Lainey Reid has championship gold in her sights following a win over Candice LeRae on “WWE NXT.”
With special match introductions from NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Cole Custer, Reid and LeRae battled in the semi-finals of the WWE Women’s Speed Championship tournament. LeRae immediately burst out with a senton and a springboard moonsault, though Reid dodged the latter and dropped LeRae onto her back for a near fall. LeRae and Reid then moved the action to the apron, with Reid superkicking LeRae and lifting her up for a potential vertical suplex. LeRae, however, escaped from it and sent Reid crashing onto the apron as the clock neared the half-way point of the three-minute bout.
Seeing the clock approach the one-minute mark, LeRae followed with a springboard crossbody to the outside before returning to the ring with a cinched crossface. Sol Ruca and Zaria watched on from an elevated platform as Reid then rolled up LeRae for another near fall. Reid and LeRae traded more pinfall attempts in the moments following, but it was Reid who finally secured the match-winning one with a jumping knee strike.
With her victory, Reid now looks ahead to “NXT” No Mercy, where she will challenge Ruca for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship. Reid previously defeated AAA’s Faby Apache in the tournament’s opening round.
After a period of inactivity, the WWE Women’s and Men’s Speed Championships officially moved to the “NXT” brand. No Mercy will mark Ruca’s first title defense since she bested WWE main roster star Alba Fyre on July 9.
