Last Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown saw notable changes to the original plans for the show as there were talents pulled for medical reasons.
As previously reported, one version making the rounds was that some talent tested positive for COVID-19 or had been in direct contact with someone who tested positive.
Pwinsider.com later shared additional backstage news and notes regarding the show as the
WWE United States Invitational bout with Santos Escobar vs. Austin Theory and Dominik Mysterio vs. Butch was always planned to be part of the show and go 2-3 segments. Additional time was allotted to those matches late in the day.
One major segment that had been planned but was dropped was Asuka’s opponents for Summerslam. WWE announced the opponents on social media. An in-ring segment featuring Bianca Belair, Asuka, Charlotte and Adam Pearce was pulled late in the day.
The originally planned IYO SKY vs. Zelina Vega bout was nixed, with Flair replacing Vega. It was switched when the in-ring segment setting up the WWE Women’s Championship match was removed. Vega was at the show.
Rick Boogs vs. Odyssey Jones was scheduled as a pre-taping dark match at one point, but removed.
While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Flair vs. SKY was thrown together at the last minute.
“So Charlotte Flair-IYO SKY was also thrown together at the end. There were a couple of people who were scheduled for the show who did not appear for, in some cases, for COVID-related reasons. Maybe not had COVID, but perhaps they were around it. So COVID reasons the show was changed. Charlotte and IYO Sky was a late replacement because that was not the original plan.”
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