Major replacement for title match announced following blockbuster return after 252 days on WWE show

A fellow superstar returned to a WWE show after 252 days to participate in a replacement match.

Grayson Waller used to be one of the consistent performers in NXT for the past few years. His hard work in the ring earned him a spot at the top of the roster earlier this year when he challenged for the NXT Championship a couple of times.

His in-ring skills didn't go unnoticed, as he was called up to the main roster as part of the 2023 WWE Draft. However, he returned to NXT tonight to confront Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, who were disappointed that Williams' match for the NXT Title was canceled due to Ilja Dragunov's injury.

During the confrontation, Hayes confidently challenged Waller on behalf of Williams and even put Williams' title shot on the line, which Waller accepted without hesitation.

Alberto Del Rio returning to WWE?

Expand Tweet

Thus, the main event for tonight's episode of NXT New Year's Evil, which was supposed to be Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov, will now be Williams against Waller.

It remains to be seen if Trick Williams can overcome a tough opponent like Grayson Waller tonight on WWE NXT.

What do you make of this replacement match? Sound off in the comments section.

About the author

Sunil is a pro wrestling journalist, covering AEW and WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree in Marketing, and has nearly 7 years of experience. A wrestling aficionado since childhood, Sunil used to imitate his favorite wrestlers as a young kid, and started writing professionally about the sport via Sportskeeda’s revenue-sharing opportunity.

Sunil admires former world champions AJ Styles, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega for their ability to consistently deliver great matches as well as entertain crowds with their mic skills.

If ever given a chance to change a storyline, Sunil would have booked Roman Reigns to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak instead of Brock Lesnar. According to him, The Tribal Chief needed the victory more than Brock Lesnar, as the latter was already an established performer when he defeated ‘Taker. He would’ve also made that as Taker’s final match.

Always focused on making his work accurate and reliable, Sunil thoroughly checks his facts before writing his articles. When not writing for pro wrestling, he spends his time watching cricket.

Know More

Edited by Angana Roy