Real reason why WWE cancelled RAW Underground reportedly revealed
The RAW after Clash of Champions had some notable absentees, and RAW Underground was by far the most prominent aspect that was missing from this week's show.
A report from Fightful Select has revealed that no RAW Underground segments were filmed for tonight's episode. It's a usual practice of the WWE to shoot the RAW Underground segments well in advance, but that didn't happen this week.
Sources within the company told Fightful that WWE was short on talent due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the fact that several Superstars were exposed to the virus made matters worse.
Many Superstars were told to go into quarantine, and it was added that the RAW Underground segment 'was deemed unnecessary' due to the existing circumstances. Braun Strowman handed Dabba-Kato his first loss on RAW Underground last week, and there was some considerable amount of anticipation for WWE's follow-up angle for the former Universal Champion.
The latest COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on RAW and other WWE shows
As reported earlier, WWE has been hit by another COVID-19 outbreak, and the company has been scrambling to make all the necessary changes to its shows over the past few days.
Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax and Nikki Cross were pulled from the Clash of Champions PPV after they came in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
The five core members of RETRIBUTION were also told to go into quarantine for two weeks following their exposure to someone who had contracted the virus. Ryan Satin reported that all the members tested negative.
Many other names were missing from the show, but there are no updates on if their absence was with regards to the COVID-19 situation in the company.
PWInsider reported that training was stopped at the Performance Center due to the outbreak.
WWE also released the following statement addressing the situation:
"As part of ongoing testing protocols, WWE completed its second round of weekly COVID-19 testing on Tuesday. Individuals that tested positive will quarantine for 14 days receive medical care, and then will only be cleared when they are symptom-free and test negative. Additionally, extensive contact tracing has taken place, and other individuals have been placed in 14-day quarantine, and will then only be cleared after they test negative."
The outbreak reportedly started at a party that was organized by an NXT talent, which was attended by many trainers. It didn't take time for the virus to spread, and main roster talents have also reportedly been exposed to the virus. Shane McMahon's RAW Underground suffered as a result of the unforeseen circumstances.
As always, we'll keep you updated on the COVID-19 outbreak, and its effects on WWE's operations.