'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABv/aAAgBAQAAAAAAt//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/2gAIAQIQAAAAQ//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAIAQMQAAAAP//EAB0QAAIDAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQQFAAYTYZP/2gAIAQEAAT8A0cWtkdHzN3xpskGhYq2EOTBC4YIxAvUjA8rdHwnVlNsZ2abzCCMirumZL7xz/8QAGREAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgABAwQS/9oACAECAQE/AKADIL7X/8QAFhEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEx/9oACAEDAQE/AKz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
On this week's episode of SmackDown Live, Shane McMahon announced that he was going to take a leave of absence from his job as WWE Commissioner. His last act as Commissioner was to make a match for WrestleMania 34, where he put Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against each other.He was interrupted before he could leave by Kevin and Sami as they made their way down to the ring. After a verbal confrontation, the duo assaulted him viciously hitting their finishing moves on him, before dragging him to the back where they continued their attack.
WWE confirmed Shane had suffered from serious injuries as a result of the attack and promised further updates regarding the condition of the SmackDown Live Commissioner in the next 24 hours.
In case you didn't know...
Shane McMahon has not had the best of relations with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens over the last few months, ever since Kevin attacked Vince McMahon on SmackDown Live. Kevin and Shane faced each other in a Hell in a Cell match where Sami helped Kevin to pick up the win. The rivalry between Shane and the team of Kevin and Sami came to a head at Fastlane, where he was ringside for the Six-Pack-Challenge Match.
Kevin accidentally hit Shane with a Superkick at one point, after which the SmackDown Live Commissioner decided to involve himself in the proceedings.
He dragged out the referee when it looked like Kevin was about to pick up the win, and then dragged out Kevin when it looked like Sami was about to pin him. The bout was won by AJ Styles but left plenty of room for Kevin and Sami to have a legitimate grievance with the Commissioner.
The heart of the matter
On this week's episode of SmackDown, after Shane had announced a match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for WrestleMania, he was interrupted and then attacked by both the stars. They hit him with their finishing moves inside the ring and then placed his head inside a steel chair before driving him into the ring post.
They then dragged him to the back where they hit him with a Powerbomb on a metal rack.
WWE's Medical Staff said that the attack with the Steel Chair had resulted in him sustaining a 'laryngeal contusion'. His injuries were further exacerbated by the Powerbomb on to the metal rack which caused 'trapezius and rhomboid strains'.
They also said that he was being inspected to make sure his airway was not compromised and that there would be an update to his situation in the next 24 hours.
You can watch the whole assault here:
What's next?
WrestleMania 34 is just weeks away, and this attack is almost sure to set up a match of some sort between Shane, Sami, and Kevin for the event. Daniel Bryan is set to return next week and may address the entire situation.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for updates about Shane's condition.
Author's take
These injuries are most probably just part of the storyline to set up a WrestleMania match between Shane, and the team of Sami and Kevin. Shane sold the attack in a big way, and it looked really serious after he was Powerbombed on the metal rack and left gasping for air.
