WWE Pulls Roman Reigns From Day One PPV After Contracting COVID-19
Brock Lesnar now competes in a fatal-5-way for Big E's WWE Championship.
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been removed from tonight's WWE Day One PPV after contracting COVID-19.
WWE.com confirmed Fightful's earlier report that the company's COVID-19 protocols would stop Reigns from appearing on the card after he received a positive test.
A last-minute change to the card sees Brock Lesnar added to the WWE championship fatal-four-way, now making it a fatal-five-way, involving WWE Champion Big E defending his title against Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley and now Lesnar.
Fightful notes that WWE are planning on making the fatal-five-way a more memorable spectacle than originally planned to appease fans after losing Reigns so close to the show.
As we reported earlier in the week, Reigns had been kept away from recent WWE live shows for precautionary reasons as an outbreak of COVID-19 had reportedly spread across the locker room. Reports suggested that WWE's hope was to carry on a major angle in the Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman program at Day One that would dominate the road to April's WrestleMania 38 in Texas and it was seen as imperative Reigns would be able to compete tonight.
In the end, WWE has been forced into a very late change of plan.
Reigns released the following statement on twitter about missing tonight's show;
I yearn to perform tonight at #WWEDay1 to defend my Universal Championship. However, unfortunately, earlier today I tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the proper protocols I am unable to compete as originally scheduled. I look forward to returning to action as soon as possible.
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) January 1, 2022
WhatCulture will have the usual Ups & Downs review article and video from Simon Miller sometime after WWE Day One has ended.