According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is indeed moving forward with plans for Seth Rollins to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk at WrestleMania.
Punk has already declared himself for this month's Royal Rumble match and is currently the favourite to win the 30-man bout. Rollins, meanwhile, isn't booked to defend his title at the show and that may be a result of his recent injury on RAW.
During a match with Jinder Mahal, Rollins appeared to tweak his knee and seemed visibly unhappy when the match ended. We later heard he'd been assessed backstage and multiple outlets have now shared an update.
It doesn't sound as serious as an ACL tear (which is what sidelined Rollins for several months in the mid-2010s) but it may be a torn MCL and partially torn meniscus. There are concerns it's worse than originally feared and it's unknown whether The Visionary will need to have surgery.
Without knowing more, it's hard to say how long Rollins will be sidelined. If he has injured his MCL, then there's a chance he'll only be sidelined for 6 - 8 weeks, putting him on track to return at WrestleMania.
However, that would be a big gamble for WWE and we find it hard to imagine the company not vacating the title during that time. Rollins has been pulled from Live Events this weekend and insider @WrestleVotes is reporting that the man himself will be at RAW this Monday to address his status.
"I’m told the plan of as now is for Seth Rollins to address his health & future as World Heavyweight Champion this Monday night on RAW," the leaker explains, suggesting it will be then we find out for sure just how severe his injury is.
If Rollins does miss WrestleMania, then it's hard to say who Punk could end up facing on the Grandest Stage of Them All. WWE has teased possible rivalries with Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes, and if The Rock ends up challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Punk vs. Rhodes would be a major draw to see who finishes their story first.
Stay tuned for updates.
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