Unfortunate News On 16-Time WWE Champion Ahead Of Royal Rumble

A 16-time WWE Champion might not participate in the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble event.

On the January 26 edition of Monday Night Raw, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio faced Austin Theory in a singles match. During the bout, Mysterio appeared to suffer an injury following a specific spot in the ring.

Although he was able to finish the match, Mysterio was visibly favoring his shoulder, and the referee flashed the “X” sign to alert medical personnel.

After the match, a post-match beatdown segment involving Mysterio’s allies and The Vision was shown. But Rey didn’t participate in the segment, as he was being evaluated by the medical staff before being helped to the back.

Rey Mysterio Is Legitimately Injured; WWE Royal Rumble Status Uncertain

Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez later provided an update on Mysterio’s condition, confirming that the WWE legend was legitimately injured during his match with Austin Theory on this week’s Raw.

As a result, his status for the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble 2026 is now uncertain, despite Mysterio being officially announced as a participant in the Men’s Royal Rumble, which is scheduled for this weekend on January 1.

While it is unclear whether Rey will partake in the Rumble match, WWE star Je’Von Evans confirmed his participation in the upcoming Rumble match. Evans faced El Grande Americano on Raw last week, but the match had to be stopped after he suffered a nasty blow to the shoulder.

WWE called off the match as a precaution, and this week on the Monday night show, Evans revealed that his shoulder is fine and declared himself for the 2026 Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia.

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