The high-stakes World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and LA Knight that headlined Monday Night RAW this week was originally intended for a much grander stage.
According to a new report, WWE had considered booking the bout for Night Two of SummerSlam before ultimately pivoting to feature the match on RAW instead.
Backstage Plans Revealed
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed details from early drafts of WWE’s SummerSlam card.
One version of the lineup included a rapid-fire title defense for the new World Heavyweight Champion, just one night after capturing the gold. “On the original card they were considering—there was like an asterisk—you know, they were considering Seth and LA Knight in a title match on the Sunday show,” Meltzer said. “He’d win the title on Saturday and defend it on Sunday.”
The idea was reportedly floated during early planning stages, before the company decided to pull back and instead build the bout for the RAW following the blockbuster two-night PLE.
The championship match ultimately aired with no advance advertisement on this week’s Monday Night RAW, a decision that surprised many fans but delivered in terms of intrigue and storyline progression. The bout ended in disqualification after CM Punk interfered, attacking Seth Rollins and ensuring the title remained around his waist.
Despite the abrupt finish, LA Knight now has a legitimate claim to a rematch, setting the stage for continued drama in WWE’s top-tier scene.
With CM Punk reigniting tensions with Rollins, and LA Knight denied a clean finish in his first title shot, WWE appears to be heading toward a combustible triple threat scenario. All three stars are red-hot with the audience, and a three-way program could elevate the Monday Night RAW main event picture heading into the fall season.
Whether the planned match for SummerSlam was shelved for storyline flexibility or simply to spread out major moments, WWE seems to have struck gold with a feud that now involves three of the most compelling names in the company.
Stay with PWMania.com for breaking news, backstage reports, and ongoing coverage of WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship picture.
