Tavion Heights had three minutes to beat Lexis King. But he only needed eight seconds. The WWE Speed men’s tournament final delivered a memorable moment on its final episode of the year, as Heights secured a title opportunity in rapid fashion.
Heights and King secured their spot in the tournament final on last week’s episode of NXT. The former No Quarter Catch Crew member defeated Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling protégé Eli Knight. In the other semi-final, King dispatched Andre Chase with the Coronation. Both Superstars would’ve fancied their chances heading into the final, but it seems that the arrogant King believed too strongly in his own hype.
Still preparing himself in the corner with his back to the ring, King was caught out when the bell rang. Turning to face his opponent, Heights was ready to strike at any chink in the armor. And strike he did. Heights took advantage of King’s complacency, delivering a devastating Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Flattened in the center of the ring, second-generation star King was unable to react, eating the pin, and ending any dreams of WWE Speed glory.
Heights drank in the stunned applause from a shocked NXT audience, but his celebrations were short-lived. The men’s WWE Speed Champion, Jasper Troy, appeared on the ramp just moments after the match concluded. The reigning champion held his belt aloft, throwing the gauntlet down to the new no.1 contender.
Was Tavion Heights’ Win the Quickest in NXT History?
It was a thought that immediately crossed the mind of commentator Vic Joseph as the bell rang. Did Lexis King just make history for all the wrong reasons?
Thankfully for the former NXT Heritage Cup Champion, he didn’t break the record, but the loss will still rank pretty highly on the list for the quickest NXT matches ever. The record still stands and comfortably so. Kassius Ohno, aka Chris Hero, still holds the record for the fastest NXT victory. His match with Chad Lio in 2017 lasted just three seconds, making Heights’ WWE Speed triumph look slow in comparison.
Regardless of his quick-fire victory, Heights should expect to go deep into the five-minute time limit when he challenges Jasper Troy for his title. Troy is on a four-match winning streak dating back to September.
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