Right now in NXT, we have one of the best lineups of champions the brand has ever seen. Finn Balor as NXT Champion. Io Shirai as NXT Women’s Champion. Johnny Gargano as NXT North American Champion. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch as NXT Tag Team Champions. Santos Escobar at NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Any of them can steal a show on any given night, but WWE has something special in Santos Escobar.
Ever since shedding his mask as El Hijo Del Fantasma after winning the championship, and aligning with Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza to form Legado Del Fantasma? He’s raised the title to new heights. Never before was the title defended on an NXT Takeover event, but his match with Swerve made the cut. He’s since put down Jake Atlas, Gran Metalik, and Curt Stallion, all without missing a beat. Who else is really left for Escobar?
A Side Feud With Karrion Kross To Buy WWE Time
Before facing off with Curt Stallion & Gran Metalik, Escobar made a serious mistake. While hyping himself as champion, he referenced the shortcomings of others on the brand, such as The Gargano Curse, Finn Balor breaking his jaw, and Karrion Kross having to let his title go due to injury. Gargano & Balor are busy being champions, but Kross needed another fight.
It’s clear that this match is coming, after Scarlett loomed over his title defense with Stallion, and Kross confronted him after the match. This feud is a way to build Kross up further, while also giving NXT a chance to build up a new contender for Escobar, as he’s knocked down every challenger available while we wait for the obvious match.
Names like Ashante Adonis, August Grey, or even former champions like Buddy Murphy or Tony Nese could be built up as the next challengers, but it’s hard to imagine Escobar losing until we see him face the other Cruiserweight Champion, Jordan Devlin.
The Unification Match Can’t Come Soon Enough
One of the reasons why Escobar has had such a tight grip on the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, is the obvious match everyone wants. He’s not the only Cruiserweight Champion on the roster right now, as Jordan Devlin holds the original title over in NXT UK. Devlin won the belt back in 2020 at Worlds Collide, defended it against Lio Rush & Travis Banks, before the lockdown began.
That prompted WWE to set up the tournament that Escobar won, but he’s the Interim Champion. Devlin is still champion, and has stacked up defenses on NXT UK against Amir Jordan, Oliver Carter, and Ben Carter. His next challenger is set to be Trent Seven, who is cutting weight to 205lbs. This storyline also helps WWE pad out the reign of Devlin, like how Escobar vs. Kross is in NXT.
It’s unlikely Seven wins, as Devlin vs. Escobar has been expertly built up with their respective strong reigns, which has updates on the other champion on commentary. So while Escobar & Devlin continue to run out of challengers, it’ll be worth it in the end.
Who is the true NXT Cruiserweight Champion in your opinion? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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