Backstage Note On John Laurinaitis WWE SmackDown Absence

WWE

A backstage note has emerged on John Laurinaitis WWE status, following his absence from Friday’s WWE SmackDown taping.

As previously reported, the WWE Head of Talent Relations was not present for SmackDown, following recent “hush pact” allegations surrounding himself and Vince McMahon. You can read all the details and the full story at this link.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that Laurinaitis was never actually scheduled to be at the taping, indicating that his absence was not in reaction to details on the allegations and investigation emerging.

Meltzer said:

“John Laurinaitis was never scheduled to be in Minneapolis tonight. So him not being there is not necessarily any kind of a story. I mean he wasn’t there, but there were some internet rumors that he was there. He was not there and not scheduled to be there. I believe he’s scheduled to be there on Monday, but I don’t know that 100%.

“If he’s not there on Monday I would say then maybe there is a story. As far as he goes, it’s going to be tough for him just because of the position that he’s in for one. Vince is the boss and it’s harder to get rid of him obviously. But for John, it’s a bad look.”

WWE and the Board of Directors have named Stephanie McMahon the interim CEO and Chairwoman after Vince McMahon stepped back from the roles.

Vince made a brief appearance during SmackDown’s live broadcast, which you can read more about right here.

We will continue to provide updates on the situation as they become available.

Transcription via WrestlingNews.co.

To make sure you stay updated with all the latest wrestling news, add WrestleTalk.com to your Google Discover feed and follow us on Twitter!

• john laurinaitis
• Smackdown
• Vince McMahon
• wwe

Share this article with friends