Some of WWE’s biggest names missed the non-televised live events yesterday in New York and Tampa as COVID-19 continues to wreck havoc.
Raw Women’s champion Becky Lynch, WWE champion Big E, Seth Rollins, and Bianca Belair all missed the New York show in Madison Square Garden while Universal champion Roman Reigns missed the Tampa show at the Amelie Arena.
WWE has not specified why they missed the shows but Rollins on Twitter wrote, “Merry Covid Christmas to me!!! I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!” If Rollins is indeed out with COVID, Lynch would not be allowed to appear since they live together.
With the Day 1 pay-per-view just a few days away, it’s quite possible that certain individuals were left off the shows as a precaution so they do not disrupt the top matches and their absence does not necessarily mean they all have coronavirus.
To make up for the change in card, WWE Hall of Famer Edge was brought in to the Madison Square Garden show and wrestled Kevin Owens in a steel cage match. Natalya was also told to go to the Raw house show rather than the Smackdown one and Tommaso Ciampa and Pete Dunne were called up from NXT to fill in the void as well.
