The debut of NXT on USA was by all accounts a success, earning praise from Triple H (who admittedly may be biased) and according to him from Vince McMahon, and also receiving positive reviews here and across the wrestling internet. It was clear from watching the show that the performers all knew how important that night was, and were really going all out for the event. Unfortunately, according to WWE, three NXT Superstars sustained what are hopefully minor injuries, and are currently listed as not medically cleared.
According to the latest WWE Now video, the Velveteen Dream had lumbar pain after his loss to Roderick Strong, and was seen “walking gingerly.” Arturo Ruas required an X-ray on his hand after his match with Pete Dunne. Finally, Kona Reeves was busted open during a dark match before the USA broadcast began. He needed stitches and may have orbital bone damage, but will be reexamined after the swelling goes down. None of the three are medically cleared at this time.
Naturally, since this news comes directly from WWE, some of it may simply be storyline rather than actual truth, particularly the bit about Pete Dunne breaking somebody’s hand, since that’s part of his gimmick. However, some fans have claimed that Velveteen Dream did seem to be genuinely hurt in his match with Strong, and why would they lie about Kona Reeves?
