From the WWE Rumor Mill: How long did WWE know that creative changes would be needed for TLC?
What's the story?
Three members of WWE's Raw roster were taken out of the TLC event after being affected by mumps. While most people might assume that this was a last-minute change of plans, Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that WWE Creative still had a fair amount of time to make the decision about what to do for TLC.
In case you didn't know...
Kurt Angle hasn't wrestled in a WWE ring for 11 years which is why this is such a big deal. On the other hand, Finn Balor and AJ Styles have never been given a full match where they can spotlight their talents.
The heart of the matter
Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting the creative team learned they might have to come up with an alternate plan for TLC late in the week. They had plenty of options to choose from in order to determine the perfect replacement for Roman Reigns as well as Bray Wyatt.
In the end, they landed on Kurt Angle because he was the best decision available at the time. AJ Styles was also chosen for Finn Balor for the same reason. The timing is strange considering how AJ Styles needed to be sent home from Argentina because he was suffering from some kind of illness and then he shows up on the TLC card.
What's next?
TLC just went from being an event you'll remember because of The Shield to an event you'll probably never going to forget even before the actual event itself.
Author's take
This booking decision was obviously done late in the game, therefore, it's really hard to blame WWE Creative for not having enough time to promote. But to be fair, Kurt Angle's return really deserves a lot more time than a couple of days to hype the match.
On the same token, Finn Balor vs AJ Styles is a match people have been clamouring to see ever since the first leaders of The Bullet Club found themselves working for WWE at the same time.
In the spirit of the recently released WWE 2k18 video game, TLC seems like it has had two dream matches inserted at the last minute. It's just a shame all of this had to come at the expense of Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns' illness.
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