Noam Dar has returned to WWE NXT, bringing with him the NXT UK Heritage Cup.
Dragon Lee defeated Nathan Frazer in singles action on Tuesday night’s post-Stand & Deliver episode of NXT. Dar jumped the crowd barrier early in the match and placed the NXT UK Heritage Cup on the announce table.
Dar then took the microphone and announced that he had arrived after months of negotiations. He displayed the Cup and stated that he will be the one to determine whether or not anyone is fit or good enough to compete for it. Dar ended up sitting ringside for the match, but was unimpressed with Lee’s victory. Lee posed after the match while Dar yelled at him from his chair.
The NXT UK Heritage Cup will be defended on the main NXT brand, according to commentary, but no official announcement has been made.
The NXT UK Heritage Cup debuted in September 2020, with A-Kid becoming the first champion by defeating Trent Seven in a tournament final. A-Kid is now known as Axiom. All Heritage Cup bouts follow British Rounds Rules, which state that each 2-of-3 Falls match consists of six three-minute rounds with 20-second breaks between each round, that falls can be won by pin, count out, or submission, and that the match ends once one wrestler has won two falls. If a DQ or knockout occurs, the match ends immediately without the need for two falls, and if all six rounds are completed, the wrestler with the most falls wins.
Following Axiom’s 175-day reign, Tyler Bate held the title for 161 days before Dar broke the record with his 259-day reign. Current NXT Tag Team Champion Mark Coffey then held the Cup for 42 days before Dar reclaimed it on the August 25, 2022 episode of NXT UK to begin his second reign.
WWE retired all NXT UK titles at Worlds Collide on September 4, 2022, due to the brand’s closure to make way for NXT Europe, which will launch later this year, but no update was provided on the Heritage Cup. However, the WWE website still shows the Heritage Cup as active. Dar’s reign has lasted 222 days and counting. He hasn’t wrestled since winning the Cup from Coffey at the NXT UK TV tapings on July 7, 2022, which aired on August 25.
The following are highlights from this week’s show:
