WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels Offers More Details On NXT Star Wes Lee's Injury

On "WWE NXT" this week, Wes Lee announced that he will be stepping away from the ring due to a back injury that is going to require surgery — keeping him on the shelf for eight to 12 months. Because of that, Dragon Lee will now be replacing him to challenge Dominik Mysterio for the North American Championship at "NXT" Deadline this weekend, a decision that Shawn Michaels admitted was, "Pretty damn close to last minute."

"Wes has been struggling for quite some time, I certainly didn't know the depth of it," Michaels revealed on a media call. "Obviously, we get medical reports, but it was a decision that Wes made on his own — as he should." Michaels praised Lee for performing like few others, while confirming they had a long talk about the situation where Lee admitted he didn't think he could get through the match due to the pain he was suffering in his back. "That was the decision that he and certainly our medical team made," Michaels said. "It is the best decision for Wes, and that's the only thing in my mind that's important right now. So look, all of this was last minute. Wes, to his credit, was certainly doing everything that he could do to get himself ready for this, but it just wasn't meant to be."

Dragon Lee will now be making his return to "NXT," which is something Michaels himself is looking forward to as he admitted to not having him for as long as he wanted to originally before his "WWE SmackDown" call-up. "From a selfish standpoint for me, I was so looking forward and enjoyed having him in "NXT," Michaels admitted. "He's somebody that I felt would be a fantastic match, he's somebody that I happen to personally enjoy and like, not just as a performer but as a human being."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "WWE" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.