New WWE champion changes name of title

The WWE Universe has seen various champions introduce custom-made titles over the years, from Steve Austin's Smoking Skull belt to The Planet's Championship from Daniel Bryan. The company recently crowned a new champion, which apparently came with a major change.

This week's NXT featured Tony D'Angelo defeating Charlie Dempsey to capture the Heritage Cup Championship. Tony D is the ninth champion since the cup was introduced in late 2020 and the fourth since Noam Dar brought it from the UK to the main NXT brand in April 2023. Dempsey held the cup after defeating Dar on February 27.

The Don of NXT posted on X today and called the trophy the "Italian Heritage Cup." D'Angelo also warned the rest of the roster.

"Italian Heritage Cup. This is only the beginning," Tony D'Angelo wrote with the photo below.

Tony D debuted on NXT in October 2021, but this is his first singles championship. He and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo have held the NXT Tag Team Championship twice.

Shawn Michaels praised WWE NXT faction

The D'Angelo Family of NXT has become one of the top factions in the company. The group comprises Tony D'Angelo, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, Luca Crusifino, and Adriana Rizzo.

Shawn Michaels posted on X after this week's NXT show. He gave the nod to The Family, and major praise to Tony D. He also shared a backstage photo with the group.

"Tremendous win for @TonyDangeloWWE and an incredible night for The Family! Congratulations to the new #HeritageCup Champion… another leap forward for a bonafide Superstar. #WWENXT," Shawn Michaels wrote with the photo below.

Next week's taped NXT episode will see Stacks and Luca challenge Axiom and Nathan Frazer for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

The match included a big interference angle, as detailed in SK Wrestling's detailed spoiler report. The show was taped on Tuesday night at the Performance Center.