WWE had a match planned for the November 6 episode of Friday Night SmackDown that never made it to television, as Rey Fenix was reportedly supposed to face Ricky Saints before the company changed course at the last minute.
According to PWInsider, WWE had plans for a singles match between Rey Fenix and Ricky Saints during the SmackDown taping on Monday, November 2, in New York City. However, those plans were dropped at some point during the taping day, and the match never took place.
There was no explanation given for why WWE decided to scrap the match, so it’s unclear whether the company intends to revisit the matchup on a future episode of SmackDown.
It was also revealed that WWE made several changes to the order of Friday’s broadcast compared to how the show was actually taped in front of the live audience. The Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso segment that opened Friday’s episode was actually the final segment taped before CM Punk faced Kevin Owens live in New York City.
Meanwhile, the GUNTHER and Finn Balor segment was the first thing taped for SmackDown, even though it aired after Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga. That match was actually recorded after the GUNTHER and Balor segment.
Several backstage interviews conducted by Byron Saxton, including segments featuring CM Punk and Kevin Owens, were also not shown to the live audience during the taping.
While WWE rearranging taped segments isn’t unusual, the decision to remove Rey Fenix vs. Ricky Saints entirely is certainly interesting. With no reason given for the change, there’s still a question about whether the matchup was simply postponed or abandoned altogether.
Do you think WWE should have kept Rey Fenix vs. Ricky Saints on the November 6 SmackDown card, or would you rather see the match saved for another show? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
