WrestleMania and WWE Raw changes
Added 2023-04-04 22:38:40 +0000 UTCIf you wanted to see LA Knight and Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania, you were close to it.
The April 3 episode of WWE Raw featured tons of late, last minute changes thanks to Vince McMahon, and we've learned of even more that happened throughout the weekend. We can't say definitively if McMahon contributed to these changes, however.
We can confirm WRKD Wrestling's report that LA Knight was pitched and planned to have a segment with Bobby Lashley. WWE had the Andre Battle Royal trophy transported to SoFi Stadium specifically to do an entrance.
Originally, Shotzi was to have her tank for her entrance, and it was on site for WrestleMania. However, it didn't get used.
There was also a scrapped integration of the lWo on Raw that was likely to feature Bad Bunny. Cody Rhodes was originally to have a backstage segment where he was talking on a phone, but it was eliminated by Monday morning.
The Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. Street Profits match at least internally was referred to as a tag team championship match.
Candice LeRae and Piper Niven were both planned for matches on Raw, and then they were cut just about an hour before the show. There was originally to be a mini tournament to determine a top contender for the Raw Women's Championship. However, it was switched to the Women's Tag Team Title contender match late as well. Of course there was also the Omos/Elias match added as the last minute.
There was online speculation that Seth Rollins' WWE Raw segment was changed at the last minute because someone ringside appeared to be giving him instructions. However, sources familiar with the situation claim it was originally scripted that way.
Comments
LA Knight vs Bobby Lashley would’ve been a banger we were robbed.
chikorita
2023-04-05 17:18:22 +0000 UTCbeing robbed of lashley vs la knight is the last straw
heather icanhasapanic
2023-04-05 04:33:10 +0000 UTCLA Knight nooooooo
2023-04-05 03:21:15 +0000 UTCSo deflating, I’ve enjoyed this last few months of wwe for the first time in a long time as someone who was brought back to weekly wrestling by aew, and tuning into wwe here and there. I don’t even hate Cody vs Brock but I think his first program if falling to Roman should have been with solo. I just don’t know anymore. This raw didn’t hit it and I don’t even know if smack down is worth checking out at this point. But hey, here’s to Wednesday’s.
2023-04-05 03:00:28 +0000 UTCGood report though, thanks heaps. Well worth it as per usual.
@p_wol
2023-04-05 00:49:53 +0000 UTCWas so excited to hear that crowd for L.A Knight, whether it was Mania or Raw, I didn't care. I just wanted to hear Knight and that crowd bounce off of each other. I was so high on WWE leading into mania and now I feel frustrated and dejected.
@p_wol
2023-04-05 00:49:08 +0000 UTCSeth's entered his Sassy Southern Belle era. :-)
Darryl Gillikin
2023-04-05 00:21:50 +0000 UTCSo they purposefully wrote to do his entrance and leave that is even mote stupid 🙄
Junior Monnereau
2023-04-04 23:42:46 +0000 UTCWelp, at least I get 3-5 weekly hours of my life back.
julian
2023-04-04 22:57:25 +0000 UTCLesson learned, don’t ever get my hopes with WWE 🤦🏾♂️
Keshaun Gregory
2023-04-04 22:53:41 +0000 UTCwhat was the point of the Seth segment...
2023-04-04 22:50:35 +0000 UTCI'm guessing he was calling another mystery tag partner before it was set as brock?
Ruben Ripalda
2023-04-04 22:42:02 +0000 UTC
