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In a shocking twist during the latest episode of NXT, Dragon Lee lost the North American Championship to Oba Femi. The former had agreed to a match with Lexis King, which served as the night's main event.
After securing a title shot, King boasted to Femi backstage that the latter would be the new NXT Champion while he would be the new North American Champ.
King was unsuccessful in winning the title, but Femi was not. After taking an interest in the night's main event, the big man cashed in his Breakout Tournament contract for a title shot at Dragon Lee.
After a quick match, Femi left as the new North American Champion. Why did Dragon Lee drop the belt to the promising newcomer? Here are three possible reasons behind the shocking title swap.
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#3 The loss allows Dragon Lee to go back to SmackDown
Wes Lee's unfortunate injury forced bookers to call an audible regarding Dominik Mysterio's new challenger for NXT Deadline last month. Rey Mysterio surprised his son when he revealed that Dragon Lee would be the new opponent.
The situation was muddy as Dragon Lee had been officially added to the SmackDown roster. Since he was still relatively new to the brand, it was easy for him to replace the injured Wes Lee. Main roster stars have consistently shown up on NXT over the last six months.
In his brief time with the belt, Lee fought and lost to Santos Escobar during the United States Championship tournament. Now that he no longer possesses the title, the Future of Lucha Libre can resume his SmackDown career.
#2 It makes Oba Femi a serious player in NXT
Oba Femi debuted earlier this year but didn't re-emerge until the 2023 Men's Breakout Tournament. He beat Riley Osborne in the tournament finals, grabbing a future title shot at any time of his choosing.
It was easy to see Femi's raw talent from his explosive performances. He has a great look, athleticism, and power. By winning the tournament, it was clear that officials had big plans for the former NCAA Football player.
Beating a star the caliber of Dragon Lee gives Femi more credibility with his explosive arsenal of moves. He could even be a future NXT Champion.
#1 Unfinished business on SmackDown
As mentioned in the first point, the loss was likely done so Lee could resume things on SmackDown. Winning the title wasn't the original plan, but he filled in admirably along the way.
While he was wowing fans on SmackDown, Lee was battling Santos Escobar on behalf of the Latino World Order. Escobar had betrayed Rey Mysterio and the rest of the LWO. Lee wasn't an official member but had received personal endorsements from the WWE Hall of Famer.
Lee also missed his six-person tag team match at New Year's Evil due to VISA issues. He was replaced with Carlito, but the fans gave him a hero's welcome.
With Santos gaining allies in Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza, Lee can be the third man with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro to battle Escobar's trio.
