'Higher Ups' In WWE Optimistic That Triple H's Version Of The Product Will Return On Tonight's SmackDown

Take a deep breath in regards to the future of WWE creative. Several behind-the-scenes heading into tonight's "WWE SmackDown" believe there's nothing to be worried about. 

According to Fightful Select, "higher-ups" were optimistic that Triple H's vision for WWE programming would be making a return with tonight's show. This, of course, comes on the heels of reports late Monday that, fresh off the announcement of a WWE-UFC merger, Vince McMahon was back in the driver's seat calling the shots from the Gorilla position for "WWE Raw." As a result, locker room morale took a massive hit, believing that the past way of doing things had come back to haunt them. However, the hope was that such an occurrence was a one-time deal. 

That doesn't mean the show is totally out of the woods though. There is still uncertainty as to whether or not McMahon would be on a plane heading for Portland — the site of "SmackDown" tonight. But Friday's show should paint a good picture as to who is in charge of WWE's creative plans on a show-to-show basis. 

Monday's show underwent several rewrites and last-minute changes with McMahon at the helm — a chaotic practice that had become the standard under his stewardship. But as a sign things might be different this evening, creative notes had already made the rounds for "SmackDown" as of yesterday, reverting back to the advance planning that'd become the norm with Triple H in the captain's seat. 

As he did on Monday, Triple H is set to address the WWE Universe tonight. We'll have to wait a few more hours though to get a better understanding of what message he's planning to deliver in the moment.