Last night’s episode of NXT witnessed a flurry of excitement in the North American Championship battles. Stephanie Vaquer surrendered her NXT Women’s North American Championship, and a new men’s titleholder emerged from the night’s climactic bout.
With full backing from The Culling, the reigning champion Shawn Spears tried every trick in the book, but Ricky Saints proved his mettle by coming out on top and clinching the title. This happened despite Spears smacking Saints on his face with the championship belt, aided by the likes of Brooks Jensen, Izzi Dame, and Niko Vance.
In doing so, Saints shattered the record held by Ethan Page, becoming the quickest person to secure a title on the brand just after his debut. The record, as stated by Vic Joseph, is marked by a narrow margin of just about a week. Previously, Page became the NXT Champion a mere 40 days post his debut, overthrowing a nearly decade-old record held by Kevin Owens. Owens won the NXT Championship by defeating Sami Zayn in TakeOver: Rival, only 60 days after joining the brand.
Incensed by the turn of events, Page launched an impromptu attack on Ricky Saints, denying him more than a fleeting moment of enjoyment after his victory.
The consequences of the defeat for Shawn Spears and The Culling remain uncertain. However, there is a possibility that Page, as well as Spears, could contest Saints for the championship–possibly even at the WWE Stand & Deliver scheduled for April 19th. As of now, no information about the event has been disclosed.
Tell us what you think about Saints bagging a title almost immediately after signing with WWE? Is it a well-deserved achievement or has it come too early? We would love to hear your views and responses in the comments below!