John Cena’s favorite wrestler in NXT, Mason Rook, will not be getting a shot at the NXT championship on this week’s episode of television after all.

That’s because he is not medically cleared to compete, as the promotion announced in the hours leading up to the show going on the air on The CW:

They didn’t actually reveal what led to this, and at the start of the show, General Manager Robert Stone simply told Waller that Rook “will be out for the foreseeable future.”

When the man himself finally commented on the situation, he didn’t reveal any details either.

“I’m sorry,” he said on X. “Sometimes life is cruel. Every fibre of my being wanted to compete tonight but unfortunately it is out of my control. I promise this is just a speed bump and not a road block.”

Waller was placed in an open challenge as a response to this, to ensure he still has to defend the title.

The timing is tough for Rook, considering he just got some real momentum with a fantastic promo last week. This very well could have been a real launching point for him under the WWE umbrella.

Maybe next time.