As noted, plans for WWE RAW and Main Event were changed “several times over” last night in Norfolk, VA. The original plan for the Main Event tapings was to do Natalya vs. Zoey Stark, and Bronson Reed vs. Riddick Moss. WWE nixed Natalya vs. Stark and kept Reed vs. Moss. The Viking Raiders vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin was moved from the planned RAW card to Main Event. The original plan for RAW was for Cody Rhodes to open the show. WWE had announced that Rhodes would explain why he brought Jey Uso to RAW. However, Jey opened tonight’s show instead, and was interrupted by Kevin Owens, and then The Judgment Day. This led to Uso and Owens losing a non-title match to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and Finn Balor due to miscommunication.
Rhodes ended up coming out shortly after 9:30pm. He went to discuss Uso but WWE NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio interrupted, and he brought JD McDonagh with him. Mysterio went on about how Uso will join The Judgment Day and make Rhodes look like a fool. This led to Rhodes attacking Mysterio, but then McDonagh hit Rhodes from behind. Rhodes fought them both and ended up hitting a Cody Cutter on Mysterio, and a CrossRhodes on McDonagh. Rhodes then hit a CrossRhodes on Mysterio before McDonagh pulled him to safety.
In an update, there are reports going around from Wrestling Observer Radio that say Chairman Vince McMahon “is back” and that he was responsible for most of the changes at RAW. The “Vince is back” narrative is not entirely accurate as he has not been physically at RAW in a regular role for months, and he has often checked in remotely with changes or suggestions. McMahon took some time away after undergoing major spinal surgery in late July, but he was back calling in minor changes to the scripts as recent as last week’s SmackDown.
These changes are fairly common, but every now and then reports are blown out of proportion and then ran with to support a narrative. While McMahon did make multiple changes to the show last night, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H also made his own changes throughout the day, and word from RAW was that the changes were probably for the better.
An update from PWInsider confirms that McMahon was not at RAW as the show was ran by Triple H and Creative’s Executive Director Bruce Prichard, which has been the norm as of late. Their report also stated that the RAW script was not finalized until 5pm ET with “lots of matches and segments shifted, added and dropped” until then.
It was noted by Better Wrestling Experience that the final RAW script was approved at around 6pm, and that was the second draft of the show. The first draft had a few different matches/segments, but this was pretty much business as usual. The narrative of “Vince being back in charge of creative” was also dismissed.
A new report from Fightful Select notes that while Rhodes’ segment was no longer the opener, he still received the same amount of time as originally planned when he was to kick off the show. In regards to The Vikings vs. Benjamin and Alexander being moved to Main Event, the match was to happen after the Shayna Baszler vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green match, but Imperium vs. Alpha Academy and Tommaso Ciampa followed the women’s match instead.
Natalya vs. Stark was to be produced by Shawn Daivari. Plans for this match changed multiple times throughout the day, but then pulled from Main Event. Stark ended up working with Baszler, and Natalya was used in a backstage segment with Raquel Rodriguez. There was a feeling that bringing Natalya to RAW and not using her in any capacity would have been disrespectful after she stepped up and pulled double duty at WWE Superstar Spectacle in India when Becky Lynch was unable to make the trip.
There were some time adjustments that ended up going to the presentation of the main event between Rodriguez and WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. Furthermore, there were two segments that weren’t listed with specifics internally – after the opening tag match, which appears to be the Drew McIntyre – Xavier Woods segment, and after Imperium vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Alpha Academy, which appears to be the backstage contract signing for Becky Lynch vs. NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. However, it was noted that the Lynch – Stratton segment and several Uso segments were budgeted for those periods.
On a related note, the final WWE TV taping under total McMahon Family control came and went without officials saying anything about the big Endeavor acquisition for the WWE – UFC merger to create TKO Group Holdings. There was nothing relayed to the roster at RAW about today’s merger, and that includes no meeting, no announcement, no acknowledgment at all.
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.