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This week’s episode of NXT took place just a couple of days before Worlds Collide. The action on the show was top-notch, and the brand decided to waste no time on segments and kept most of the action inside the ring.
The biggest match scheduled for the show was between Roderick Strong and Keith Lee for the North American Championship.
While Lee had gotten a chance to win the title earlier in a Triple Threat Match involving the Champion and Dominic Dijakovic, it was a big opportunity for him to get his hands on the title one-on-one.
Lee was the obvious crowd favorite in the brawl, and even the distractions provided by the other three members of the Undisputed Era could not stop The Limitless One’s rise.
He managed to defeat Strong in a great match to win his first Championship belt in the company.
In this article, we will look at the 5 reasons why Lee defeated Strong for the North American Championship just days before Worlds Collide.
#5 To cash in on the Limitless potential
Keith Lee first made an appearance for NXT in April 2018. On May 1, it was announced that he had signed a contract with WWE. Lee recently revealed that he tried for the company several times before successfully joining it less than two years ago.
While it seemed like the big man went through a lot to get to the Black & Gold brand, he was just getting started, as he was involved in several mixed bookings that never made him seem like a breakout star.
For the past six months, Lee seems to have gotten better and become a crowd favorite, and it looks like the time he spent away due to an injury did him some good.
Over the past few months, especially during the build-up to Survivor Series, Lee appears to have become a breakout star almost two years after making his debut. With so much backing, it makes sense that NXT decided to hand the title to The Limitless One, as his potential seems to be running high and the fans seem to be enjoying his time in the NXT ring.
#4 To begin the end of the Era
The Undisputed Era has reigned supreme in NXT for two and a half years now. Originally formed by Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly, the trio managed to pull Roderick Strong into their faction.
In June 2019, Cole won the NXT Championship from Johnny Gargano. This was followed up by a victory for Fish and O’Reilly who became the NXT Tag Team Champions again. The final piece of NXT men’s gold was added to their treasure when Strong defeated Velveteen Dream for the title, making the faction gold standard.
The four men are extremely proud of their achievements, but a loss for Strong will now open the doors to weaken the faction.
We could now see a rift begin between the four men or a chance for Tommaso Ciampa to take away the NXT Title from Cole, while we could watch The BROserweights or Grizzled Young Veterans take the gold from Fish and O’Reilly.
Will this mark the beginning of the end of an era?
#3 To open up the doors for a call-up
Adam Cole & Roderick Strong are arguably two of the finest wrestlers in the entire company at the moment, and if they weren't in a faction together, they’d probably be going head to head for the NXT Championship.
While both men have enjoyed a lot of success in NXT over the past few years, Superstars always keep an eye on when they will be called onto the RAW or SmackDown brand.
Strong impressed the entire WWE Universe when he defeated AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, as both men are regarded as some of the best wrestlers of all time.
The former North American Champion has been with the Black and Gold brand since October 2016, and the company may be planning to move him to RAW or SmackDown to give him new rivalries and opportunities.
With that in mind, losing to a newer star such as Lee allows him to pass the torch and prepare for a move which may allow him to make a bigger impact on another brand.
#2 To give Velveteen Dream something bigger to aim at
Before Keith Lee got into the North American Championship picture, it was Velveteen Dream who was on the hunt for the title. Dream was the man who was defeated by Roderick Strong after he enjoyed a reign of over 200 days before Strong alongside his crew took him out.
Dream is currently recovering from an injury he suffered at the hands of the Undisputed Era on-screen but could make his return to competition sooner than later. With that in mind, he should be pushed up the card once he returns, as the young Superstar seems to have developed enough to even become the NXT Champion at this point.
Since Strong doesn’t hold the North American Championship anymore, the babyface Lee could defend it against other heels, while Dream could return as a babyface and go after the leader of the Undisputed Era instead of Strong.
A rivalry between Dream and Cole would be epic for the NXT Championship picture, and would allow the brand to give newer faces a chance to grow in the mid-card as they compete against Lee.
#1 To not let another monster fall
WWE has always invested heavily in monsters, as reports state that Vince McMahon loves to see bigger men take to the ring and dominate smaller opponents.
Over the years, we’ve seen WWE develop some successful monsters such as Kane and Big Show, while others such as The Great Khali, Big Daddy V, and Braun Strowman have not been as successful.
Keith Lee is another man who is built like a monster, and NXT seems to have shifted their focus from his wrestling abilities to his power in recent months.
With that in mind, allowing Lee to win a Championship so early in his WWE career will allow him to get a taste of gold and also allow the company to test him with a Championship reign.
It will help them retain the interest of the WWE Universe, and not let him try and fail again like what’s happening with Strowman.
Lee is an incredible athlete, and the company seems to know that if they invest in him now, they will be reaping the rewards in the long run. Therefore, allowing him to defeat a man as good as Roderick Strong proves that he's in it for the long run.
