Mason Rook is finally back in WWE NXT, and he wasted absolutely no time making his presence felt. After weeks of uncertainty surrounding a medical issue that threatened to keep him out of action for a long time, Rook made his surprise return during the November 10 episode of WWE NXT and immediately went after NXT Champion Grayson Waller.
The surprise happened during the show’s opening segment, when Waller came to the ring using CM Punk’s entrance music. Fresh off his victory over Punk, Waller wasted no time bragging about his accomplishments, claiming he had made the NXT Championship important again and declaring himself the best in the world.
Waller also took shots at the entire NXT roster, claiming nobody could touch him on the microphone, in the ring, or even on commentary. That brought out Shiloh Hill, who confronted the champion over his disrespect toward the locker room.
Hill made it clear that he wasn’t going to stand around while Waller insulted everyone who worked to make NXT successful. Waller dismissed Hill as someone who wasn’t ready for him and attempted to walk away, but that’s when things took a completely unexpected turn.
Mason Rook suddenly appeared and ambushed Waller, marking his first NXT appearance since being pulled from competition in September. Hill followed up with a right hand before Rook sent the champion crashing into the corner.
The return was particularly surprising considering what had been said about Rook’s medical situation just over a month ago. Rook was originally scheduled for an NXT Championship match on September 29, but WWE pulled him from the bout because he wasn’t medically cleared to compete.
At the time, Rook addressed his absence and assured fans that the setback was only a “speed bump” rather than a “roadblock.” However, the situation appeared much more concerning when Bryan Alvarez provided an update during Wrestling Observer Live on October 7. Alvarez explained that he had heard Rook’s medical situation could be serious enough to keep him out for an extended period.
“I have heard… whatever’s going on with Mason Rook, I have been told could be pretty serious. I’ve been told he could be out a long time — could be a very long time. No one seems to be really talking about what the issue is. Whatever it is, it’s a real issue, and he could be out for a long time.”
Neither WWE nor Rook publicly confirmed the exact nature of the medical issue, leaving fans wondering when he would return. Fortunately, those concerns didn’t keep him away nearly as long as some had feared.
Now, just six weeks after being pulled from his championship opportunity, Rook is back and has already put the NXT Champion on notice. His return also adds another problem for Waller, who suddenly has both Rook and Shiloh Hill coming after him.
Rook went from having his championship opportunity taken away because of a medical setback to physically confronting the man holding the title. That’s one hell of a way to announce you’re back, and Waller might have a much bigger problem on his hands than he expected.
What do you think about Mason Rook making his surprise WWE NXT return after concerns about his medical condition? Should WWE put him right back into the NXT Championship picture against Grayson Waller? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
