WWE Just Crowned a New Champion Right Before WrestleMania—And Shawn Michaels Can’t Stop Talking About It
Just when you thought all the big surprises were being saved for WrestleMania, WWE NXT went ahead and flipped the script.
Saturday’s Stand & Deliver event in Chesterfield, Missouri, wasn’t just another stop on the road to Mania 42. It turned into a full-blown title-swapping frenzy that left fans buzzing. And yes, a certain Hall of Famer named Shawn Michaels had plenty to say about it.
Let’s start with the men’s side. Joe Hendry’s run as NXT Champion came to an end in a chaotic fatal four-way match against Tony D’Angelo, Ethan Page, and Ricky Saints. When the dust settled, it was Tony D’Angelo walking out with the gold.
But the real showstopper happened in the women’s division.
Jacy Jayne had held the NXT Women’s Championship for 136 days. That reign came crashing down in a triple threat match against Lola Vice and Kendal Grey. For a while, it looked like Jayne might survive—especially after she hit her Rolling Encore on Grey.
Then came the backfist heard around the building.
Lola Vice, already a double champion elsewhere (she holds the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles with Mr. Iguana), landed a massive spinning backfist on Jayne to become the new NXT Women’s Champion. The crowd lost it. And honestly? So did the WWE legend who runs the show behind the scenes.
Shortly after the match, Shawn Michaels—WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative—took to X with a simple but powerful message:
“.@lolavicewwe is your new NXT Women’s Champion. Earned it. Fought for it. Delivered when it mattered most.”
No hype. No fluff. Just respect.
And the fans? They’re already rallying behind Vice. With WrestleMania 42 just two weeks away, the timing couldn’t be better for the new champ. Many are already whispering about a future main roster call-up. But for now? She’s rewriting the NXT history books—one backfist at a time.
