Proving he might have the chops to be a singles star, Kyle O'Reilly won the Gauntlet Match on Wednesday's episode of NXT and will take on Finn Balor at NXT Takeover on Sunday, October 4! When the show was over and the dust had settled, O'Reilly wrote on Twitter, "I’m coming for you, Flinn!"
The Gauntlet Match closed Wednesday's program to rave reviews on Wednesday night as Kushida, Cameron Grimes, O'Reilly, Timothy Thatcher, and Bronson Reed did battle in this unique bout to determine the top contender for the brand's biggest prize. Two men started in the ring and every four minutes, another competitor entered. As competitors were supposed to be eliminated by pinfall or submission, it wound up being only Kushida that was eliminated early. Every other member went back and forth in a match that will go down as one of the better bouts in some time.
Eventually, O'Reilly was able to apply a leglock on Grimes to get the submission victory. After the match, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole congratulated their fellow member Undisputed Era member.
Finn Balor then showed up for the stare-down as the show ended.
O'Reilly was tremendous. His technical gifts were on full display and for a guy who has been hidden behind a faction like Undisputed Era and been mostly known for his tag matches in NXT, this was a breakout performance that proves he could have a legitimate run as a singles competitor. Some fans on social media have gone so far as to suggest this was a star-making performance.
For fans who aren't familiar with O'Reilly's work before NXT, it's worth looking into. He's got the history to show that this new development isn't all that surprising.
Is This The End of Undisputed Era?
As O'Reilly moves forward in a singles role, this could be the end of the Undisputed Era, especially considering Adam Cole is also moving more towards being a star on his own. Furthermore, if O'Reilly proves himself as a stand-alone star, one has to assume NXT will push every member in a different direction.
But, is this the end of the group entirely? It appears UE will support each other as O'Reilly heads towards his bout with Balor. We'll see how long that lasts.