Roderick Strong (Champion) vs. Keith Lee

NXT January 22: North American Championship

Strong unsuccessfully went for a single leg takedown, and Keith Lee hit him with some loud chops and strong elbows. Roderick Strong rolled out of the ring leading to the commercial break. When NXT came back, the wrestlers were both on the outside. Undisputed Era provided a minor distraction that gave Roderick Strong the time he needed. Strong began to focus on the injured ankle of Keith Lee with a wrecking ball dropkick and pinning Lee’s ankle between the post and steps. Back in the ring, Strong continued to focus on the ankle with each maneuver. Keith Lee managed to push Strong to the outside, but Roderick Strong came right back in and put Lee in the ankle lock. NXT again went to commercial, and Lee began to get some offense when the show returned from commercial. It was clear that Lee couldn’t put much weight on the ankle. After an olympic slam from the top rope, Strong went for the cover, but Keith Lee sat up after a one count. To buy himself some time, Lee pounced Strong over the top rope. The Undisputed Era jumped up on the apron, and Lee punched all of them out. Roderick Strong then hit a high knee and a single leg dropkick, but Lee kicked out of the pinfall attempt. When Strong hit the ropes, Lee grabbed him into a firemans carry and transitioned that into a jackhammer for the pinfall victory.

Keith Lee is the new North American Champion.

Match Ratings

Six dimensions combine to make up the overall rating. Matches score ratings of 1-10 only if the match lasts for a minimum of 5 minutes.

1. Match Quality– Was the match well wrestled or sloppy?
2. Audience Engagement– Did the live audience care about the match?
3. Competitiveness– Was the match competitive or one-sided?
4. Stakes – Did the match matter?
5. Finish– Did the match end in a satisfying manner?
6. Performance: (1) Poor (2) Below Average (3) Average (4) Above Average (5) Excellent