Just over a week ago, Elias was hit by a car at the beginning of Smackdown, and had to be taken away to a Local Medical Facility. Whether that care was driven by Jeff Hardy or a red-bearded man trying to frame Jeff, the effect was the same for Elias — he was out of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament and off of Smackdown TV in general.
Obviously we all knew the hit-and-run was a work, but we’ve now learned that it happened in part to give Elias a storyline explanation for a real injury that’s expected to put him on the shelf for a while.
According to Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer, Elias really does have a torn pectoral muscle, and he’s expected to be out for months. Running him over with a car is certainly a dramatic way to cover for that absence. Plus there’s always the option to have him looking for revenge when he eventually returns, although of course the entire storyline may be completely forgotten by then. Memories are short in WWE.
This isn’t the first time Elias has been injured in the midst of a tournament. Just last fall, an ankle injury took him out of the King of the Ring Tournament that was eventually won by Baron Corbin. Hopefully whenever he makes it back from this, he has more of a chance to build momentum going forward.