Report: WWE Possibly Attempting To 'Vince-Proof' SmackDown By Advertising Matches Weeks In Advance

WWE's creative process appears to be Vince McMahon vs. everyone else at the moment as last-minute changes from the Executive Chairman have become more and more common in recent weeks, with the June 23 episode of SmackDown and the June 26 edition of Raw, in particular, having McMahon's fingerprints all over them. 

Recent reports have indicated that WWE are trying to figure out a way to halt McMahon's last-minute changes and it appears people within the company have been trying to limit his influence for some time. 

According to Fightful Select, a source told them that WWE advertising SmackDown matches weeks in advance could be an effort to "Vince-proof" some plans on the blue brand. McMahon reportedly likes to make good on advertised matches even if they aren't from his booking and he will try and allow advertised bouts to take place as planned with some exceptions, namely recent episodes of SmackDown that have seen some matches scrapped altogether. 

McMahon had been out of the creative process in WWE but he forced his way back into the company in January 2023. The 77-year-old's influence over creative then grew until he became the head of creative once again in early April after it was announced that WWE had been sold to Endeavor. McMahon has been making last-minute changes remotely for the most part and the alterations have largely come on Monday Night Raw, although McMahon has started to spread his influence to SmackDown in recent weeks. The changes have reportedly caused enormous frustration behind the scenes.

Despite WWE's attempts to limit McMahon, the Executive Chairman's influence over creative is only expected to grow in the coming weeks and months as the WWE-UFC merger draws closer.