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...

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#3 Sami Zayn went off-script

Sami Zayn shocked the WWE Universe when he mentioned AEW

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...

#2 The line was scripted and WWE regretted their decision instantly

Did Vince McMahon change his mind?

Okay, so AEW have taken shots at WWE on May 25th, and the Double or Nothing pay-per-view was received to great critical acclaim, so it's only to be expected that WWE were aware of this and wanted to react in some way directly.

Of course they knew they would shock the wrestling world with a mere mention of AEW. No real shots fired, nothing too controversial - but guaranteed to make headlines within the context of their past record of completely ignoring any other wrestling promotion...

Script Sami Zayn to mention AEW, and it breaks the internet. But say, a few hours later, or even a few moments later, officials think they've made a mistake. Maybe it wasn't so well received, maybe the 'AEW' chants took the shine away from WWE.

There's every chance that WWE opted just to simply remove the chants and return to their norm of not having a rival mentioned in WWE at all.

#1 They're working us all by removing the line

Is this all part of the plan?

Finally, of course, there is the possibility that Vince McMahon and WWE are working the entire world of wrestling by not only saying the line, but also removing it.

By doing this, the entire WWE Universe will be led to believe that the line was unscripted and that Sami Zayn went into business for himself - and that Vince hated it. There may even be reports about Sami Zayn having 'backstage heat' emerging over the next few days if this plan is successful.

By removing the line from their YouTube clip, WWE will only make more news. In this case, all publicity is good publicity, and you better believe there will be more eyes on the product tonight and next week, with everyone hoping WWE yet again mentions AEW live on air.

What do you think the reason was? Let us know in the comments.