The “Road to the Royal Rumble” hit a frightening speed bump tonight during the Monday Night Raw broadcast from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The highly anticipated show at the SSE Arena was marred by an unfortunate incident involving one of the red brand’s newest and most exciting stars, Je’Von Evans. What was supposed to be another showcase of his high-flying ability ended abruptly when a suspected injury forced officials to call off his match against El Grande Americano, leaving the Belfast crowd in a state of hushed concern.
Since the start of the year, WWE has made a concerted effort to infuse the main roster with fresh talent from NXT. Among names like Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and Jordynne Grace, Je’Von Evans has stood out as a breakout performer. The 21-year-old prodigy had been on a roll since his call-up, racking up an impressive undefeated streak. He had already secured victories over former WWE Champion The Miz, as well as two-thirds of the new “Americano” faction—defeating Rayo Americano (Pete Dunne) and Bravo Americano (Tyler Bate) in consecutive weeks. Tonight, Evans looked to complete the hat trick by taking down the group’s leader, El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser).
The match began with the high energy Evans is known for, but the dynamic changed instantly following a spot that appeared to go wrong. The action came to a sudden halt as the referee checked on Evans, quickly signaling for the ringside physician. The break in the match was lengthy and concerning, carrying on through an entire commercial break with no contact between the competitors. The broadcast team did not speculate on the injury, but the mood in the arena shifted noticeably as the doctor attended to the young star.
When the show returned from the commercial break, there was no attempt to restart the contest. The referee immediately called for the bell, and ring announcer Mark Nash delivered the unfortunate news to the live audience and the viewers watching on Netflix. Nash announced that Evans was not medically able to compete, resulting in Americano being declared the winner by referee stoppage. This marks the first loss of Evans’ main roster run, though under the most undesirable circumstances possible. While the exact nature of the injury has not been confirmed, the swift stoppage suggests that medical personnel were taking no chances with the high-flyer’s health.
This injury comes at a precarious time for WWE, as the company is just days away from its massive Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With the card for the January 31 show filling up fast, any long-term injury to Evans would scrub him from potential participation in the 30-man Rumble match. The event is already stacked with high-profile bouts, including Gunther defending the World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles in a match where Styles’ career is on the line, and a Number One Contender’s Fatal 4-Way featuring Randy Orton, Damian Priest, Trick Williams, and Sami Zayn. WWE officials will likely be monitoring Evans closely in hopes that this setback is merely a scare and not a season-ending injury.
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