There was a huge hit to WWE morale on Monday after Vince McMahon made sweeping changes right after WWE held a talent meeting where Paul Levesque (Triple H) and Nick Khan told talent nothing would be changing, and minutes before Triple H did an on-screen promo saying much of the same.
After months of being assured that Vince McMahon was not involved in creative, several WWE talent were frustrated when the day of an announced WWE deal, a bunch of Vince McMahon-esque changes were made. McMahon came along right before the show started, right after WWE led meetings saying nothing would change, and quite literally changed much of it. He was also in Gorilla position all night after WWE had told numerous sources that Triple H was to be leading the charge in that position. There were changes made well into the show and new run sheets being passed along. McMahon also had his own office all weekend.
After saying he would not be "in the weeds" with creative in an interview earlier that day, Vince McMahon instead came in and made last minute, sweeping changes that frustrated several on his roster. There were several that said they didn't even think the changes were creatively poor, but the entire dishonesty of the situation considering that over a dozen of these people had previously been fired under Vince McMahon was a depressing blow.
In addition to the hints of his involvement we'd reported Mania week, there were big changes on short notice between the 6 PM EST talent meeting and the show itself that have largely been absent since Triple H took over creative. There were originally set to be two triple threat women's matches that would serve as a tourney for a Raw Women's Title shot. Instead, the women's segments were cut and a tag team title contender match was booked. Bayley was also scheduled to be ringside, which was cut. We're told several of the women on the roster grew frustrated by the adjustment. Many staff and talent have said that after a successful WrestleMania, and several months without Vince that displayed that they could be successful, smooth and happy, it was demoralizing to have that happen.
Several of the women on the roster were very disappointed, including a number of them that weren't even at the show. In all, this was the biggest hit to morale since Vince McMahon left his spot last year, and probably the lowest point of morale in totality since pre-WrestleMania in 2022 when it reached near all-time lows. Needless to say, April 3 was a huge shot.
Vince McMahon was in gorilla position throughout the show and made numerous changes, even while the show was on the air. Production and talent were getting instructions as the show went on the air.
Omos vs. Elias was also a late addition, and several things that were originally planned for the show didn't end up happening. We're told Omos was in catering, and wasn't planning on wrestling, then the late change happened, and there was a scramble to make sure he had gear to compete in. An old Vince McMahon rule was to always bring your gear, and always stay til the end of the show, largely because he was constantly changing things. There were also talent that was scrambling to do last minute shoots.
There were backstage elements, including Cody talking on a phone, and an lWo-Bad Bunny integration that were also changed, but we're not sure if those were Vince McMahon changes. The decision for Brock Lesnar to "team" with Cody Rhodes was solidified by Monday morning.
Numerous WWE talent were disappointed as they feel this weekend was a way for Vince McMahon to wedge himself back into the fold. Just earlier on Monday, WWE sources claimed that Triple H would be the person leading Gorilla position. However, Vince McMahon was present and many talent felt like they were sold a bill of goods. We spoke to one higher up that said Friday's Smackdown will be a big test and an important day for the company, noting that Vince McMahon was already in LA for the weekend when Raw after Mania happened. However, if he travels all the way to Portland for Smackdown, whether he's in Gorilla Position or not, it will be a huge negative sign to talent and staff. There are important people in the company who had no idea he was planning to make changes Monday, and don't know his plans for Friday.
Fightful heard from at least two talent, including one near the top of the card that said they'll likely request their releases if this is a trend moving forward, and another that said they'll just ride out their deal. There are multiple wrestlers who are already exploring what their options would be in the event Vince McMahon were to be steadily involved.
The April 7 Smackdown ended up a lot better, with Vince McMahon not present and less involved. However, there were rumors he had prior engagements. Things are still a "wait and see" approach with a lot of talent.
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