4 WWE Superstars forced out of WrestleMania due to injury
WWE WrestleMania 40 is just over two months away. The Showcase of The Immortals first began all the way back in 1985 and will offer a two-night extravaganza on April 6th and 7th.
The big show will be held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to be at the epic two-night event that will almost certainly be the most-viewed WrestleMania of all time.
So far, all fans know for sure about the big show is that Bayley will challenge for a women's championship of some kind and Cody Rhodes will go after a men's title. Otherwise, the card is very much up in the air.
Unfortunately, there are some stars we can be sure won't make the event. This article will take a look at a handful of injured performers who have seemingly been forced out of a spot at The Show of Shows, barring some miraculous recovery.
Below are four WWE Superstars forced out of WrestleMania due to injury.
#4. Big E is yet to return to the ring
Big E is one of the most popular stars in and around wrestling. He has held numerous titles in his career, but his biggest came when he won the WWE Championship. He is also well known for being part of The New Day.
The former Intercontinental Champion was on the run of his career when tragedy unfortunately struck. The New Day's E and Kofi Kingston battled The Brawling Brutes' Ridge Holland and Sheamus on SmackDown on March 11th, 2022. Big E landed on his head and neck during a Belly-To-Belly Overhead Suplex on the floor and broke his neck.
Unfortunately, Big E's future in wrestling doesn't look bright. In a recent interview, the former WWE Champion revealed there is still no timetable with regard to an in-ring return. He also mentioned not wanting to be in a wheelchair, which could imply that he may never have the comeback so many fans hope to see.
#3. Charlotte Flair will miss most of 2024
Charlotte Flair is one of the greatest female stars in WWE history. The talented performer is a 14-time World Champion who has also held the NXT Women's Championship and Women's Tag Team Titles.
The Queen was working with Shotzi, trying to elevate the green-haired star, before suffering a serious injury during a match with Asuka. On the December 8th, 2023, edition of WWE SmackDown, she and The Empress fell off the top rope and Flair was injured in the process.
It was revealed that Charlotte tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. The injury required surgery, which she had almost a month ago. While she is already trying to rehab, she likely won't be back until after SummerSlam, making a match at WrestleMania out of the question.
#2. CM Punk will crushingly miss WWE WrestleMania 40
CM Punk is back in WWE with things seemingly finally going his way. He seemed genuinely happy and he was prepared to live out dreams he'd set for himself in the past. Things have taken a turn, however.
The Straight Edge Superstar unfortunately tore his triceps. He had his first televised match back in WWE after a decade when he competed in the Men's Royal Rumble Match. At one point Punk took the Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre and seemingly that is when his muscles tore.
Punk was seemingly set to headline WrestleMania in a match against Seth Rollins. Now, unfortunately, that dream bout is on hold. The recovery time for the injury is four to six months and his return isn't expected until around September. Sadly, that makes his dream of headlining The Show of Shows impossible to accomplish, at least in 2024.
#1. Seth Rollins' WrestleMania hopes are up in the air
Seth Rollins is on top of the world in WWE. After years of not holding a world title, The Visionary became the first-ever World Heavyweight Champion of this incarnation of the belt. He remains the champion, having defeated numerous top stars to do so.
The Visionary was recently injured, however. During a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Jinder Mahal on a recent episode of Monday Night RAW, Seth landed awkwardly during a Moonsault. This resulted in a torn MCL and a partial meniscus tear.
Rollins has made it clear he wants to still compete at WrestleMania, but he may be medically disqualified. If his recovery goes well, he could be back in the ring within a month. If he doesn't heal properly and needs surgery, however, he will miss The Show of Shows just like the other stars mentioned.