According to Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com, Undertaker is scheduled for tonight’s Smackdown tapings, and even though he is injured (the extent of which has yet to be reported), if he has to drop the title he wants to do it in the ring rather than as part of a “stripping” or other angle.
He was reportedly in a lot of pain on Monday morning following his Backlash match with Dave Batista, in which he retained the World Heavyweight Championship. Expected to have a long run with the belt, including many more house show dates compared with his recent reduced schedule, Taker lost weight and trained hard to prepare. Since it is believed that his biceps has torn off the bone and “rolled up his arm,” the expectation is that he will require surgery and therefore be out of action for around six to eight months.
On PWTorch.com, Wade Keller reports that it is Taker’s left biceps that is torn, and that he was scheduled to defend the title at least through Summerslam. He goes on to suggest that “the talked-about switch of Shawn Michaels to Smackdown would become even more likely, or else Randy Orton may jump instead or also.”
Both sites are reporting that original Judgment Day plan of Undertaker vs. Batista is now off.
