Anything can happen in the WWE. When it comes to returns of past superstars, nobody knows when old favorites come back to the squared circle. A recent example is Kurt Angle, the Pittsburgh-native who left the WWE and went to TNA. After leaving on bad terms, Angle wasn’t supposed to come back to the WWE. However, he’s being inducted as the first entrant of the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame class. Employees, fans, and even casual viewers of the product understand anything can change at a moment’s notice.
Comebacks are one thing, but injuries can set off a domino effect that can take the WWE to a whole new place; one that may be entirely different than the destination originally intended. WWE officials have had master plans for WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and even the Royal Rumble. When a WWE star goes down with an unexpected injury, the storyline goes down with said superstar. It not only affects the wrestlers but the WWE Universe as well.
Seth Rollins was the victim of an unfortunate injury last year, and it derailed most of the WWE’s creative plans heading into WrestleMania 32 season. On a European Tour, he completely tore ligaments in his knee attempting a sunset flip powerbomb to Kane. Several months later, as well as an absence at WrestleMania 32, Rollins finally returned in time for a big match at SummerSlam. He lost to Finn Balor in a WWE Universal championship match. Balor tore several ligaments in his shoulder that night, and he has not been seen since.
Balor’s derailment completely changed the WWE’s plans moving forward with the WWE Universal championship. The Demon King is set for a return near the end of February, but those were months gone that made WWE officials turn their ideas upside down. In a previous report by the Inquisitr, it was revealed that Seth Rollins just re-injured his right knee when Samoa Joe attacked him on WWE Raw. Since then, Rollins sent out a statement, proclaiming he’s going to rebuild once again and slay the king, Triple H.
Wanted to take a second to thank everyone who has reached out to me over the last two days. Life doesn’t always go your way, but that….
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 1, 2017
is no excuse to surrender. If anything, obstacles exist to help us grow and evolve. This reinjury to my surgically repaired knee is real…
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 1, 2017
and a lot is up in the air right now, but one thing remains constant: my resolve. This doesn’t end for me until I’ve reclaimed the throne..
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 1, 2017
And for me, fighting and defeating Triple H is the only way. I will work harder than I ever have and push myself beyond what I know. This..
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 1, 2017
isn’t over. The only way to wear the crown is to slay the king. I know what must be done and there’s nothing that can stop me.
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 1, 2017
Rollins’ injury is very unfortunate. He’s a young WWE superstar who shouldn’t have to deal with the frustration of a setback. In the WWE, it’s much different than professional sport in that aspect. A starter gets hurt, and their spot is held until they get back. When a wrestler goes on the shelf for an extended period of time, there’s a chance WWE fans forget about them and move on to whoever took their spot.
The injury to the Architect of the Shield is going to set off that aforementioned domino effect to the entire WWE locker room, as well as the decision-making of Vince McMahon. Surely, there are going to be backup plans. Cageside Seats put out a report in the last 24 hours stating WWE officials held an emergency meeting to discuss plans in case Rollins cannot compete at WrestleMania 33. His injury is rumored to be a torn MCL, which would take about eight weeks to heal.
Also mentioned in the report is the fact that Triple H still intends to wrestle at the WWE’s largest event in April. There are other opportunities for him to put over young talent, such as Samoa Joe or Finn Balor. However, everything is going to depend on the rate at which Seth Rollins heals. It’s his second injury on that same knee in the last year. The WWE will have to take extra precautions when clearing him to compete. Whatever happens at WrestleMania, expect it to be centered around the Architect.
[Featured Image by WWE]
