In an unexpected turn of events, WWE made a crucial last-minute alteration to the NXT North American Championship match at the highly anticipated NXT Deadline 2023 premium live event. This decision saw Dragon Lee stepping in for Wes Lee, a development unveiled on WWE NXT’s Tuesday night broadcast on the USA Network.
Unveiling the Behind-the-Scenes Drama
During the NXT Deadline 2023 media call today, Shawn Michaels, a pivotal figure in WWE, provided valuable insights into the events leading up to this surprising announcement.
“Well, the decision with Wes was pretty darn close to the last minute,” Michaels disclosed. “Wes has been struggling for quite some time, I certainly didn’t know the depth of it. Obviously, we get medical reports, but it was a decision that Wes made on his own, as he should. Clearly, he’s a young man that goes out there and performs like few others and he had a huge match already going into this premium live event looking for the North American Championship, but just a day or two before, we had a long talk and he just did not think he could make it through the match with the pain that he was in.”
Wes Lee’s Tough Call
Michaels continued, shedding light on Wes Lee‘s challenging decision-making process. “That was a decision that he and our medical team made; it is the best decision for Wes, and that is the only thing in my mind that’s important right now. All of this was last minute; Wes, to his credit, was doing everything he could do to get himself ready for this, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
Dragon Lee Emerges as the Last-Minute Replacement
The Head of Creative for WWE NXT delved into the selection process that led to Dragon Lee taking the spotlight, with Rey Mysterio in his corner, as the new contender for Dominik Mysterio in the NXT North American Championship bout at NXT Deadline 2023.
“So, we made the last-minute decision I guess less than 24 hours with Dragon Lee,” he said. “I’ll say this; there’s obviously a story there from before with Dragon Lee. From a selfish standpoint, for me, I was so looking forward and enjoying having him in NXT, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t have him as long as I wanted to.”
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Dragon Lee’s Brief NXT Stint
HBK added, “He’s something that, again, I felt like would be a fantastic match. He’s somebody that I happen to personally enjoy and like, not just as a performer, but as a human being. I know there were matchups that were still on the table for me in NXT, so I thought that if there was any possibility of those matches being able to happen, that Dragon Lee would be the best fit. It’s great to have him in NXT, even if it’s for just a little bit longer.”
Join Us for Live NXT Deadline 2023 Coverage
As the NXT Deadline 2023 event approaches, stay tuned to PWMania.com for exclusive live coverage of the results on Saturday night. The action unfolds at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, promising an evening filled with unexpected twists and top-tier wrestling entertainment.
