From the WWE Rumor Mill: The person responsible for the Survivor Series changes revealed
The Beast Incarnate vs. The Phenomenal One! Hell yeah!
What's the story?
Survivor Series didn't have this much hype a week ago. Thankfully for the WWE and the fans, a slew of changes have transformed the PPV into a must-watch affair.
Incidentally, the man behind it all is none other than Vince McMahon himself, according to a report from PWInsider.
In case you didn't know...
WWE threw a curveball at the fans on this week's pre-taped SmackDown episode when AJ Styles defeated Jinder Mahal to become the new WWE Champion. The win meant that the Phenomenal One will face Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series.
In the other big match on the card -- the traditional men's survivor series elimination match, John Cena was announced as the 5th member of Team SmackDown Live.
However, these turned out to be in complete contrast to the original plans.
The heart of the matter
According to an earlier report from the Wrestling Observer, John Cena was originally supposed to return and become the special guest referee in the Jinder Mahal vs. Brock Lesnar match
WWE scrapped those plans and instead put the title on AJ Styles. The lukewarm response to Mahal vs. Lesnar coupled with a drop in ratings forced Vince McMahon and co. to make the sudden call of a title change.
The decision was reportedly made last week after SmackDown suffered a big drop in its viewership figures.
What's next?
The dream match between Styles and Lesnar seems set for the PPV but anything can with a week left for the show.
While Cena, Styles and Lesnar have their roles fixed for the PPV, the Modern Day Maharaja is left without a clear direction as the Survivor Series teams are full.
Will the WWE put the title back on Mahal next week on SmackDown or will he be kept off the PPV due to lack of a storyline? We'll have to wait for another week.
Author's take
Thank you, Mr.McMahon! Putting the title on Styles not only saved the WWE Championship but also a big four PPV in Survivor Series.
The changes have served the purpose of making the show feel like a big deal. Hopefully, WWE doesn't ruin it all and books it smartly.