Tuesday night’s episode of WWE NXT kicked off with Thea Hail defeating Blake Monroe to become the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.
The finish was somewhat confusing; Hail attempted a pin on Monroe, and the referee counted the fall when Monroe failed to get her shoulder up. However, there was a delay in ringing the bell, and initially, Monroe’s music played before it switched to Hail’s theme, leading to her being announced as the winner. This finish was not intended.
According to Fightful Select, Monroe was meant to retain her championship. Sources indicated that there was a “scramble backstage” following the botched finish. Furthermore, it was noted that this change disrupted creative plans that specifically revolved around Hail not being the champion.
The report mentioned that adjustments were being made immediately, affecting several people’s creative directions over the next few weeks.
Additionally, during the show, a segment featured Hail expressing her emotions over the victory. Jordynne Grace appeared to congratulate her, mentioning that Hail seemed to have figured things out before she did. Monroe then confronted Hail, stating that she would get a rematch to win back the title and blamed the referee, suggesting they should be fined.
While Monroe made this assertion, it remains unclear who was ultimately blamed for the incident, as many were simply focused on making the necessary adjustments to the creative direction.
