WWE Just Dethroned One of its Newest NXT Superstars

WWE has had a number of big free agent signings over the past year, and many of them have already made an impact in NXT. That includes former AEW star Ricky Starks, who took on the new name of Ricky Saints and hit the ground running, becoming the new NXT North American Champion in a matter of weeks. Since then, Saints has been a fighting Champion, but he’s had to continue to deal with Ethan Page, and tonight he once again had to defend his Title against his rival. Unfortunately, this time Saints didn’t secure the win, and now Page is the new NXT North American Champion.

It’s not an understatement that Page and Saints despise each other at this point, as every time they happen to be in the same room, they end up brawling. That led Ava Raine to make a match official for tonight’s NXT, and Saints and Page kicked off the show.

Saints and Page didn’t hold back in the least throughout the match, and there were some close calls for both superstars. The match would devolve into chaos at one point, and referees threatened to end the match with a disqualification. The crowd chanted for them to keep the match going, and then Ava had to come out and tell them that the match and the fans needed a clear winner.

The match continued and things got even more brutal. Saints and Page collided and went over the announce table, even getting caught up in all the equipment cords, and security had to separate them. Then out of nowhere, Page slammed Saints’ neck onto the top of a chair, and Saints grabbed his throat immediately and tried to breathe as he hit the floor.

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Page capitalized on the injury and Saints’ vulnerability, and while Saints tried to stick it out, Page took him down and pinned him to become the new NXT North American Champion. It’s certainly surprising given Saints’ profile on the show and his popularity, but it also keeps things interesting for the Title and the division overall.

Saints was still made to look strong, as it was a painful moment that took him out, and we could end up seeing Saints win the Title back sooner rather than later. For now though, Page is in the driver’s seat with the Title, but that could change relatively soon thanks to Ava. Later in the episode, Ava revealed that Page will be defending his newly won Championship at World’s Collide in a Fatal 4-Way. Page will take on Rey Fenix, Je’Von Evans, and Laredo Kid at the event, so we could be seeing an incredibly short reign if he’s not careful.

What did you think of the Title change and Page’s next challenge? Let us know in the comments and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!