Dean Ambrose could be legitimately hurt, which is why WWE scheduled a targeted attack on the Shield star.
During a six-man tag team match on yesterday's episode of Monday Night Raw, Dean Ambrose was seen nursing an elbow injury, and fans couldn't exactly tell if it was legitimate or kayfabe. Backstage, Samoa Joe and The Bar attacked Ambrose, while targeting his injured elbow.
Unfortunately, Ambrose's injury was not part of the act. According to PWInsider.com, Ambrose has a legitimate elbow injury, and the attack by Joe "was done as a way to cover a legitimate injury for Ambrose." It's also being reported that Ambrose is headed to Birmingham, Alabama, to have it checked out, and the severity of the injury isn't known at this time.
It would be a huge blow to the WWE and Ambrose if the elbow injury is significant. The Shield finally reunited at Survivor Series, after Roman Reigns missed four months with the mumps virus.
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The Royal Rumble is a month away, and Ambrose is among the most viable options to win the whole thing. There has also been speculation about him turning heel and breaking up The Shield. Any of those plans simply go down the drain if the elbow injury is serious.
Since coming over to the WWE, Ambrose has avoided any significant injuries altogether, but it's been a different story for his Shield counterparts. Seth Rollins missed half a year after tearing his ACL during a house show in 2015. As previously mentioned, Reigns also missed a month with the mumps.
The Shield had been feuding with Cesaro and Sheamus —the Raw Tag Team Champions. A long-term injury to Ambrose would also force the creative team to change up its feud quickly. With Roman Reigns holding onto the Intercontinental Championship, it's unlikely the WWE would have him also fight for the Tag Team titles.
Hopefully, Ambrose's injury is nothing serious. We'll keep you posted when more information is available.