As seen in the opening segment of RAW this week, WWE paid tribute to Bruno Sammartino, who passed way last last week with a 10-bell salute. One noticeable WWE Superstar absent from the segment was WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
Dave Meltzer discussed his absence on a recent installment of Wrestling Observer Radio and mentioned that he was probably absent because of a decision made by management. The belief is it was a way to protect Lesnar since he has a different set of rules compared to the rest of the roster. This is similar to how WWE would protect The Undertaker by not having him appear on stage during tributes or at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies.