Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar Not Backstage For Tonight's WWE Raw

With just under two weeks until WWE Backlash airs from San Juan, Puerto Rico, with Bad Bunny as the host, the company is currently building to the climax of a number of major stories. On tonight's episode of "WWE Raw" in Chicago, Illinois, they will do it without some key players.

According to PWInsider Elite, neither Vince McMahon nor Brock Lesnar is present at the Allstate Arena for tonight's broadcast. No further details have been provided, but Cody Rhodes is expected to address his ongoing issues with the "Beast Incarnate" in some way. "The American Nightmare" is set to clash with the "Mayor of Suplex City" at Backlash after Lesnar turned on Rhodes instead of teaming with him to face The Bloodline on this year's Raw After Mania. And though "The Conqueror" appeared on "Raw" last week to confront his future opponent, a legion of security guards stood between the competitors and Rhodes unleashed hell on them rather than Lesnar, who gleefully smiled as the whole thing unfolded.

As for McMahon, many have been concerned about his involvement in WWE since he was reinstated to facilitate the recent deal with Endeavor. Despite a number of people claiming that the chairman would not retake the creative reigns from Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, reports have surfaced indicating that McMahon has been slightly involved with creative decisions since Wrestlemania 39 and has made adjustments to plans for subsequent shows. And with "Raw" emanating from one of WWE's top markets tonight ahead of only the second premium live event taking place in Puerto Rico, many would assume that McMahon would have a hand in the proceedings. While that does not appear to be the case tonight, it remains to be seen where the ex-WWE owner pops up next.