Kyle O’Reilly is set to be out of the WWE NXT ring for 4-6 weeks.
As noted, last week’s NXT show featured an injury angle where Adam Cole attacked NXT Champion Finn Balor and O’Reilly, leaving O’Reilly laying after a Brainbuster on the steel ring steps. O’Reilly was stretchered out of the arena after NXT went off the air, and later said on Twitter that he will be back stronger.
In an update, it was announced on tonight’s NXT show that O’Reilly is not medically cleared to compete and his estimated return time is 4-6 weeks. Vic Joseph noted on commentary that O’Reilly is suffering from a herniated disc. It’s important to note that this is just for the storyline, and O’Reilly was not legitimately injured last week.
The ongoing saga of The Undisputed Era continued with a show-closing angle on tonight’s show.
Cole came to the ring to explain his actions and after watching the replay from last week, noted that watching the footage made him sick. Cole said he doesn’t like the man he’s become in the last several weeks and he’s ashamed of himself, admitting that he was originally pissed off at O’Reilly getting NXT Title shots and failing. Cole went on to say that he was dead wrong last week, and he hates himself for what he did to O’Reilly. He talked about doing whatever he can to fix this when Roderick Strong interrupted.
Strong called Cole out for being sorry now when he’s on TV, but not being sorry over the past week when he had the chance to apologize and explain his actions brother to brother. Strong said The Undisputed Era was built on trust, and Cole shattered that trust last week. Strong then talked about how he wasn’t sure if he can stop what O’Reilly is going to do to Cole when he heals, when they were interrupted by Balor.
Balor rushed to the ring and shoved Strong out of the way when Strong met him at ringside to talk. Balor and Cole brawled in the ring until Strong came back in the ring and Balor fought him off, tumbling to the floor at ringside. Cole rushed out behind them and dropped Balor with a superkick, leaving him face down on the outside. That was the last we saw of the NXT Champion this week. Strong and Cole ended up in the ring together and when it sounded like Cole was about to apologize, Strong dropped him with a punch. Fans chanted “Roddy!” as Cole, from his knees, cried in his hands and apologized to Strong. Strong also got down on his knees and consoled Cole, saying he loves him and they are brothers. They looked each other in the eyes and embraced in the middle of the ring, but Cole hit Strong with a low blow when Strong tried to help him up.
The boos inside the Capitol Wrestling Center got louder as Cole yelled at Strong for how stupid he is. Cole got down in Strong’s face and snatched his chain off, saying Strong is dead to him now. Cole then superkicked Cole and left him laying in the middle of the ring. Cole stood tall over Strong as NXT went off the air with another viral ending.
Cole took to Twitter after the show and claimed The Undisputed Era for himself.
“I am, and always have been, the Undisputed ERA,” Cole wrote.
O’Reilly also reacted to the attack on Strong with a post-show tweet about Cole.
“What a POS,” he wrote.
Pat McAfee ranted on Cole’s heel turn last week and once again had some words for his rival after tonight’s attack.
“Just a terrible terrible terrible human,” McAfee wrote.
There’s no word yet on what WWE has planned for the big storyline with Balor and The Undisputed Era, or when Cole will get a match against Balor, Strong or O’Reilly, but we will keep you updated.
Below are several related shots and video clips from tonight’s show-closer, along with the full tweets from Cole, O’Reilly and McAfee:
I am, and always have been, the Undisputed ERA.
— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) February 25, 2021
What a POS https://t.co/10E1AtWATH
— Kyle O'Reilly (@KORcombat) February 25, 2021
Just a terrible terrible terrible human
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 25, 2021
INJURY UPDATE: @KORcombat is not medically cleared to compete. As of this moment, his estimated return date is 4-6 weeks. #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ohTBUCqLdk
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021
The entire #WWENXT Universe has been waiting. @AdamColePro addresses the masses, NEXT! pic.twitter.com/w06z6lXV0v
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021
Boom̶. #WWENXT @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/bsoN6SVD98
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1364773363101630464
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1364774091056701444
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1364774542951018496
No, they are not. #WWENXT @AdamColePro @roderickstrong pic.twitter.com/tprIqDt0LN
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021
And just like that, @AdamColePro has cemented the #EndOfAnERA. #WWENXT @roderickstrong pic.twitter.com/PIaO8qP7W7
— WWE (@WWE) February 25, 2021
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