The first challenger for WWE NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is now official.
Tonight’s NXT episode was headlined by Grayson Waller winning a Fatal 4 Way over Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh and Duke Hudson to become the new #1 contender to Hayes. WWE then officially announced Waller vs. Hayes with the title on the line for the special Spring Breakin’ edition of NXT on Tuesday, April 25.
The finish to tonight’s match saw Lee hit his sitdown powerbomb to Hudson, but Waller rushed in to hit Lee with his Stunner to prevent the pin, while also knocking Lee out of the ring. Waller then fell on top of Hudson to steal the pin. NXT went off the air with Waller and Hayes facing off.
The feud between Hayes and former champion Bron Breakker also continued this week.
Last week’s post-Stand & Deliver edition of NXT saw Breakker and Hayes share a moment of mutual respect, but then Breakker turned heel and attacked Hayes, and Trick Williams. Hayes opened tonight’s show by offering Breakker the final spot in the Fatal 4 Way main event, mentioning how he and Breakker will be at war for a long time. Breakker later interrupted Chase U’s MVP trophy segment for Hudson, and gave the spot to him.
Breakker said he finally realized the NXT Title is a curse on his career, and he doesn’t need the scumbag fans any longer. Bron then promised that we will see a side of him we’ve never seen before. The segment ended with Breakker trying to hit a Spear on Hudson, only to hit Andre Chase instead while Hudson retreated with his trophy.
Before tonight, Waller last wrestled at Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania 39 Weekend, losing the Unsanctioned Match to Johnny Gargano. The storyline follow-up to the loss is that Waller’s PR team has informed NXT officials that the loss to Gargano does not impact his record as the match was not sanctioned, which is how he was added to tonight’s Fatal 4 Way.
Spring Breakin’ will mark Waller’s third shot at the NXT Title. He lost to then-champion Breakker via count out at New Year’s Evil on January 10, then came up short against Breakker again in the main event of Vengeance Day on February 4, which was held inside a Steel Cage.
Below are related clips from tonight’s show:
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