According to PWMania.com, the December 17th episode of WWE NXT featured a controversial NXT Women’s North American Championship match between Blake Monroe and Thea Hail, the reigning champion.
The title change was unplanned and occurred after Hail did not give Monroe sufficient time to recover following a signature backwards drop.
The move reportedly left Monroe unable to kick out before the three-count, as it knocked the wind out of her.
A previous report from Fightful Select indicated that match official Felix Fernandez received backstage praise for how he handled the situation. However, some sources later claimed that there was discontent directed at Fernandez for not checking on Monroe before proceeding with the pinfall.
Fightful Select has now reported that Monroe later stated she sustained an injury from that spot. She and her creative team expressed dissatisfaction with how the situation unfolded, leading to a quick decision to schedule a rematch between the two competitors. However, the report did not specify the severity of Monroe’s injury.
Additionally, it was reported that Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and other referees spoke with Fernandez afterward and affirmed that he handled the situation correctly.
