Jordan Devlin returns to WWE TV on NXT UK

For the first time since an allegation was made against him during the #SpeakingOut movement this June, Jordan Devlin returned to WWE television on NXT UK this week.

Devlin appeared in a video that aired on Thursday’s episode of NXT UK. Devlin called his NXT Cruiserweight Championship the one real version of the title and said Santos Escobar’s NXT Cruiserweight Championship is just a replica that doesn’t mean a thing.

With Devlin unable to travel to the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a tournament to crown an interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion was announced this April. The interim label was dropped by the end of the tournament and WWE has listed both Devlin and Escobar as being NXT Cruiserweight Champion.

Escobar responded to Devlin’s video on Twitter by quoting a tweet that Triple H posted after Escobar’s title defense against Isaiah “Swerve” Scott at NXT TakeOver 31 earlier this month: “Ok… since we’re quoting… lemme quote a more credited source: ‘Every bit of that #WWENXT  Cruiserweight Championship was about seizing opportunity. Congratulations to @EscobarWWE… a division changing talent and it’s STILL ALL his. #NXTTakeOver’ – @TripleH”

Following the allegation that was made against Devlin during the #SpeakingOut movement, WWE issued a statement saying that they take any allegation of this nature very seriously and were looking into the matter. The allegation was made by a woman named Hannah who claimed that Devlin had physically abused her. She tweeted photos of bruises on her lower body and wrote: “This is scary. I’m really scared. Jordan Devlin did this to me. And this is just the physical damage. Not including my arse and back bruises….because I don’t fancy posting that online.”

Devlin posted a statement on Twitter denying the allegation: “I didn’t even want to address the hurtful allegation made against me, but for the sake of my followers and friends on this platform that may for whatever reason be unsure, I’m going to address this once. The recent allegation made against me is completely and utterly false and I deny it entirely. This is a case of a malicious personal agenda being executed against me on the back of a very brave telling of true experiences by other women. I completely denounce it. This is all I will say on the matter, and I am now working with a legal team to help decide how to proceed from here.”

Jack Gallagher, Travis Banks, Ligero, and referees Joel Allen and Chris Roberts were released by WWE following #SpeakingOut allegations that were made against them. Joe Coffey was also suspended by WWE.

After being on hiatus since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NXT UK returned to airing new episodes last month.