WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently removed from the Day 1 event

Image Credit: Roman Reigns

After testing positive for COVID-19, current Universal Champion and top WWE superstar Roman Reigns is decided to withdraw from the Day 1 Pay-Per-View.

WWE's Roman Reigns has long been a top superstar in the wrestling industry. Reigns obviously emerged as the talent WWE wanted to develop as a new top star from his debut on the main roster as part of the Shield faction alongside Seth Rollins and AEW's Jon Moxley. Wrestling fans weren't always on board with Reigns' push, but as he began to share more of his personal health difficulties, he garnered the favor of those who could see the man behind the role.

Reigns had already withdrawn from a match with Goldberg at Wrestlemania 36 owing to health concerns, and he has now been removed from the Day 1 pay-per-view event due to a positive COVID-19 test. In the main event of Day 1, Roman Reigns was supposed to battle Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, which he has held for nearly a year. Many people were surprised by the positive test result, including WWE, which had to find a new spot for Brock Lesnar on the match card and a new main event because of it.

The scheduled main event match for the WWE Championship, starring Big E, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens, was exchanged with the scheduled Fatal Four Way battle for the WWE Championship. As a last-minute fifth competitor, Brock Lesnar was immediately brought into this match. After defeating the four other men in the match, Brock Lesnar was crowned the new WWE Champion.

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

Roman Reigns has a large following on Twitter. Reigns were forced to lose his title and take a break from wrestling after a prior fight with leukemia, and with a positive COVID-19 test result, many fans are now again concerned about his health. "You will be missed," one fan said, "but your health is more important & trumps anything else," demonstrating that, despite the fact that Roman Reigns is presently portraying a villain or "heel," wrestling fans will still support the man behind the character. The disease made its way through the WWE Performance Center in June of last year, thus Reigns' positive test is far from the first occurrence of COVID-19 among WWE superstars. 

In 2007, Reigns was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, then came back in 2018. In February 2019, he stated that his cancer has gone into remission. A WWE official declined to comment on whether or whether Reigns is suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

Lesnar was brought into the WWE Championship match, which was initially a Fatal 4-Way, having Reigns out. Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley will challenge Big E for the title.

Lesnar and Lashley, who battled for Bellator and Strikeforce during his 17-bout MMA career, will meet for the first fight in the ring. 

H/S: ESPN