Elias has, to the surprise of many NXT fans, become one of the top heels on the main roster. Few members of the Raw roster get a bigger pop than Elias, as the entire crowd belts out “Walk With Elias” at his request.
He’s at once beloved and somewhat hated because of his jabs at whatever city he’s in, often referencing the local sports team that typically occupies the arena he’s in. Usually, those remarks get boos, but often in a “he got us” way and he can continue on with his promo.
However, on Monday night in Seattle, Elias finally crossed the line with the crowd. He was joined in the ring by Kevin Owens in quite the team-up of heel promo acts to promote their Super Show-Down match with John Cena and Bobby Lashley, and Elias decided to tell the Seattle crowd that they didn’t deserve the SuperSonics, the NBA team that left a decade ago for Oklahoma City. That elicited one of the most incredible crowd responses in recent WWE memory.
Owens and Elias basked in the glow of the heat they were getting and then Owens continued on, yelling over the crowd that booed for a solid five-plus minutes at full voice.
Most fans get upset at jabs at their teams, but the hurt is still very much there in Seattle over the loss of the Sonics is very different and still fresh. Elias and Owens learned this on Monday, and now the blueprint is there for any heel looking to set a crowd off at an event in Seattle.
