Sami Zayn is missing from the July 10 episode of WWE SmackDown, and WWE just explained his absence.
SmackDown took place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, just four days after Zayn lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to CM Punk on RAW. Although Zayn never appeared on screen, WWE addressed his absence during a backstage segment with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis.
Nick Aldis reveals Sami Zayn is taking a mental health break
Late in the first hour of SmackDown, cameras showed Aldis talking to Zayn over the phone. Fans only heard Aldis’ side of the conversation, but it revealed that the former WWE Champion was taking a mental health break this week.
That explained why Sami Zayn was not on the show after losing the title. Aldis’ comments also made it clear that he was unhappy with everything that had happened.
The segment also suggested that Zayn was frustrated because the spotlight moved on so quickly after he lost the championship. Instead of getting another title shot, CM Punk is already set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam.
It was clear that Zayn wasn’t happy about that.
Zayn won the WWE title on June 27 at Night of Champions, defeating Rhodes and Gunther in a Triple Threat Match. It was the biggest win of his WWE career. But just nine days later, Punk defeated him on the July 6 episode of RAW to become the new champion.
Now, with Punk moving straight into a title defense against Rhodes, Zayn feels like he has been pushed aside after only recently holding the championship.
WWE has not announced when Zayn will return, but nothing suggests he will be away for long.
One thing still works in Zayn’s favor. On this week’s SmackDown, Punk offered him a rematch. If Punk keeps the title against Rhodes at SummerSlam, Zayn could return and go after the championship once again. Or he could also be the disrupter of Punk’s title reign.
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