Below are a couple of top WWE news stories of the day, involving Vince McMahon, WrestleMania 39 and Chad Gable.
• According to the Wrestling Observer, Vince McMahon originally planned to have Cody Rhodes return from his pec injury, win the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble and then go on to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39.
Triple H was on board with this plan as well.
However, numerous discussions and negotiations took place backstage, with various key points being argued among the parties involved. Ultimately, it was collectively agreed upon that delaying Rhodes’ victory for a year would make the storyline stronger.
One crucial aspect of the debate centered on the potential to elevate Jey Uso into a prominent singles star and boost merchandise sales, had Reigns retained the title.
It’s essential to note that while McMahon made the final decision, HHH fully supported it, and there were no major conflicts or issues arising from the resolution.
Contrary to speculation, it was not a case of McMahon overriding HHH’s input; rather, it was a collaborative decision-making process.
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• In the main event of this week’s RAW, Sami Zayn defeated Chad Gable to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
Both men showed respect to each other after the match. When Sami was hugging his wife at ringside, Gable suplexed Sami from behind and turned heel. RAW went off the air with Gable applying the Ankle Lock on Zayn in front of Zayn’s family and friends.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Creed Brothers are expected to turn heel as well and join forces with Gable.
Julius Creed of Creed Brothers even teased this, when he tweeted Gable’s old catchphrase after RAW:
“Ready.
Willing.
And…”