'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE hasn't experienced the kind of crisis in the company's history like they did before 2017's TLC event. With rumour and innuendo floating spreading like wildfire, many people drew their own conclusions and made theories about what would happen next.
However, few people would have guessed how the final card for TLC would have turned out.
Let's take a look at the events leading up to the big changes for TLC while providing a little insight on the situation.
#1 Bo Dallas goes missing
The first sign something was going on in the Raw locker room was when Bo Dallas didn't appear alongside The Miz. "The A-Lister" said Dallas was sick and wished him a healthy return to the ring.
This was an odd time for Bo Dallas to be missing from action and some people thought it might have been a work. But when Dallas didn't pop up later to jump anyone or take part in an angle, it made people start to think something was going on.
Bo Dallas' absence for the next couple of weeks drove home the point as well that the son of IRS and brother of Bray Wyatt was dealing with some kind of health issue.
#2 Bray Wyatt was also missing
People started to figure out pretty quickly that while he was appearing on WWE television, Bray Wyatt was missing from action as well.
Wyatt was feuding with Finn Balor in a program building for some kind of Sister Abigail reveal. It was creepy and a lot of people were curious to see how much stranger it could get.
But all of Bray Wyatt's promos were pre-taped and shown on the big screen in the arena. With Finn Balor usually standing in the ring and cutting a promo with a guy who wasn't even in the building.
A lot of fans started to wonder if there was some kind of connection between Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt's absence.
It was also around this time when rumours of a "viral infection" within the Raw Superstars started to make the rounds in the rumour mill.
#3 Roman Reigns pulled from TLC
Rumors started to circulate about other WWE Superstars on the Raw brand potentially being sick but nobody saw this one coming. Two days before the TLC pay-per-view was set to take place, Roman Reigns was pulled from the big main event, effectively halting The Shield's reunion and forcing WWE to make a very tough decision regarding his replacement.
After all, Vince McMahon wasn't about to cancel a show due to illness. WWE released a statement on the matter where they said a "viral infection' had been found in three Superstars, leading most to assume the ones dealing with this disease were Bo Dallas, Bray Wyatt, and Roman Reigns.
Now quick decisions needed to be made after "The Big Dog" was pulled from the show.
#4 The AJ Styles factor
WWE had to send AJ Styles home in the middle of the SmackDown roster's tour of South America. The reports given at the time said he was dealing with an illness but whatever he was stricken with couldn't have been too bad because WWE called on "The Phenomenal One" to fill in for "The Eater Of Worlds" at TLC.
The Raw writers found out later in the week they might need to do some replacing and had plenty of ideas of who could fill in for Bray Wyatt. The sad part of course is we might never know what they had planned in regards to the evolving Sister Abagail storyline, but depending on who you ask, that might not be a bad thing.
Fans have been waiting for a match between Finn Balor and AJ Styles for years and it's finally going to happen at TLC with no televised build-up. But WWE might let Styles and Balor pull out all the stops in this match between two former members of The Bullet Club as well which makes this idea even more exciting.
#5 The Olympic Hero makes a return
To illustrate just what kind of position WWE was backed into they cleared Kurt Angle for in-ring competition so he could replace Roman Reigns at TLC. While this switch might cancel The Shield's reunion it is important to see this situation through rose-coloured glasses.
Kurt Angle's return to the ring has to signify that he did better on WWE's "impact test" than most first thought. Angle might be in a match where he could be protected by Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. But the numbers game is still stacked against the babyfaces big time and it's a TLC match as well.
Anything can happen when tables, ladders, and chairs are involved in a match. Let's just hope Kurt Angle's last-minute insertion into the picture will allow everyone enough time to prepare for the changes in store.
But seeing how Angle is wrestling in a WWE ring once again, it really lends credence to the thought fans might get to see him wrestle more often.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
