There is no place for homophobic abuse at any sporting event, and particularly in the WWE. With the number of young fans in attendance at these house shows, it could be particularly damaging. But, Sami Zayn made an example of one of these fans at a recent show in Daytona, Florida on Sunday.
During the match between Shinsuke Nakamura and The Fiend, Zayn was clearly outraged with one fan’s comment. Zayn immediately heard the fans comments and approached him to let him know that there is no place for that kind of speech at a WWE event.
Zayn Confronts Fan
Zayn, who has long spoken out about serious issues, wasn’t afraid to engage with the fan in the front row. It is believed that the manager for Nakamura was outraged as a homophobic slur was shouted at him by the fan. His response was immediate and could be heard on the videos that are doing the rounds on social media.
The action in the ring paused for a brief second as both superstars were confused to what was going on between Zayne and the fan. Referees were quick to get involved and dragged Zayn away from the fan. The fan that made the comments was also immediately removed from ringside.
Footage has already been viewed millions of times on social media, with many praising the actions of Zayn. It is unclear yet what will happen to the fan, but many are calling for a lifetime ban from WWE events.
Cody Rhodes Critical Of House Shows
One place where this type of thing wouldn’t happen is at AEW. That is because they don’t host house shows, and that was something that Cody Rhodes was speaking about in-depth over the weekend.
He claimed that the WWE’s product is weakened because of the intensity that they have house shows. He stated that it ‘seems like you’re putting less of an emphasis on your show when you spread yourself out like that.’
There could be something in the comments, as the quality that we see on WWE television hasn’t been as strong over recent weeks. But, would you like to see the end to house shows? Let us know in the comments.