Noam Dar has returned to WWE NXT, and he’s brought the NXT UK Heritage Cup with him.
Tonight’s post-Stand & Deliver edition of NXT saw Dragon Lee defeat Nathan Frazer in singles action. Early on in the match, Dar hopped the barrier from the crowd and placed the NXT UK Heritage Cup on the announce table.
Dar then took the mic and said after months of negotiations, he is finally here. He showed off the Cup and said he will be the one to decide if anyone is fit or good enough to challenge for it. Dar ended up watching the match from ringside, but was not impressed with Lee’s win. Lee posed after the match as Dar talked some trash to him from his chair.
It was indicated on commentary that the NXT UK Heritage Cup will be defended on the main NXT brand, but nothing was officially announced.
The NXT UK Heritage Cup was first introduced in September 2020 with A-Kid becoming the inaugural champion by defeating Trent Seven in the finals of a tournament. A-Kid is now known as Axiom in NXT. All Heritage Cup bouts are held under British Rounds Rules – each 2-of-3 Falls match consists of six three-minute rounds with 20-second breaks between each round, falls can be won by pin, count out or submission, and the match ends once one wrestler has won two falls. If there’s a DQ or knockout, the match instantly ends without the need for two falls, and if all six rounds are completed, the wrestler with the most falls will win.
After Axiom’s inaugural reign went for 175 recognized days, Tyler Bate held the title for 161 days, then Dar set a record with his 259-day reign. Current NXT Tag Team Champion Mark Coffey then held the Cup for 42 days, before Dar won it back to begin his second reign on the August 25, 2022 edition of NXT UK.
WWE retired all NXT UK titles at Worlds Collide on September 4, 2022, due to the brand shutting down to make way for NXT Europe launching later this year, but there was no update provided on the Heritage Cup. However, the WWE website has listed the Heritage Cup has active all this time. Dar’s current reign is at 222 days and counting. He has not wrestled since winning the Cup from Coffey at the July 7, 2022 NXT UK TV tapings, which aired on August 25.
Below are related clips from tonight’s show:
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