WWE News: Angel Garza Injury, Update on Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Nikki Cross Missing Clash of Champions
There was a legitimate injury at WWE Clash of Champions last night that led to an awkward finish in the Raw Tag Team Championship match between champions Street Profits and challengers Andrade and Angel Garza. After Angelo Dawkins hit a spinebuster on Andrade in the ring, the referee Rod Zapata counted to three even though Andrade clearly kicked out at two. The replays showed it as well. The reason for that is because Angel Garza suffered a legit injury.
Garza is dealing with a legitimate injury to his quadriceps or his hip, according to PWInsider. The report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider notes that it is either a hip issue or a torn quadriceps. If it’s a torn quadriceps then that’s a major injury that would sideline him for possibly six months depending on the severity of it. Wrestling fans know that because of Triple H suffering a torn quad twice, plus guys like Kevin Nash and Vince McMahon have done it too. If it’s a hip injury, it depends on the severity of it. Garza is expected to have an MRI today, so we might learn more later today or WWE may choose to keep it quiet.
Meanwhile, the finish of the Street Profits match with Andrade/Garza went as planned with the champs retaining. Dave Meltzer clarified that on Wrestling Observer Radio: “Just so people know, The Street Profits were in fact going to win this match. They were not going to change the titles. The finish was not changed in that way.”
Here’s hoping Garza is not out of action for too long. Best wishes to him.
In other WWE Clash of Champions news, Nia Jax claimed that the report of her missing Clash of Champions due to not being medically cleared is a lie. Jax is also a heel, so she could just be in character here. You can see the tweet below.
— 🌺 (@NiaJaxWWE) September 27, 2020
The original plan was to have Jax and Shayna Baszler defend the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott. That match was canceled earlier on Sunday. Bayley was supposed to defend the Smackdown Women’s Title against Nikki Cross, but that match was canceled as well. Cross was absent from Smackdown as well, so WWE likely knew this was a possibility.
What we know is that it was likely a medical situation related to COVID-19, but it also doesn’t mean that Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax and Nikki Cross were all dealing with positive Coronvirus tests. Here’s how Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer explained it with WrestlingNewsCo transcribing it:
“The actual issue is that it’s the COVID situation. I know that at least one of the three and I think two of the three do not have COVID but they were in contact with someone who does. It might even be all three but I know for sure one and I think two. [WWE] was afraid of a COVID spread, they were in contact so they were not allowed on the show. I don’t know how all their healths are but at least two of the three are not unhealthy as we speak. Hopefully, they do not get unhealthy so that is the situation there.”
As we know from covering WWE during this year’s ongoing health pandemic, WWE has been doing full COVID-19 testing for all of their performers and staff over the last few months. They have had some positive cases, but some instances could just be people coming in contact with another person that had a positive test.
We wish everybody good health and surely hope there are not any serious health situations. I’m sure WWE can just do these title matches on television at some point in the near future.