WWE’s trip to Germany this week is causing a number of changes from the company’s usual routine.
WWE SmackDown will be taped hours in advance of airing on FOX this coming Friday night due to the time difference in Berlin, Germany. Numerous members of the staff made the trip to Berlin on Wednesday. Others went earlier to be there for the Road to WWE Bash In Berlin live tour.
Most of the SmackDown crew was the majority of those who went over early, and will be staying through Saturday’s premium live event.
WWE viewed GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, Ilja Dragunov and Sheamus as those who should be there specifically for the live tour shows leading up to the PLE, and it is why Sheamus missed Raw.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura made the trip over to work the live tour shows as well. Neither have been injured, and while Bayley has been off-screen, she is reportedly fine and healthy as well, and participated on the tour.
Jacob Fatu also made the trip, which is a good sign for WWE, as there have been issues in getting him outside of the country in the past. WWE has mentioned this on television.
Many of the aforementioned names could appear on the SmackDown go-home show, or at least the tapings during the event that evening.
Shorter PLE match cards like the one this weekend are expected to continue, as WWE has been pleased with how they have turned out in the past. The format reportedly works for them for a number of reasons, including allowing the company to stack the deck on Raw and SmackDown, which has been particularly useful when WWE runs SmackDown in the same city the night before a PLE.
As noted, WWE did a double WWE NXT taping last week due to some of the crew being in Berlin for the tour and PLE this weekend, giving those who aren’t making the trip a rare extended break.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
