A major development took place on this week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW, as Seth Rollins was officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to a shoulder injury.
The shocking announcement came early in the show during an in-ring segment that featured WWE official Adam Pearce, alongside Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed. Rollins himself did not appear live, as Pearce explained that the decision had been made after medical evaluations confirmed that “The Visionary” would be unable to defend the title in the immediate future.
According to a report from WrestleVotes, the segment underwent significant last-minute creative changes throughout the day. Early drafts reportedly included an on-screen appearance from Rollins via satellite, but that idea was ultimately scrapped just hours before showtime. Instead, Pearce delivered the news personally, while Heyman and his new associates — Breakker and Reed — used the moment to further their growing alliance and taunt the fallen champion.
Following the announcement, Pearce declared that the now-vacant World Heavyweight Championship would be decided at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1st, with CM Punk already guaranteed a title opportunity based on his previous victory at Fastlane. To determine Punk’s opponent, Pearce announced a massive battle royal to close the show.
The high-stakes main event saw several of RAW’s top names enter the fray, including Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Damian Priest, Jimmy Uso, and more.
Jey Uso, who won the match, now moves on to face CM Punk for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
A source backstage at #WWERaw in Sacramento tells me there were a lot of late changes to the opening segment where Adam Pearce stripped Seth Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship.
Original plans had things playing out differently than what we ultimately saw on screen.
— TC | WrestleVotes (@TCwrestlevotes) October 21, 2025
