From the WWE Rumor Mill: Backstage details on WWE cancelling Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler WrestleMania 34 feud
What’s the story?
Per Brad Shepard of BodySlam.net, the WWE has reportedly cancelled the rumored Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler WrestleMania 34 feud.
Apparently, although the reason behind WWE pulling the plug on the feud before it commenced is unclear, Shane O’Mac vs. Ziggler was indeed the WWE’s original plan.
In case you didn’t know…
On the most recent episode of SmackDown Live, McMahon announced that he’ll be temporarily stepping away from his duties as the SmackDown Live Commissioner.
He was then attacked by Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, who continued their beat-down of him backstage, resulting in WWE officials and the medical staff having to rush to Shane’s aid.
The heart of the matter
The vast majority of professional wrestling experts initially believed that the WWE was set to put forth a feud between McMahon and The Showoff; culminating in a match at WrestleMania 34.
Addressing the same, Brad Shepard noted that the WWE recently came up with the idea of having Ziggler feud with the Smackdown Live commisioner; with the rivalry’s highlight being that The Showoff finally gets the opportunity to perform in a Singles Match at WrestleMania.
Nevertheless, after the turn of events on the latest edition of SmackDown Live, all signs point towards Shane O'Mac playing a role in the ongoing Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn feud.
Owens and Zayn were initially rumored to be competing in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, however, the WWE recently announced that the two ‘frenemies’ will compete in a Singles Match against one another at WrestleMania.
Furthermore, Shepard revealed that the WWE were so sure about going forward with Ziggler vs. McMahon, that they even had a WrestleMania 34 graphic featuring them opposite one another made, ahead of the April 8th mega-event.
What’s next?
As of this time, it’s being noted that whether or not Owens vs. Zayn remains a Singles Match is uncertain.
Fans can expect McMahon’s role in the Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn feud to be revealed in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 34.
Owens faces Zayn at WrestleMania 34 which takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 8th.
Author’s take
Honestly speaking, McMahon does add a zing to the KO vs. Zayn rivalry—with said rivalry being played out multiple times over the past few years.
Ziggler’s situation is rather perplexing right now, given that he could yet again miss out on the opportunity to showcase his skills in a Singles Match on the grandest stage of them all.
Here’s hoping “The Showoff” is accorded a prominent spot on the ‘Mania card.