Dave Meltzer Addresses Sami Zayn Pay Cut Rumors and WWE Title Picture

Sami Zayn Contract Speculation and WWE Title Picture

Speculation surrounding Sami Zayn recently intensified following a discussion on the Kliq This podcast between WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash and Sean Oliver regarding a rumored 50 percent pay cut concerning Sami Zayn. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter addressed the chatter internally, noting that pay cuts have become a major talking point across the industry.

Amid speculation that Sami Zayn accepted a pay cut prior to his nine-day run as WWE champion, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter shared what he has heard on the matter. Meltzer addressed a recent discussion between WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash and Sean Oliver on the Kliq This podcast about whether Zayn took a 50 percent pay cut.

“His name was brought up internally to me, but never as 100 percent, and based on what WWE told me directly when it came to pay cuts, their version is that everyone asked were guys who were going to be cut because creative had nothing for them, but they would give them a new deal at a decreased rate to see if something popped up.”

Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Zayn has long been in the creative mix on SmackDown, as he held the United States Championship entering WrestleMania 42 and continued to feud with Trick Williams over the title after dropping it to him. Sami then transitioned into a program with Cody Rhodes and Gunther that led to him winning the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match at Night of Champions. Zayn then dropped the title to CM Punk last week on Raw, nine days after he won it for the first time in his career.

Pay adjustments have impacted other prominent performers recently. Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live reported that New Day rejected a pay cut prior to their WWE departure in May, and Fightful Select reported that Sheamus turned down a restructured extension with WWE, bringing his tenure with the company to an end.

Despite Zayn being utilized more consistently and significantly than the aforementioned Superstars in recent years, Meltzer noted that Zayn’s name has been brought up often when speculating on who has been willing to accept a pay cut from WWE.

SummerSlam Main Event Set for CM Punk and Cody Rhodes

WWE announced on SmackDown that CM Punk will defend the WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, but that bout has reportedly been in the works for quite some time. According to Meltzer, a WWE title match between Punk and Rhodes has “always” been the plan for SummerSlam.

That revelation doesn’t come as much of a shock given the interaction between Punk and Rhodes on the Raw after WrestleMania 42. Punk and Rhodes had a promo together in which Punk talked about never knowing when a title opportunity might fall out of the sky. That is exactly what happened last week on Raw in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.

The matchup materialized after a chaotic sequence on Raw in Chicago. Rhodes was supposed to challenge Zayn for the WWE Championship after dropping it to him at Night of Champions, but Gunther attacked Cody at the start of the show, rendering him unable to compete. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis showed up and announced that he had found a replacement, and it was revealed to be Punk, who beat Zayn for the title. Rhodes confronted Punk days later on SmackDown, and their SummerSlam match was made official.

With Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship already set for SummerSlam as well, WWE has two huge main events lined up for the two-night extravaganza.

Jack Perry Re-Signs With AEW Amid Past Backstage Friction

Jack Perry is remaining with AEW after signing a new contract with the company, but AEW reportedly didn’t have any competition from WWE when it came to securing his services. According to WrestleVotes on Fightful Select, there was “little to nodiscussion within WWE about re-signing Perry as his contract was nearing its conclusion. It was reportedly determined that Perrydidn’t fit in WWE’s current landscape.”

During last week’s episode of Dynamite, it was announced that Perry had re-signed with AEW on a new contract. Although Perry is a young talent at 29 with plenty of experience on television, it never felt like WWE was a realistic option for him. That is primarily due to the fact that Punk is one of WWE’s top stars, and he had well-documented issues with Perry in the past.

In fact, a backstage altercation between Punk and Perry at All In 2023 is what led to Punk getting released from AEW and returning to WWE for the first time since 2014. Perry was removed from AEW programming for months after the incident as well, but he eventually returned and enjoyed some significant success, holding the TNT and National Championships.

Originally signed back in 2019 and named one of AEW’s “Four Pillars,” Perry has been a significant part of AEW since the start, and it makes sense for him to continue building a legacy within the company. Amid reports from Fightful Select that some within AEW believe the relationship between Punk and AEW will eventually be mended and bridges rebuilt, Jack Perry took to his Instagram account to give a not-so-subtle hint about how he feels regarding Punk making amends with AEW.