According to Ringside News , WWE chairman Vince McMahon reportedly didn’t read the script for this week’s Monday Night Raw until right before the episode was set to go live.
The report stated that the performers were pitched ideas from the writers before the chairman signed off. However, it took until 6:30 PM to get three matches confirmed for the program.
This is also the reason why the company didn’t promote many matches prior to the show airing on the USA Network. While some bouts were confirmed later on in the day, the company was tight-lipped about plans for the most part.
It also meant that the superstars didn’t have enough time to offer feedback in regard to their storylines and in-ring activities. Due to the hurried nature of the show, the performers had to work with what they were given following McMahon’s approval.
The article revealed that McMahon was supposedly on his way to Orlando when he finally read the script for the episode. This last-minute approach to the red brand’s flagship program has supposedly been happening for months, however, with one writer telling the outlet that “Raw hasn’t held together since Paul Heyman was removed.”
As The Inquisitr previously documented, Heyman was removed from his position as the executive director of Monday Night Raw earlier this year. His role saw him oversee the creative direction of the program alongside McMahon, but he had a lot of input and seemingly brought more organization to proceedings.
PWInsider recently documented how McMahon arrived for a taping back in August and changed just about everything on the show. There were rewrites going on into the episode’s second and third hours, all of which were dictated by the chairman. There have been numerous reported incidences of scripts being ripped up on the day, so the latest development won’t come as a shock to fans and pundits.
The Ringside News report noted that Friday Night SmackDown is also prone to experiencing several last-minute rewrites. However, writer Ed Koskey seemingly has more access to McMahon. His red brand counterparts have struggled to get in touch with the boss in recent times, however.
WWE’s product is often criticized for being too micromanaged by McMahon and his vision. Fans and pundits often cite lack of long-term storytelling as one of the biggest flaws with the weekly programming. The chaotic nature of the creative process might be a contributing factor to this criticism.