In the face of the worldwide Steve Corino crisis, Fightful reported yesterday that - just
like how they did for WrestleMania week - WWE were going to record the next month’s worth
of Raw, SmackDown and NXT in a mammoth stint of tapings over the next few days.
Starting with a live episode of SmackDown last night, and concluding with a live episode
of Raw on Monday - with the rest of the month’s TV set to air as pre-taped.
This was corroborated by PWInsider, who added WWE had taken over a nearby hotel for talent
and crew, with them set to “tape all of their material in waves in order to follow
CDC standards”.
They were planning to record so much content, in fact, that the tapings might’ve gone
all the way up until May 10th’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
But then, suddenly - without any warning or heads up to the talent or crew - after recording
the first of the weekend’s mass tapings with yesterday’s editions of SmackDown and
205 Live, Vince McMahon changed his mind.
Instead of WWE trying to bulk tape as much content in one go as possible, limiting the
amount of travel and interaction needed, Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting the promotion
will revert to their pre-Steve Corino crisis schedule of broadcasting Raw, SmackDown and
NXT live from the Performance Center.
Which means more people flying in and out.
Which means more interaction between people.
Which means a significantly higher risk of spreading disease by CDC standards.
Pro Wrestling Sheet writes they have “no word on what influenced the decision.”
The Wrestling Observer, however, does.
Dave Meltzer is reporting McMahon changed all plans during the middle of the day yesterday,
announcing to talent and crew that WWE TV will be “going as close to live as soon
as possible.”
While this was always a possibility, this was not the plan as of Thursday, and “many
in the company were shocked at the decision.”
Meltzer reveals that McMahon’s change of plans is driven by WWE’s contracts with
NBC Universal and Fox.
Apparently the TV deals for Raw and SmackDown respectively only allow for three pre-taped
shows a year - which WWE often use for the Christmas period and their two European tours.
“While nobody will say so publicly, the fear was that by violating the contract, it
would give the networks the legal ability to withhold money or find a way to change
the deals.”
And right now, when TV networks are looking to cut costs with falling advertising revenue,
the pre-tape loophole could be used to pay less for WWE’s very expensive programming
- which is both WWE and AEW’s largest source of revenue.
Fightful adds that McMahon was “very aggressive” about the decision, and wrestlers are said
to be unhappy about the change in plans - which puts their health at significantly greater
risk.
WWE not taping content in advance isn’t just reckless for people’s safety, though,
it could potentially leave the promotion in a position where they are shut down entirely
and can’t do their live broadcasts.
Wrestlers and crew were reportedly given a letter on Friday that said they are considered
“essential media”, which they should show the police if they’re stopped and asked
why they’re out of the house during Florida’s stay-at-home order.
WWE is arguing they’re in the same bracket of “newspapers, television, radio and other
media” which are on the list of essential services.
But that’s at the whim of the respective state they’re in, as the UFC found out - when
the Californian governor Gavin Newsom went over Dana White’s head and got the Disney-owned
ESPN to cancel next weekend’s UFC 249.
And as if this isn’t all stressful enough, McMahon didn’t just release the Revival
from WWE yesterday.
He had to let go an entire company’s worth of employees
---ADBREAK--- McMahon relaunching his failed early-00s alternative
football league the XFL was always one more fuelled by damaged pride over actual business
sense.
Vince was reportedly writing off hundreds of millions of dollars to fund what was, essentially,
a vanity project, trying to erase his career’s most costly mistake.
But now, in a Steve Corino world, the XFL revival is even more ill-advised.
After five weeks of play, the XFL announced its inaugural season was ending early due
to Steve Corino.
But McMahon remained confident about the company’s future, continuing to pay the league and team
employees, including players, their normal salaries to restart next year.
Sadly and unfortunately, though, all those people have now lost their jobs, with the
COO Jeffrey Pollock announcing on a company-wide conference call:
“XFL employees were just informed that the league is suspending operations and all employees
have been laid off.
“ The XFL isn’t technically out of business
just yet, with Pollock instead describing them as “shut down”.
According to ESPN, McMahon is “evaluating next steps” for the League.
One staffer isn’t optimistic though, saying "It's done.
It's not coming back."
Due to its deal with ABC, ESPN and Fox, the XFL received no money for those networks broadcasting
their games in the first season - with the idea they would in later years.
Meaning it’s a huge net loss for McMahon, and, sadly, with more people losing their
jobs.
Following his 2 minute Blueniversal Championship loss to Braun Strowman last weekend - which
I’m still pretty sure WWE are promoting as against Roman Reigns - Bill Goldberg has
made his first comments on the situation since WrestleMania.
Roman pulled out of the match over a week before it was aired because of very real concerns
over his health - with his history of leukemia putting him at a higher risk of a more severe
reaction to the disease.
And now, speaking to the Carcast podcast, Goldberg confessed “I don’t know why [facing
Roman] was even considered in the beginning, except for the fact that we'd invested time
and WWE invested the money in the angle, in the match” because of that.
He revealed that WWE actually were still actually trying to tape the match as soon as the day
before WrestleMania Night One: “it was possible that I could do a match with Roman again before
the 5th.
That obviously fell through."
Corroborating our exclusive report from this week, that Goldberg was always going to drop
the title at WrestleMania because he didn’t want to wrestle any more dates for 2020, he
said that as soon as he taped the Strowman replacement match “My obligations were complete
for the year.
My second match was already wrestled.
So I was literally done.
So I come back here on Friday and jump on the tractor, and eat as many Bon Bons and
Uncrustables and Coke, drink as many Cokes and don't go the gym for five days.
And then I get a phone call in the middle of the week that it's still a possibility."
Goldberg put over Reigns for still trying to make the match happen despite his health
concerns, saying “you've got to love the guy because up to the 11th hour, he was still
willing to do it."
You wouldn’t know it by watching WWE, though, as they pretty much completely ignored Roman
was ever a thing.
Like in last night’s episode of SmackDown…
The show kicked off with new Blueniversal Champion Braun Strowman, who came out to celebrate
his victory over Goldberg at WrestleMania - to be challenged by Shinsuke Nakamura for
the main event match.
But I thought he no speak English?
Because WrestleMania is just too big for one night, and Monday’s Raw, we got a WrestleMania
rematch next with Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss successfully defending their freshly won Women’s
Tag Team Championships against The Kabuki Warriors in a fun match.
I feel Asuka and Kairi Sane are going to break up soon.
Elias does a song from the crow’s nest again - why would you go up there?!
- gloating about his beating Corbin at WrestleMania, and saying he’s now going to win the Money
in the Bank briefcase.
If that pay-per-view ever happens.
After a recap of the best storyline in the history of wrestling - Otis and Mandy Rose’s
romance - Sonya Deville and Dolph Ziggler demanded to talk to Mandy, to be answered
by Tucker for unfinished business when Ziggler beat him down last week, where the usual comedy
tag wre-OH MY GOD TUCKER ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM?
Tucker was fantastic in this match, wrestling with a newfound intensity, constantly trash
talking and working extremely stiff.
Dolph just managed to sneak a victory with a superkick.
After Morrison retained the Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania in a singles ladder match
totally always the plan, Miz & Morrison did a live episode of The Dirt Sheet in the ring,
before being interrupted by The Usos and The New Day.
Where Jimmy slyly coughed into his arm - a reference to Miz being pulled from their Mania
match for getting sick, and the reported heat between him and the Usos because of it.
A WrestleMania inverse match is booked for next week, with The Miz vs Jey Uso vs Big
E for the Tag Titles.
Up next was an unexpected NXT call-up for The Forgotten Sons of Jackson Ryker, Wesley
Blake and Steve Cutler, who took on Lucha House Party in a very decent tag match.
The action didn’t stop for a second, with some really innovative spots and fun action,
culminating with the Forgotten Sons picking up the victory thanks to Ryker’s help on
the outside.
Hopefully the main roster is a better fit for them than NXT was.
Unfortunately the women’s tag division isn’t as deep as the men’s, with the makeshift
team of Carmella and Dana Brooke - I get it, they’re both blonde! - challenging Bliss
and Cross in an unfunny segment.
Then Sasha Banks & Bayley celebrated Bayley’s retaining the title at WrestleMania, for Tamina
to set herself up as the next competitor.
Don’t worry, it’s just a filler storyline, as Bayley put Banks up for the match instead
- further building dissension between the Role Models
Sheamus squashed local talent Cal Bloom next, and then we got a hype package for Jeff Hardy’s
return, which he’ll reportedly get a big push to stop him going to AEW.
And the main event saw Strowman take 95% of the match, and then beat Nakamura with a powerslam.
Yep, it’s depressing as it sounds.
But the follow-up angle was awesome.
Braun was interrupted by a Firefly Fun House segment, setting up Braun vs Bray for the
Blueniversal Championship!
It’s a feud that makes perfect sense for Wyatt’s character, and the Strowman’s
past.
Hopefully it means Braun will be dropping the title to the Fiend soon.
And we can pretend like the last two months of Blueniversal Championship storylines never
happened.
So that was SmackDown, let me know what you thought in the poll by pressing the i above
my head and casting your vote.
This was a fun episode of SmackDown, that set up a lot of future angles.
This SmackDown gets a high Smack Bang in the Middle.
As a special treat for the SWAFT Nation, if you visit WrestleCrate.co.uk and use the discount
code WTTV, you’ll get a free autograph bundle - including one from a WWE Legend, a current
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WrestleCrate is a monthly mystery box full of loads of wrestling goodies, which has items
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Will Ospreay is lobbying for a CM Punk match in New Japan!
Click the video on the right to watch our exclusive interview!
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10 dream matches for the Revival now they’ve left WWE!
I’ve been Oli Davis, and that was wrestling.