Plans Change

Hey Scott, once again keep up to good work! Been a fan for almost a year and still check your site daily looking for more interesting insights into the business. If you could answer, I have another question for you. Recently I read a rumour that, in 2008, Christian was supposed to be revealed as the guy behind all the attacks and incidents J. Hardy was suffering, but since the rumour was already out, WWE decided to change mid-course and go with M. Hardy, instead. For what you know, is this - by any way, shape or form - close to be true? Did WWE really changed mind mid-course because they thought Christian wouldn't be a surprise anymore ('cause the fans guessed it)?

That is indeed the story, yes. More's the pity because an updated Edge & Christian v. Matt & Jeff Hardy double ladder match at Wrestlemania would have been balls out super-duper awesome, of that I have no doubt.  Matt v. Jeff was less so.  It wasn't even a particularly well-kept secret leading up to the show, and Matt's turn rendered the entire storyline senseless.  And the end result was that Edge got to drop yet another belt to Super Cena at Wrestlemania.  

Another follow-up question. In the same lines of this, I read that the winner for the 2012 royal rumble was supposed to be Jericho, but since the fans were already into it, WWE decided to once again change the plans and go with Sheamus, instead. Again, do you think/know if this is true? Because, honestly, I think it's ridiculous to change the winner of royal rumble of 2012 based on the fact that the fans believe that Jericho is going to win. No one was built as a real potential winner for the rumble more than Jericho, who would've the fans go for? Jericho had all the momentum of his return, of course everyone was going to "buy" his win!

While Jericho winning would have made the most sense and was talked about as a possibility, it turns out that Sheamus was the guy all along, planned out long before the match.  So no, that one was just armchair booking on our part.