This week’s episode of NXT TV was dubbed “Title Tuesday” in part because Kushida would be putting the cruiserweight championship on the line against The Diamond Mine’s Roderick Strong. Unfortunately, just hours before the show is set to go on the air, General Manager William Regal brings word that match isn’t going to happen after all.
Here’s his explanation, as well as his new plan for Strong:
Unfortunately after a medical examination, officials learned @KUSHIDA_0904 is not cleared to compete tonight. When I informed @Malcolmvelli and @roderickstrong, they expressed Roderick’s desire to compete.
— William Regal (@RealKingRegal) August 17, 2021
Therefore, #WWENXT will begin with a #DiamondMine open challenge.
As my colleague Sean talked about in his preview for this week’s show, there are real questions surrounding what NXT television will look like moving forward after reports came out indicating a major shift in philosophy is coming. The Diamond Mine were allegedly a big part of Triple H’s plans before those reports hit, so it should be most interesting to follow along with their progression from this point forward.
We’ll also pass along any word on just what is going on with Kushida just as soon as it becomes available.