As you know, the Raw after WrestleMania is often a time for debuts and returns, as new storylines kick off in the wake of WWE’s “season finale.” One such exciting moment on this episode was the return of Sami Zayn, who’s been out of commission since summer of last year, thanks to injuries to both rotator cuffs, each of which required surgery. Sami responded to a challenge by new Intercontinental Champion Finn Bálor, and the two fought for that title in a pretty exciting match.
When Sami left he was playing the heel, even though he’s traditionally been known more as a babyface. Everyone seemed to assume that’s what he was returning as, especially since it’s pretty hard to come back from injury as a heel anyway, assuming you’re at all likable. People have missed you, and they’re glad you’re back on your feet. After the match however, Sami made his alignment clear, as he began what sounded like a heartfelt promo: “I can honestly say, form the bottom of my hear, I honestly did miss any of this, or any one of you…” He went on to call WWE “a super-toxic environment,” and cut a whole heel promo, which did manage to turn some of the crowd against him, although you could tell everyone was still happy he was there. Here’s the whole promo:
