WWE Caught Recycling 10-Year-Old Footage For Video Package
WWE hyped Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin using decade-old highlights.
WWE used decade-old footage in a video package designed to build hype for Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin's grudge match at WrestleMania Backlash 2022 on Sunday (8 May).
As originally pointed out by @WrestleSnowman on Twitter, the Backlash vignette featured crowd reactions taken directly from an old Raw segment featuring John Cena reprising his 'Doctor Of Thugonomics' persona on a March 2012 episode:-
While watching Backlash, I noticed during the recap of Happy Corbin vs Madcap Moss they used crowd shots from 10 years ago. I know they manipulate the crowds in the recaps, but damn a 10-year difference. Lol@BrockLesnarGuy #WMBacklash pic.twitter.com/E5dmf142bi
Advertisement— Wrestling Snowman (@WrestleSnowman) May 9, 2022
Said footage was presented as a natural, organic reaction to earlier occurrences in the Corbin/Moss feud. Clearly, this was not the case.
Regular WWE attendee "Brock Lesnar Guy", who was featured in the original 2012 footage, has tweeted his response:-
Recycled Lesnar Guy.#WMBacklash pic.twitter.com/9GvR2lyGYh
— Brock Lesnar Guy (@BrockLesnarGuy) May 9, 2022
Manipulating crowd reactions is nothing new for WWE, with the promotion continuing to pipe manufactured noise into its shows, despite the return of full crowds in July 2021. Nonetheless, the wider wrestling world was quick to rumble the promotion for its attempts at presenting Corbin vs. Moss as something grander than it was.
Moss, who was betrayed by his former tag team partner, defeated Corbin in the second-to-last match on the WrestleMania Backlash 2022 premium live event. Whether or not there will be a rematch remains to be seen.