WWE has officially confirmed that Sheamus is out of The Last Time Is Now Tournament due to a shoulder injury that has left him medically unable to compete. The update came just hours before SmackDown goes live, catching fans off guard as the tournament heats up.
Sheamus advanced to the second round after defeating Shinsuke Nakamura on the November 10 episode of RAW. He last competed on the November 17 edition, teaming up with John Cena and Rey Mysterio in a six-man tag match. Unfortunately, the shoulder injury has now taken him out of contention.
WWE stated that further updates would be shared during tonights live broadcast of SmackDown from Denver, Colorado. However, according to a report from WrestleVotes, the company already has a replacement selected to take Sheamus place in the second round of the tournament.
The replacement is expected to face LA Knight in the next round of the bracket, but WWE reportedly has no plans to announce who it is during tonights show. This suggests the reveal may happen during a surprise entrance or in the days to come, keeping the suspense alive.
With Survivor Series around the corner and a mystery opponent waiting in the wings, Sheamus withdrawal throws a major wrench into the tournaments flowand raises plenty of questions about what WWE has planned next.
Who do you think will step in for Sheamus against LA Knight? Should WWE have made the announcement live on SmackDown, or is keeping it quiet the better move? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
