The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required but recommended) has the first reports we’ve seen about Seth Rollins latest knee injury, suffered Monday night, Jan. 30, while the Architect was working with Samoa Joe in the main event segment of Raw.
Dave Meltzer and team confirm what multiple viewings of the video have told most of us - that the injury occurred when Joe took Rollins’ back to apply the Coquina Clutch and Seth’s legs weren’t planted. His right knee gave out, and that is the same one he had surgically reconstructed back in November of 2015.
Rollins has been in Birmingham having the knee evaluated at the Andrews Clinic which handled his first surgery. The Observer says the injury is “believed to be a torn MCL” and “early word” is he’ll be out for “about eight weeks”.
The MCL, or medial collateral ligament, is usually treated non-surgically, but a complete tear can require an operation. A two month recovery window would indicate a fairly severe, possibly complete, tear.
Working off the Observer report, eight weeks from today is March 29 - the Wednesday before WrestleMania 33. Rollins will obviously want to avoid missing a second straight Mania (he missed 32 due to his last knee injury), and will push to return in time to do something on the show. That’s likely why his message thanking fans for their support closed in a way that kept his angle with Triple H in our minds.
“For legal reasons” WWE will be hesitant to put him back in the ring if there’s any doubt from the medical team, however, the Observer notes.
There have been numerous reports of WWE exploring other options to replace Rollins in a match with Hunter or reshuffle the card to account for not having that bout. But if the “early word” presented here is correct, Vince McMahon may develop multiple plans - a best case if Seth can make it back and a plan B, if he can’t.
Which is fitting, since Rollins famously once was Triple H’s “plan B”.
We’ll keep you updated if something official comes from WWE, or more information comes out from anywhere reliable.
In the meantime, this seems like good news, right? Definitely still a bummer that the Architect is down again and at risk of missing the Show of Shows, but better than another six-to-eight months.
Give us your take below.