Published: Aug 18, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Aug 18, 2026 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
A WWE star has revealed the real reason a match with El Grande Americano was cut short earlier this year on an episode of Raw.
The January 19 episode of WWE Raw took place at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and saw El Grande Americano take on Je’Von Evans.
The match would end abruptly, shortly after a return from an ad break, with Americano being declared the winner, while Evans was attended by medical personnel.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Evans revealed what happened to call the match to a halt, saying:
“So basically, I think before we went to commercial, me and Americano butt heads, and for a couple seconds I was like seeing stars or whatever. But I’m from the indie scene. You get hurt, you keep going unless you can’t go no more.
“So we butt heads, and I was kind of stunned for a little minute. But then I continued, and then we went to break, and so I went to the ref. I’m like, ‘Hey, look, I’m seeing stars, but I’m good.’ He’s like, ‘What?’ And then I’m like, ‘I was seeing stars, but I’m okay.’
“He said, ‘Do we need to call medical?’ I’m like, ‘No, no, we don’t. I just got here, dude. I’m okay.’ Then he’s like, ‘No, we gotta call medical because it’s a head injury.’
“So we got medical, and then they were asking me questions, and I was like, I promise, I’m okay. But because we hit heads and because I was seeing stars, they had to call it.”
The match came off the back of wins for Evans over both Rayo and Bravo Americano on past episodes of WWE Raw, with El Grande Americano facing the young star again on the February 2 episode of Raw, suffering a loss to Evans.
Taking Head Injuries Seriously
For anyone who has played any form of contact sport, there’s that moment where any form of impact without an obvious injury leads to a “I can keep going” moment.
While that may be the case, head injuries are the sort of thing that can have a hidden impact on the health of the person receiving it, even if it’s just played down as “seeing stars”.
Over the years, professional wrestling has recognized the seriousness of head injuries, largely shying away from the unprotected shots that were a regular occurrence in past eras. While “I can keep going” may have been enough reassurance in past years, now referees are clearly encouraged to err on the side of caution, with medical professionals on hand to handle the situation.
Stars in WWE and AEW have been placed in “concussion protocol” after suffering impacts to the head, with Talla Tonga being one such name over recent months. Regardless of the outcome of the protocol, it’s no doubt frustrating for the stars involved, with matches cut short and pushes potentially derailed, but the caution plays dividends when it comes to the longevity of any particular star.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
mailing list