10 Injuries That Altered WWE's Landscape
Maybe Reigns wouldn't have been booed out of WrestleMania 32 if Rollins was still healthy...
When your chosen occupation requires you to fling your body around a ring and frequently fall off ladders, you can guarantee that injuries are never going to be far away.
That's the position that WWE stars have found themselves in for the majority of their careers and many would argue that the risk of injury is just a small price to pay if your aim is to become one of the top names within the legendary company.
Yet, when wrestlers finally find themselves gathering that all important momentum and truly getting themselves over with the WWE crowd, a surprising injury can quickly extinguish all of that hype - leaving a gaping hole where the once nuclear superstar was situated.
However, one main event superstar's misery tends to be another hopeful talent's gain and these career-shortening lay-offs usually open the door for a complete change of focus.
Nobody likes to see their favourite stars get injured, but you cannot argue with the fact that many of the memorable wrestling moments we hold dearest in our hearts would not have been possible if it weren't for the unfortunate timing of a devastating injury.
With all that in mind, let's take a closer look at some of the defining injuries that led to WWE's landscape being noticeably altered.
10. John Cena's Pectoral Tear (2007)
By 2007, John Cena had been firmly established as the company's ever-present focal point, yet the sight of him as WWE Champion was becoming a little bit stale.
So, when Cena was dramatically struck down by a torn pectoral muscle in a match with Mr. Kennedy, fans were left wondering who would now be thrown into WWE's top spot.
It didn't take long to realise that The Legend Killer, Randy Orton, would be next in-line to carry the illustrious belt.
Orton had been consistently floating around the business end of the card and his dastardly run as one half of Rated RKO, helped position him as the company's stand-out main event calibre heel.
After being awarded the title at No Mercy, Orton turned his slithering arrogance up to 11 and morphed into 'The Viper' with deliciously villainous performances against the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and Jeff Hardy.
Cena would eventually return to challenge Orton (alongside Triple H) for the gold at WrestleMania XXIV, but Orton's shocking victory on The Grandest Stage of Them All only hammered home just how much things had changed in the Cenation leader's time away.