WWE's Trick Williams Becomes CW Era's First NXT Champion

WWE's Trick Williams becomes two-time NXT Champion during CW premiere

Trick Williams and Ethan Page have had no shortage of issues since Page made his surprising debut in WWE NXT, though the real breaking point was when Page was able to take Williams' NXT Championship without pinning him in the Fatal 4-Way match. Now things have led to a showdown for the new NXT Championship in the main event of the CW premiere, and the two pulled out all the stops to walk away the Champion. CM Punk did as he promised and called the match down the middle, and he was finally able to lift Williams' hand in victory as the new NXT Championship, following it up by giving Page a GTS.

A Fair Ref

Page would be the first one to get in Punk's face after a 2 count, but Punk continued to call it right down the middle. Williams got a 2 count next, and then Page clocked Williams in the face with a boot and went for a cover, but it was a 2 count again. Williams knocked Page to the floor and Punk tried to convince Williams to not go after Page outside, but Williams went anyway and threw Page into the LED board, causing it to flicker. Page then threw Williams through the barricade, causing both me to fall to the floor.

Page was connecting with numerous strikes on Williams when the show returned from a commercial break, and Page tried to keep Williams down with more kicks but Williams got to his feet and came back with strikes of his own. Page halted the momentum with a knee strike to the stomach and a cover attempt, but Williams kicked out. Page charged forward but ran into the turnbuckle, setting him up for Williams' jumping neckbreaker.

Williams came in with a number of strikes and hit two huge leaping kicks in a row, and after a slam, he was feeling it. Williams connected with a big kick to the face but then got his face slammed into the steel steps soon after. Page then went to hit an Ego's Edge on the announce table and he did just that, causing the audio to short out momentarily after the table shattered.

Never Giving Up

Williams got back in the ring and then hit a big knee strike on Page, causing him to fall on top of Williams and almost repeat his previous Title win. Williams was able to kick out before that happened, and Punk would then galvanize both men to get up and finish the match. They started slugging it out and then Page caught Williams with a kick but Williams hit an uppercut and hit the running slam.

Williams went for the finisher and got it, but Page kicked out before the 3 count. Williams missed the Trick Shot and Page capitalized with a knee strike and a cover, but Williams still kicked out before 3. Page picked up Williams and taunted Punk by hitting the GTS. Page went for the cover but Williams kicked out, and Punk taunted Page with the 2 count.

Page went for the Ego's Edge but Williams got free and hit the Trick Shot into a cover. Punk counted and Williams go the pin, becoming the two-time NXT Champion.

What did you think of the match, and are you excited for the era of Trick Williams? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!