Former NXT Writer Recalls Pitching a 2018 Adam Cole Turn On Kyle O’Reilly

Adam Cole famously caused the Undisputed Era to split when he turned on Kyle O’Reilly in 2021, but former NXT writer Chris Dunn revealed that he pitched a similar idea three years earlier. Dunn was a guest on the Universal Wrestling Podcast and talked about how he pitched Cole turning on O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 2018, the event which actually ended up seeing Roderick Strong join the stable.

“When that happened, it was before the TV taping going into TakeOver Mania,” Dunn said (per Fightful). “That was one of the longest meetings the night before a TV taping I had ever been in with NXT. The production meeting was canceled. I, at one point, pitched, ‘If Bobby is hurt, let’s have Adam turn on Kyle and go to a singles program.’ I really thought within the next year you would be on Raw or SmackDown. I had never pitched an idea that got so much anger towards me than that. Gabe (Sapolsky) was like, ‘You’re breaking up Undisputed ERA?’ and throwing up his hands. (Joe) Belcastro was like, ‘Chris, I love you, please don’t pitch that to Hunter.'”

The UE would spend three years dominating NXT until Cole turned on O’Reilly after the Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne main event. The group officially split up a month later.