Key WWE Official To Be Missing From Upcoming Shows

A key WWE official won't be backstage at any TV tapings in the near future.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Bruce Prichard has either already undergone or will soon have shoulder surgery. This will prevent him from being backstage at Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown while he recuperates from the surgery.

Meltzer wrote on Monday: "I haven't heard officially that Bruce Prichard isn't backstage tonight, but he either has or will be getting shoulder surgery and will be away from backstage for a while recuperating."

WWE are set to take a one-week break from touring over the Christmas period. Friday's episode of SmackDown has already been taped, as have the remaining episodes of NXT for 2023. The Christmas Day episode of Raw will be a Best Of show. 

Bruce Prichard has been back with WWE on a full-time basis since 2019. He was very much the second in command of WWE in the final years of the Vince McMahon regime and he remains a very important backstage figure since Triple H was re-established as the head of creative earlier this year.