The WWE locker rooms likely breathed a sigh of relief when Bronson Reed was forced to take some time off last month. The Aussie Superstar had been carving his own spot for months, but was injured at WarGames. While Reed is set to miss several future shows, other superstars are stepping up to replace him, including a certain heel booked for a must-see match at a marquee event.
The King of Monsters shocked the wrestling world by brutally attacking Seth Rollins in August, as the kickoff to his streak of dominance. Rollins returned two months later, and defeated Reed at Crown Jewel in just over twelve minutes. However, Reed defeated The Visionary a week later on RAW in eighteen minutes. WWE officials are now reportedly re-booking Bronson's upcoming matches as he's out of action indefinitely with the ankle injury.
Dominik Mysterio has been chosen to replace Bronson at several upcoming events, fueling rumors and speculation on another Rollins vs. Mysterio feud. Madison Square Garden announced this week that Dominik will replace his fellow RAW heel in a match against Seth at the non-televised live event on December 26.
WWE and MSG had previously announced Rollins vs. Reed in a Steel Cage match for the New York City stop on the annual post-Christmas live event tour. However, now that the match was switched to Rollins vs. Mysterio due to Reed's injury, the new Steel Cage match on the card for The World's Most Famous Arena will see World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defend against Damian Priest.
Rollins and Mysterio have worked seven one-on-one non-televised and WWE TV matches since 2020. The Architect currently leads the series 7-0 with one DQ victory. Their last encounter was a SmackDown dark match in October, and their first was the SummerSlam 2020 Street Fight, which was also Dominik's debut.
Big update on WWE return to Madison Square Garden
World Wrestling Entertainment will once again return to Madison Square Garden to wrap up the year. The annual post-Christmas tour of non-televised WWE live events will stop at MSG in New York City on Thursday, December 26.
The World's Most Famous Arena is expected to be sold out on the day after Christmas. Below is the updated lineup:
- Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio
- CM Punk vs. Ludwig Kaiser
- Women's World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. IYO SKY
- 2 Out of 3 Falls Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sami Zayn
- Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Damian Priest
WWE and the MSG websites are also advertising several top names for the show. The following superstars are scheduled: The Wyatt Sicks, The New Day, LA Knight, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso, Raquel Rodriguez, and R-Truth.