Seth Rollins Says He Won’t Be At WWE Royal Rumble

Seth Rollins is trying to shut down speculation that he’ll be at the WWE Royal Rumble this weekend, saying that he won’t be at the show. The fan-favorite PLE takes place this weekend in Saudi Arabia, and Rollins has been out of action since he was written off TV in October due to a shoulder injury suffered at WWE Crown Jewel.

The Royal Rumble is often home to surprise returns and Rollins is known for faking out expectations about his injury status thanks to his swerve at WWE SummerSlam, as was documented on season two of WWE: Unreal. Rollins appeared on ESPN First Take and was asked about his possible participation on Saturday’s show and definitively said he won’t be at the PLE. You can see highlights below:

On Speculation That He’ll Be In the men’s Rumble:

“Well, let’s pump the brakes on me participating in the Royal Rumble. I’m not ready there yet. I just got my rotator cuff done in October, I have a couple months left to go. I wish I could get myself in there, but that’s not going to be the case.”

On Not Being Planned For the Show:

“Oh, man. No, you know what? I’ll give it away. I’m not going to be at the Rumble. I cannot — I just can’t. I would love to be in there and dump all those dudes over the top rope, and punch my card to WrestleMania. But the doctors are not going to let it happen this time around, unfortunately.”

On His Overall Health:

“You know, I’ve got some chronic stuff going on, that’s for sure. I think any athlete that’s — you know, I’m almost 40 now. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years… I still got ups. My knees still work, so that’s good. But yeah I mean, accidents happen. You know, it’s a physical sport. It’s just one of those things, you can see it was painful, that shoulder injury. And I’m sure it won’t be the last of my career.

“But yeah, I am about 22 years deep in this wrestling thing and I think I’m probably closer to the end than the beginning. However, however, I’m still under 40 and I feel like I’ve got a lot of years left. I feel like I’m really just in the middle of my prime right now. The physical hasn’t declined and mentally, I’m as sharp as I’ve ever been. So there’s a lot left in the Seth Rollins tank.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ESPN with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.