World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is set to undergo shoulder surgery, something that may keep him sidelined for a significant period of time. According to the October 16, 2025, edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, the recovery timeline for the surgery means Rollins will likely be out of action through WrestleMania 42.
Surgery Confirmed and Recovery Timeline
On the show, Dave Meltzer confirmed the news about the surgery and the lengthy recovery period. “Well, it looks like he’s going to need surgery on the shoulder, and that’s pretty much it,” Meltzer stated. “The story that I got was that he was going to have surgery as soon as possible… he’s going to be out for a long time, probably past Mania.”
It should be noted that his recovery timeline depends on the type of injury that he has and its severity. The injury had already forced WWE to pull Rollins from an upcoming Supershow tour in Japan, where he was scheduled to face CM Punk.
Uncertainty Surrounding World Title
The injury leaves the status of the World Heavyweight Championship and major upcoming matches in question. Meltzer noted that WWE has not yet made a final decision on how to proceed with the title or the previously scheduled championship match between Rollins and CM Punk at the November 1 Saturday Night’s Main Event.
“As far as you know what they’re going to do about the world title, what they’re going to do about Saturday Night’s Main Event, because they got to get the Saturday Night’s Main Event thing going,” Meltzer said. He speculated that an official announcement could be made on Friday’s SmackDown or the upcoming episode of RAW.
Potential Creative Scenarios
With a new plan needed for the championship, Meltzer discussed several possibilities WWE could explore. “They could put Bron Breakker in. They could make it a multiple-person match, even if they just did a multiple-person match, they could do a tournament, you know, and end on November 1,” he speculated.
“Or maybe, Punk gets the winner of a tournament. Since Punk earned his title shot, there’s a million ways to do it.” Meltzer also mentioned that with Rollins out, the company may need to position a new lead star on RAW, with Bron Breakker being a likely candidate.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
