October 30, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE TLC reviewed, Survivor Series lineup, plus tons of news

One of the strangest weeks in WWE history saw a viral contagious disease outbreak that took out two key wrestlers from the TLC PPV show, and led to a late decision to both put Kurt Angle in the ring for the main event, and have A.J. Styles, who himself was ill earlier in the week, fly from Chile to Minneapolis to have an unannounced first match ever with Finn Balor.

The issues started weeks ago when Taylor Rotunda (Bo Dallas) took ill. By last week, there was some question whether his older brother, Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) would be able to wrestle on the show.

Then, by midweek, Joe Anoa’i (Roman Reigns), the company’s most pushed full-time star, was diagnosed with the mumps and also had to be taken off the show.

On 10/19, all the Raw talent was told they needed to immediately gets shots for mumps, measles and rubella. Aside from Anoa’i, there is no confirmation of what either Rotunda brother, or JoJo Offerman (the ring announcer who is Windham Rotunda’s girlfriend) were diagnosed with. 

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