The WWE World Heavyweight Championship was vacated on October 20, 2025, after Seth Rollins suffered a shoulder injury during his match in Australia. WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the announcement, confirming that Rollins could be out until around the WrestleMania 42 season in 2026.
Rollins had recently defeated Cody Rhodes at the Crown Jewel event before being attacked by Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed on Raw. Since Rollins could not appear to surrender the title, Breakker handed it in on his behalf.
Pearce declared that a battle royal would determine who would face CM Punk for the vacated championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1, 2025. Jey Uso won the battle royal by eliminating LA Knight, Jimmy Uso, and Dominik Mysterio, earning the title match against Punk.
The World Heavyweight Championship was originally introduced on April 24, 2023, after Roman Reigns unified the WWE and Universal titles to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The title was created to serve as Raw’s top championship, and Seth Rollins became its inaugural champion.
List of WWE Champions who got injured as the World Champion
Batista’s first World Heavyweight Championship reign began at WrestleMania 21 when he defeated Triple H. He held the title for 282 days but was forced to vacate it in early 2006 due to a triceps injury. He again suffered misfortune in 2009 after winning the WWE Championship from Randy Orton at Extreme Rules. Batista tore his left biceps and had to relinquish the title, ending another reign early.
John Cena was forced to give up his WWE Championship on October 1, 2007, after he tore his pectoral muscle. Cena required surgery but made a strong comeback at the 2008 Royal Rumble, where he shocked everyone by winning the match.
Edge’s first unfortunate title loss due to injury happened in 2007. After cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on The Undertaker to win the World Heavyweight Championship, he tore his left pectoral muscle and had to vacate the belt after 70 days.
In 2011, Edge was forced to retire as World Heavyweight Champion. After defending his title successfully at WrestleMania 27, doctors discovered severe damage to his neck and cervical spine. He announced his retirement the next night on Raw, marking one of WWE’s most emotional moments. Edge later made an inspiring return to wrestling at the 2020 Royal Rumble.
Daniel Bryan’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2014 began with a victory over Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania 30. However, his neck injury forced him to surrender the title after only a few months. Fans were disappointed when his return was poorly handled in storylines.
On top of Seth Rollins’s 2025 shoulder injury, he suffered a torn ACL injury during a WWE live event while holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on November 4, 2015. His seven-month championship reign came to an end when he was forced to give up the title and have surgery.
Finn Balor became the first-ever WWE Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2016 after defeating Seth Rollins. Sadly, his reign lasted only one day because he suffered a shoulder injury during the match, when Rollins delivered a buckle bomb to him, and as a result, Balor had to vacate the title on Raw the next night.
In October 2018, Roman Reigns relinquished the WWE Universal Championship after revealing that his leukemia had returned. During the opening of Raw, Reigns spoke to fans as Joe, dropping his wrestling persona to share his personal battle. He explained that he had been diagnosed with leukemia 11 years earlier and had been in remission since 2008. The return of the disease forced him to vacate the Universal Championship and take a leave of absence from WWE.
| Wrestler | Championship | Year | Reason for Vacating |
| Batista | World Heavyweight Championship | 2006 | Triceps injury |
| John Cena | WWE Championship | 2007 | Torn pectoral muscle |
| Edge | World Heavyweight Championship | 2007 | Torn left pectoral muscle |
| Batista | WWE Championship | 2009 | Torn left biceps |
| Edge | World Heavyweight Championship | 2011 | Severe neck and cervical spine damage |
| Daniel Bryan | WWE World Heavyweight Championship | 2014 | Neck injury |
| Seth Rollins | WWE World Heavyweight Championship | 2015 | Knee injury during a live event |
| Finn Balor | WWE Universal Championship | 2016 | Shoulder injury suffered during the match vs Seth Rollins |
| Roman Reigns | WWE Universal Championship | 2018 | Leukemia |
| Seth Rollins | WWE World Heavyweight Championship | 2025 | Shoulder injury suffered during the match vs Cody Rhodes |
FAQs
Q. Why did Jey Uso lose his title?
A. Gunther said Jey Uso had good qualities as a person, but not the mindset of a long-term champion. Gunther ended Uso’s 51-day reign by making him pass out on WWE Raw on June 12, 2025.
Q. Who is the youngest WWE champion in history?
A. The youngest WWE champion is Brock Lesnar. In August 2002, at the age of 25 years and 44 days, he took home the title at SummerSlam.
Q. Who is the oldest WWE Champion?
A. Mr. McMahon is the oldest WWE Champion. He won the title at 54 years and 21 days old on SmackDown in September 1999.
Q. Is the Undisputed WWE Title no longer in use?
A. WWE discontinued using the “Undisputed” title. This Championship is now simply known as the WWE Championship in August 2025.
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