NXT will be without one of its biggest stars when it takes over Chicago. Ember Moon confirmed today that she is out of action with a shoulder injury that will cause her to miss the Fatal 4 Way at WWE NXT Takeover: Chicago that precedes WWE Backlash later this month. Asuka will now defend against Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross in a Triple Threat match.
WWE.com released the following statement:
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“Ember Moon’s title opportunity against NXT Women’s Champion Asuka will have to wait.
Moon suffered a grade one shoulder sprain as a result of Asuka’s ambush during last week’s No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal and will not be able to compete at NXT TakeOver: Chicago on May 20, WWE.com has learned. Doctors estimate that Moon will require four to five weeks to recover from the injury.
Along with Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross, Moon was scheduled to challenge Asuka in an NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way Match in Chicago. NXT General Manager William Regal announced the title bout after Asuka crashed last week’s No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal and brutalized the three finalists: Moon, Riot and Cross.
During the turmoil, The Empress of Tomorrow pushed Moon off the top turnbuckle before launching her through the ropes, causing Moon to fall hard on the floor.
More details are expected to be released this Wednesday on NXT.”
This is an awful blow for a division that is severely lacking stars. While the new women in the division have been impressive in their short time on NXT, they will need to come along at a much faster speed to earn the same name recognition that Ember Moon has built up.
Moon has been booked as a legit threat to Asuka’s undefeated streak and her eventual dethroning of Asuka could have made it possible for the NXT Women’s Champ to finally jump to the main roster.
The triple threat match makes it entirely possible that Asuka could still lose the NXT Women’s Championship without having ever been pinned, thus halting her undefeated streak yet giving her the mystique of never having been pinned.
We certainly hope the shoulder injury doesn’t set Ember Moon back for too long.
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