Real reason WWE hasn’t stripped Dominik Mysterio of the Intercontinental Championship explained

Dominik Mysterio suffered a shoulder injury while competing in a tag team match at AAA Guerra de Titanes on December 20. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation that The Judgment Day member could be forced to vacate his Intercontinental Championship. This week on RAW, Finn Balor revealed that Dirty Dom would be out of action for an indefinite period.

However, what raised eyebrows was the fact that WWE didn't strip Mysterio of the Intercontinental Championship. The real reason behind this is that his shoulder injury is not as severe as initially feared and is expected to sideline him for only a short period. Dave Meltzer from Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently reported that The Judgment Day member does not require any surgery.

According to Meltzer, Dominik Mysterio is expected to return within 3-4 weeks. WWE hopes he will be cleared in time for Royal Rumble week, meaning Dirty Dom could miss minimal TV time heading into the year's first premium live event. This is the reason why Mysterio has not vacated his Intercontinental Championship before going on hiatus.

WWE labeled him "out indefinitely" as a precautionary measure while waiting for a full medical evaluation. However, no decision has been made to vacate the title because Dominik Mysterio's hiatus won't be a long one. The company prefers to avoid unnecessary title vacates when possible, especially for a high-profile champion like Mysterio during the Road to WrestleMania buildup.

Why Dominik Mysterio could head into WrestleMania 42 as the Intercontinental Champion

Dominik Mysterio has evolved as one of the most charismatic figures in WWE in recent years. He is currently reigning supreme on Monday Night RAW as the Intercontinental Champion. There is a high chance that The Judgment Day member will head into WrestleMania 41 as the champ.

The reason behind that is that WWE is building Mysterio as the key figure in the RAW's mid-card division. The 28-year-old had a breakout 2025 where he captured the Intercontinental Championship twice, once at WrestleMania 41 and again at Survivor Series, where he had a high-profile win over John Cena.

Dominik Mysterio also became a double champion while capturing the AAA Mega Championship. WWE has been using him as a cross-promotional attraction. Therefore, losing the Intercontinental Championship before WrestleMania 42 would deal a crushing blow to his momentum.

Hence, it doesn't look like Triple H will take such a risky move when Mysterio is on red-hot momentum. The company is expected to push him to The Show of Shows as the reigning champion. Keeping the IC Title on him could set up potential big matches on the Road to WrestleMania.

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Edited by Subhasish Deb