WWE Stars “Frustrated” After Late SmackDown Changes

Vince McMahon’s presence continues to be felt in WWE and despite not being at shows, the Executive Chairman is leaving many “frustrated” as he makes last-minute changes to shows.

Since McMahon forced his way back into WWE at the beginning of 2023, his influence on the creative direction of the company has grown to the point that many in the company believe that he’s “firmly back in charge.”

WRKD Wrestling reported that many were left frustrated as late changes were made to SmackDown in Lafayette, Louisiana with one alteration coming as LA Knight took on Rey Mysterio instead of being part of a triple threat match against Santos Escobar and Butch:

“Plans for #SmackDownhave changed throughout the day, leaving many frustrated, with matches announced last week potentially on the chopping block. One change is that LA Knight will now face Rey Mysterio in a singles match, as opposed to a triple threat with Escobar.”

Bayley was also set to take on Shotzi on the show as she looked to build momentum ahead of Money In The Bank but that match did not end up happening either.

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Fightful Select followed up with a report noting that “most” of the SmackDown script was changed on the day of the show with a talent alluding to who was to blame as they were quoted as asking “Did SmackDown get Vinced?” There were said to be “significant changes” to the show as it existed on paper on Friday morning.

It is always worth noting when advertised matches are pulled from WWE television that the company went out of its way to publicly slam Naomi (Trinity) and Sasha Banks (Mercedes Mone) in May 2022 when they walked out of Raw with emphasis made to the fact that they had been advertised to appear on the show and then didn’t.