As reported earlier, the December 17th episode of WWE NXT featured a controversial NXT Women’s North American Championship match between Blake Monroe and the reigning champion, Thea Hail. The title change was unplanned and occurred because Hail did not give Monroe enough time to recover after delivering her signature backwards drop. This move reportedly knocked the wind out of Monroe, preventing her from kicking out before the three-count.
According to a previous report from Fightful Select, match official Felix Fernandez received praise backstage for his handling of the situation. However, other sources later suggested that there was some backlash directed at Fernandez for not checking on Monroe before proceeding with the pinfall.
Fightful Select has now reported that Monroe claimed she sustained an injury from that spot, and both she and her creative team were unhappy with how the situation unfolded. Consequently, a quick decision was made to schedule a rematch between the two competitors. The report did not confirm the severity of Monroe’s injury. Additionally, it stated that Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and other referees later spoke with Fernandez, affirming that he had managed the situation appropriately.