After nearly a month away from AEW television, Kyle O’Reilly made his return on Christmas Collision, appearing for the first time since his brutal No Holds Barred match with Jon Moxley at Full Gear.

Kyle O’Reilly was shown in a backstage segment alongside Roderick Strong, where he addressed his recent absence. O’Reilly confirmed that he has been dealing with a bulging disc in his neck along with a fractured arm, injuries that have kept him sidelined from in ring competition. Despite not being cleared to wrestle, O’Reilly made it clear that he is still closely connected to Strong’s journey and wanted to be present for an important moment.

During the exchange, O’Reilly reflected on his own wars with Jon Moxley and used that experience to motivate Strong ahead of his Continental Classic match later in the night. Drawing from how close he came to breaking during those encounters, O’Reilly delivered a passionate message of encouragement.

“If you knew how close I was to giving up in those matches with Jon [Moxley], you’d be looking at me the same way I’m looking at you right now.”

Strong appeared visibly fired up by the words and carried that momentum into his match, where he went on to defeat Claudio Castagnoli in Continental Classic action. The closing moments of the bout turned chaotic, as The Death Riders and Marina Shafir swarmed Strong in a post match attack. The numbers advantage was eventually neutralised when Mark Briscoe and Toni Storm rushed to the ring to chase off the attackers and stand tall with Strong.

O’Reilly had originally been expected to compete in this year’s Continental Classic tournament, but the injuries sustained in his match at Full Gear forced him out of action. While there is still no timetable for his return to the ring, his appearance on Christmas Collision made it clear that he remains an influential presence and firmly connected to the ongoing storylines.