Well, mistakes happen, and a mistake certainly happened on the December 17th edition of WWE NXT. The night opened with Blake Monroe defending the NXT Women’s North American Championship against Thea Hail. This was set to be a “standard” title match. However, things didn’t go as planned as Thea Hail won the title on what was a big botch.
Hours later, it looks like WWE is indeed running with the “happy accident.” Hail has been one of the top women on NXT and has the fans in the palm of her hand. She’s one of the most beloved characters on the show, and WWE and everyone involved should make the most of this moment and run with Hail as the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.
WWE should run with Thea Hail as the NXT Women’s North American Championship
So, what exactly happened? About roughly seven minutes into the match between Thea Hail and Blake Monroe, Hail hit a senton and immediately attempted a pinfall. The referee counted “1-2-3,” and then there was a pause. Clearly, something was indeed wrong. Monroe’s music initially hit, then Hail’s started playing, and she was announced the winner. Hail was celebrated while Monroe looked very confused.
Moments later, it would be reported by multiple outlets that this was a mistake. Hail was not scripted to win the match. However, Fightful Select reported that Monroe had the air knocked out of her after the senton and didn’t get a chance to recover before Hail went for the pin. Monroe got her arm up, but the referee still counted to three, as WWE and most professional wrestling referees are instructed to do if a match becomes a shoot. This is very similar to Kota Ibushi’s accidentally getting counted out of a match shoot.
To WWE’s credit, they have taken this moment and turned it into an actual moment. Hail has been promoted across social media as the champion, and Monroe is back online, taking shots at the situation. The issue is that this happened right before the holiday “break” where the creative for the next few weeks was taped. WWE had to scramble to make adjustments, but this could be one of those moments where the company can take it, make something interesting, and just run with it.
WWE should take full advantage of this moment for both Monroe and Hail. There are times when WWE has struggled creatively, but one thing the company has done well in the past is make a shift when someone gets injured or something goes wrong. For example, Kevin Owens suddenly found himself to be the WWE Universal Champion after Finn Balor’s shoulder injury. This situation isn’t as drastic, but it is a situation where some good may come out of it.
Starting with Blake Monroe, many are calling for WWE to move her to the main roster. She’s already proven she’s a main event talent; look back to what she and Toni Storm achieved together in All Elite Wrestling. Take SmackDown, for example, they could truly use a performer of Monroe’s ability as the women’s division is falling behind that of WWE Raw. Monroe would easily work as a top heel on that brand and has the potential to reach even bigger heights in the future.
As for Thea Hail, she’s been an interesting prospect in WWE’s developmental system for years now. After three years of being in NXT, perhaps this is the moment she can take to either sink or swim. She’s shown growth as a performer, and perhaps this is the proverbial “kick in the pants” that can be the catalyst for her growing further in her craft.
Hail is one of the most fun characters in all of WWE. She’s someone that fans of NXT resonate with. She’s looked at as an underdog in most situations, but she more than has the potential to be so much more than that. From her days in Chase U to now, we’ve seen Hail grow tremendously as a performer.
Blake Monroe and Thea Hail’s match didn’t end the way anyone expected, especially those in the match. However, WWE should take this moment and turn it into a long-term outcome that should lead to something meaningful for both performers. WWE should run with it, give Hail a nice run with the NXT Women’s North American Championship, and just call it a “happy accident.”
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next time
– Scott Mitchell
You can follow me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @Scott44Mitchell
