5 reasons why Keith Lee defeated Roderick Strong for the NXT North American Championship

#3 To open up the doors for a call-up

Adam Cole & Roderick Strong are arguably two of the finest wrestlers in the entire company at the moment, and if they weren't in a faction together, they’d probably be going head to head for the NXT Championship.

While both men have enjoyed a lot of success in NXT over the past few years, Superstars always keep an eye on when they will be called onto the RAW or SmackDown brand.

Strong impressed the entire WWE Universe when he defeated AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, as both men are regarded as some of the best wrestlers of all time.

The former North American Champion has been with the Black and Gold brand since October 2016, and the company may be planning to move him to RAW or SmackDown to give him new rivalries and opportunities.

With that in mind, losing to a newer star such as Lee allows him to pass the torch and prepare for a move which may allow him to make a bigger impact on another brand.