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Vince McMahon and several other top WWE executives missed RAW this week as per the latest reports.
According to PWInsider, Senior Vice President & Executive Director Bruce Prichard; Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn; Producer, on-air talent & Director of Live Events Adam Pearce; Senior Producer, Hall of Famer & Vice President of Creative Writing & Booking Michael "PS" Hayes were absent backstage.
Vince McMahon, who has made regular appearances on RAW, was the biggest name missing from the show. On the other hand, Prichard has reportedly missed several other tapings in recent weeks.
The report further claimed that WWE Lead Writer Ed Koskey and Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis took charge of the show.
As of this writing, the actual reason behind the absentees has not been revealed. However, it should be noted that several talents and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 recently.
There has been speculation about the Day 1 pay-per-view card remaining intact. The promotion is working towards protecting the biggest matches scheduled to take place on January 1, 2022.
Top superstars missed recent WWE live events
WWE's recent live events in NYC and Tampa saw several top superstars being pulled out of the shows. RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Champion Big E missed the show at MSG. Additionally, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, and Queen Zelina also missed the event.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and King Woods were missing from the Tampa show.
Other superstars like Natalya and Edge worked the shows in their absence. Drew McIntyre surprisingly teamed up with Sheamus to take on The Usos at the show in Tampa.
WWE has had to make several adjustments in their Holiday tour due to the COVID-19 implications. The creative team have to look out for some of the biggest title clashes scheduled for the Day 1 pay-per-view.
Big E missed RAW this week, but he is scheduled defend his WWE Championship against Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley in a fatal four-way match.
Roman Reigns will put his Universal Championship on the line against Brock Lesnar. Becky Lynch is scheduled to defend her RAW Women's Championship against Liv Morgan.
