(This report contains minor spoilers for a match announced at the WWE SmackDown! tapings)
— Wrestling Observer Newsletter sources say that regardless of the alleged incident involving CM Punk, Undertaker and the WWE dress code, Michael Hayes had long been quite high on giving Undertaker a reign as WWE’s World Champion.
Though Undertaker’s injury situation has come up in backstage discussions, and Undertaker himself has reportedly acknowledged that his knees, hip and elbows are not in the best shape, the feeling is that Undertaker can still draw and work solid matches as champion.
Following Undertaker’s quick victory over CM Punk at Hell in a Cell, there was talk of moving straight to a Batista vs. Undertaker program for Bragging Rights. The call was made Monday, however, to go ahead with a four way match also involving CM Punk and Rey Mysterio.
In addition to appeasing Mysterio and keeping CM Punk in the mix, the match also allows Undertaker to lose the belt without jobbing cleanly in a one-on-one affair.
As Michael Hayes remains behind the Undertaker title run, however, one should definitely not assume he is losing in the Bragging Rights match.