We already knew Shane McMahon was laid up with “injuries” inflicted by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn during the beatdown they put on the SmackDown commissioner two weeks ago. But this latest update from WWE doesn’t feel like it’s 100% a storyline:
“Shane McMahon is currently recovering from acute diverticulitis and an umbilical hernia in a New York-area medical facility, WWE.com has learned.
Two weeks ago on SmackDown LIVE, McMahon announced he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from his position as the blue brand’s Commissioner. Following that announcement, McMahon was brutally attacked by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. WWE medical staff initially diagnosed him with a laryngeal contusion and trapezius and rhomboid strains as a result of the beating.
Following the vicious assault, McMahon went to the Caribbean with his family to rest and recuperate. While there, Shane developed a massive infection due to acute diverticulitis and was hospitalized for several days in Antigua before being flown back to a New York-area hospital, where he is currently being treated with heavy doses of antibiotics. The doctors in New York have also discovered that Shane suffered an umbilical hernia during the attack, which will require surgery once the infection has been eradicated.
Stick with WWE.com for further updates on Shane McMahon’s status as they become available.”
The article and social media promoting it are definitely including this as part of the ongoing angle with Zayn and Owens, so it could just be another layer to that story. Why they would include a new ailment that’s not related to the initial (believed to be kayfabe) diagnosis rather than just playing up the severity of the already announced conditions is a bit of a puzzler.
If Shane did become ill for real, though, it makes sense to tie his condition into the original assault, further turning up the heat on KO and Sami.
All we can do at this point is speculate, and wish McMahon well as he possibly fights an infection that nearly took out Brock Lesnar when he dealt with diverticulitis during his UFC career.
And, as always, stay tuned.