WWE Survivor Series 2011: Christian's Injury Will Help Character Build

Christian suffered an ankle injury during the WWE's European tour and it was announced on Monday Night Raw that he'd be replaced by Dolph Ziggler in the traditional 10-man tag match on Sunday at Survivor Series.

While it's rare that an extended absence due to injury significantly helps a character, hopefully that becomes the case with one of Smackdown's best heels.

Christian's character was going nowhere fast since being transformed into a whiny, scaredy cat after his summer feud with Randy Orton. It had become almost embarrassing how repetitively boring he had become in recent weeks.

The most important thing about building an interesting persona is keeping it fresh. That's one of the main reasons the WWE Universe has grown to despise John Cena. It's the same thing all night, every night.

Christian needs to return with a new, refreshing gimmick.

He's an extremely strong in-ring worker and proved he could hold his own as a top-tier champion. Even though the main event scene can only handle a couple wrestlers at a time, Christian deserved a more extended run at the top before sliding into a middling feud with Sheamus.

WWE reported on its website that Christian's injury is a high ankle sprain. There isn't a real track record of wrestlers to look at, but it's an injury that usually costs NFL players around a month.

With Mark Henry's domination gimmick slowly starting to fade, there should be an opening at the top. Randy Orton would seem like the most likely candidate, but I have a feeling Sheamus will be the likely successor.

That could allow Christian to return with a rejuvenated attitude, and blame Sheamus for his injury. Their feud could then reignite over the Heavyweight Championship, which would give it more relevance among the common fan.

Christian has worked hard to fight his way all the way back up the WWE ladder, so hopefully one main event run and an injury don't cause him to fall too many rungs down.

That said, if a return to mid-card status would lead to a character change and rebuild, it would be well worth it. Anything but what we've seen over the last few months.

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