Also read: 5 top WWE superstars who have influence over Vince McMahon
However, what goes on backstage normally stays backstage…or so they say. Unfortunately for WWE, in the age of the internet where information spreads fast, they have a little trouble in keeping backstage incidents a secret.
As a result, when any major altercation or issue happens backstage, it’s almost instantly reported by insiders who have sources within the company. Either way, a good chunk of the stories here weren’t revealed by insiders, but people within.
Also read: 5 signs that the WWE brand split has ended
Not all of the stories have negativity to it, but either way, there have been quite a few interesting things that have happened in the locker room and backstage. Here are the five most interesting things that happened backstage in 2019.
#5. Vince McMahon reveals his unexpectedly favourite WrestleMania 35 moment
WrestleMania 35 was centered around three major moments - Seth Rollins’ Universal Championship win, Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship win and Becky Lynch’s historic main event win.
However, Vince McMahon’s favourite part was none of those historic moments, but rather, the most comical moment on the show - when The Miz’s dad squared up with Shane McMahon.
In an interview with the Jobbing out podcast, George Mizanin revealed his backstage interaction with Vince McMahon afterwards:
It was undoubtedly a classic moment and it must have been a huge moment for Mizanin to be told by Vince McMahon himself how great a moment it was.
#4. Mark Henry’s confrontation with Lio Rush
Lio Rush has been in major trouble since the time of WrestleMania 35. There have been multiple reports that he has major backstage heat among officials and superstars. To add to it, he hasn’t been particularly apologetic about it and his place in the company.
Mark Henry, in an interview on Busted Open Radio, revealed that he confronted Lio Rush backstage after hearing what was going on. With the intention to help Rush, he left feeling more insulted after being lied to. He said
Moreover, Henry was critical of Rush saying that he wasn’t getting paid enough to hire a rental car and pay for his hotel every week. Henry fired back by saying that there’s something wrong with the way he spends and that the office shouldn’t be blamed.
#3. Pat McAfee almost quit WWE after Michael Cole screamed at him backstage
Pat McAfee was booked by Michael Cole to be a part of the Kickoff show. He was also a part of the “Watch Along” live stream that happened. But there was an incident with Michael Cole that almost made him quit…hardly half an hour before the kick-off show.
McAfee was instructed that he couldn’t wear jorts, so he took tuxedo pants and made it into tuxedo shorts. After all the rehearsals were said and done, McAfee was called out by Michael Cole backstage for looking unprofessional.
McAfee told the man in charge of the digital team that he was not going to be a part of Watch Along and he was ready to pack his bags and leave. The person in charge made him wait and took control of the situation.
After a while, he managed to get a hold of Vince McMahon and explain the situation, to which McMahon responded:
McAfee stated that afterwards, he got a genuine apology from Michael Cole, who thought that those shorts would ruin him.
#2. Sasha Banks’ backstage meltdown
Sasha Banks and Bayley became the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Naturally, the assumption was that they would have a long reign where they could be the first to establish the titles.
Unfortunately, they were booked to lose at WrestleMania 35 and Sasha Banks was nothing short of furious at the decision, feeling as though they needed to establish the titles before dropping them.
Slice Wrestling reported that Banks was extremely upset over the decision and even cancelled an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show in the last-minute, a decision that caused quite some panic. Sasha Banks has been given time off and there’s no word as to what her status is and what the future holds for her.
On the RAW taping after WrestleMania, Banks even posted a cryptic tweet. The belief is that there was a big divide in the women’s locker room over the incident.
#1. Backstage reception of Roman Reigns’ return
Roman Reigns’ return to WWE just a few months after his tragic leukaemia announcement will undoubtedly go down as the most wholesome wrestling story in 2019. When he made the announcement, the general expectation was that he would return around early 2020.
Somehow, he managed to do it in a few months and naturally, the fans weren’t the only people happy about it. There was a huge emotional reaction in the locker room and Nia Jax, in an interview with Mike Jones of DC 101, said:
The reception for Roman Reigns considerably improved since then and he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. Good on Reigns for showing the world that he can overcome any obstacles thrown his way. He’s a true locker room leader.
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