There are some notes in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Vince McMahon missing last week’s SmackDown Live. I think you can expect him to miss more shows as the XFL start date gets closer.
Although McMahon was not backstage last Tuesday in Manchester, NH, he was on the phone constantly and he reviewed the show on the phone about an hour before they went on the air.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque worked in the gorilla position and Bruce Prichard was tasked with presenting the show with the other producers. Prichard gave a “rah rah” speech that was said to be very transparent.
Ryan Ward is still the lead writer unless that changes when Eric Bischoff begins working this coming Tuesday night. Prichard and Bischoff have been friends for many years and it’s believed that Prichard is the person who pushed hardest to get Bischoff the job. Prichard is being tasked to get Bischoff acclimated to everything backstage.
Dave Meltzer noted that people backstage were talking about why Bischoff wasn’t at least at last week’s show so he could watch how things are done before he starts full-time. It was noted to Meltzer that every week Bischoff was not there just puts him a week behind and the battles that are necessary to be the catalyst of change and improvement will take a long time.
Bischoff is currently making the 2,000 drive from Arizona to Stamford and he’ll be backstage this coming Tuesday night.
