In the wrestling business, injuries happen, and one WWE NXT star found out just days before being called up to the main roster as part of this year’s WWE Draft.
During NXT Spring Breakin’ last week, then-NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell defended her title against Tiffany Stratton and Roxanne Perez in a triple threat match in which Hartwell suffered an ankle injury but finished the match.
Hartwell fell sideways on her ankle after Stratton hit an outside dive. She was taken backstage and later cleared medically to return to the match. Because WWE believed Hartwell would be unable to return, they decided to have Stratton win the title. However, Indi was medically cleared to wrestle again, and they resumed the original finish.
On this week’s NXT, Hartwell, who is in a walking boot, relinquished her championship. The tournament will begin next week, with the finals taking place at the NXT Battleground event.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Hartwell earned the respect of many in the company for persevering through the injury.
Meltzer wrote, “Indi Hartwell suffered a high ankle sprain last week. She got a lot of respect from people in coming back out while she could barely walk from the trainers room to finish the match.”
We hope Hartwell recovers quickly.
