Shane McMahon battling massive infection as a complication from diverticulitis, plus umbilical hernia, out of WrestleMania picture

Shane McMahon is hospitalized in New York, under what WWE.com describes as “heavy doses of antibiotics,” after developing a “massive infection” due to acute diverticulitis. He was hospitalized for several days last week in Antigua on a family vacation before being flown back to a New York area hospital. Doctors in New York also discovered Shane suffered an umbilical hernia, which will require surgery once the infection has been eradicated.

Brock Lesnar and Vince McMahon have both been diagnosed with diverticulitis in the past, which is often a result of a high meat, low vegetable and low fiber diet. WebMD describes it as follows:

Doctors aren’t sure what causes diverticulitis. Bacteria grow in the pouches and this can lead to inflammation or infection. Pressure may lead to a small perforation or tear in the wall of the intestine. Peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdominal wall, may develop if infection spills into the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity.

Heathline says recurrence is common.

According to one study, in those who have had one episode, around 39 percent of individuals have another acute attack within five years. And another study found that the first attack is typically the worst one. This may be because scar tissue builds up in the diverticula and helps prevent future perforations. So, if your first episode was mild, you have a good chance of avoiding serious complications. But for some, diverticulitis can progress into a chronic, or long-term, problem. For these people, the condition can be much more serious. Surgery to remove the diseased tissue is generally considered.

The top two likely contributors to diverticulitis listed by Heathline.com are a low fiber diet and heredity. Shane’s father also had diverticulitis years ago.

WebMD says regarding Shane’s umbilical hernia that “adults [with the condition] are somewhat more likely to experience incarceration or obstruction of the intestines. Emergency surgery is typically required to treat these complications.”

Although Shane’s health is obviously an overwhelming primary concern, this throws a major match at WrestleMania into disarray. WWE announced last week the major development that Daniel Bryan had been cleared by WWE doctors to return to wrestling, and that was expected to lead to an angle this week resulting in a tag team match at WrestleMania with Bryan & Shane McMahon facing Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn.

WWE.com’s story played up the Owens and Sami attack, implying it contributed to Shane’s current legitimate medical issues. He quite clearly is highly unlikely to be available for a WrestleMania appearance, much less any in-ring action. That means WWE will have to call a late audible, which is likely to be revealed this week on Smackdown or, at the latest, next week on Smackdown.

It could results in another angle to create division between Owens and Sami – something introduced before Fastlane but abandoned immediately afterward – leading to a Triple Threat match with Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania.  Or Bryan could face one of them in a singles match, or Bryan could align with a different partner (such as the inconveniently massively popular Rusev). Someone could joke that John Cena has an alternate path to WrestleMania should Undertaker not answer his challenge and, as a free agent, join Bryan on Smackdown to face Owens & Sami.

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