Sacramento / October 20, 2025 — In a dramatic and rapid-fire turn of events on tonight’s Monday Night Raw, WWE General Manager Adam Pearce announced that World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins has been stripped of the title after undergoing shoulder surgery following last week’s backstage assault by members of his own stable, The Vision. The championship has been declared vacant, and WWE has moved to immediately restack the top of the card.
What happened to Rollins
WWE presented the injury as legitimate: Pearce told the live crowd that Rollins had required “major surgery” on his shoulder and would be sidelined for an extended period, leaving WWE with no choice but to relinquish the championship while he recovers. The injury angle followed a vicious on-air betrayal in which Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed — recent volatile members of the Vision faction alongside Paul Heyman — ambushed Rollins, leaving him incapacitated. Several outlets reporting tonight’s development note that the attack was used to explain Rollins’ sudden exit and surgical timeline.
The Vision’s turn and backstage fallout
What began as a dominant stable run for The Vision exploded into chaos: cameras caught Breakker and Reed standing over the fallen champion as Paul Heyman looked on, and later segments suggested a clean break between Rollins and the faction that once backed him. Wrestling media are reporting backstage heat and a rapid creative rethink as WWE pivots away from a Rollins-led title scene while he recuperates.
What WWE booked for tonight and the road to
Saturday Night’s Main Event
WWE immediately announced on Raw that an over-the-top-rope battle royal will take place tonight, with the winner inserted into the title picture. Sources and show spoilers indicate the plan is for that battle royal winner to face the already-declared #1 contender, CM Punk, for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1 (the event is slated for Salt Lake City). Multiple wrestling news outlets and backstage reports have named that as WWE’s route to crown a new champion while Rollins is out.
Who’s in the mix — realistic contenders
Tonight’s battle royal is likely to feature top-card names who have been involved in the upper-card picture in recent weeks: reported names floating in coverage include Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, LA Knight, Jey Uso, and other established main-event players. Creative appears to be keeping options open — the Vision members themselves carried Rollins’ belt to the ring earlier tonight — which leaves multiple story permutations possible (e.g., a Breakker win to cement the betrayal, or an outsider surprise to build toward a fresh CM Punk program). Wrestling outlets are already speculating on matchups and long-term booking.
Stakes and what to watch tonight
- Battle royal (over-the-top-rope) — winner moves into the World Heavyweight Title picture and is expected to face CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event (Nov. 1).
- How WWE explains Rollins’ absence — keep an ear on promos from Adam Pearce, Paul Heyman, and members of The Vision; tonight’s segments will set the tone for whether Rollins’ exit is presented as a legitimate medical leave or a storyline suspension.
- Potential long-term fallout — if Breakker or Reed is pushed into the title picture, WWE could be signaling a major singles run for one of them; alternatively, crowning a different face could protect Rollins for a triumphant return.
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