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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Bella Twins Reportedly Didn’t Appear on Raw XXX Due to Creative Issues
The Bella Twins’ absence from Monday night’s Raw XXX show reportedly stemmed from a creative disagreement with WWE.
According to PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson, Nikki and Brie Bella flew to the northeast, but rather than attending Raw in Philadelphia, they went to a matinee showing of the musical Wicked.
During the latter stages of Raw, Nikki and Brie went on Instagram Live and expressed dismay over WWE not placing emphasis on the “Women’s Evolution” during Raw XXX. They mentioned how themselves, Mercedes Moné and Saraya were not showcased:
Wrestle Ops @WrestleOps
The Bella Twin’s make some interesting points. pic.twitter.com/iF24jm7QtB
As part of the Instagram Live (h/t WrestlingInc’s Nishant Jayaram), the Bellas said: “How didn’t they showcase anything from the women’s evolution? So Sasha Banks is in it, and they’re like, ‘We can’t. Mercedes is too over, and we can’t say her name.’ There’s a couple of other girls and Raya (Saraya). There’s a bunch of us they don’t want to show. That’s fine.”
Mercedes, who is under contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, was part of WWE for a decade under the name Sasha Banks, while Saraya had a lengthy run in WWE as Paige and presently works for AEW.
Charlotte Flair gave The Bella Twins a shoutout during her promo, and WWE showed Banks winning the Raw Women’s Championship during its opening video package.
Nikki and Brie were advertised for Raw XXX at one point last week, but they were removed from the advertising without explanation and did not appear.
Ultimately, Alundra Blayze was the only female legend to be part of the show, as she was involved in a backstage poker segment with the APA and others.
While The Bella Twins are retired as full-time wrestlers, they still make sporadic appearances for WWE, including competing in last year’s women’s Royal Rumble match.
They played a big role in bridging the gap from the Divas era to the golden age of women’s wrestling in WWE, and it seems clear they weren’t in favor of how their accomplishments would have been recognized had they appeared on Raw.
Details on WWE Pivoting to Trial of Sami Zayn
WWE reportedly knew it had to change its plans for The Bloodline on Raw XXX prior to last week’s episode of SmackDown.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE changed what it had planned for SmackDown to facilitate the move from an acknowledgment ceremony for Roman Reigns to the trial of Sami Zayn.
WWE had initially advertised the acknowledgment ceremony, but Meltzer (h/t Upton) reported that Afa, Sika and Rikishi weren’t going to be able to make it to Raw, and since they were supposed to be central figures in the segment, a change was made.
On SmackDown, Reigns had a contract signing with Kevin Owens, but he was ambushed and attacked by KO. Zayn didn’t make his way to the ring until Owens had already left and taken off through the crowd.
That prompted Reigns to put Zayn on trial to see if he deserved to retain his position as The Bloodline’s “Honorary Uce.”
It made for a spectacular segment on Raw, as Paul Heyman tore Zayn down and attempted to influence Reigns into kicking Zayn out of the group before Jey Uso stepped in to defend his former rival.
Reigns found Zayn “not guilty for now,” noting that the Royal Rumble would be Zayn’s final test, suggesting that Zayn will play a role in the undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Reigns and Owens.
The angle involving Zayn, Reigns and the entire Bloodline has been one of the best stories told in wrestling in quite some time, and it feels like things could come to a head at Royal Rumble.
If Zayn doesn’t perform to Reigns’ liking, Sami’s time as an honorary member of The Bloodline may be nearing its conclusion.
Lynch vs. Bayley Reportedly Cut Due to Time Constraints
The booking of the Becky Lynch vs. Bayley steel cage match on Raw XXX was reportedly influenced by timing issues.
According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc’s Sai Mohan), the trial of Sami Zayn went longer than intended, which led to multiple segments on the show getting shortened, including Lynch vs. Bayley.
The original plan reportedly called for Lynch vs. Bayley to be a two-segment match, but the decision-makers called an audible and had Damage CTRL attack The Man before the match ever officially started.
WWE’s creative minds reportedly felt it was better to set up an angle for a future match than to have a short cage match that only lasted one segment.
Becky and Bayley have been at odds for the past several weeks, as Damage CTRL cost Lynch a chance to become No. 1 contender for the Raw Women’s Championship, and Bayley beat Lynch in a singles match.
After Bayley returned from injury at SummerSlam and brought both Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky with her, Damage CTRL attacked Lynch and put her on the shelf for a few months with a shoulder injury.
Lynch is still seeking revenge against Bayley, and while it seemed the cage match was her time to do so, she never got the opportunity.
It seems likely that Lynch and all of Damage CTRL will be in the women’s Royal Rumble match, so The Man may be able to get back at her tormentors in that contest.
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