Leon Slater is officially headed to New Year’s Evil after earning a major victory in the main event of Tuesday’s episode of NXT.

Slater defeated Joe Hendry, Dion Lennox, and Myles Borne in a four-way match to become the number one contender for Oba Femi’s NXT Championship. The finish came after Hendry and Lennox spilled to the outside and began brawling, taking themselves out of the equation. With the ring cleared, Slater capitalized by connecting with a swanton 450 splash on Borne to secure the pinfall victory. The show closed with NXT Champion Oba Femi making his way to the ring, where he and Slater stood face-to-face, setting the stage for their upcoming title match on January 6.

The match was booked following a shift in plans coming out of NXT Deadline. At that event, Je’Von Evans won the Iron Survivor Challenge, which initially guaranteed him a championship opportunity against Femi at New Year’s Evil. However, Evans chose not to wait. On the following episode of NXT, he interrupted an in-ring segment involving Ricky Saints and Oba Femi and made it clear he wanted his title shot immediately. Femi accepted, and the two met later that night in the main event.

Evans appeared to have the championship within reach, but interference from Saints changed the outcome. Upset that Evans had jumped the line and received a title match before him, Saints dragged the referee out of the ring to stop the count. Evans responded by diving onto Saints on the outside, but the damage had already been done. The momentum shifted back to Femi, who took advantage and retained the NXT Championship.

With Evans having already cashed in his opportunity, NXT General Manager Ava announced that a new number one contender would be determined. Last week, she revealed that Hendry, Lennox, Borne, and Slater, the four competitors who did not win the Iron Survivor Challenge at Deadline, would face off in a four-way match to decide Femi’s challenger for New Year’s Evil.

Slater now steps into the biggest singles match of his NXT career. As TNA X Division Champion, he has already made waves across promotions, and his victory further positions him as a rising star to watch. Whether he can dethrone Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil remains to be seen, but the path to January 6 is now clear.

Current NXT New Year’s Evil Card

• NXT Championship: Oba Femi defends against Leon Slater
• NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne defends against Kendal Grey

Leon Slater Earns NXT Championship Match At New Year’s Evil

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Thea Hail Title Win Reportedly Unplanned – As noted, Thea Hail defeated Blake Monroe to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship this week on NXT, but new reporting suggests the title change was not the original plan.

The finish of the match immediately raised questions among viewers. The referee counted the pinfall after Hail’s springboard coffin drop, but replays showed Monroe appeared to get a hand up before the three-count, though not clearly her shoulder. Adding to the confusion, Monroe’s entrance music briefly played after the match before being cut, and there was a noticeable delay before Hail’s music finally hit. The visual presentation left many fans wondering whether the outcome was intentional or the result of a mistake.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Thea Hail’s championship win was not the planned finish. The report stated that NXT sources confirmed Monroe was originally set to retain the Women’s North American Championship. Once the error was recognized, there was reportedly a scramble backstage as officials and creative attempted to process what had happened and figure out next steps.

The report further noted that creative plans had already been laid out with Hail not holding the championship. Because of that, the unexpected title change forced rapid adjustments to ongoing storylines. Those changes reportedly impacted creative plans involving multiple talents over the coming weeks, as the company worked to realign angles that were already in motion.

Fightful also reported that steps were expected to be taken as early as the same night to address the situation on-screen. No immediate blame was placed on any individual involved in the finish, as the focus backstage was said to be on damage control and revising plans going forward rather than assigning fault.

As of now, WWE has not publicly commented on the situation or clarified how the title change will be handled moving forward. Whether NXT chooses to acknowledge the confusion on television, book a rematch, or pivot fully into Hail’s reign remains to be seen. Regardless, the unplanned nature of the finish has made Hail’s title win one of the most talked-about moments on NXT, and it adds an unusual wrinkle to the Women’s North American Championship picture heading into the holiday season.

Thea Hail Title Win Reportedly Unplanned

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Thea Hail Wins NXT Women’s North American Championship After Controversial Finish – Thea Hail is the new NXT Women’s North American Champion following a title match on tonight’s episode of NXT that ended with a disputed pinfall against Blake Monroe.

The championship bout opened with a measured pace, as Hail relied on technical wrestling to gain an early advantage. She focused her offense on Monroe’s arm, attempting to limit the champion’s power and striking ability. Monroe weathered the early pressure and shifted momentum by driving Hail into the turnbuckles, then connecting with a spinning side slam that nearly ended the match.

From there, Monroe took control by continuing to target Hail’s arm. She applied a cross arm breaker using the ropes for leverage, forcing the referee to issue a warning before breaking the hold. Monroe then transitioned into a cobra clutch with a body scissors, grounding Hail and methodically wearing her down in the center of the ring. The champion appeared firmly in control as the match moved into its later stages.

Hail eventually mounted a comeback, firing off a series of clotheslines to regain momentum. She followed with a standing powerslam and a somersault senton, shifting the energy of the match in her favor. With Monroe staggered, Hail climbed to the ropes and connected with a springboard coffin drop. She covered Monroe, and the referee counted to three, awarding Hail the victory and the NXT Women’s North American Championship.

However, the finish immediately drew attention for the wrong reasons. Replays shown after the match appeared to indicate that Monroe may have lifted her shoulder before the referee’s hand hit the mat for the third count. Despite the apparent issue visible on replay, the decision was not reversed, and Hail was officially declared the new champion.

The moment came across as confusing, and the camera caught Monroe looking visibly shocked after the bell. The way the finish unfolded gave the impression that there may have been a mistake in the execution of the ending. Regardless of the controversy, the title change stands, and Thea Hail begins her reign as NXT Women’s North American Champion under unexpected circumstances.

Thea Hail Wins NXT Women’s North American Championship After Controversial Finish

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