WWE Rumors: ‘SmackDown’ Star Nearly Debuted With Rebooted Version Of Controversial Storyline, Report Claims

According to a new report, recent Friday Night SmackDown call-up Chelsea Green nearly debuted on the main roster with a throwback to an old storyline from WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era of the 2000s.

As quoted by Ringside News on Wednesday, Fightful Select published a members’ only report that detailed how Green was supposed to be given something similar to the 2005-06 storyline featuring Trish Stratus and Mickie James upon her debut on the blue brand. In this angle, James was booked as an overzealous fan obsessed over Stratus, with the feud culminating in a Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 22 in 2006.

As recalled by WhatCulture, James drew controversy during that bout, where, shortly before defeating Stratus, she performed some suggestive gestures that allegedly got her in trouble with company chairman Vince McMahon. These gestures have since been censored from the WWE Network version of WrestleMania 22.

Per Fightful Select, the new version of the rivalry was supposed to feature James switching roles from the young, mentally unstable fan to that of the established veteran, with Green taking on the role she played on television about a decade and a half ago. The publication noted that WWE went “a lot further” than the initial pitch as the promotion had purportedly filmed some content that would help get the angle off the ground.

While the company’s creative team reportedly had a “solid plan” in mind for the rebooted version of the 15-year-old storyline, things were “abruptly changed only hours before it was set to air,” with no explanation as to why officials suddenly decided to scrap everything on such short notice.

As a result of the plans getting canceled, Green had to wait months before she made her official main roster debut on the November 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. As reported by Wrestling Inc., she was placed in a high-profile bout — a Fatal Four-Way qualifier for the women’s Survivor Series elimination match — but would suffer a broken wrist that required her to undergo surgery the next morning.

At that time, Dave Meltzer suggested on Wrestling Observer Radio that Green was a late addition to the contest, which was originally a Triple Threat before someone “suggested” to McMahon that the then-NXT star was ready for a call-up.

Additionally, it was pointed out in the above report that there was a push earlier this year to have Green debut on Monday Night Raw. However, these plans were abandoned when Paul Heyman was relieved of his role as the red brand’s executive director and the wrestler tested positive for COVID-19.