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WWE makes it clear that their superstar line-ups for shows are all subject to change. This means that even when a segment is announced for RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, there is always the possibility that there can be a late change.
Over the past few weeks, WWE fans have seen several last-minute changes to RAW and SmackDown which has included superstars failing to appear despite being advertised.
There are also many other factors that can prevent superstars from making appearances on shows when they have been advertised, including travel issues, illness, and WWE officials completely changing their minds.
The following list looks at just five WWE superstars who were advertised for shows but failed to appear.
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#5. Former WWE superstar Carlito - Raw Legends Night
Carlito was one of the more interesting additions to RAW Legends Night last week and made headlines since this was the first time the former United States Champion has returned to WWE since his release back in 2010.
In that time, Carlito has been part of the company's Hall of Fame ceremony back in 2014 where he inducted his father Carlos Colon into the class alongside Primo and Epico Colon.
Whilst Primo and Epico have teased Carlito's return, the duo was recently released from the company and the former WWE superstar wasn't able to return and help to kick-start their career.
Carlito didn't appear as part of Legends Night this past week and it was recently reported by PWInsider that this was because the star wasn't interested in returning for a two-minute cameo appearance, but was advertised for the show before he was actually confirmed.
“I was told Carlito found out he was just getting a cameo, and said ‘Hey, but thanks, when you want me to come wrestle or do something, I’m happy to do it. I don’t want to travel across the country, just to do a 2 minute cameo.’”
This could be a hint that the former Champion could be looking to make a much more permanent return to the company in the future. Despite being out of the WWE spotlight for more than a decade, it appears that Carlito has remained in great shape and could return to do a job for WWE in the future if needed.
#4. Current WWE star Paige - SmackDown March 2020
Former SmackDown General Manager Paige was advertised to make her return to WWE TV in March 2020 to confront Bayley and announce her upcoming WrestleMania match.
Paige herself had even teased that she would "step up and put the SmackDown Women's Champion straight" but Paige failed to appear.
This was just after the lockdown had been announced following the COVID-19 outbreak, which meant that Paige struggled to travel to Florida to be part of the show in person.
The former Divas Champion later took to Twitter to reveal that it was travel issues that prevented her from being part of the show that she once managed. Paige's travel issues continued, which meant that the former Champion appeared on SmackDown the following week via a video link.
This was obviously much easier for all parties involved and was at a time when there was no audience in the company's Performance Center. Paige is yet to appear on WWE TV throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but remains active on Social Media.
#3. Former WWE superstar Candice Michelle - RAW Legends Night
Candice Michelle is a former Women's Champion and Playboy cover girl who was released from WWE back in 2009 but has since been able to return as part of the RAW Reunion show back in 2019, where she won the 24/7 Championship from Kelly Kelly.
Michelle is now a mother of three and has been focused on raising her family over the past decade, but surprisingly Michelle was another name that was advertised for RAW Legends Night this past week but failed to make an appearance.
Michelle addressed her absence in a recent interview with WrestlingInc, where the former superstar and Champion explained that she was falsely advertised because the company never actually asked her to attend.
"It was falsely promoted. I was never asked to be there. I would have loved to be there. I love WWE anytime they call me, super honored to go there and be called a legend. And as we know, for whatever rhyme or reason, I just wasn't meant for that show."
It appears that if Michelle had been asked then she may have appeared on the show after all, but according to the superstar herself, the company didn't ask or advertised her appearance before she was asked.
#2. Former WWE superstar The Undertaker - SmackDown Season Premiere FOX
WWE made the move over to FOX back in October 2019 and advertised a number of legends for the first show.
The likes of UFC superstar Cain Velasquez, Mike Tyson, and even The Rock appeared as part of the show but despite being advertised and part of the promotional material The Deadman wasn't present.
It was later revealed that the former superstar and World Champion was backstage for the show and prepared to be included, but wasn't actually needed.
The Deadman responded to a fan on his Instagram account where he was asked why he wasn't part of the show despite being advertised and The Undertaker confirmed the reasoning.
Of course, The Deadman has since retired from the company and was given the farewell that he deserved after three decades back at Survivor Series. It's currently unclear if the superstar will make future appearances for WWE, but he has signed a lengthy deal with the company for the foreseeable future.
#1. Current WWE superstar Seth Rollins - New Year's Day SmackDown 2021
Seth Rollins left WWE following Survivor Series since the former World Champion was handed paternity leave by the company ahead of the birth of his first child. Rollins and Becky Lynch later announced the arrival of their daughter Roux and have since celebrated their first Christmas together.
Rollins was interestingly advertised by WWE on FOX for the New Year's Day episode of SmackDown for 2021, which was just a month after he had initially left the company.
Interestingly, the superstar didn't return to the company as part of the show and it was later revealed that WWE on FOX promoted Rollins' return to the company before it was actually confirmed.
The Twitter account later deleted all of the material promoting The Messiah's return to SmackDown, which was when the WWE Universe realized that plans had obviously been changed for the superstar regarding his return.
There have been a lot of last-minute changes on WWE TV over the past few months and Rollins' return was one of the main decision which fans noticed.
