Update article: Vince McMahon's split open appears to have been planned after all, according to reports.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Vince did in fact bladed before the segment started, but instead of nu-skin used to cover the bleeding, it is believed that Vince used Vaseline to cover the cut. Meltzer also said Stephanie McMahon, Vince's daughter and the commissioner for RAW, was expected to play a much larger role in the angle. Stephanie was supposed to come out to the ring with a towel to give her father which was then supposed to become soaked with Vince's blood.
Stephanie was on SmackDown that week because she was also going to be a part of the Mae Young Classic trophy presentation, which was won by Kairi Sane. The Mae Young Classic took place immediately after SmackDown in the same arena.
Also on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer talked about how reckless the angle is, stating that Vince's memory "is really bad now" and that hopefully he doesn't pay for it sooner or later in life. It is worth noting that Vince just turned 72 years old, increasing the risks associated with Vince taking a shoot headbutt.
Original article: Vince McMahon's bleeding forehead from a Kevin Owens attack was probably the biggest takeaway from SmackDown this week and that may have been planned, according to reports.
As seen on SmackDown Live this week, Owens delivered a hard headbutt to McMahon, leaving him on the mat and inexplicably splitting his forehead open from just one headbutt. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, McMahon having his forehead bleed from Owens' attack was planned.
What is a little murky is how the cut happened in the first place. While the bleeding was planned, Meltzer did write that the cut could have occurred as a result of McMahon blading before the segment started and Vince covered it up with nu-skin, which would lead to the wound re-opening with a lot of blood.
On his radio show as well, Meltzer said the chances of the blood being planned as a result from the "hard way" headbutt alone were very low because you can't guarantee an open wound from a single headbutt, no matter how hard it is.
WWE.com sent out an update on McMahon's condition.
WWE Chairman and CEO Mr. McMahon was on the receiving end of a brutal attack at the hands of Kevin Owens during the shocking conclusion of Sin City SmackDown.
WWE.com has learned that, following the attack, Mr. McMahon did not give comment and refused to be looked at by medical staff.
Stay tuned to WWE.com for more news on this situation as it develops.
Before the headbutt happened, McMahon announced that Owens will fight Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell match at the next SmackDown pay-per-view, Hell in a Cell.
