Dave Meltzer Comments on Bronson Reed Being Originally Scheduled To Win WWE Raw Match Before Injury, WWE’s Thoughts on ‘Dead’ Crowd

As previously reported, Bronson Reed suffered an injury during his Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match on last night’s WWE Raw. It was also later reported that the original plan was to have Reed win the match and not Jey Uso. However, Reed’s injury forced WWE to change plans for the finish. Dave Meltzer commented on the situation during today’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer said of Reed, “He was trying. He was going to win the match, by the way. I think most people already know that anyway, but he was going to win that match. And you know, they had take him out, and they basically had to do an impromptu, and everybody knew he was hurt, and it took away from that match.”

Meltzer added that he was told by someone in WWE “they could not get the crowd back after the Bronson Reed injury,” noting that the crowd was there to see that match, and Reed’s injury basically “killed” the crowd.

With regards to the dead crowd during WWE Raw, Meltzer stated, “I actually heard from someone in the company, and they believe that it [the crowd] got dead after the Bronson Reed injury, and they never got it back other than the [AJ Styles tribute].”

As a result of his victory, Jey Uso will now compete in the men’s Elimination Chamber match later this weekend. The winner will go on to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 42 in April.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 takes place on February 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. It will air live on the ESPN App in the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.