Report: WWE Had Influence Over Controversial TNA Match Finish (WWE News)
WWE chiefs helped book the finish to Je'Von Evans vs. Leon Slater over the weekend.
Sports Illustrated is reporting that WWE management stepped in to help book the X-Division Title bout between Leon Slater and Je'Von Evans at TNA's Bound For Glory pay-per-view over the weekend. According to sources close to SI, unnamed members of WWE top brass had a lot of say in the controversial non-finish involving NXT stable DarkState.
Slater and Evans went to a 20 minute time limit draw before TNA authority figure (and all round "son of ma gun") Santino Marella came out to say fans deserved better. So, he tacked on an extra 5 minutes to booming applause. A few minutes after that, DarkState rushed out to attack both workers and cause a stoppage.
Fans in attendance for the show and those watching at home were unhappy with this no contest, especially due to the time limit gimmick and Santino's subsequent announcement. However, it's believed that WWE chiefs stepped in to exert their influence over things and make sure Slater vs. Evans ended the way it did.
TNA President Carlos Silva recently told Sports Illustrated that creative for several TNA workers is a "shared process". The website also understands that there's a strong possibility of a rematch between Leon and Je'Von in the near future - NXT's Halloween Havoc show on 25 October could host it.
It was risky to book a finish like this on TNA's biggest pay-per-view of the year, but that's the pull WWE has over company business. It seems they didn't want Je'Von, who has recently worked on SmackDown, to eat a loss to Slater. Either that or they just see real value in a rematch between the pair soon.