By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Roman Reigns will not be facing Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36. Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Reigns expressed concerns about working the match due to coronavirus concerns due to his compromised immune system stemming from his battle with leukemia. Read more at ProWrestlingSheet.com.
Powell’s POV: Good for Reigns for speaking up. A fan expressed concern about Reigns via social media two weeks ago, which Reigns acknowledged with the like option. There’s no word yet as to a replacement for Reigns at WrestleMania, though the match has probably been taped already, as WWE was expected to tape WrestleMania matches Wednesday and today at various settings.
Dear @WWERomanReigns,
Please take extra precautions and sit out WrestleMania if you have to. As a cancer survivor, you are already likely to have a compromised immune system. 😭💔
Sincerely,
A concerned fan 🙏🏽
— 🃏J0SE (@JoseCienAlmas) March 12, 2020
Wow. Good for Reigns. I wonder if Vince will punish him once things get back normal?
Something about this is a bit hard for me to swallow. Reigns’ immune system was just as compromised 3-4 months ago as it is today. Why would he wait until now after all of this build to all of a sudden decide that he isn’t comfortable working the show?
I have 2 possible theories
1.Reigns is slated to lose to Goldberg and really doesn’t feel like putting over another “part time guy” as it were so is using the compromised immune system angle to get out of the match.
2. Reigns is booked to win the match but his big win and title victory would occur in an empty arena in front of absolutely no fans and he finds this “pathetic” they might as well have one of the announcers state that “Goldberg and Reigns fought in Reigns’ back yard, there was no audience and no cameras presence but Reigns won the fight.”
Or. real information about this hasn’t been available as most US sources were extremely slow on the uptake and Reigns finally listened to people who know what they’re talking about.