Former WWE star Elias has reflected on his memorable 2018 segment with Kevin Owens in Seattle, revealing that the backstage reaction was just as positive as the crowd reaction was loud.
Speaking with GOW MEDIA, Elias was asked whether he expected the intense response after mocking Seattle’s former NBA franchise, the SuperSonics, during an in-ring promo alongside Owens. “For months, this act—this shtick, whatever you want to call it—had been building. I would go out there, do my catchphrase, and say something about the town, whatever it was. But I could not have predicted what happened in Seattle.”
Elias admitted he initially questioned whether the SuperSonics reference would generate the reaction WWE expected. “I actually even doubted it a little bit heading in. There was a writer there, Kaz—I don’t know if you know him, awesome guy. I remember him telling me, ‘Oh, this line is going to hit.’ I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah.’”
According to Elias, the response was unlike anything he had experienced. “Sure enough, when I made the comment about the basketball team in Seattle, the reaction was beyond anything I could have expected. Now, as you know, it’s one of the most infamously long, powerful boos in modern WWE history.”
Although the segment ran significantly longer than planned, Elias said everyone backstage was thrilled with how it played out. “When I got backstage afterward, we had gone well over our allotted time, which is a big deal on live television. You have to be very aware of that because every 30 seconds that goes by costs money.”
He recalled receiving praise from WWE management, including Paul Heyman. “I just remember the boss was super happy with it and shook my hand. I also remember Paul Heyman screaming about how awesome it was, saying, ‘You handled that like a main eventer. That’s how a pro does it.’”
Looking back, Elias said the moment exceeded even his own expectations. “It was a really awesome experience all around. I can’t say it was completely unexpected, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.”
