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Controversial TKO Decision Blamed For WWE Stars’ Injuries

By Monika Thapa • Published Feb 25, 2026 06:07 EST
Triple H Ari Emanuel WWE TKO
Triple H Ari Emanuel WWE TKO - Image via WWE

A lot of WWE stars have been dealing with injuries recently.

This past episode of Monday Night Raw, Bronson Reed suffered a torn bicep during his Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Xavier Woods is also sidelined with a shoulder injury he suffered in January.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Green, although still being featured on television, is out of in-ring action due to an ankle injury. Ethan Page is also dealing with an injured ankle, among several others currently banged up.

Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman addressed the growing injury list in a recent video, stating that WWE is facing a significant injury bug due to a controversial decision made by TKO Group Holdings.

Jonathan Coachman Blasts TKO For Cutting Down WWE House Shows

In a video posted to his Twitter account featuring his three takeaways from Monday Night Raw, Coachman discussed TKO’s decision to significantly reduce non-televised house show events. Over the past few years, house shows have reportedly been cut by roughly 75%.

According to Coachman, “the lack of house shows is hurting the business” because WWE talent is no longer getting consistent in-ring exposure to properly condition their bodies.

Coachman explained that without regular house shows, wrestlers are more prone to injury when performing on live television or premium live events, as their bodies are not adequately trained to absorb hard bumps.

“Injuries are absolutely killing the WWE right now, and you hate to see it. Last night, the latest, Bronson Reed, third member of The Vision, Seth, Bron Breaker, and now Bronson Reed. And think about all the other stars out there who are injured, some of them freak injuries, some of them…

Well, listen to what Cody Rhodes said. He said the lack of house shows is hurting the business, is hurting the WWE, because for those of you who have never been in the ring, never felt the ropes, never felt a bump, if your body is not conditioned.

Imagine going out and playing an NFL game with no training camp, and with no practice during the week, with no games, and then saying, hey, you’re gonna play the Super Bowl. That’s what they’re asking the wrestlers to do every single week. And they wonder why there is an injury epidemic. House shows, bring them back. Have them go once a month to the Performance Center and just bump.” (From 1:42)

Recently, Cody Rhodes echoed a similar sentiment. He pitched the idea to WWE leadership to add more live events. Rhodes noted that house shows help maintain and reinforce locker-room camaraderie while also allowing talent to better connect with fans.

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