The fans of the WWE started speculating why Otis has disappeared in front of the screen since the beginning of May. His final appearance on television was in the May 5 episode of RAW where he lost to Rusev. After that match, the hulking member of the Alpha Academy never showed up again, no promos, no in-ring appearances, nothing, to justify his abrupt absence.
There was a wild speculation. Whisperings ran about something wrong with him, or a setback through which he was going secretly. This became more intriguing because there was no official statement by WWE. However, it did not mean that insiders remained quiet. Sources affirmed that his name was not present on the internal roster that shows talent available to appear on weekly TV shows. That indicated that his absence was a calculated move, and not a creative one.
Surgery on the horizon?
Fresh information has come out at last. Fightful Select and 411Mania reported that Otis was removed from WWE active roster and had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. Although this was an exploratory procedure, there was need to establish the exact cause of his injury. First signs show that it is not such a big problem, however only time and the results after the operation will prove that .
This is the reason why the WWE never mentioned him on air, he was literally non-existent in the weekly programming, not only in story lines. In spite of the operation, there are rumors his recovery might be rapid. There is no official date of returning given but all the indicators point towards a temporary break as opposed to the long one . And as he heals, his Alpha Academy stables are keeping the group busy--Maxxine Dupri has even teamed up with Natalya to create a new tag team, so the group is not flying under the radar.
The sudden break in the career of Otis might have shocked the audience, but it appears to be a well-planned injury leave as opposed to a drastic creative turn.