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Which WWE Superstar will turn heel next? Who will headline WrestleMania? And when will X, Y and Z receive call-ups from NXT?
Those three questions are among the most asked by fans on social media, with the WWE Universe often speculating about what might happen next in the crazy world of pro wrestling/sports entertainment.
In this article, rather than focus on the usual subjects, we thought it would be a good idea to think outside the box and contemplate some alternative WWE-related questions which you probably never thought to ask.
Can Vince McMahon cancel a match if it's going badly? How much do referees know about match finishes? And do Superstars really have any kind of power backstage?
Let's take a look at the answers to five quirky WWE questions.
#5 When do Superstars find out if they’re winning or losing?
With the exception of pay-per-views and the odd Raw/SmackDown Live announcement, WWE Superstars usually don’t know who they’re facing in their next match until the day of the show.
When it comes to winning and losing, that call can be made even later.
The most famous example of this came at WrestleMania 31 when Seth Rollins was told during the show that he would cash in his Money In The Bank contract in the main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns to win the WWE Championship.
He already faced Randy Orton earlier in the show and had no idea that he was a couple of hours away from making history.
#4 If a match/segment is going badly, what does Vince McMahon do?
If Vince McMahon wants to change something during a match, he lets the referee know through his earpiece and the official then informs the Superstars.
In extreme cases, such as when he sent Shane and Stephanie back to the ring to perform a promo segment again at a SmackDown taping in 2001, it’s clear for the audience to see if the WWE owner is unhappy with the production of his own show.
On another occasion, he interrupted a live event match between Rhyno and Tajiri in 2003, sending both guys to the back because the crowd was chanting “boring”.
#3 Can Superstars dispute the outcome of matches?
It takes a very brave WWE Superstar to try to change the outcome of a match, especially if they’re booked to lose, but there have indeed been several occasions when a finish has been switched following a complaint from a performer.
One of the most high-profile examples came at SummerSlam 2010 when The Nexus was originally supposed to defeat Team WWE, led by John Cena.
However, Cena “had a lot of power and made the change”, in the words of former Nexus member Justin Gabriel, and the villainous faction was booked to lose the match instead.
On the flip side, Superstars including Curt Hawkins and Chris Jericho have requested that they lose matches despite being told they are going to win!
#2 How much do referees know about match finishes?
If a referee is actively involved in the finish (e.g. if they take a bump and another official appears), they obviously know in advance what is going to happen in the match.
In some circumstances, however, it has come to light following a high-profile match that the referee was unaware of the outcome, including at WrestleMania 30 when Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak.
A more recent example came at Battleground 2017 when Kevin Owens won the United States Championship from AJ Styles in an awkward 1-2-3 finish while Styles had him in a submission.
According to Chris Jericho, the finish was “legitimately screwed up” and the title was not supposed to change hands.
#1 Do Superstars know if they’re going to change brands?
You would think that WWE Superstars would receive some warning if their schedule is going to drastically change for the next 12 months – but they don’t.
AJ Styles was heavily rumoured to be moving to Raw in the 2017 Superstar Shake-Up. However, after remaining on SmackDown Live, he revealed to Inside The Ropes that he had no idea if he was switching brands until the day that the roster changes were made.
Speaking on a WWE Draft episode of his ‘Something To Wrestle With’ podcast, former WWE producer Bruce Prichard revealed that Vince McMahon doesn’t tell Superstars in advance about brand moves because he wants a real reaction from them and he doesn’t want information to be leaked.
