If you watch too much wrestling, you can start to see connections between the backstage reports & other real life drama and the product put on the screen or in the ring.
It's a combination of the old maxim that the best angles have a little real heat to them, and whispers from those in the know that you'd be shocked if you knew how much of what makes it television from WWE is a rib on someone for something.
Last night's Raw contained a couple of elements that made my radar go off for backstage heat infliltrating the product. Geno & I already talked about the Rusev segment, which we both believe was payback for his real-life engagement to Lana messing up the show's kayfabe romantic angle.
The other was less overt, but mixed in with rumors of heat on Paige, I couldn't shake it.
Last night's show spent A LOT of time with (World's Greatest) Director of Operations Kane on a speakerphone with The Authority. A running bit from those segments was Stephanie McMahon going off on a flight attendant while Triple H tried to either calm her down or remain away from the fray.
Last week, The Anti-Diva tried to go off via Twitter on British Airways about the service she and Rosa Mendes received (presumably on their way to or from the Total Divas shoot in Paris)...and she kind of got publicly owned by the airlines' customer service representative:
@RealPaigeWWE Hi Paige, sorry to hear this. Our health and safety policy doesn't allow our Cabin Crew to assist with such. We also 1/2
— British Airways (@British_Airways) October 7, 2015
@RealPaigeWWE advice our customers that they must be able to carry their bags on our website. We hope you still enjoyed your flight. ^Kuda
— British Airways (@British_Airways) October 7, 2015
"Hi Paige, yeah, we're not porters who are here to carry and lift stuff for you, so maybe you and your spoiled friends can follow directions like everybody else next time. Thanks!"
It's not a huge deal (like potentially losing a push because you couldn't wait to announce your engagement), but when whispers that you're getting too big for your 23 year old britches are in the wind, this seems like a very pro wrestling way to try and take you down a peg.
Is that because something was really going on, or just me reading too much into things?
I can't keep 'reality', work and shoot straight any more!