Roman Reigns officially out of WrestleMania 36

WWE superstar Roman Reigns has decided to withdraw from the upcoming WrestleMania 36 event, citing concerns over his health.

What a month it’s been around the world of sports. The rapidly growing coronavirus pandemic has slammed the door on the sports world and any public gathering of more than 10 people. As a result, WWE has issued its latest change to the WrestleMania 36 card.

Roman Reigns was scheduled for a Universal Championship match against WWE Hall-of-Famer Bill Goldberg. But that match has now evaporated after Reigns made the decision to remove himself from the match. It was revealed on ProWrestlingSheet.com that Reigns has pulled out of all upcoming events at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, including WrestleMania, after concerns of his battles with leukemia.

His immune system is at risk because of the leukemia, and he felt it necessary to avoid further risk of exposure by competing at WrestleMania. Reigns said he wasn’t comfortable making the appearances at WWE’s Performance Center training facility while the coronavirus pandemic is still a massive threat.

It’s the latest change to WWE’s annual extravaganza. Because of this extreme health situation, the company decided to split WrestleMania 36 into two nights. It’s the first time in history that their biggest show will be, as they’re promoting it, “too big for one night.” The NXT TakeOver event, which usually takes place the same weekend as a big pay-per-view, has also been canceled. It will now take place April 4-5 on the WWE Network.

As for what will happen with the Universal Championship, that has not been revealed as of Thursday night. We know John Cena and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt are set for a big match, so that would erase the idea of a Wyatt-Goldberg rematch from last month’s Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia.

WWE is taking extra precautions during this time, to minimize the risk of any of their employees or talent getting exposed to the virus. All persons entering the Performance Center are required to have their temperature taken before entering the facility, and nobody that has traveled internationally or had contact with someone that has traveled overseas will be allowed to enter.

Rey Mysterio and Dana Brooke are also currently quarantined due to the pandemic. Brooke was scheduled for a six-woman match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but was pulled due to illness and WWE officials wanting to keep her away until she is better.