Seth Rollins. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Rollins suffered injury in championship defense

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Jan 16, 2024 2:59 PM ET

On Monday, Seth Rollins successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Jinder Mahal. The match was the main event on "Monday Night RAW."

During the bout, Rollins appeared to tweak his knee following a senton off the ropes. From that moment onward, he navigated the ring with a limp. Still, that didn't stop him from hitting some high-flying moves on the top rope.

Rollins eventually defeated Mahal courtesy of a stomp. According to a report by Wade Keller of PWTorch, Rollins' injury was legitimate.

"Seth Rollins suffered a legitimate injury to his left leg late in his Raw main event win against Jinder Mahal," Keller reported. "...Multiple sources described Seth as neither overtly pessimistic nor optimistic about the severity of the injury... If Seth misses extended ring time, it will dramatically change WrestleMania plans. His presumed opponent for WrestleMania is C.M. Punk."

As is the nature of professional wrestling, it was hard to tell if Rollins' injury was legitimate or "a work" during the match. Wrestlers often feign injury as part of a storyline or to sell damage taken throughout the contest. Rollins' injury could be a big blow to his current trajectory and WWE's plans for their upcoming Royal Rumble.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, WWE will likely learn more about Rollins' injury status "on Wednesday or Thursday."

The latest I've heard from WWE sources regarding Seth Rollins is that they will likely know more Wednesday or Thursday about his injury
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 16, 2024

Keller also noted how Rollins could be stripped of his title should he be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

"The WWE World Hvt. Championship would likely be stripped of Seth with a new champion crowned before WrestleMania."

Rollins is one of the biggest names in WWE. His injury would not only derail some plans for the Royal Rumble, but it would also put a potential storyline with CM Punk on hold. That storyline began simmering under the surface when the veteran star returned to the company at Survivor Series.

For now, all we can do is wait to see what the severity of Rollins' injury may be. WWE fans around the world will be hoping it's nothing too serious and that he's fit and raring to go by the time the Royal Rumble rolls around on Jan. 28.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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