Back in December Kyle O’Reilly’s contract came to an end with NXT after four fruitful years with the company. Many questioned what was next for O’Reilly and if he would re-sign with NXT or if he would make the Jump to AEW along with his former Undisputed Era stablemates Bobby Fish and Adam Cole.
A week later he would make the decision to do just that and join the already stacked roster in AEW. He would make his debut during Adam Cole’s match against Orange Cassidy.
During a recent interview on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Kyle O’Reilly explained why he chose to join AEW instead of re-signing with WWE. It ultimately came down to him wanting to reunite with Bobby Fish and Adam Cole.
“Seeing Bobby and Adam come [to AEW], how could you not want to be back with these guys and part of a group like AEW where every week it’s like a TakeOver crowd, just on TV. We talk about the natural progression and next steps of one’s career and it felt like, for me, it was the next logical step for me. NXT 2.0 rebrand happened and it felt like, before the rebrand, Kyle O’Reilly was a top guy in NXT and after the rebrand, plans shifted.
That’s fine, it’s business. I’m totally willing to do what I can do get anyone else get over and for the last few months there, I tried my damndest to do so with everyone I worked with. I just wanted to be excited about going to work again and I felt like I left a ton on the table with New Japan and then here, I know there is a good relationship with New Japan. It seemed like a new frontier. There are so many talented guys, so many exciting matchups, so many exciting tag matches because the tag division is stacked and I love tag team wrestling and my tag team partner, the company released and now he’s [in AEW].
My deal was done, it was coming up in December, and I ended up doing a week extension just to finish up and do good business by them and finish with WarGames and TV to put Von Wagner over and do business right. I’m happy to do so. The opportunity came to come here, sorting a deal out with Tony (Khan) a day or two before my debut and here we are,”
While O’Reilly has only been with AEW for a short amount of time, he is already been added to a compelling storyline along with Adam Cole and the Young Bucks. We will have to see what the future in AEW has in store for O’Reilly.
Below is the full episode of the Talk is Jericho Podcast.
h/t to Fightful for the quotes
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