WWE has suffered a lot this year. Whether it is low television ratings or random stock issues, the company has had many problems dating back to last year, but those few have repaired well at least. The one thing WWE cannot seem to escape is WWE Superstar and Diva injuries. WWE has four of its top performers out of action right now. Seth Rollins, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Cesaro are all months away from returning full time, and everyone sees the loss as huge for WWE, whereas some see it as a way to step up.
Usually, when so many talented top stars are gone, people lower on the card seem to get more opportunities, and they end up either proving they deserve more or they prove they were where they were supposed to be. One star who was stepping up was Neville. It seemed obvious he would be part of his first WrestleMania this year, most likely in a title match, as there are rumors of a multi-man match for the WWE Intercontinental Title.
However, his WrestleMania hopes were ended last night in a match with Chris Jericho. It seemed that Neville was hurt during his match with Jericho, but it was uncertain to what extent at the time. When he was helped to the back, limping the whole way, that was when fans in the arena knew something was wrong. It was uncertain, however, as WWE did not comment on the injury, nor did Neville himself last night. Now we know a bit more about the situation, as WWE finally commented on the issue today. Other outlets were able to find out more as well.
According to the Wrestling Observer , Neville was attempting a baseball slide when he broke both his shinbones, commonly called the tibia, and fractured his ankle. Both are essential to a pro-wrestler, but especially people like Neville, who need both to do most of his offense. It is unknown how long he will miss, but WrestleMania 32is out of the cards for him. This is a huge blow to Neville, as he certainly earned his way onto the card this year.
The timetable for a shinbone injury is usually anywhere between three to six months, barring surgeries. WWE did not say anything about this injury in their report but did say Neville would be further evaluated.
An average ankle fracture could take a few months to get right, but it really depends on how Neville heals up. Obviously, trying to rehab both at the same time is not going to be easy. Usually, you don’t break both at the same time, so rehab isn’t normal.
However, WWE could put him into a great rehab program and get him back sooner rather than later. Neville is known to be quite a gym rat, so working on his rehab will certainly be a top priority for him. Neville will miss his first WrestleManiathat he surely has earned, but he very well could be back before WWE SummerSlam, and he could take part in the second biggest show of the year like he did this past year.
WWE made him into some sort of a superhero for a while this year, which worked well for Neville. Most of what he does in the ring cannot be done by most anyone in the world, with the exception of maybe one man who goes by the name of Prince Puma. When you let Neville loose, he will flat out steal any show he is on. However, a lot of the offense Neville does is high risk, and mistakes can happen at any time.
This was proven last night, as any night can be a night where you see an injury. Neville will surely be missed by the WWE fans, but his return will be pretty big. He most likely will not be able to go after Chris Jericho, who probably won’t be around when Neville gets back. That means WWE will need to be creative in Neville’s return.
[Image via WWE]