Backstage News, Producers, On WWE Raw & Smackdown For January 2-6
Raw Producers:
– Bloodline promo: Road Dogg
– Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss: Petey Williams
– Music City Street Fight: Elias vs. Solo Sikoa: Abyss
-Kevin Owens & Street Profits vs. Usos & Sami Zayn: Jason Jordan
– Dexter Lumis vs. Chad Gable: Shane Helms
– Dakota Kai vs. Becky Lynch & Michin: Tyson Kidd
– US Title: Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory: Adam Pearce
Backstage News, More
– Rip Fowler of NXT was working a Main Event taping match. Jagger Reid was there to second him, as opposed to wrestling.
– Summer Rae was backstage visiting. When we asked, we told there are no plans to bring her back full-time.
– Fightful has gained no indication that Edge or Cody Rhodes were ever supposed to return on January 2’s Raw, contrary to reports.
– Shelton Benjamin faced Rip Fowler on Main Event, and Dana Brooke squared off with Nikki Cross. Kenny Dykstra produced both of them.
– Michin’s name change has been standard for several weeks now, as she’s no longer listed as Mia Yim.
– Road Dogg has been working regularly as a producer over the last several weeks.
– Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss were both said to have been okay following their matches.’
– Drew McIntyre and Sheamus being on the show was not telegraphed internally, but they weren’t kept much of a secret from talent backstage.
– We’re told that brand crossover talent won’t be slowing down any time soon, especially as a vehicle to accelerate Bloodline feuds.
Smackdown
– Bloodline and Kevin Owens promo: Jason Jordan
– Kofi Kingston vs. Santos Escobar: Jamie Noble
– Liv Morgan, LA Knight segments: Shawn Daviari
– Karrion Kross & Scarlett vs. Madcap Moss & Emma: Shawn Daviari
– Charlotte Flair vs. Sonya Deville: Molly Holly
– Ricochet vs. Top Dolla: Adam Pearce
– Usos vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus: Jason Jordan
Backstage notes
– Triple H and William Regal were both backstage at WWE Smackdown.
– Vince McMahon was not at Smackdown.
– Talent were not addressed about a potential sale, or Vince McMahon.
– Street Profits vs. Imperium’s post show dark match was produced by Jason Jordan
– Tegan Nox vs. Xia Li was produced by Shawn Daviari.
– Scarlett’s Smackdown match was her first on main roster TV since a 2016 squash against Nia Jax. She’s been working live events.
– Bray Wyatt was not at the show. We noted on the Q&A podcast he wasn’t scheduled for the show as of Thursday
This article first appeared on our premium service, Fightful Select and was republished here on Fightful. If you complain about it being “old news,” you have to buy SRS’s Bengals tickets for the playoffs AND TRAVEL. Subscribe to get exclusive news every day, and a half-dozen weekly podcasts.
To directly support us and our continuing breaking news, interviews, and the like, subscribe to FightfulSelect.com. You’ll get exclusive news sent to you directly before anyone else, and dozens of podcasts monthly including Alex Pawlowski’s Sour Graps, Sean Ross Sapp’s Q&A, Retro Reviews and more
