Backstage News On Late Change To WWE Survivor Series Match

A new report has shed some light on a late change to a match at WWE Survivor Series on November 25.

Prior to the most recent episode of SmackDown, Carlito had been scheduled to take on Santos Escobar in Chicago. However, Carlito was taken out of action via an injury angle on the go-home show and was replaced by Dragon Lee (who convinced SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis that he should compete in the Puerto Rican native's place).

Speaking about the situation on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Lee, not Carlito, was always intended to be part of the match, despite the initial announcement of Carlito versus Escobar. The decision to remove Carlito from the match was, thus, not a last-minute one. It remains unclear why WWE advertised him if they never had any intention of following through.

The former Intercontinental Champion's last appearance on a WWE pay-per-view was as an entrant in the 2010 Royal Rumble match. Escobar meanwhile pinned Lee following a Phantom Driver to win their match at Survivor Series.