Last night at Clash of Champions, Luke Harper made his long-awaited WWE return, just days after we’d heard that WWE had given up on him and we’d never see him there again. Now that the dust has settled, details are emerging about how that return happened, and how WWE managed to keep it such a genuine surprise.
Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer says that Harper wasn’t contacted about appearing at Clash of Champions until Friday, but of course he’s kind of obligated to say that now, since immediately before that he was the one telling people there were no plans to ever use him. Meltzer also says the plan is for Harper and Rowan to keep feuding with Reigns and a possible unnamed partner (maybe Daniel Bryan?) if you’re still interested in what Meltzer says are the plans.
PWInsider notes that Luke Harper wasn’t listed on the format sheet for Clash of Champions, and that he was kept hidden backstage until it was almost time for him to enter, so barely anyone working the show even knew he was there until it was too late to leak it, allowing the surprise to remain effective.
And if you were wondering, Luke Harper officially has his first name back on WWE.com’s roster page. We’ll presumably learn more about what his team with Rowan will be like going forward on Smackdown tomorrow. Maybe even on Raw tonight; it’s hard to say these days.
