Heatwave was a great PLE for NXT. Fans got to witness great wrestling, new champions, and an announcement from NXT General Manager Ava. She announced that the WWE Speed Championships will be moving full-time to NXT. For people not familiar with those titles, the concept is easy to understand. Two wrestlers will compete in matches with a three-minute time limit. That forces a lot of innovation and quick thinking in order to achieve victory.
The championships were initially defended on a show on X called WWE Speed, which aired from April 2024 until July 2025. When the show stopped being produced, Sol Ruca wore her Women’s Speed Championship on television, prompting speculation on its future. Ava’s announcement gives clarity on the future of the titles. Conducting Speed matches on NXT is a great idea, as it provides more eyes to the innovative match type.
Speed Matches Test the Ingenuity of Wrestlers
As stated above, WWE Speed matches are conducted with a time limit of three minutes. When championship matches are being held, that time extends to five minutes. It may seem like a long time, but the time goes really fast.
With matches typically being double or triple that length, the wrestlers have to do everything quickly in order to pin their opponent. This is similar to the British Rounds Rules used for the Heritage Cup, which is six three-minute rounds. These types of matches also test their mental ability.
They know they only have a certain amount of time to get the victory. The clock ticking down is always at the back of their mind, which can either help or hurt a wrestler. Continuing Speed matches on NXT will allow young wrestlers to get used to these match types so they can improve their wrestling ability.
The Matches are Contested Without Brand Separation
One of the things that is unique about WWE Speed is that WWE doesn’t care about brand separation when determining matchups. Every couple of weeks, a tournament was held for the WWE Speed and WWE Women’s Speed championships featuring main roster and NXT talent. A bracket of eight would start until a number one contender was crowned. Then that person would face the champion. Everyone was welcome, with no one excluded for not being on the main roster.
The same thing can be said about the upcoming tournament announced by Ava on NXT. She announced that Candice LeRae, Faby Apache, Lainey Reid, and Xia Brookside would be competing to fight Sol Ruca for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship.
These women are representing SmackDown, AAA, NXT, and TNA, respectively. Having tournaments without brand separation allows for dream matchups to occur, along with learning experiences for the younger wrestlers.
WWE Speed Could Be a Hit with the NXT Audience
Moving WWE Speed matches to NXT gives the concept a chance to refresh itself. When it was on X, only a limited number of people who had an account on the website could see it. Now, with the matches being on NXT, more people can see what the concept is all about. T
he Heritage Cup has been a hit with the NXT audience, and WWE Speed has similar rules in terms of match length. Wrestlers have to really focus to get the win, allowing for excitement and jaw-dropping moments from the fan’s perspective.
They also get to see more wrestlers crossing over to NXT. Ava is using WWE’s partnerships with TNA and AAA to everyone’s advantage, ensuring more NXT debuts in the months to come. Fans get to see an innovative match type and unexpected wrestlers due to WWE’s decision to bring Speed matches to NXT.
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