WWE suspended one of its biggest stars Tuesday.
WWE announced a 30-day suspension for former world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns. The announcement comes just two days after Reigns lost the title at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event and less than 24 hours after WWE announced he’d headline this month’s Battleground show in a triple-threat championship match with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
Reigns tweeted this shortly after the news broke.
I apologize to my family, friends and fans for my mistake in violating WWE’s wellness policy. No excuses. I own it.
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) June 21, 2016
Reigns figured to be a big part of the company’s upcoming brand split. WWE recently announced that one of its main weekly shows, “Smackdown,” will air live starting Tuesday, July 19. As part of that, WWE is splitting up its roster into two shows — “Smackdown” and “Raw” — with a “draft” on the first episode of the “Smackdown” relaunch. Reigns’ suspension obviously means he won’t be around for that event.
Reigns is one of the company’s most polarizing stars. WWE continues to market the 31-year-old ex-pro football player as the company’s top good guy, an idea that’s been rejected by a large portion of crowds who boo him every chance they get.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
