Backstage Talk of a WWE Policy Shift Following Botched NXT Ending – The unplanned championship switch on NXT reportedly created major confusion behind the scenes, forcing WWE’s creative team to make last-minute changes to already taped programming. The situation unfolded on the December 16 episode of NXT, when Thea Hail defeated Blake Monroe to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship. According to multiple reports, that result was never meant to happen.
Fightful Select reports that the title change occurred at what was described internally as the worst possible time. NXT had just finished taping several weeks of television so talent could head home for the holidays. Those episodes were reportedly produced with Monroe still planned as champion, leaving creative in a frantic rush to rework segments, edit footage, and adjust storylines to reflect Hail as the new titleholder.
The confusion was noticeable almost immediately. WWE’s official website briefly listed Monroe as the winner of the match, even though Hail was clearly shown celebrating with the championship on television. Internally, there is belief that Monroe may have had the wind knocked out of her and was unable to kick out in time, leading the referee to count the pinfall unexpectedly.
Rather than reversing course, WWE chose to move forward with the outcome. A post-match confrontation between Hail and Monroe was reportedly added on short notice to help establish the new title reign. Graphics, promotional material, and social media posts were quickly created to present the championship change as intentional and official.
One higher-up within NXT told Fightful that the situation is expected to lead to heavy shifts in policy. Going forward, talent involved in tapings may be required to remain on site until all production is completed, even if their scheduled segments have already finished. The goal would be to ensure availability in case reshoots or sudden changes are needed.
A rematch between Hail and Monroe is already being discussed internally, with expectations that it could take place at NXT New Year’s Evil on January 6, 2026, though nothing has been formally announced.
While rare, unplanned title changes are not unheard of in WWE history. Wrestlers such as Razor Ramon, Mickie James, and Kevin Owens have all won championships under similar circumstances when matches did not go according to plan.
Backstage Talk of a WWE Policy Shift Following Botched NXT Ending
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