WWE Plans Destroyed Due To Superstar Absences

WWE had some creative plans in the works, but those are now in complete disarray due to superstar absences. Several of the company’s biggest stars are at home, leaving the company scratching their heads on what to do next.

Roman Reigns Absence Affected Several Storylines

While Roman Reigns made the right decision for his family during the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE brass aren’t too happy about him missing WrestleMania 36 and following events.

Roman’s absence from the main roster is quite noticeable, especially since he was supposed to take the championship from Goldberg. Instead, Braun Strowman became champion.

Evidently, storylines on SmackDown were impacted by Roman’s absence. It also showed how indispensable Roman Reigns is for the main roster.

In recent months, they noticeably removed mentions of Roman Reigns. Hopefully, he can return to work eventually without the company holding this over his head.

Sami Zayn Stripped Of Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn finally received an opportunity to shine, but his joy was short lived. After oral surgery, Sami decided to withdraw from WWE programming to protect his health.

Much like with Roman Reigns, the WWE showed their anger by taking the Intercontinental Championship from Sami. Unsurprisingly, the WWE takes a strong stance towards the various superstar absences, ignoring their staff’s well being. 

The company promptly decided to find a replacement for Sami. An eight-man tournament should bring a new champion in the coming weeks.

Becky Lynch’s Pregnancy

WWE also lost one of its biggest female superstars in Becky Lynch. A few weeks ago, Becky announced her pregnancy on Monday Night Raw.

While the pregnancy is happy news for Becky and Seth, the WWE now needs another top woman. It also threw some of their original plans into disarray.

“The original plan was for Becky to face Nia Jax at last Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view…Becky was scheduled to retain the title, while [Shayna] Baszler was slated to win the women’s Money In The Bank ladder match and go on to feud with Becky for the belt. Following Becky’s pregnancy, the plans were changed for Asuka to win the match.” – Wrestling Observer Newsletter

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1260004619150864386

Three Championships Affected At Once!

Now, to put all this into perspective, WWE saw its plans for three major championships disappear up in smoke – the Intercontinental Championship, Raw Women’s Championship, and WWE Universal Championship.

And the timing is bad too since WWE just laid off a bunch of wrestlers. Of course, there are other circumstances affecting World Wrestling Entertainment. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most pronounced, but certainly not the only issue.

The WWE also suffers from a public image issue after receiving “essential business” status during the pandemic. The treatment of Roman Reigns did not help their image either.

In the nearby future, the company must focus on their public image, but also take a long hard look in the mirror. Is this a brand people want to follow in the years to come?