Stars Returned To Film Different Content After Hail-Monroe Botch, Masked Man Rumors, Vince McMahon Story

Several behind-the-scenes notes have emerged from WWE and NXT this week, touching on everything from unexpected title changes to legitimate injuries and long-brewing creative plans.

One moment that caught attention internally came during the Thea Hail vs. Blake Monroe match in NXT. Referee Felix Fernandez reportedly received praise backstage for handling the bout as a shoot and properly counting the finish, allowing the title change to happen as intended. Sources described the call as professional and decisive under circumstances that required quick judgment.

That match also led to additional production work afterward. NXT sources confirmed that following the Hail and Monroe bout, people were required to physically return to the venue in order to re-tape certain materials tied to the outcome. The situation reportedly caused some scrambling behind the scenes.

Over on WWE Raw, Raquel Rodriguez was said to be legitimately shaken up after her segment with Nikki Bella. While the spot raised some concern internally, Rodriguez was checked on shortly afterward and was quickly cleared, easing worries about any serious injury.

There was also clarification regarding recent Raw storyline developments. Austin Theory being revealed as the masked man had reportedly been the plan from the very beginning, with the idea discussed internally for months as part of his involvement with The Vision. Reports regarding this direction surfaced some time ago, well before it played out on television.

Following Todd Grisham’s story on ‘INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet’ about Vince McMahon planning an interaction with him throughout an entire weekend, multiple people with connections to McMahon pushed back on the idea that it was unusual. According to those familiar with McMahon, this was something he did fairly often, particularly when he had a specific idea or interaction in mind.

(H/T: Fightful Select)