Word is spreading around the internet that former World Heavyweight Champion Christian is off of Sunday's (Nov. 20) Survivor Series card in New York City.
Headlined by the tag team of John Cena and The Rock taking on AwesomeTruth members The Miz and R-Truth, "Captain Charisma" was set perform on the undercard as a member of "Team Barrett" alongside Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Hunico and the name of the traditional style Survivor Series team Wade Barrett.
A leg injury Christian suffered last week across the Atlantic while the company made the rounds through Europe has the wrestler sidelined. A "severe high ankle sprain" seems to be the culprit.
WWE.com has made no mention of this latest development so it's unclear if an angle explaining Christian's disappearance from the card will play itself out tonight during the three-hour Raw telecast or -- more likely -- if a replacement will be named tomorrow (Nov. 15) when Smackdown tapes from Bridgeport, CT.
At the very latest, "Team Barrett" should get a new fifth member at the Survivor Series event itself to even the odds against "Team Orton" captained by Randy Orton and supported by Sheamus, Mason Ryan, Kofi Kingston, and Sin Cara.
So the question must be asked: who replaces "The Instant Classic"?
I got a few ideas.
- David Otunga - He's been spotlighted a lot recently as he's started working the "Harvard educated lawyer" gimmick. Can you call it a gimmick if it's legit, though? I digress. Anyway, it would make sense for John Laurinaitis to convince Teddy Long that Otunga is the right man to replace Christian in "Team Barrett" as the former Nexus member has become somewhat of a right hand man to the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations.
- Epico - Recently making his Smackdown debut to help Hunico deliver a beatdown to Sin Cara, the Puerto Rican wrestler could easily slip into Christian's spot when his partner in crime convinces Barrett that he's a suitable candidate.
- Jinder Mahal - Hey, he's a rulebreaker on Smackdown. That could be good enough for creative.
- Brodus Clay - Ah, my dark horse. The burly, tattooed ruffian has been squashing jobbers on Superstars for a minute and is even getting the debut vignette treatment. What better way to introduce him -- and yet still hide his technical faults -- than a traditional Survivor Series elimination match? The big guy could take care off one or even two members of "Team Orton" before getting eliminated himself. It would go a long way to establish him as a brute.
What do you guys think? Like any of the choices I laid out or got one of your own?