It looks like the shocking betrayal of Seth Rollins by his stablemates in The Vision on WWE Raw on Monday morning, October 13, from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia was more than just another dramatic twist in WWE storytelling.
According to new reports, the segment was strategically designed to write the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion off television due to a legitimate injury concern.
Rollins, who retained his title at WWE Crown Jewel: Perth on Saturday after defeating Cody Rhodes to become the second-ever WWE Men’s Crown Jewel Champion, was seen noticeably favoring his shoulder during that bout.
At one point in the match, he executed a risky coast-to-coast maneuver and was later seen clutching his shoulder in pain. Speculation about the injury intensified when photos surfaced ahead of Monday’s Raw taping showing Rollins wearing his arm in a sling (see above and below).
The main event angle on WWE Raw appeared to confirm those concerns.
The closing moments saw Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed turn on Rollins, violently attacking their leader and effectively signaling the end of The Vision faction, or at least Rollins’ place in it. The shocking betrayal concluded with Paul Heyman stepping in to align himself with Breakker and Reed, as the duo stood tall over the fallen champion to close the broadcast.
The segment clearly served as a storyline mechanism to remove Rollins from WWE programming for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, this isn’t unfamiliar territory, as “The Visionary” has a history of battling through significant injuries.
Back in 2016, he tore his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus, forcing him to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and miss seven months of action. In the years since, he’s also dealt with recurring shoulder and back problems, issues that have occasionally flared up during major title runs.
Ironically, Rollins’ most recent title reign began under controversial circumstances when he revealed that the leg injury he had been claiming to suffer from at the time of his Money In The Bank cash-in was, in fact, a ruse.
As of this writing, the full extent of his current shoulder injury remains unknown. However, the creative direction of Monday’s WWE Raw show suggests WWE is already planting seeds for Rollins’ eventual return, with a ready-made feud against former allies Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed awaiting him once he’s medically cleared.
We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding the injury status of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins continue to surface.
