Mason Rook is back in action, and he has his sights set on Grayson Waller’s NXT Championship.
WWE NXT Champion Grayson Waller kicked off the November 10 edition of WWE NXT, celebrating his victory over CM Punk. Waller defeated Punk in a one-on-one match last week on NXT after Punk’s current rival, Kevin Owens, caused a distraction.
While Waller celebrated his victory over Punk in the ring, new NXT newcomer Shiloh Hill confronted the champion and demanded a title shot. Waller dismissed Shiloh, stating that he’s not ready for a title shot and h has done nothing to earn it.
As Waller was about to leave the ring, Mason Rook made a surprise return and blindsided Waller with a brutal attack. Rook had been absent from NXT TV since late September, reportedly due to medical reasons.
He was originally scheduled to challenge Waller for the NXT Championship on the September 29th episode, but his injury forced him to go out of action completely.
Mason Rook Stakes His Claim To The NXT Championship
Immediately upon returning, Mason Rook made it clear he’s going after the NXT title shot he missed due to his brief hiatus. Following his return, NXT correspondent Blake Howard met with Rook for a backstage interview, where Rook addressed his return and his intentions to pursue gold.
Rook said he’s worked really hard to return ahead of schedule, and now that he’s back, he’s going to put all his efforts into chasing the NXT title.
“You’re down right, I’m back, buddy. I busted my ass off to be back ahead of schedule. I’m picking up right where I left off and going after the NXT Championship. Two months ago, I earned my spot to be the number one contender, but unfortunately, life had other plans,” Rook said.
Rook warned Waller that he may have somehow managed to “escape” EK Prosper, Tony D’Angelo and CM Punk, but he won’t be able to escape him.
“I had to sit on the sidelines. I had to watch EK Prosper. I had to watch Tony D’Angelo. Hell, even CM Punk tried to take the title from Grayson Waller. And Grayson escaped those guys, but let me tell you for free, he’s not gonna escape me, and I am back, and it doesn’t matter who is in front of me. You saw Shiloh Hill; he made his intentions clear, so did I.”
Rook also put new WWE signee Zilla Fatu on notice before leaving.
“And Zila Fatu, I’m going to pay attention really closely to what you have to say tonight, and there is no one who is going to stop me from becoming NXT champion.”
Mason Rook has his EYES on the NXT Title!! 👀
@MasonRook_wwe https://t.co/0icyfOviB8
— WWE (@WWE) November 11, 2026
