Ever since WrestleMania weekend, Vince McMahon has been actively participating in pre-show creative meetings, even remotely, and making alterations to creative plans.
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While the impact of McMahon’s involvement wasn’t immediately apparent, it has become more pronounced recently. This was evident in the previous episode of SmackDown, where three advertised matches were scrapped in favor of McMahon’s preferred content.
Once again, McMahon exerted considerable influence on last night’s Raw, as reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio:
“Vince has become increasingly interested in this. Today’s Raw was another testament to that. This was Vince McMahon’s show.”
This aligns with the earlier report from PWInsider, which stated that the episode would bear “a lot of Vince McMahon fingerprints” and that McMahon’s involvement would likely intensify as the deal with Endeavor nears completion.
The highlight of Raw revolved around the introduction of NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes. The storyline spanned multiple segments, including his intervention to save Seth Rollins from an attack by Finn Balor, a backstage interview, a captivating video package, and a highly competitive match against Balor, which Balor ultimately won.
Moreover, Raw served as the final episode before Money in the Bank, scheduled for the upcoming Saturday. To build anticipation, a “summit” took place involving all six women competing in the Money in the Bank ladder match. The women met in the ring and engaged in a brawl, with Becky Lynch emerging as the victor. Lynch then confronted Rhea Ripley backstage, hinting that Lynch might be the frontrunner heading into Saturday’s event.
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