Analyzing Impact of Neville's Injury on WWE Roster and WrestleMania 32

In a flash, Neville's ankle cracked, and WWE again had to reconfigure WrestleMania 32. 

The Man That Gravity Forgot's injury is not nearly the wrench in WWE's plans that John Cena or Seth Rollins getting hurt was, but the company is now armed with fewer options for building the biggest show of the year and fewer ways to elevate others. Neville's absence from the midcard will test the roster's depth.

In the middle of a clash with Chris Jericho on Monday's Raw, Neville went for a baseball slide, and his leg bent awkwardly. He struggled to stand afterward, clutching his boot in pain.

WWE later announced that the high-flyer had suffered a fractured left ankle.

As F4WOnline's Bryan Alvarez wrote, "The timing of something like this is never good, but this injury will keep Neville out of the ring for WrestleMania, the worst possible scenario." That is true for both Neville and WWE.

The company was already missing big names like Cena. Neville's joining the disabled list forces WWE to be even more creative during the home stretch of The Road to WrestleMania.

Neville's role of late has been as the feisty challenger to beasts higher on the food chain. He pushed Kevin Owens to his limits and served as Jericho's stepping stone. Both The New Day and The League of Nations benefited from beating teams with Neville on them in the last few weeks.

All those wrestlers have big showdowns on the way.

For Owens to enter his Intercontinental Championship match with ample momentum, he needed to topple a guy of Neville's caliber a number of times. WWE will have to find a new wrestler to plug into that role for Owens, Ryback or other heels surging before WrestleMania.

If a grappler beats up on Zack Ryder, the audience yawns in response. He's not a contender at this point; he's fish food. Neville, on the other hand, exists higher on the totem pole.

Beating him has more meaning. And he could provide a thriller of a match in defeat.

When WWE now looks to put Jericho and his kind over in the next few weeks, it won't have as dynamic a competitor to call on. Expect to see more of Jack Swagger or Darren Young. That will mean that Raw and SmackDown will feature electric showings less often until Neville's ankle heals.

Neville was also an ideal wrestler to toss into six-man tag matches. 

His full-throttle style meshed well with The Usos' and The Lucha Dragons' offense. WWE often relied on him to help fill up time with these bouts. As seen on his CageMatch.net profile, he wrestled in four six-man tag team matches in February alone.

Sami Zayn is most likely to have to take up that mantle in the meantime.

He is among those poised to benefit most from Neville's absence. He's a newcomer on the rise with a similarly fast-paced attack. 

While Neville wasn't getting marquee matches, WWE leaned on him plenty.

The former NXT champ has competed in 17 televised matches so far this year. That is one less than workhorse Dolph Ziggler. By comparison, Sin Cara is sitting at 10 TV and PPV bouts in 2016.

To make up for that, count on Zayn getting a heftier workload, and for a few rarely seen talents to get a shot from time to time. WWE will simply have to slide those positioned below Neville up a touch.

When WrestleMania arrives, that will mean fewer appealing options at WWE's disposal.

Credit: WWE.com

There were two realistic spots for Neville at The Showcase of the Immortals—the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and as a challenger in a multi-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. The first option would have seen Neville provide that crowded bout with some memorable high spots. He would have also been a viable choice as the victor.

After he came so close to victory in the King of the Ring tournament and the Money in the Bank match last year, it would have been a stirring image to see him outlast everyone in the annual Battle Royal. That win would have been an easy way to boost him moving forward, too.

WWE will have to tell a different story with one less star in the mix.

Had the company decided to pit him against Owens and a host of others in a battle for the IC title, he would have been a delight to watch. A ladder match would have been a great way to showcase his agility and athleticism, as WWE has done with Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin in the past.

Credit: WWE.com

With him out, that potential match instantly loses steam.

The Miz vs. Ziggler vs. Zayn vs. Owens would then likely welcome a lower-ranking star in place of Neville. Sin Cara would be be fine in that spot, but not nearly as exciting. Tyler Breeze is an option as well, but his aura is in need of major repair after being booked like an afterthought since his arrival.

Neville would have been the bout's spark plug. WWE now has to find a new one, just as it will for Raw and SmackDown each week. There are plenty of hungry, talented wrestlers waiting in the wings, though.

A fractured ankle will force WWE's hands. The company will have to ask more of Zayn and see if someone like Breeze can be as dependable and entertaining as Neville while playing a supportive role.

All match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.