How Luke Harper's Apparent Injury Impacts Wyatt Family and WWE

When Luke Harper's leg gave out on Monday night, he howled and pounded his fist against the floor—his reaction mirroring what WWE fans felt when the news broke. 

Just as The Wyatt Family look poised to wreak havoc at WrestleMania, Harper looks to have joined the long list of injured Superstars. It's not yet official, but early reports point to the big man being out of action with a bad wheel.

Harper competed in an eight-man dark match after Monday's Raw went off the air. Suddenly, his leg buckled and he rolled out of the ring. PWInsider's Mike Johnson wrote, "We are told WWE medical personnel attended to him at ringside. He was walked to the back by Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman but was not putting weight on the right knee."

Pro Wrestling Sheet shared video of the bout:

There has been nothing from WWE's end on Harper's condition. His reaction, though, would lead one to believe that he's badly hurt.

The most obvious consequence of his absence in the weeks and months ahead is that it will further weaken the depth of the roster. WWE is already without Neville, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Randy Orton and others.

Harper is no marquee star, but is a valuable member of the roster. He has been a workhorse during his tenure, a reliable option for when WWE needs tag matches, brawls or any sort of entertaining in-ring chaos.

Per CageMatch.net, Harper competed in 180 and 172 matches during the last two years. That's closer to the high end of a WWE wrestler's workload.

Should Harper be out of action for any substantial amount of time, it will force WWE to ask someone else to make up for his absence. Big bruising heels like Rusev and Sheamus are likely to get a few more opportunities as a result.

Harper's fellow Wyatt followers will feel his time away more than anyone, though.

As The Wyatt Family's next feuds unfold, WWE will lean more on Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman. Harper was the best option outside of Bray Wyatt for singles matches from this group. Rowan isn't nearly as dynamic as him; Strowman is far more inexperienced and raw.

So it was Harper who often got the one-on-one opportunities. 

Whether Wyatt was feuding with Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose, Harper often played the last semi-boss before one faces Wyatt himself. WWE knew it could get a good match from the imposing gladiator. It will be less confident when plugging in either Rowan or Strowman.

Regardless, the company clearly values Strowman, so this will likely end up being motivation to push him a little further into the spotlight. 

Count on him getting more of a test run as a monster on his own, taking on more foes in one-on-one action. If Harper can't make it to WrestleMania, that will also leave more destruction to do for Strowman and Co. that night.

With The Wyatt Family not in a match this close to WrestleMania, one has to assume that the company plans to put the whole clan in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Wyatt furthered speculation of that move when he said, "Run...all of you" in a promo on last week's SmackDown.

If the Battle Royal is indeed set to be The Wyatt Family's playground, WWE will have less ammunition in telling a story of dominance. The quartet of monsters will be minus one of its own. There is less appeal to the narrative, too.

Rowan and Strowan simply don't have the presence and "it" factor that Harper does. 

The Wyatt Family will then be fielding a weaker lineup. But that's likely a boon for his partners. Moments of violence meant for Harper to create will now go to Strowman, Rowan or Wyatt. Those men will end up with more eliminations in that bout than they would have had Harper also been tossing men over the top rope.

The Battle Royal, though, is already limping due to lack of star power. The Social Outcasts and Big Show don't get folks excited about the bout. And now with Harper looking as if he will miss the bout too, it loses another reason to invest.

That's true for WWE as a whole as well. An inactive Harper is the latest cause for the electricity surrounding WrestleMania season to taper off. 

His injury isn't a backbreaker as much as it is the latest deep bruise for a roster covered in them.