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What's the story?
As per Wrestling Observer (via Cagesideseats.com), Braun Strowman was not removed from the WWE Universal Championship match because of his injury.
In fact, they have stated that a change in the opponent for Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble was the plan all along.
In case you didn't know...
Brock Lesnar won the Universal Championship for a second time at the Crown Jewel show after he defeated Braun Strowman in quick fashion with some help from Baron Corbin.
At TLC, Strowman defeated Corbin in order to become the number one contender for the Universal Championship.
However, The Monster Among Men has been dealing with a shoulder injury and many believed he will not be fit enough for a match with Brock Lesnar by the time Royal Rumble rolls out.
However, this does not seem to be the reason for Finn Balor replacing Braun Strowman in the Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble.
The heart of the matter
While the backstage reason for Strowman being out of the match seems to be that this was the plan all along, it was an on-screen spat with the top boss Vince McMahon - which saw him destroy McMahon's limousine - that resulted in the former RAW Tag Team Champion being thrown out of the match and thus losing his number one contender's spot.
Finn Balor defeated John Cena, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin to become the new contender for Lesnar's Universal Championship. The two will face off at Royal Rumble in a dream match for fans.
What's next?
Royal Rumble will take place on January 27, 2019, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Apart from the Universal Championship match, we will also see two Royal Rumble matches - one for the men and one for the women.
Do you think Finn Balor was the right choice to replace Braun Strowman at Royal Rumble? let us know in the comments!
