Universal champion Roman Reigns is out of his planned match at Saturday's WWE Day 1 pay-per-view after testing positive for COVID-19.
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Universal champion Roman Reigns is out of his planned match at Saturday’s WWE Day 1 pay-per-view after testing positive for COVID-19, Reigns himself announced just before the show. Reigns’ originally scheduled opponent, Brock Lesnar, has now been moved to the WWE championship match, which is now a fatal five-way featuring champion Big E and challengers Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley, the promotion announced.
“I yearn to perform tonight at #WWEDay1 to defend my Universal Championship,” Reigns tweeted. “However, unfortunately, earlier today I tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the proper protocols I am unable to compete as originally scheduled. I look forward to returning to action as soon as possible.”
I yearn to perform tonight at #WWEDay1 to defend my Universal Championship. However, unfortunately, earlier today I tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the proper protocols I am unable to compete as originally scheduled. I look forward to returning to action as soon as possible.
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) January 1, 2022
Reigns is a cancer survivor, having battled two separate bouts of leukemia. He stepped away from WWE at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and skipped WrestleMania 36 in 2020 out of interest for the safety of himself and his family. He returned at SummerSlam that August.
WWE spent much of the pandemic operating out of buildings with no crowds, first in their own Performance Center in Orlando before the “virtual fan experience” of the ThunderDome, which moved between a handful of arenas. Fans first returned at WrestleMania 37 and WWE returned to live touring in July 2021.
Also read: What happened on WWE Day 1
WWE Championship — Big E (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar: Rollins and Owens tried to team up on Lesnar from the opening bell, but Lesnar hit both men with a series of German suplexes before Big E jumped in the ring and took Lesnar out with a pair of clotheslines. After driving Big E into the ring post, Lashley speared Lesnar through the ringside barricade. Rollins and Owens teamed up to first take out Lashley and then Lesnar, with Rollins holding Lesnar down outside the ring while Owens came off the apron with a frog splash. The duo then drove the ring steps into the heads of Lashley and Lesnar. The announce desk did not make it far into the match, with Big E using a uranage to drive Lashley through it.
Lesnar eventually made his way back into the match, hitting Rollins, Big E and Owens with F-5s before turning into a spear from Lashley for a near fall. Big E hit Lashley with a Big Ending and tried to do the same to Lesnar, only for Lesnar to counter into an F-5 for the victory.
