WWE Rumors on Raw Backstage, Omos and MVP; Ronda Rousey Reveals WWE Ban on Thumbtacks

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Road Dogg Reportedly Ran Monday's Raw

Someone from within Triple H's inner circle reportedly led the way backstage during Monday night's episode of Raw.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson reported that Triple H was not present for Raw on Monday because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Since Vince McMahon retired in July, Triple H has been the head of creative and vice president of talent relations, and he has been at the Gorilla position for both Raw and SmackDown.

Per Johnson, Road Dogg was the "point person" for Raw with Triple H unable to be there in person. WWE parted ways with Road Dogg earlier this year, but when Triple H took over, he brought Road Dogg back in August as the senior vice president of live events.

Road Dogg previously worked closely with Triple H in NXT, and they also teamed up for years in WWE as performers when they were members of D-Generation X.

In addition to Road Dogg, Johnson reported that writers Ed Koskey and Michael Hayes helped lead the creative team at Raw.

Bruce Prichard normally would have been second in command during McMahon's tenure, but he was not present at Raw due to a previously planned vacation, per Johnson.

Even though Triple H was not at Raw, the show seemed to run smoothly, as it started with a brawl between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley and ended with an entertaining United States Championship match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle.

It isn't yet known if Triple H will be cleared to attend Friday's SmackDown, but if he isn't, it seems likely Road Dogg will be at the helm once again.

Omos and MVP Reportedly Moved to SmackDown

The combination of Omos and MVP is reportedly slated to primarily be part of a different brand moving forward.

According to Johnson, the plan is for Omos and MVP to appear regularly on SmackDown despite previously being part of the Raw roster.

Omos and MVP appeared in the crowd during a Braun Strowman squash match on last week's SmackDown, seemingly setting the stage for an eventual match between the two behemoths.

On Monday's Raw, MVP cut a promo alongside Omos backstage, but that was likely a pre-taped segment that didn't actually require them to be present at Raw.

Per Johnson, Strowman vs. Omos is "penciled in" for Crown Jewel, which takes place on Nov. 5 in Saudi Arabia.

Omos and Strowman are two of the tallest and most physically impressive Superstars in WWE, so it makes sense to put them in a feud against each other.

Since ending his feud with Bobby Lashley, Omos has primarily wrestled in squash matches. The same is true for Strowman, who recently returned to the company after getting released last year.

Omos vs. Strowman will be far from a technical masterpiece, but it should be a fun attraction that will capture the attention of fans.

If booked carefully, perhaps it could even lead to Omos and Strowman gaining respect for each other and agreeing to team up with MVP serving as their mouthpiece.

Rousey Says Thumbtacks are Banned from WWE Programming

SmackDown women's champion Ronda Rousey revealed during her "Baddest Stream on the Planet" YouTube stream last week that her idea for the finish to her Extreme Rules match against Liv Morgan was shot down due to an internal WWE rule.

While speaking on the stream (h/t WrestlingInc's Colby Applegate), Rousey noted that she wanted to do a spot involving thumbtacks:

"Yeah, actually. I pitched the finish to be thumbtacks. [Morgan] would put down thumbtacks and powerbomb me onto the thumbtacks. Then as a repeat of our finish before, I would go for the armbar in the thumbtacks, but they would start counting the pin. Then I'd have to push up on my one shoulder into the thumbtacks to keep the armbar on. Then Liv would be biting her hand trying not to tap, and then pass out face down into the thumbtacks with her hand there to protect her face."

Rousey added that when the idea was turned down, she was told that it was for legal reasons since WWE Superstars are not permitted to purposely cut their skin so as to remain in compliance with the PG rating.

WWE took a much safer route with the finish to the match, as Rousey made Morgan pass out in a submission to become the new SmackDown women's champion.

Although the thumbtack spot would have created more buzz, Rousey was made to look strong in the victory, as was Morgan, since she had a smile on her face as she passed out.

Rousey's negativity toward the crowd after beating Morgan suggests she will be firmly portrayed as a heel moving forward, which has typically been her best role during her time in WWE.

The biggest challenge for WWE moving forward as it relates to Rousey will be finding her credible opponents and building storylines that the fans can get invested in.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).