Keith Lee has been absent from WWE since February 2020, and finally he has broken his silence on the matter that has raised questions.
KEITH LEE DEFEATED ORTON IN HIS VERY FIRST MAIN-ROSTER PPV
Lee signed with WWE in May 2018 and was assigned to the NXT brand, where he was a one-time NXT Champion and one-time NXT North American Champion, becoming the first man in WWE history to hold both titles simultaneously. He was promoted to WWE’s main roster in August 2020. He defeated Randy Orton in his first main roster pay-per-view and was a part of Team Raw at Survivor Series 2020.
He participated in a triple threat match, where the winner would receive a WWE Championship match at TLC, but lost to AJ Styles. He received his first opportunity to win the WWE Championship at January 4, 2021, but was unable to defeat then-champion Drew McIntyre. He was pulled from a United States Championship match the next month due to injury, and has not been seen in the ring again.
HE HAS FINALLY DISMISSED RUMOURS ON HIS ABSENCE
Naturally, rumours have sprung up regarding the status of Keith Lee in the promotion. He has finally dismissed the rumours on Twitter:
“I miss you guys, as well as all the others that expressed this sentiment… whether in dm’s, tweets, or comments. I miss you all. But do not fret. I will fight like no other to return…and when I do, we got a LOT of ground to cover. 💜 #Leegion.”
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer, the original plan by WWE was “The Limitless One” winning the United States Championship at Elimination Chamber. However, he missed the show due to health-related reasons, and WWE had to settle for Riddle winning the Championship, held until then by Bobby Lashley. It was the reason of Riddle losing the Championship to Sheamus at WrestleMania 37.
“Riddle’s winning the U.S. title was not the original plan. The booked idea for the three-way was for Riddle to lose the fall to Lee, as a way to get the belt off Lashley since they were moving him to the WWE title and get the U.S. title on Lee. But Lee missed the show due to health-related issues and still hasn’t returned,” Meltzer claimed.
