Backstage Note On Major "Last Minute" WWE Title Decision

This recent WWE booking decision came right down to the wire.

Roman Reigns The Usos Bloodline
WWE.com

WWE's decision to unify its Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships wasn't made until the last minute.

Per Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, had no specific plan in mind for last week's SmackDown bout pitting Raw champions RK-Bro against their SmackDown counterparts, The Usos, ahead of the Friday broadcast. The company's creative team spent time going back and forth on the outcome before Vince McMahon ultimately made the decision to double-strap The Usos, who defeated Riddle and Randy Orton during the broadcast.

WWE had originally teased this unification match for WrestleMania Backlash 2022. That premium live event instead saw The Usos team with Roman Reigns (who unified the WWE and Universal Championships at WrestleMania 38) face off against Riddle, Orton, and Drew McIntyre.

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Meltzer states that RK-Bro vs. The Usos played out the way it did in order to facilitate the post-match angle, which saw Reigns and his cousins beat the now-former Raw Tag Team Champions down, setting Riddle and Orton up as challengers for Roman's Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

On 9 May, Meltzer had reported that at the time of publishing, WWE had no plans to unify its Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Titles.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.