Backstage Update On Current COVID-19 Impact On WWE Day 1

How are things looking for this weekend's upcoming PPV?

by Andrew Pollard
Roman Reigns Brock Lesnar
WWE.com

With WWE currently experiencing a rise in positive COVID-19 cases, some have speculated as to just what sort of card will be seen at the WWE Day 1 PPV this Saturday.

For those who missed it, WWE had to pull several major names - including Big E, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Bianca Belair - from the company's big Boxing Day show from Madison Square Garden. Rollins has since taken to Twitter to confirm he has COVID-19, although there has been no word on why the other names were absent from MSG.

Speaking on today's Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer has provided somewhat of an update on how things stand for WWE Day 1 right now.

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As per Meltzer, some of the names pulled from the MSG live event were done so as a precautionary measure in order to try and maintain the Day 1 card. In particular, the Day 1 main event matches were particularly protected in this regard - with Kevin Owens the only person to work MSG (and last night's Raw) out of those main event bouts' stars.

In terms of those WWE Day 1 main event matches, Meltzer added how it's important for WrestleMania 38 that all three of Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman are able to appear at Saturday's PPV. No further details were given on this matter by Dave, although obviously such comments only add further fuel to the fire when it comes to those rumours of another Lesnar vs. Reigns match happening at next year's Showcase of the Immortals.

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Wrapping things up, Meltzer stated how, at this point in time, everybody who is advertised for WWE Day 1 are all still expected to appear and compete. Of course, given the day-to-day nature of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, that could well change by the time the PPV gets here.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.