A report from Fightful Select has given new insight on the WWE debut of Penta on the 1/13 episode of Raw.
The former AEW talent, whose deal with WWE had been finalized weeks earlier following the end of his previous contract, was said to be present backstage throughout the day and fully integrated in the activities leading up to the show.
Penta was reported to initially team with Rey Mysterio against The New Day, but it is unclear why those plans changed.
Internal sources described the early release of Penta’s merchandise as a “happy accident,” though there is skepticism about that claim.
Reports have suggested that the segment featuring the new signing’s match and promo ran longer than scheduled, though there is not said to be any heat specifically on Penta.
Despite the company’s flexibility with timings for Raw, there was an effort by WWE to wrap the 1/13 show in about two and a half hours to accommodate talent needing to catch late flights, which might account for segments cut from the show following the overrun from the debut.