The inaugural WWE Wrestlepalooza takes place tonight, September 20.
The debut WWE PLE on its new partner ESPN’s streaming service, it promises to be a big one – with WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque stating on ESPN: “Expect spectacle, expect surprises.”
While the go-home SmackDown may already be in the bag, the promise of spectacle and surprises suggests last-minute changes are still on the cards.
Here are six potential changes that could still be made to WWE Wrestlepalooza.
6. Replacement For Corey Graves
On the PLE’s go-home SmackDown, Brock Lesnar attacked the announce team, laying out Corey Graves with two F-5s after he tried to defend Michael Cole.
For the remainder of the show, The Miz filled in for the beaten-down Graves.
It now seems that, selling the attack, Graves will also not be at the booth for Wrestlepalooza.
There will need to be a replacement colour commentator for the show – possibilities include JBL, who has been calling WWE’s Mexican promotion AAA, Booker T from NXT, or The Miz, who did an effective job on SmackDown.
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5. Paul Heyman Accompanies Brock Lesnar
On the 19 September edition of WWE SmackDown, after destroying the commentary team, Brock Lesnar encountered his old manager Paul Heyman backstage.
During their interaction, Lesnar suggested that they “should talk” – a suggestion a smiling Heyman appeared open to.
The tease strongly hinted at a possible reunion between the two men.
It now looks like one of the surprises Paul Levesque promised for Wrestlepalooza could be Heyman once again acting as Brock Lesnar’s “Advocate,” accompanying him to the ring for his battle with John Cena.
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4. No DQ Stipulation Added To Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena
John Cena and Brock Lesnar’s clash is set to open WWE Wrestlepalooza, and like their previous encounters it promises to be a violent affair.
But could a stipulation be added?
On the September 15 Raw, Cena described Lesnar as “nearly invincible” – perhaps foreshadowing the need to add plunder into the mix to even the odds.
Cena delivered one of his best late-career performances in a Street Fight against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam – could we see a similar stipulation added here to ensure this bout meets the lofty standards of their past battles?
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3. Dominik Mysterio vs. Rusev Added To The Card
A possible sixth match for Wrestlepalooza could see the Intercontinental Title defended.
On the September 15 Raw, Rusev confronted Dominik Mysterio and made clear his intentions for the championship.
While the build is short, Mysterio is one of WWE’s most over acts, and it makes sense to feature him on such a big-time card.
And another of Paul Levesque’s promised surprises could be an appearance by Liv Morgan, returning to help Mysterio beat his hulking foe.
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2. The Return Of Gunther
Gunther has been absent from WWE programming since SummerSlam, following his WWE World Heavyweight Title loss to CM Punk.
The 38-year-old underwent surgery on his nose, with the absence explained in storyline as a septal hematoma and orbital blowout fracture suffered in the match.
However, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer that Gunther is “expected back very soon.”
In light of this, it appears that Gunther being added to Wrestlepalooza could be one of the surprises Paul Levesque hinted at in his ESPN interview.
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1. Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black Added To The Card
The card for Wrestlepalooza is currently five matches deep, though there was originally a sixth planned – a three-way WWE Women’s Title match between Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax and Jade Cargill.
That bout was scrapped and moved to the September 26 SmackDown instead.
If WWE still wants more than five matches on the show, that would mean another bout would have to be added in its place.
One strong contender is Damian Priest vs Aleister Black, whose ongoing SmackDown feud could deliver a standout showing.
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