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WWE News: Big Update On Several Injured WWE Superstars & When They’re Scheduled To Return

By Andy Slawecki
Published on: 07:40 PST, Sep 15, 2016

Injuries have been one of the major themes over the past year in the WWE. Injuries have always been a part of the business, but it never seemed like such a glaring issue like it was as the WWE was on its notorious road to this past April’s WrestleMania. The problem has persisted, though not to the extent that it was at the end of 2015 and through 2016’s first quarter.

It’s been well-documented how the WWE had to fill the massive AT&T Stadium in Dallas without the advertised services of John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Sting, Bray Wyatt and Cesaro. Had it not been for the memorable return of Shane McMahon, the biggest WrestleMania of all time could easily have failed. All of the WWE superstars mentioned above have since returned with the exception of Sting, who was forced to retire after injuring his neck in a match against Rollins at last year’s Night of Champions.

Even still, it’s not like all those headliners have been free and clear since returning. Wyatt got hurt again during a WWE tour overseas, derailing a face turn and a planned feud with the League of Nations, effectively dissolving the League in the process. Orton didn’t return to the ring until the build to his SummerSlam match with Brock Lesnar and then suffered a concussion at the conclusion of that bout which prevented him from facing Bray the following month at Backlash. Cena may be healthy now, but his commitments outside the WWE will relegate him to part-time status.

Just when the WWE Universe thought the coast was clear, Finn Balor suffered a severe shoulder injury the same night he became the first ever WWE Universal Champion. Balor relinquished the title the next night and was faced with a rehab period of at least six months. On Wednesday, Finn released a video courtesy of WWE.com declaring that his recovery is on schedule, and he plans on being back in five months, “just in time for WrestleMania.”

There have been what seems like weekly updates on Balor since he went on the IR, and that is no accident. The WWE will continue to make his recovery public as they don’t want their casual fans to forget about him. The plan is to thrust him right back into the main event picture upon his return with the hope that his momentum isn’t entirely derailed when he comes back.

There are several other WWE superstars on the mend who are scheduled to return a lot sooner than Balor, however. Former United States Champion, Kalisto has been dealing with a back injury that forced WWE officials to scrap a proposed match with Baron Corbin at SummerSlam, according to WrestleZone. The Lucha star has not wrestled on TV since an August 2 episode of SmackDown Live and is still considered week-to-week.

We reported on Wednesday how Paige has come to terms with a return to the WWE after much speculation that she would be following her boyfriend, Alberto Del Rio, out, despite being under contract until 2019. It appears that she will fulfill her obligations after all and return to the RAW brand this coming week. However, it’s not expected that Paige will be wrestling quite yet as she is still dealing with back and shoulder injuries and nerve damage that have kept her out of action since July. She is going back on the road and booked to be at all of RAW‘s shows, but it might be some time before she can compete again.

Both RAW and SmackDown appeared thin in the women’s division coming out of the draft and Paige’s absence only compounded the issue on Monday nights. But it appears they may be getting some reinforcements anyway. According to Daily Wrestling News, Emma was backstage at RAW this past Monday in Baltimore, and she too is scheduled to return to the road full-time.

Because her injury kept her out of action during the WWE’s brand extension draft, she was listed as an ineligible participant, meaning she would be a free agent when she eventually returned. It was never officially confirmed which show she’d be appearing on, but this news determines it. There had been a growing suspicion she might end up on SmackDown because that’s where boyfriend Zack Ryder is, but apparently, that won’t be the case.

Emma has been away from a WWE ring since May with a back injury that originally was thought to keep her out through the end of 2016. It was unfortunate timing as her repackaged look was gaining steam and drawing rave reviews from WWE officials backstage. Her injury also thrust Dana Brooke into the main women’s angle probably a lot sooner than planned and she was ready for. It will be interesting to see if the two re-align or Emma comes back on her own.

And it should also be noted that Nikki Bella was only scheduled to work a part-time schedule upon her return from an injury that was once considered career-threatening. However, Nikki has been working a full slate since her return, including three straight dates this past week, according to 411 Mania. We’ll have to see whether that changes at all when boyfriend John Cena goes on hiatus next month for the rest of the year.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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