Either Matt Riddle’s armbar was part of a story to cover a real issue NXT champion Adam Cole has been dealing with, or WWE’s been planning this work for weeks.
After winning last Wednesday’s #1 contenders Street Fight over Killian Dain, Riddle responded to Cole’s attempt to intimidate him by slapping on one of his many submission holds. The Panama City Playboy then headlined the weekly NXT Injury Report with “a radius fracture of his right arm”. The champ was listed as questionable heading into his match with The King of Bros this upcoming Wednesday (Oct. 2).
It seemed like an angle. A clever angle, yes, but an angle nonetheless.
Or maybe not. Wrestling Observer reports that Cole was pulled from NXT’s Midwest tour this weekend. He’d been advertised for the three shows in Missouri, Iowa, and Mississippi.
Still, that would be a smart play - and one Triple H’s target audience would appreciate - if they really wanted to sell the damage Riddle’d done. But it turns out, Undisputed ERA’s leader hasn’t wrestled since a house show in Tampa on Aug. 24. And that was one of only two matches he’s worked since his two-out-of-three falls match with Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Toronto. The other was his televised win over Jordan Myles, which was taped on Aug. 15 and during which Cole didn’t seem to be limited. But who knows?
[Interesting to note Gargano hasn’t wrestled at all since the TakeOver match with Cole on Aug. 10. He’s been announced as facing Shane Thorne on the Oct. 2 show from Full Sail Live.]
The champ can be seen sporting a temporary cast in the hype video from WWE above, and this promo he tweeted out himself earlier today:
The prophecy will not end. #UndisputedERA #AdamColeBayBay pic.twitter.com/YbMv49DldJ
— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) September 29, 2019
The arm injury is definitely part of the story. Is it also real? Does it matter?
We shall see.