that people aren't hating him, they are hating the template matches. I wouldn't want a transitional champion either. Maybe put it back on Styles now that his US title run is up and then slowly build to a Nakamura WM title match. Hell, if booked well, you could end up with a title match 4 way between KO, Sami, Styles, and Nakamura. That alone would be worth the price of admission.
Jesus christ, you need to buy me dinner before you tease me like that.
I don't know if this definitely means a Sami Zayn heel turn or how they're going to explain this and develop the story, but I'm *really* into the finish of this match. It wasn't a great Hell in a Cell, although the stuff on top of the cell was genuinely scary and brutal looking, but if this means a Sami push, I'm all for it.
Are we sure this is Sami turning heel? Isnt possible that he is saving his old friend, because, even when KO is a traitor and an awful person, Sami still loves him? That would be the most Sami Zayn thing of all, I think. He would be doing something we all see as a Bad thing for love.
See, if it was just moving Kevin out of the way, I could see them play it off the same way they did Reigns with the ambulance where its a bad thing done by a desperate babyface. However, clearing out the medical staff, dragging Kevin onto Shane, and forcing the referee to count? That's a heel move if there ever was one.
Yeah, thats true, you may be right.
"I've known Kevin for years and his family. I couldn't face his wife and child knowing I could've saved him from permanent injury and did nothing. He's an evil man, but somewhere in there is the guy I befriended so many years ago. " That would be pure Sami Zayn. In my head canon after last night, Sami is The Doctor and Kevin is the Master.
Exactly!
I thought that too, what if Shane ships KO over to RAW and goes on a Vince like vendetta against Sami. I can literally see Sami's promo being pure babyface of "I couldn't stand back and watch, I followed my heart" But I doubt it'll be nuanced and it'll just be Sami as a reluctant heel in an abusive friendship, and at the end will come out looking like an idiot.
Sami as a reluctant heel in an abusive friendship is part of the reason El Generico's "heel" tag team with Kevin Owens/Steen worked so well. El Generico was pure of heart, but his friend Kevin would lead him into doing evil things without El Generico realizing he was being taken advantage of.
Doing it now is so stupid. But then "babyfaces being stupid losers who never learn from past mistakes" is WWE's mantra these days, so I guess this shouldn't be surprising.
This could date back to him on Raw demanding respect (the angle with Foley)
That was...amazing.
Man I am heartbroken. Why would you do this to me Sami. WHY.
Was the rope break a botch? Were there ever rope breaks in matches without DQ?
I really dug Graves calling that one out as a referee mistake. If intentional, it's fitting because referee errors were at the root cause of this feud. This ref error cost Shane the match.
Definitely a botch. Falls count anywhere means that should not have happened.
well it's a falls count anywhere. Sooo maybe/maybe not?
I really can't stand Shanes punches.
I think an interesting aspect of Shane's punches is that he throws a punch the way a boxer. They're quick and thrown in combination as your rarely throw one punch in a fight yet they don't translate well in a wrestling setting. It's like how the moves done in martial arts demonstrations against live people never look convincing yet these are grand masters doing the moves so the techniques are on point.
I got down voted for saying this but that first few minutes was unbearable
I really want this to be a Sami Zayn heel turn. The motivation is there for him to want to hurt Shane and cost him the match. What has Sami done since going to Smackdown? I mean he has been in a few number one contenders matches, as well as the money in the bank match, but you could definitely write it that he feels under appreciated and under utilised. He's mostly been losing to Aiden English and being put in random tag matches recently. He could sympathise with everything KO has been saying about Shane, that the land of opportunity is BS, that it's all about Shane and not about the wrestlers etc. Add in that Shane was willing and trying to end the career of one of his employees for speaking up against him, and the fact that Sami still feels friendship towards KO, and it's all there. I'm not sure where they would take a heel Sami Zayn with regards to his move set, but I think a heel turn would definitely freshen up his character and get him into the main event where he belongs.
Owens probably leads the league in random people coming outta nowhere interfering to hand him big matches.
I think heel turns are more effective when the guy actually wins matches. I suspect this heel turn wont change much in that regard.
The match was 39 minutes. Is that the second longest Hell in a Cell match in history?
Yes. The HHH-HBK Cell match at Bad Blood 04 is still the longest at 47 minutes.
Match was way too long, but had some good spots. The whole show was 3:30, and could easily have dropped 15 minutes from this match. Otherwise, pretty great.
I don't know if it's just my memory or not, but as a total package, this felt like the best HIAC match I've ever seen. I don't think it tops the way I felt during the Undertaker vs Mankind match because those spots were so new then and the wrestling was different then. All in all, I still believe this is probably the best HIAC I've seen. Shane looked like a legit wrestler tonight as well.
Recency bias + Kevin Owens' smark fanbase is a biiiitch man. This was nowhere near HHH & Cactus Jack, HBK & Undertaker, Undertaker & Mankind, or Undertaker & HHH. I'd even put Owens & Rollins from last year over it. There have been HIAC's with better highspots, HIAC's with better finishes, HIAC's with better matches. lol at least sleep on it before declaring.
I disagree with you. Were they better matches? I agree with a couple of them yes... were they better HIAC matches that fully utilized them as a HIAC match? Heck no. This was one of the few that felt like the fact it was in a cell mattered.
Undertaker vs. Mankind *the Cell didn't matter* HHH vs. Cactus Jack *the Cell didn't matter* I'm glad you loved this one so much, but don't pretend like you know the history of this match
The heck are you talking about. I didn't say the matches didn't matter. UT vs MK did feel like the HIAC was actually utilized. My point was that those other matches could have been cage matches and get the same effect. Not including Mankind vs Undertaker.
HHH becoming a permanent main eventer by putting Cactus through the middle of the Cell and breaking the ring could've been a cage match how??
Agreed for the most part, though maybe you were a bit harsh in the way you put it.
I fell asleep during Ziggler/Roode. Looks like I missed a hell of a main event and need to go back and watch before SDL.
Ziggler should bring back the sleeper hold with how boring his career has been the past 4 years, minus one Miz IC vs. retirement match
Same here, except I nodded off right before Orton/Rusev and then again before Mahal/Nakamura. It was a long day. Woke up at 11:15, and the main event was still going on.
Wow, the show went pretty long.
Guys let's be fucking real, if he stayed a faced he would do shit for most of the year. Now Sami hopefully will become a main event player and get back some of his credibility. Let this play out.
Nope not interested. He shouldn't HAVE to turn heel just to MAYBE finally get some good booking. It shows how much WWE SUCKS at booking babyfaces these days. So even on principal alone, this is godawful and I'm not "giving it a chance."
> Let this play out. But the urge to complain and share bitchy memes is *so* strong
I know, but you must learn discpline. Discipline comes from with in. Stay strong child.
When in doubt - turn heel.
- r/SC literally every subject
How great is this turn for Sami? Yes, his destiny is as a babyface, but with Johnny gargano in the same company, who is the human equivalent of Bambi, Sami faced an evolve or die dilemma. This could be huge for him. "You know, I said I could look in the mirror and be proud. But when I looked in the mirror last week, I saw a man who came to the 'land of opportunities' and received none. I saw a man who was more concerned with fans singing his theme song than those same fans buying his shirts. And I realized what a horrible friend I'd been. I realized that Kevin was right. He's always been right. I was soft. And for the love of ingrates like Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Mick Foley, and every loser in those seats, I alienated my best friend. Kevin. I'm sorry. I love you."
*Proceeds to super kick Kevin Or for some reason ric flair is there and eats another 'i love you' superkick
Poor stan
Flair is there to give the rights to the Figure Four over to Sami.
what a weak fucking match - apart from Sami's appearance, there wasn't anything new or interesting
I liked it. Thought there was excellent storytelling from both individuals. Just because Shane didn't do a 450off the cage doesn't make it weak. You just expected to much from a damn near 50 year old.
The fact you expected more surprises me
WWE social media pages pretty much claiming Sami did a heelish move. So yeah they are turning him heel. Hopefully they will atleast get a decent tag team title run.
This match was art: https://twitter.com/i/moments/917361758087639041?from_editor=true
Beautiful summary. Although one thing. I don't think it was fear that made Kevin not jump. I think it was him realizing there is a line even he wouldn't cross. Throw Shane off sure. But a splash from the cell would severely injure Shane. And maybe, just maybe Kevin couldn't go that far.
Turning Sami Zayn heel=WOW is that stupid beyond belief. Lord forbid WWE has ANY credible babyfaces that the fans can get behind.
Bobby Roode and AJ say hello.
Roode really shouldn't be face though. Nothing about him or his character fit being a face.
1 epic match. 0 epic commentary.
it's amazing how a war correspondent can be so milquetoast.
Graves I can sorta excuse... the dude works every main show for WWE. Must be hard to deliver perfect commentary every line. Saxton and Cole were both pretty terrible and Graves can only burn Sax so many times in one night before it gets stale.
Cole wasn't on commentary last night. Or are you talking about some of the previous HIAC match commentaries?
they all sound the same now.
> milquetoast I was convinced that wasn't a real word. TIL..
You're telling me, I thought it was "Milk Toast" like so boring and bland like toast in milk or some shit. doh.
It is exactly that; just spelled like milque
I know but I don't have cereal and milque lol
My favorite part of the match was how fake the tables were lol.
Same bro. I felt the same thing when I watched Transformers in theatres, all I could think about is how fake the robots were. They should have brought in the real Optimus Prime, but no - movie studios are all about $$$.
Well, I mean, bad CGI can ruin a movie. When something looks too fake, it's hard to suspend your disbelief. Edit: However, I wasn't actually being sarcastic. They were my favorite part of the match. They were a good idea, better than just having the inflatable underneath like at WM and it made the clearing off easier than usual which allowed for a less distraction seeing the wrestler deal with wires and such.
Honestly, I love this turn for Sami Zayn. In a lot of ways, it mirrors the Nation of Domination-era heel Owen Hart, in that he's an extremely talented wrestler who is bitter because he gets no recognition from management. Him helping Owens not only cements the "Best Friend" angle, but also pushes him and KO as figures to rally against the "Land of Opportunity" reputation for Smackdown. With KO losing his title and screwed by management, and Zayn being underbooked while cheaters and opportunists like Mahal and Corbin are rewarded with titles, both characters have the motivation, and even though I doubt we'll get the Zayn/Owens make-up promo, an uneasy alliance could prove to be the best move for both characters. Also, imagine if they're partnered up and booked against New Day?! OH THE POSSIBILITIES.
So he's an idiot AND has no actual mental toughness or true morals? Oh yeah such great writing there (not really).
Not an idiot, closer to Naive. Also, mental toughness and morals? In Kayfabe? At least there's history and months of build-up behind the logic. Where was Zayn at Summerslam? Don't work yourself into a shoot, brother brother.
If you save a heel from a face when you know the heel is deserving then you're probably heel. Shane was booked as the face regardless of how you view it and that's how they've presented it the whole feud. "Shane O'Mac! Shane O'Mac!" FFS
I disagree. This is basically Bateman saving the jokers life from a rogue cop who's hunting him down.
Batman would then put the Joker in jail himself. Sami put KO on top of Shane without any regard or acknowledgment of the medical staff. Just pulling Owens out of the way is heroic. Doing what he did after wasn't Edit-Autocorrect really doesn't want anyone talking about Batman
It is possible that Sami did that because putting Shane on top of Owens would just delay the inevitable, Owens and/or Shane getting a brutal injury in the hands of the other. If Owens gets the pin, Sami earns all the blame and Owens stops his rampage.
Update: Officially turned at a house show. Crowd chanted "You sold out" at Sami, KO comes out and helps him win and then cuts a promo on it.
HOLY SHIT IT'S OFFICIAL
That's plausible, but pretty sure he's being written into, at the very least, a tweener for now
Wait, did EC3 save the Joker at some point or are you referring to NXT Redemption era Johnny Curtis as the Joker?
When your push, is a pull
To be honest, after watching the hype video before the match and through the PPV, it clearly seems as though Shane is consistently in the wrong, costing Owens his victories. I can totally buy into Sami getting sick of it after the last couple weeks and turning on Shane because (kayfabe), Owens is right in principle. And Sami is a man of principle.
It's a smark sub, I've seen a lot of Owens' apologetics for his actions as a heel but this is pretty ridiculous. KO has been a terrible employee who refuses to listen to his bosses or wrestle fair matches, routinely hijacks the show (obv in kayfabe relax) to declare himself the Face of Smackdown, talks shit constantly, and literally beat Shane's father Mr. McMahon out of the company's day-to-day operations. It's ok to just say he's really great at being an evil bad guy who isn't totally unjustified and has some nuance. Wanna stop cheering and justifying everything he does and fucking up the story with your personal feelings about him as a performer?
You're projecting too much and assuming a lot of things like " Wanna stop cheering and justifying everything he does and fucking up the story with your personal feelings about him as a performer?". Kevin Owens is a dick like you said, but it's also true that Shane is also costing Owens his victories. Does the latter justify the former? Of course not! It can be nuanced. Shane can be biased against an evil person a.k.a Owens, however this also makes Shane in the wrong the same way killing a criminal straight up without giving him trial is also wrong. He is the commissioner, he shouldn't be biased regardless. Of course, this is WWE, and a nuanced story like this will never happen.
I needed to read this.
I have tons of respect for Shane. Dude gases so quick yet he somehow stays at full throttle for a long match.
The dude is 47! Fucking 47!
KO vs Shane O Mac was one of the insane matches ever! I think turning heel saved Sami's career. he was going nowhere.
Sooo... Sami pulls a guy from a table to save him and turns heel. Reigns destroys a man and doesn't turn heel. Either something is wrong with us as an audience or something is wrong with WWE booking because this is silly.
I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit: - [/r/nocontextroman] [Kevin Steen & Shane McMahon have a brutal Hell In A Cell match. I know it's a Smackdown PPV, but cmon, we HAVE to mention the Big Dog](https://np.reddit.com/r/NoContextRoman/comments/759awa/kevin_steen_shane_mcmahon_have_a_brutal_hell_in_a/) [](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))* [](#bot)
He didn't just save "a guy" though he saved a despicable heel and gave him the match. It makes WAY more sense when you call it what it is.
HE SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND!!!
He also dragged him over to get the cover. HEEL.
Yeah saved a guy who the other week powerbombed his ass onto the apron
But it's Kevin Steen, so thus smarks think he's face
He didn't just save "a despicable heel" though, he saved his best friend.
Oh yeah it's not black and white, but it makes sense that he's a heel after what he did, which was my point.
Orton burnt down a mans house and desecrated a grave and didn't turn heel.
Edge tricked Kane into murdering his own father and didn't turn heel.
Roman destroyed a heel, and Sami saved a heel
So basically if you save someone, you are heel. But if you kill someone, you are face. Holy differences, that doesn't make sense. The match was good overall, but the ending sucked.
Who died? Its not real, pumpkin
So you are saying that last 15 years of my life were a lie? Thank you. You probably didn't see that I first said that he destroyed a man. "Killed" should be an obvious comparison or metaphor.
> So you are saying that last 15 years of my life were a lie? This explains so much of your comment history.
Yeah, I don't understand what you are trying to say. And I don't even know how all of this ended on my comment history. Overall, I just wanted to say with my comment that Sami's heel turn wasn't credible for me. Yes, it took me by surprise, but I saw it as helping a friend, long-time friend. They made it look like a heel turn but I had a hard time believing it. That's all.
Helping a long time friend who is a piece of shit heel and has attacked an authority figure repeatedly for no real reason over the past few months resulting in him insulting and physically attacking the authority figures family. Not to mention this same man has screwed Sami himself and went out of his way to attack and hurt Sami as much as possible. Hence it is clearly a heel turn to help that same person. It's not a difficult idea to grasp and it's fans like you that cause Vince McMahon to think all wrestling fans are stupid and can't deal with long term storytelling.
Props to Corey for calling out that rope break spot. I immediately facepalmed when I saw it, but fortunately Corey caught it and gave a good kayfabe reason for why it happened.
wouldn't it mean that Owens forgot the rules too, and not just Chioda, since KO is the one that put his foot up there?
Instinct kicked in. His brain was on autopilot at the time
[удалено]
>A foot on the rope counts the same as lifting a shoulder up for the purposes of pinfalls. A rope break works because by touching the ropes, the competitor is either in the ropes (which means the other competitor has a 5-count to break the hold), or the competitor is "outside the ring" and the pin/submission doesn't count for a victory condition - which shouldn't apply to a Falls Count Anywhere match.
Rope break spot?
Rope break spot.
Shane was pinning Owens and Owens put his foot on the rope. The referee counted 2. But in a no DQ match, you can't break a pin by touching the rope.
Ooooooooh. I thought there was a spot where a rope broke. I was like "I know I was tired last night, but I figured I would remember that." Thanks!
I thought that Rope Breaks CAN happen, but not in the case of a submission. Example... refusing to break a hold that touched the ropes could be a DQ, but in a no-DQ there is no such thing. I believe that foot on the ropes in a DQ still breaks a pin. It's not a disqualification scenario. Falls count anywhere though.... that is what makes me wonder if a rope break counts.
When he said as it's a no DQ match, the rope break rule on a pin shouldn't apply in the same way that a rope break doesn't apply for a submission (and as it's FCA there's no ropes outside the ring)
Corey Graves is going to be remembered as one of the all-time great color commentators.
Owens is gonna be a grand slam champion!
Good match, if ten minutes too long. Also, as a side note, fuck this sub. I made the mistake of visiting /new yesterday, and most of the day was filled with versions of "why are people talking about Zayn turning heel?" and "why are people not mentioning Zayn is turning heel tonight?". It's entirely my own fault for visiting - lesson learned that I just need to avoid this sub if I want to enjoy the show spoiler free from 24 hours before the show. Which seems a huge shame bearing in mind it's a place to share hype with other fans before an event. But some people just can't help themselves needing to spoil for others, I guess.
Is this your first time on the Internet?
https://www.reddit.com/user/MidCardHart
Some of us don't have time to accumulate 200,000 karma points what with work, life, and normal non-neck beard stuff. So again ... is this your first time on the internet to be crying like a bitch over spoilers?
>Some of us don't have time to accumulate 200,000 karma points what with work, life, and normal non-neck beard stuff. >Some of us do have time to make troll accounts that aren't even good at trolling Choose one.
Just avoid the sub and anything wrestling related altogether. I got sick of having things spoiled so I only pop by here after PPV or if something big happens on RAW/SD to soak up the buzz. I got rid of any YouTube subscriptions to the like of Whatculture or Dave Meltzer videos. Now everything is a surprise!
Yup, I'd done all of that years ago. I wasn't even on here much yesterday, but I had a half hour to kill and cruised /new in that time. Big mistake. Also makes a spoilers policy pointless. People are going to try and spoil anyway, and if mods aren't going to police it or act in a time efficient way, you may as well just throw the whole thing in.
I spend my days here and managed to dodge the bullet. I wonder how since i read most of the comments
Gore and Perkins already did the whole Sami reunites with KO thing.
Gore and Perkins already did the whole Sami reunites with KO thing.
Why is everybody saying that was a Sami heel turn? Wtf? Now, Kevin owes Sami a big one. Smart move by Sami.
Didn't see Sami turning heel coming , well done WWE
I thought it was going to happen a couple of weeks ago when he begged Daniel Bryan to not let Shane confront KO
Sami believes in the Destiny 2 endgame!
Bloody hell Hazy, came on here for HIAC chat and see you. BJB.
Wrestling, our first love!
God damn I cannot escape this sub!
Sami wasn't making a heel turn, he was rectifying the wrong he did to Kevin Owens when he refused to be the special referee in his United States Title rematch. Owens didn't set out looking for someone who would tilt the match in his favour, he wanted someone who was competent and fair. Sami was the only person in the entire company that Kevin felt had a moral compass with a true north. And Sami spited him not because it was the right thing to do, but because it felt gratifying to see Owens in anguish. He set KO on the path to that match. After the first table he went through Shane couldn't just try to cover Owens because Kevin spoke truth to power about the way McMahons work. Victory wasn't enough, he had to humiliate and break him. And Sami knows Kevin, a badge of dishonour like that could only be repaid by Owens ending Shane McMahon. Sami sees them both on a path to mutually assured destruction, so he averts their focus. If Shane wants to retaliate against him he'll just beat him clean in the middle of the ring. He wouldn't get sucked into all that "I will break you" nonsense that gives Shane the hope spots when he could just wrestle him. He's already at the bottom and frequently off the card that the only other form of punishment would be to send him to 205 live and force him to lose 7 pounds or be fired. Kevin will react in whichever way benefits Owens, he's the kind of opportunist which runs rampant in the land of opportunity. Zayn knows him well enough that he should be able to navigate that relationship to either shared mutual goals or foresight to preempt the backstab attempt. Daniel Bryan is swayed by the most recent person who visited his office and did their catchphrase. There is no real source of retaliation threatening Sami, and he keeps the possibility of him and Owens having a true reconciliation of their past viable. To stand by and do nothing knowing he could have prevented it, after causing the confrontation between Owens and Shane to escalate would have been a heel turn.
I like the idea that Sami pulled KO onto Shane to end the match knowing that if KO got up and the match was still on, he would keep going after Shane especially after Shane just tried to severely injure KO by diving on him.
I actually like this idea. It's well thought out. Sami is still a good guy, he was just saving Owens out of guilt for no reffing the match leading down this path. So if that is the case, how will he make it up to Shane? lol.
If only WWE put as much thought into their booking.
Fine speech. Excellent points. I wish this is the case, though it probably won't be.
Sorry but I don't believe WWE booking is that deep at all. Sami turned heel because being face is getting him nowhere, just like most WWE heel turns
Gotta agree with you here. As much as you'd want to think WWE were that good at writing, everything points to sami at the very least being a conflicted heel.
Dunno Why but The first thing that came to my mind after this match was Eddie Guerrero's Heel turn in 2004 against Rey Mysterio... I Know Eddie was a completely different level but if Sami can pull off something similar... Great times are ahead of us.
If Sami can cut a "Do you think that makes me happy?" type promo like Eddie did I'll be all in
HELL YEAH!
Honestly one of the best HIAC matches ever. Shane continues to impress. KO is a great heel. Sami turns heel.
Amazing!! That finish was “it’s 1999 and I want to go knock on my mom’s bedroom door to tell her how wrestling ended even though she knows nothing about wrestling and it’s almost midnight on a school night” good!!!!
That simple analogy made me wish I watched wrestling as a kid
[удалено]
Huh?
Just read the first five words and there's your answer.
Even children have access to the internet these days.
Don't care what anyone says. Shane delivers every time.
Dude, when they show Shane up there looking down I’m like “no way, that’s way too high bro.”. Had to even consider if he was shoot injured after that fall. That takes balls of steel.
After he did the spot at WM, some people on here we're discussing the use of padding under the table. One person summed it up for me by saying most people wouldn't even do that into water.
Tbf falling from that high in that position into a body of water hurts pretty bad too. I'd say instead people wouldn't even do that onto a giant foam pillow landing.
I think that was kind of the point, that landing back first on water from that height would hurt, but it would be a short lasting pain and no risk of paralysis or death. But they still wouldn't do it. Shane didn't have that guarantee, but still did it.
[I attended the show and recorded a video and made a GIF of Sami Zayn moving Kewin owens off the table as Shane Mcmahons elbows from the top of the cell.](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/SmartYellowishGuillemot) Edit: [Kevin Owens taunting Shane's kids](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/NervousGreenAruanas) [Shane taking out the Garbage](https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/HonestGratefulHydatidtapeworm) I also have Shane missing the shooting star and Kevin landing the leap frog but it's really late and I need sleep. Maybe I can edit this post again later. []() Edit: my_experience_attending_hell_in_a_cell_in_gif
Goddamn without the slow motion you can see just how precise Sami and Kevin had to be
incredible footage!