WWE has announced that Drew McIntyre is injured with a cervical neck strain and severe contusions. They added, “Upon further evaluation by medical staff he will have a follow-up with an orthopedic cervical specialist.”
It sounds like a storyline injury but PWInsider is reporting that the word going around backstage is that McIntyre has been dealing with nagging neck issues and that he’s been written off TV. During the Day 1 pay-per-view, Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin put a chair around McIntyre’s neck and they slammed a part of the set on him. Those are angles they do when someone will be out for a while.
The hope is that this will be a short hiatus from the ring but until he gets check out it’s “up in the air.” PWInsider noted that McInyre was seen wearing a neck brace backstage as he left the building.
This is unfortunate for McIntyre because at the house shows he was scheduled for matches against Universal Champion Roman Reigns, which likely means that it would have been McIntyre vs. Reigns at the Royal Rumble.
McIntyre’s hiatus may also explain why Brock Lesnar was booked to win the WWE Championship as the company now has to reshuffle their plans.
Best wishes to McIntyre and we hope for a speedy recovery.
INJURY UPDATE: @DMcIntyreWWE suffered a cervical neck strain with severe contusions.
Upon further evaluation by medical staff he will have a follow-up with an orthopedic cervical specialist. pic.twitter.com/5Bju1faAW8
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2022