Still recovering from the savage 3-on-1 assault by The Shield on Raw, The Rock posted the following update on his Twitter account ( @TheRock) late Monday night, informing the WWE Universe that he suffered internal injuries at the hands of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
Judging by his tweet, The Great One remains optimistic heading into his anticipated WWE Championship encounter with reigning titleholder CM Punk at Royal Rumble. Moreover, even before medical personnel were able to assess his condition, a still-reeling Rock vowed to the WWE Universe that he would become its WWE Champion this Sunday — and The Rock does not take such promises lightly. ( WATCH | PHOTOS)
Because of this heinous attack, Mr. McMahon has added a new stipulation to Sunday’s WWE Championship Match: If The Shield interfere in this bout, Punk will be stripped of his title. It remains to be seen, however, if the damage to The Rock has already been done. ( MATCH PREVIEW)
“The Best in the World” denies any collusion with The Shield, but the menacing triumvirate has nevertheless played an integral role in extending The Straight Edge Superstar’s title reign well past the 400-day mark. Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns’ actions Monday night have also raised new questions about their true relationship with Punk and his associate, Paul Heyman. Regardless of The Shield’s true intentions, any attempt to target The Rock similarly on Sunday will seal Punk’s fate as WWE Champion — circumstances that are no doubt contrary to The Shield’s controversial quest for “justice.”
The Chairman’s new stipulation in this bout alters the composition of what is now a true one-on-one collision, but is The Rock more hurt than he is letting on? By assaulting The Brahma Bull a mere six days before Royal Rumble, did The Shield already ensure that CM Punk’s WWE Title reign will withstand The Rock? To find out, tune in to Royal Rumble, this Sunday at 8 ET/5 PT, only on pay-per-view.