World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins has suffered a legitimate shoulder injury that is expected to require surgery, sidelining him for several months. The injury, sustained during his match against Cody Rhodes at WWE Crown Jewel, has created a significant void at the top of the Monday Night Raw roster.
As a result, WWE is shifting its booking plans, which could lead to major opportunities and an elevated push for several other superstars. Here is a look at five performers who could be positioned to fill the gap left by Rollins’ absence.
5. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar returned to WWE at Wrestlepalooza in September, reuniting with advocate Paul Heyman and securing a dominant victory over John Cena. Already presented as one of the company’s top attractions, Lesnar could be a candidate to hold the WWE World Title in Rollins’ absence. This would also create a potential long-term storyline between Heyman’s two clients, Lesnar and Bron Breakker, which could build towards a championship match at WrestleMania 42.
4. Bronson Reed
On the October 13 edition of Raw, Bronson Reed aligned with Bron Breakker in the attack on Seth Rollins. The move followed the biggest win of Reed’s career at Crown Jewel, where he defeated Roman Reigns. With Breakker now being positioned as a top heel, Reed appears to be his primary enforcer. This gives Reed a significant opportunity to cement himself as a permanent main event star in WWE.
3. LA Knight
With a top spot on the roster now open, WWE may look to create a new main event heel. LA Knight could be a prime candidate to fill that role. While he has become one of WWE’s most popular babyfaces, Knight has a long history of success as an arrogant heel. A return to that persona could be on the horizon, possibly beginning with a turn on his partners in the upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series.
2. Bron Breakker
The most immediate beneficiary of Rollins’ unfortunate injury is Bron Breakker. By turning on Rollins during the main event of Raw, Breakker has, in storyline terms, become the man who took out the World Heavyweight Champion. The move makes him the new leader of The Vision faction and instantly elevates him to the top of the card. While this push was expected to happen eventually, the timeline has seemingly been accelerated, and Breakker is now poised to take his place in the upper echelon of the company.
1. CM Punk
CM Punk was reportedly scheduled to challenge Seth Rollins for the WWE World Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1. The match was set to be the next chapter in their feud that began with Rollins’ title cash-in at SummerSlam. With Rollins now injured, WWE’s plans have been forced to change. It is possible the company could accelerate the storyline’s conclusion, which may result in CM Punk capturing the vacated championship and ending the year as the top star on Raw.
