What Really Happened During Je’Von Evans’ Abrupt RAW Match Stoppage

Je’Von Evans gave fans—and WWE officials—a major scare during the January 19, 2026 episode of Monday Night RAW in Belfast, Northern Ireland. What looked like a promising match against El Grande Americano was cut short without warning, and viewers were left puzzled when the show returned from commercial to find Evans being helped out of the ring.

At first, commentary suggested it might have been a shoulder or chest injury, but now we know exactly what went wrong—and it wasn’t what anyone expected. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the real cause of the abrupt ending was a nasty accidental headbutt that occurred mid-match, during a mistimed apron spot.

“They were doing some complicated spots,” Bryan Alvarez explained. “At one point, they're in the corner and I think Javon got backdropped onto the apron. And I think both guys thought the other guy was supposed to headbutt the other guy in the gut… and so they both at the same time ducked—and they like headbutted each other like rams on accident.”

Dave Meltzer confirmed, “Yeah, it was clearly an accidental spot.” Despite the scary collision, Evans continued the match for several more minutes, even hitting a springboard lariat before the commercial break.

“Javon got the worst of it because he got clonked, and he just kind of stopped for a second and was like, ‘Whoa,’” Alvarez said. “But it’s possible that during the break, maybe he was forgetting stuff or asking the ref something, and that’s when it was called off.”

Meltzer added that the call to end the match likely came from backstage, possibly the medical team watching the feed:

“Usually when something like that happens during the break, it’s someone watching from the back going, ‘He’s not looking good—stop the match.’”

Initially feared to be a concussion, PWInsider later reported that WWE’s medical team cleared Evans to travel with the roster. He was evaluated backstage and showed no signs of serious structural damage. While a concussion hasn’t been completely ruled out, early indications suggest Evans avoided major injury.

“They checked him out and cleared him to fly, so apparently it wasn’t a concussion. Hopefully, he’ll be back quickly,” Alvarez noted.

This could’ve been a nightmare moment for the NXT call-up, but thankfully, it looks like Evans will be able to bounce back without missing much time—if any.

Do you think WWE should be more transparent when injuries happen during commercial breaks? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.