WWE reportedly made major creative adjustments to the opening segment of the October 20 episode of Raw from Sacramento, California, where Seth Rollins was officially stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship. What aired on television was not the version originally planned by the company.

The show began with General Manager Adam Pearce standing in the ring to deliver a major announcement concerning the World Heavyweight Title. Before he could speak, cameras cut backstage to reveal Bron Breakker holding the championship on his shoulder, accompanied by Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman. The trio soon entered the arena. Pearce went on to confirm that Rollins had suffered an injury requiring surgery, leaving him no choice but to vacate the title.

TC of WrestleVotes Radio reported that there were “significant last-minute changes” made to the segment. The report stated: “A source backstage at #WWERaw in Sacramento tells me there were a lot of late changes to the opening segment where Adam Pearce stripped Seth Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship. Original plans had things playing out differently than what we ultimately saw on screen.”

Although the original creative direction remains unknown, the final version featured Pearce demanding that Breakker return the championship, which the powerhouse had been flaunting since his betrayal of Rollins the previous week. After handing it over, Paul Heyman addressed the audience with a promo designed to keep momentum behind his new alliance with Breakker and Reed as WWE reshaped the storyline moving forward.

This adjustment marks part of WWE’s broader creative shift following Rollins’ legitimate shoulder injury, which could sideline him through WrestleMania 42. A new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned on November 1 at Saturday Night’s Main Event, when CM Punk faces Jey Uso.

A source backstage at #WWERaw in Sacramento tells me there were a lot of late changes to the opening segment where Adam Pearce stripped Seth Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship.

Original plans had things playing out differently than what we ultimately saw on screen.

, TC | WrestleVotes (@TCwrestlevotes) October 21, 2025