The first official challenger to WWE NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes has been announced.
Grayson Waller won a Fatal 4 Way over Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Duke Hudson to become the new #1 contender to Hayes on Tuesday night’s NXT episode. WWE then officially announced Waller vs. Hayes for the Spring Breakin’ edition of NXT on Tuesday, April 25 with the title on the line.
Lee hit his sitdown powerbomb on Hudson at the end of this week’s match, but Waller rushed in to hit Lee with his Stunner, preventing the pin and knocking Lee out of the ring. Waller then jumped on top of Hudson and stole the pin. NXT went off the air with Waller and Hayes locked in battle.
This week also saw the continuation of the feud between Hayes and former champion Bron Breakker.
Breakker and Hayes shared a moment of mutual respect in last week’s post-Stand & Deliver edition of NXT, but then Breakker turned heel and attacked Hayes and Trick Williams. Hayes began Tuesday night’s show by offering Breakker the final spot in the Fatal 4 Way main event, implying that he and Breakker would be at odds for a long time. Breakker later interrupted Chase U’s MVP trophy segment to give Hudson the spot.
Breakker stated that he has finally realized that the NXT Title is a curse on his career and that he no longer requires the scumbag fans. Bron then promised to show us a side of himself we’d never seen before. The segment ended with Breakker attempting a Spear on Hudson but instead hitting Andre Chase while Hudson retreated with his trophy.
Waller last wrestled at Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania 39 Weekend, where he lost the Unsanctioned Match to Johnny Gargano. Waller’s PR team informed NXT officials that the loss to Gargano does not affect his record because the match was not sanctioned, which is how he was added to this week’s Fatal 4 Way.
Spring Breakin’ will be Waller’s third attempt at the NXT Championship. He was defeated by then-champion Breakker via count out at New Year’s Evil on January 10, then again in the main event of Vengeance Day on February 4, which was held inside a Steel Cage.
The following are clips from Tuesday night’s show:
