WWE Rumors: Company Officials Reportedly Ban Superstar’s Name From Being Mentioned On Television
Roman Reigns hasn’t appeared on WWE television for several weeks, and it’s unknown when he’ll return to the squared circle. The former Universal Champion pulled out of this year’s WrestleMania 36 over concerns pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic, and since the crisis is still ongoing, his future plans are uncertain. This has caused WWE officials to reportedly ban his name from being mentioned on Friday Night SmackDown and other televised shows.
Citing Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sportskeeda reports that the company has given instructions to employees, prohibiting them from discussing Reigns, as they have no idea when he’ll be back. The report doesn’t mention if WWE’s reasoning is also down to any alleged backstage heat on Reigns, as some officials have reportedly soured on the superstar for withdrawing from WrestleMania at the last minute.
However, it’s more likely that WWE is trying to avoid hyping up his return as the date has yet to be confirmed. Furthermore, the company hasn’t revealed a storyline reason for “The Big Dog’s” absence either, so it’s possible that they are trying to brush the WrestleMania withdrawal under the rug until it’s no longer a topic of conversation in the wrestling community.
GOOOOOOOOOOLDBERG!!!!@Goldberg and @WWERomanReigns sign the contract for their #UniversalTitle Match at #WrestleMania RIGHT NOW on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/g570JS9yym
— WWE (@WWE) March 21, 2020
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Reigns pulled out of the event after The Miz showed up to the Performance Center displaying signs of illness. While the superstar wasn’t infected with coronavirus, Reigns didn’t want to take any chances as he’s more susceptible to catching something after recently recovering from leukemia.
As documented by the Express, Reigns discussed his reasons for pulling out of the event, saying that some fans have called him a coward. However, he also said that the criticism has come from the same fans who don’t want to see him wrestle under normal circumstances. Reigns is a very polarizing superstar, and some members of the WWE Universe can’t resist an opportunity to attack him.
Reigns was expected to win the Universal Championship at WrestleMania in a match against Goldberg. The decision to add the title to the match upset some fans, however, as Goldberg defeated Bray Wyatt for the championship in a squash match at this year’s Super ShowDown, seemingly crushing the fan favorite’s momentum in the process.
The title was ultimately awarded to Braun Strowman, after “The Monster Among Men” flew in to replace “The Big Dog” at the very last minute. It remains to be seen if Reigns and Goldberg will face each other at a later date.
