Grayson Waller Retains NXT Title Over CM Punk With Kevin Owens Help

Grayson Waller Retains NXT Title With Kevin Owens’ Help Against CM Punk

Grayson Waller is still the NXT Champion. Wrestling Inc. reported that Waller defeated CM Punk on Wednesday’s edition of WWE NXT on The CW. The victory came after Kevin Owens distracted Punk in the closing moments. Owens’ interference allowed Waller to roll up his opponent and retain the championship.

The match closed the 11/4 broadcast. It was set up after Punk challenged Waller following the champion’s win over Tony D’Angelo at the Halloween Havoc Premium Live Event. The feud between Waller and Punk had been building since an NXT live event in August and spilled over to social media.

Owens’ Distraction Decides the Main Event

The contest featured several momentum shifts. Punk sent Waller over the top rope early. He went for a dive, but Waller rocked him with a right hand to the jaw. Waller then sent Punk over the ropes and attempted a baseball slide. Punk caught him in the ring skirt and beat him down. Waller later hit a neck breaker over the top turnbuckle and draped Punk over the commentary desk.

🚨🔥 CONTROVERSY IN THE NXT MAIN EVENT! 🔥🚨 The NXT CHAMPIONSHIP was on the line as GRAYSON WALLER defended against CM PUNK! 🏆💥 After all the ONLINE SHADE, Waller had A LOT to prove and once again pulled out EVERY DIRTY TRICK in the book, including the EXPOSED TURNBUCKLE! 😤… pic.twitter.com/PyOLWkXyRC

— https://x.com/SnugWrestling/status/2118177093905432794

Waller dodged a GTS in the closing sequence. He countered with a spinning back forearm. They traded strikes in the center of the ring. Waller hit another spinning forearm, knocking Punk to the apron. Punk looked for a piledriver but was countered with a back body drop. He connected with a dive, a cross body, an elbow drop, and a superplex. As Punk motioned for the Go To Sleep, Owens appeared from the WWE Performance Center crowd. The distraction let Waller get the surprise roll-up for the victory.

Owens Removed From Performance Center Earlier That Day

Fightful.com reported that Owens had been removed from the WWE Performance Center earlier on Wednesday after attempting to fight Punk before the show. Arab-Wrestling.com confirmed that Owens ran down to the ring to distract Punk during the closing moments, enabling the pinfall that kept the title on Waller.

Grayson Waller Retains NXT Title Over CM Punk With Kevin Owens Help — Photo: arab-wrestling.com

Punk Faces Owens on SmackDown November 6

The rivalry moves to WWE Friday Night SmackDown. According to Fightful.com, Punk and Owens will face each other in a taped singles match airing on the 11/6 edition. Punk is also scheduled for NXT holiday house shows on November 14 in Detroit and November 15 in Chicago.

Disclaimer: The cultural analyses and financial data presented in this article are based on available public records and industry metrics at the time of publication.