WWE’s NXT broadcast on Netflix was halted after a concerning head injury to luckless star Cora Jade.
Jade has been a regular part of what is WWE’s developmental brand over the last couple of years but has had her share of injury worries.
As recently as last year, she suffered a torn ACL during a non-televised live event match against the current women’s intercontinental champion Lyra Valkyria.
That devastating blow kept Jade on the shelf for nine months before her comeback last Autumn.
When active, she’s been a regular part of the women’s title picture in NXT, the brand now overseen by WWE legend Shawn Michaels.
Just last month she was in the fatal four-way match for the NXT Women’s Championship match but fell to defeat at Vengeance Day in Washington as Giulia retained her gold at the expense of Jade, Roxanne Perez and Bayley.
The 24-year-old’s high-profile matches continued this week on NXT, broadcast around the world outside of the US on Netflix, when she faced former TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
Chicago native Jade was in the full flow of the bout when disaster struck again, however, the match called off midway through while live on air.
As Grace drove her opponent into the corner of the ring, a woozy-looking Jade could be seen mouthing to the referee, who immediately threw up an ‘X’ with his arms – a gesture generally used in the wrestling world by officials to signal a legitimate problem and not one that’s part of the planned match or storyline.
Grace helpfully posed and played to the crowd to help buy Jade and the referee some time as medical staff came into the ring to check on the star who remained hunched over in the corner.
They could be seen using their communications equipment to relay information to the backstage area as a hushed silence came over the crowd.
The stoppage continued for the better part of two minutes before Jade and one medic walked out of the ring, the ringside announcement then made that Grace had been declared the ‘winner’ of the bout due to referee stoppage.
Such a concerning development left fans worried on social media, many speculating the grappler had re-injured her knee.
Thankfully, Jade herself was able to provide her own update on social media, posting: “Got rocked for a sec but my knees are all good (decent) Thanks for the concern.”
In reply, relieved fans were quick to wish her well, one adding: “So glad to hear it. As soon as I saw you in the corner it felt like my heart stopped for a second. We just got you back. Don’t want to lose you to injury again.”
Another said: “My stomach dropped when the match stopped, best wishes! Stay safe.”
Fightful in the US also reported soon after the incident that, rather than damaging her knees, Jade had in fact suffered a head injury during the bout that lead to her unsteadiness.
The outlet noted: “Cora’s match was stopped, and accounts on Twitter speculated that she aggravated a knee injury. However we’re told it was a head injury, not a knee injury.”
Jade first debuted in WWE on NXT in 2021 having also featured extensively on the independent scene and spent time with AEW.
She’s also been part of a multi-year talent crossover deal with TNA that’s already seen The Hardy Boyz make an incredible WWE comeback.
