Kyle O’Reilly On When He Started To Consider Joining AEW

Kyle O’Reilly has recalled his AEW debut, revealing when he first thought about leaving NXT for AEW.

O’Reilly first appeared on AEW TV at Dynamite: Holiday Bash in December, interfering in Adam Cole’s match with Orange Cassidy. The former NXT Tag Team Champion’s WWE deal had expired earlier that month, last wrestling on TV for the company on the December 7 edition of NXT 2.0.

Speaking on AEW Unrestricted, O’Reilly noted that ‘the wheels started turning’ shortly after Adam Cole and Bobby Fish signed with AEW. Excited for his future with the company, O’Reilly said:

“Probably as soon as Bobby (Fish) debuted in AEW, and then of course, once Adam debuted in AEW, the wheels started turning.

“It’s like, okay, well, what do I have to do to get there as well? You know, these are my guys. This is a place where I think Kyle O’Reilly can really be utilized well and fit in well, like this is a company that has really set the standard for an in ring product, and I think I’m suited better in an environment like AEW, and it really felt like a homecoming there.

“I’m just excited at all the prospects, all the potential matchups and just everything about AEW was like, man, what do we have to do to get there? So it’s kind of like, in motion, the second all those guys came over. Once my deal came up, it was kind of a no brainer.

Reflecting on his AEW debut, O’Reilly noted:

“It was super cool. I want to say stressful, but it really wasn’t. It was just kind of like, just exciting.

“A lot of my experiences in the last few years of wrestling have been very stressful in high pressure situations, but this just felt like a homecoming. I just felt comfortable and ready to rock. I didn’t really confirm anything, I think until like the day before, or maybe the Monday before that Wednesday.

“They flew me into, I think we were in Greensboro, and I flew into Charlotte. The driver picked me up and we had a great chat on the way out to Greensboro. It was just such a cool, exciting time. Of course, seeing everybody backstage, people that I came up with in this business for years that I hadn’t seen in so long was just a really cool reunion of sorts. Then of course, the debut happens in this arena full of people, and it just was so exciting.

“I’m kind of getting goosebumps just thinking about it and reminiscing about it, but it was a special moment. I’m so grateful to have had that opportunity with AEW.

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Transcription via WrestlingNews.co.

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• kyle o'reilly
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