This week on WWE Raw, Michael Cole delivered the news that Roman Reigns will be “out of action for the foreseeable future.” The announcement came without specific details regarding the reason for Reigns’ absence, leaving fans speculating about the future of The Tribal Chief.
There was speculation after the Royal Rumble that Reigns might be injured but there has been no indication of that and during the press-conference, Triple H indicated that there were no serious injuries on the show.
While Cole’s statement presented the situation as indefinite, a new report from PWInsider suggests the announcement is likely a storyline device to temporarily write Reigns off television. The report indicates that the “out of action” reference is primarily intended to explain Reigns’ absence in the short-term, rather than signaling a prolonged hiatus from WWE programming.
PWInsider further reported that the current long-term plan, as of today, is for a major Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 41 pitting Reigns against both CM Punk and Seth Rollins. This suggests that Reigns’ current absence is a strategic move to build anticipation and set the stage for a significant return leading up to the PLE.
The other big WrestleMania main event looks like it will be John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship. Cena would need to win the Elimination Chamber for that to happen and based on how things are playing out on TV, it looks like Cena will get his last chance to win a 17th World Title.
If you’re paying attention to WWE storylines, it’s pretty clear what other matches are likely happening at WrestleMania. Things can always change and most of the card hasn’t been officially announced but, based on current storylines, here’s what some of the WrestleMania card might look like so far:
– Cody Rhodes defends the WWE Championship against John Cena
– Gunther defends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso
– Tiffany Stratton defends her WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair
– Bron Breakker defends the US Title against Sheamus
– Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
– CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
– Jade Cargill vs. Bianca Belair and/or Naomi
– Logan Paul vs. AJ Styles
