Some fans’ King of the Ring brackets may have been completely busted just a few hours before the tournament’s last semifinal because WWE announced that Elias is unable to compete due to an injury.
PWInsider confirmed that he is dealing with a legitimate ankle injury, so it looks like this isn’t just a cover for the return of El Vagabundo.
BREAKING: Due to an injury, @IAmEliasWWE will not compete in his scheduled #KingOfTheRing semifinal match against @WWEGable.
Stay with WWE Digital for further updates as the situation develops. #SDLivehttps://t.co/04mQBO1vnm
— WWE (@WWE) September 10, 2019
The current 24/7 Champion probably wasn’t most people’s pick for the winner of his Smackdown Live match with Chad Gable since Baron Corbin won last night’s semifinal on Raw, and a heel vs. heel King of the Ring final seems unlikely – but hey, maybe that was WWE’s plan and Elias was supposed to win the whole thing, and this threw the plan for the tournament into chaos.
WWE has yet to announce a replacement opponent for Gable, who has been delivering standout performances throughout the tournament. A bleak possibility here is that Elias, like the Miz before him, will be replaced by Shane McMahon and we’ll have to deal with King Shane. However, McMahon has been on jury duty, so we’re probably safe. Maybe a guitar spot is a key element of this semifinal match, so they’ll replace Elias with Jeff Jarrett. Or maybe they’ll bring in the Fiend, and then the Fiend will murk Baron Corbin in five seconds in the final!
Who do you think will be Elias’s replacement tonight? Let us know in the comments.
