In the world of professional wrestling, More information has surfaced regarding WWE’s decision to cancel an on the horizon show of SmackDown, including the noted reasons behind the move. How it could affect the company’s schedule heading into Labor Day weekend.
As previously reported, the September 4 edition of SmackDown that was booked to take place at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati — Ohio, came to a close up being canceled. The change maiden became apparent when the broadcast was removed from Ticketmaster, and WWE’s official ticketing page no longer lists the show.
Per Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Daily Update, the cancellation stemmed from a combination of logistical and production-related issues.
Despite the cancellation of the live event, fans will still get a latest broadcast of SmackDown on September 4.
Meltzer relayed that WWE looks set to tape the episode in advance, either during the company’s stop in Cleveland the previous Friday or following the September 7 episode of Raw. Despite this, he noted that a final decision on the taping location has not yet been made.
An continued benefit of the schedule adjustment is that WWE talent will reportedly receive the Friday before Labor Day weekend off, something that is relatively uncommon given the company’s demanding travel schedule.
The cancellation comes during an in particular busy stretch of WWE programming.
On September 6, WWE is planned to present a Saturday Night’s Main Pay-per-view special from State Farm Building in Atlanta, Georgia. Two days later, on Labor Day itself, the company will hold an installment of Raw from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The scheduling landscape changed significantly earlier this month when WWE moved Money in the Bank from September 6 to October 10. The premium live spectacular will now take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
WWE officially made known the date change on June 8, with reports indicating that the move was related to scheduling matters involving broadcast partners.
Had Money in the Bank remained on September 6, the September 4 installment of SmackDown would have served as the final stop before the premium live event. With the broadcast now taking place more than a month later, the September 4 broadcast is no longer a traditional go-home episode — making a pre-taped format a more practical option.
The change on top of that gives WWE additional flexibility when it comes to building storylines for Money in the Bank, as multiple episodes of Raw and SmackDown will still remain before the October 10 spectacular.
For now, while the Cincinnati event got scrapped, WWE audience can still expect a new edition of SmackDown to air on September 4, albeit likely from a different location and on a tape-delayed basis.