Details on Vince McMahon canceling WWE women's match after The Undertaker complained
Freddie Prinze Jr. recently recalled how The Undertaker played a part in Vince McMahon changing a WWE storyline involving Michelle McCool.
In late 2010, the former WWE writer was asked to book a women’s storyline to build towards Beth Phoenix vs. Kharma at WrestleMania 27. As part of the long-term angle, he wanted McCool to lose the Divas Championship at the 2011 Royal Rumble.
Speaking on his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, Prinze Jr. revealed that WWE producer Michael Hayes initially approved of his idea. However, the storyline was nixed after The Undertaker raised concerns with McMahon about McCool’s booking.
“He [Hayes] goes, ‘Well, Michelle said that you and her talked and she didn’t really like the story, so it’s gone,’” Prinze Jr. said. “He goes, ‘Freddie, she talked to Undertaker, Undertaker talked to Vince, the story’s gone.”
Along with Hayes, Stephanie McMahon also liked Prinze Jr’s suggestion. Ultimately, Vince McMahon has the final say on WWE storyline developments, and he decided to cancel the angle before it made it to television.
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Why The Undertaker got involved in Michelle McCool’s story
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool stops by @ATTStadium https://t.co/6q3XDYxUPB
Prinze Jr. explained that McCool got upset when he told her about his Divas Championship storyline. Having previously informed male superstars about their title losses, he did not think she would have an issue with the idea.
Looking back, he now realizes that women in WWE take title losses more seriously due to their lack of television time.
“Her face goes pale, all the color just drops literally right out of her skin,” Prinze Jr. recalled. “Right away I know I’ve done something terrible. I just don’t know what it is yet because this is hindsight, right? And I was in the moment. So I look, I go, ‘What’s wrong? What’s wrong?’ Her eyes well up. She said, ‘I didn’t think I’d be losing the belt before WrestleMania.’”
Although McMahon changed the storyline after The Undertaker's complaint, McCool still lost the Divas Championship before WrestleMania 27. She dropped the title to Natalya at Survivor Series 2010 before she was involved in a break-up storyline with her former tag team partner Layla.
Eve Torres held the Divas Championship at the time of WrestleMania 27, but she did not compete at the event. Instead, the show featured Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and McCool losing a tag team match against John Morrison, celebrity guest Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, and Trish Stratus.
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