Major botch: Thea Hail beats Blake Monroe to win WWE NXT Women's North American Championship

New Women’s North American Champion crowned!

Blake Monroe is no longer the NXT Women’s North American Champion, but according to multiple reports, that outcome was never part of the original plan.

What unfolded on this week’s episode of WWE NXT was one of the more confusing finishes in recent memory, turning a routine title defense into a moment that instantly sparked controversy and backstage scrambling.

A finish that stunned everyone in the ring

Monroe defended her championship against Thea Hail in a match that was progressing smoothly until a sudden and awkward ending changed everything. Hail landed hard across Monroe’s stomach and stayed down for a pinfall attempt.

The referee counted to three, though he appeared to hesitate slightly before the final slap of the mat. Monroe’s shoulders were down, and while she clearly tried to lift an arm, she was late. Hail immediately looked shocked, seemingly realizing the pinfall wasn’t supposed to happen there.

Confusion followed almost instantly. Monroe’s entrance music briefly played before it was cut off and replaced by Hail’s theme, signaling a title change that didn’t feel intentional to anyone watching.

Backstage chaos and a changed creative direction

Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com later reported that the finish was not planned and was, in fact, a botch. WWE attempted to clean things up after a commercial break by replaying the ending and officially confirming that Monroe failed to get her shoulders up. That confirmation made the result official, even though the original plan reportedly had Monroe retaining the title.

Fightful Select later added further clarity, stating:

“Blake Monroe was supposed to retain the NXT Women’s North American Title against Thea Hail. There was said to have been a scramble backstage when the botched finish happened since there was creative specifically in place with Thea not being the champion. This ended up affecting multiple people’s creative that was set for the next couple of weeks.

It wasn’t said immediately who got the blame for the situation, as most involved were just working to quickly make changes to what needed to be changed.”

Emotions spill over on NXT television

The aftermath played out on-screen as well. Monroe was shown crying during a backstage interview, placing the blame squarely on the referee for the sudden title loss.

Jordynne Grace then stepped in to defend Hail, adding another layer to the situation and strongly hinting that this controversy is far from over. With tensions rising and creative plans altered, the fallout from this botch could shape NXT’s women’s division for weeks.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram & Whatsapp.