wrestling / News

Backstage Notes on How Injuries Are Affecting WrestleMania 40, Rumored Main Event

January 30, 2024 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
WWE Wrestlemania 40 Image Credit: WWE

– During today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that the injury of WWE Superstar CM Punk at the Royal Rumble on Saturday and the pulling of Brock Lesnar for the foreseeable future have had a “domino effect” on the WrestleMania 40 card. As noted, Punk suffered a torn triceps injury during the Rumble match, so he will not be making it to WrestleMania 40 this year for a rumored matchup against Seth Rollins.

Meanwhile, WWE was forced to scrap plans for Brock Lesnar, pulling him from the Rumble due to the recent allegations against Vince McMahon made by former WWE employee Janel Grant. It’s reported by Meltzer that after facing Dominik Mysterio at Elimination Chamber, Perth, Lesnar was going to face Gunther at WrestleMania 40.

As for the WrestleMania 40 main event, Alvarez and Meltzer reported on today’s show that Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns II is still the planned main event for the show, despite the tease on Monday’s Raw with Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Meltzer reported, “That’s the plan, unless they change the plan.”

However, Meltzer noted that even before Punk suffered his injury, Lesnar being out of the WrestleMania 40 card was already causing changes, and now the domino effect continues now that Punk is injured and off the card as well. Meltzer continued, “Whatever the original stuff was, a lot of it has changed because of Lesnar, and now, again, another change because of Punk.”

With his win in the Rumble match on Saturday, Cody Rhodes can now get a title shot at WrestleMania against a champion of his choosing between Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, or even Ilja Dragunov. As previously noted, betting lines are now being taken on the prospective Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns rematch. WWE has not yet announced who Cody Rhodes will face at the premium live event.

WrestleMania 40 is scheduled for April 6-7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It will be broadcast live on Peacock.