Thea Hale’s surprise victory for the NXT Women’s North American Championship not only disrupted WWE’s creative plans but is also prompting significant changes in how WWE NXT manages its talent. According to Fight Full Select, a miscommunication led to Hale winning the title from Blake Monroe unexpectedly, causing WWE officials to rethink how wrestlers behave during taping sessions. An NXT executive revealed discussions are underway to implement new rules to prevent similar incidents in the future.
One NXT official explained that this situation will lead to a major policy shift, with wrestlers now required to remain on-site until all future tapings are completed. Typically, NXT pre-tapes happen on Mondays, and under the new rules, talent will likely need to stay until the following day’s show.
This policy change directly resulted from the confusion after Hale’s unplanned win, which was not part of the original storyline. WWE had pre-recorded several NXT segments before the holiday season, all assuming Blake Monroe remained champion.
As previously reported, chaos erupted backstage. Monroe was supposed to retain, but Hale went for a pin too soon due to the wind, and Monroe couldn’t lift his shoulders in time. Referees, trained to make calls in real-time, counted the pinfall despite the mistake.
"We were pretty desperate to try and fix what was already being filmed to make sense of it," said one insider.
The unexpected error was so significant that WWE briefly played Monroe’s entrance music before cutting to Hale’s music once the mistake was recognized. WWE.com also momentarily listed Monroe as the winner before correcting the title change.
More NXT episodes will now be taped at the Performance Center, with officials exercising stricter control over talent schedules to ensure no one leaves early, even after matches or tapings conclude.
Fan Take: This shakeup highlights how unpredictable live wrestling can be, adding an extra layer of excitement and realism for fans. Strictly enforcing talent schedules could improve storyline continuity, ensuring smoother production and more coherent narratives in future NXT shows.
