The broken hand Sami Zayn has been talking about on television is real.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported on Thursday that Zayn’s injury is legitimate rather than a storyline device. Zayn first mentioned it on the August 7 SmackDown, in a backstage segment with CM Punk, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.
I have a broken bone in my hand, but if I didn’t. Understand this, Punk. If I didn’t, I would break your face right now.
WWE has been working the injury into the show since. On the following week’s SmackDown, Nick Aldis persuaded Zayn to accept a main event match against Cody Rhodes despite the hand, with a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line for the winner. That match never started because Randy Orton attacked Rhodes before the bell.
Zayn has not wrestled since SummerSlam Sunday on August 2, when he lost the fatal four-way to determine the number one contender. Kevin Owens, returning after around 17 months out with a neck injury, pinned him. Gunther and Finn Balor were also in the match.
Before that, Zayn teamed with Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18 in a loss to Punk and Rhodes.
He had won the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions in June, beating Rhodes and Gunther for his first world title in WWE. He held it nine days before losing it to Punk on the July 6 RAW.
No timeline has been reported for the hand, and WWE has not commented.
