WWE crowns first NXT UK Women’s Champion at TV tapings
The first NXT United Kingdom Women’s Champion was crowned at today’s television tapings in Birmingham, England.
Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm in the finals of an eight-woman tournament to become the first champion. Triple H and NXT UK general manager Johnny Saint came to the ring and presented the title to Ripley after the match.
The tournament began at yesterday’s tapings, with Ripley defeating Xia Brookside, Storm defeating Isla Dawn, Jinny defeating Millie McKenzie, and Dakota Kai defeating Nina Samuels in the first round. Ripley beat Kai in the semifinals and Storm advanced over Jinny.
The 21-year-old Ripley, who is from Adelaide, Australia, made her WWE debut in last year’s Mae Young Classic and has been a regular on NXT house shows. She’s also one of the participants in this year’s Mae Young Classic.
WWE has yet to reveal when and where the NXT UK series will be airing. When announcing October’s Evolution pay-per-view, the company noted that the NXT UK Women’s Championship would be one of the titles defended on the show.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.