Report: WWE Made Major Changes To This Week's Raw & NXT
Last night's Raw and tonight's NXT weren't what WWE originally had planned...
Plans for last night's episode of WWE Raw and tonight's NXT show were both subjected to swooping changes, reports Fightful Select.
The writeup notes that rather than tearing up the script and coming up with a new one at the last minute, as is often the case with WWE (often after said script has already been wrapped up), the company made its changes earlier than normal.
Alterations included the decision to move Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton's WWE Title fight from Extreme Rules 2021 (26 September) to Raw, as well as planned appearances for Big E and Samoa Joe. Joe didn't end up appearing, while E showed up and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to become WWE Champion, but both were planned to appear as of last week.
Joe's injury and decision to relinquish the NXT Championship has prompted changes on the developmental brand as well. Further lineup switch-ups were in the works at the time of the original report's publication.
At least some of the changes made were out of WWE's hands - and this goes for both brands.
NXT is expected to receive a widescale reboot tonight, with the colourful new logo and Wale-penned theme song already unveiled.