WWE announced today that former WWE Champion Sheamus has been officially withdrawn from “The Last Time is Now” tournament. The reason given for the removal of the Celtic Warrior is a legitimate shoulder injury. This abrupt end removes Sheamus from the competition to determine John Cena’s final in-ring opponent.
The official announcement from the company quickly confirmed the sudden change. WWE stated: “BREAKING NEWS: Due to a shoulder injury, @WWESheamus is not medically cleared to continue competition in The Last Time is Now Tournament.” WWE also added: “Additional information will be provided tonight on #SmackDown,”.
Sheamus had already successfully advanced into the quarterfinal stage of the prestigious tournament. He secured his spot after defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in a competitive opening-round match on Raw earlier this month. This sudden injury halts his pursuit of facing John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
Sheamus’s removal creates a significant vacancy that immediately complicates the rest of the bracket. He was scheduled to face the winner of a fellow SmackDown matchup during the quarterfinal round.
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Questions now surround how WWE officials will choose to fill this newly vacated spot. The solution could be finding a replacement for Sheamus or allowing his potential opponent to advance via a bye to the semifinals.
The highly anticipated tournament continues tonight on Friday Night SmackDown with the remaining first-round matchups. The match card features a confrontation between the charismatic Carmelo Hayes and Big Bronson Reed. Additionally, Raw Superstars Finn Balor and Penta will cross brand lines to face each other in the final opening-round match.
The quarterfinal round is set to accelerate on the upcoming episode of Monday Night Raw. GUNTHER is scheduled to await the winner of the Hayes versus Reed matchup. Meanwhile, the ruthless Solo Sikoa is set to face the victor of the Penta versus Balor contest. These upcoming matches will determine the semi-finalists from the Raw side of the bracket.
The major consequence of Sheamus’s injury is a forced restructuring of the entire tournament bracket. The quarterfinal match scheduled for SmackDown on November 28 was originally Sheamus versus LA Knight. With the Celtic Warrior removed, it is expected that LA Knight will receive a bye to the semi-finals.
LA Knight, having received the bye, would then face the winner of the match between Rusev and Jey Uso in the semifinals. This dramatic turn of events leaves the field to face John Cena wide open ahead of Saturday Night’s Main Event.
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