On tonight’s episode of NXT, Undisputed Era member Kyle O’Reilly booked his ticket to NXT TakeOver by successfully defeating Kushida, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes and Timothy Thatcher in the Gauntlet Eliminator match to become #1 contender for Finn Balors NXT World Championship. This will be Balor’s first title defence since capturing the gold after Karrion Kross was forced to vacate the title only days after defeating Keith Lee at NXT TakeOver:XXX.
Kyle O’Reilly is no stranger to the world title scene, previously reigning as ROH World Champion until his loss to, current Undisputed Era teammate, Adam Cole at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 . However, tonight’s victory cements a shift in the targeted perception of Kyle O’Reilly to the NXT audience as he moves away from tag team wrestling and comedic skits to a potential main event match on a major NXT event.
Undisputed Friendship. #WWENXT@roderickstrong@AdamColePro@KORcombatpic.twitter.com/xvwil2nwYk
— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2020
Kyle O’Reilly celebrated in ring with his Undisputed Era teammates seemingly dismissing the rumours of a split for the NXT powerhouses. However it remains to be seen how Cole will react to potentially being usurped as leader of the faction should Kyle O’Reilly be successful in his bid to win his first world title since joining the black and gold brand in 2017.
The general reaction to O Reilly’s win has been overwhelmingly positive with many fans excited to see the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles winner given a chance to shine as a singles competitor on a major event such as the yet unnamed NXT TakeOver.
NXT Takeover is set to air live on the WWE Network on October 4th available for $9.99.
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