New Cruiserweight Champion Crowned On WWE NXT
Santos Escobar had issued an open challenge on the black-and-gold brand
Apr 14, 2021
The first Tuesday episode of NXT saw a new Cruiserweight champion crowned on the show.
Reigning champion Santos Escobar - fresh off of being declared the Undisputed Cruiserweight champion in a ladder match with Jordan Devlin at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver - issued an open challenge to the NXT roster for this title.
The challenge was answered by Kushida. The Japanese superstar would counter a Phantom Driver attempt by Escobar into a pin attempt, before the two superstars swapped two-counts. Kushida would eventually get the leverage, pinning Escobar's shoulders to the mat to get the win.
The Cruiserweight Title is the first championship that Kushida has held in WWE. The 37-year-old is a former six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion from his time in NJPW.
Kushida was last in action at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, in a losing effort to Pete Dunne.
While he was being congratulated backstage by general manager William Regal, Kushida was confronted by Jordan Devlin who said that, while he had to go home for a while, he would be back to challenge him for the Cruiserweight Championship, teasing a future match between the two.
