After coming through their first round matches, two of NXT’s rising stars met in the WWE Speed tournament final. Last night, the French Luchador Elio LeFleur met Eli Knight in a high-flying clash to determine a new #1 contender. Current champion Jasper Troy awaited the winner, but before the dust settled, the final delivered a rare first in WWE.
Both LeFleur and Knight came through two tried-and-tested NXT veterans to progress to the final. LeFleur overcame Charlie Dempsey, whilst Knight bested Josh Briggs. Both are relatively new to NXT, so the title match presented an opportunity to make an early statement to the WWE brass. An encounter with Troy also offered a chance at revenge following the champion’s post-match assault last week.
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Unsurprisingly, much of the match was spent at high altitude. The springboard was a popular destination for both LeFleur and Knight, and the final’s early exchanges were reminiscent of the back-and-forth of a tennis match. But rather than helping one Superstar to gain momentum, the high-flying moves seemed to cancel one another out. Both competitors seemed to have studied the game tape, as the match’s final minutes provided a series of counters that kept the bout on a knife’s edge.
Surprisingly, that would be the story of the match. As Knight tried for one more move off the top rope, LeFleur countered into a Spanish Fly in the match’s final seconds. Sadly for LeFleur, time ran out before he could get the pin. The bell rang through the NXT Performance Center, with the match ending in a draw. It is suggested that there will be no challenger for Troy next week.
NXT General Manager Robert Stone Makes Historic WWE Speed Announcement
Upon the conclusion of the match, NXT Interim GM Robert Stone appeared at the head of the stage. Impressed by the performances of Eli Knight and Elio LeFleur, Stone made a historic announcement to the audience. Both Knight and LeFleur would challenge Troy in WWE Speed’s first-ever triple-threat championship match. Stone also added that the final would be extended to seven minutes to accommodate the additional challenger. WWE Speed title matches are normally five minutes.
Regardless of whether he defends his title or not, Jasper Troy’s reign will pass the 100-day mark before next week’sChampionship match. But in LeFleur and Knight, Troy faces a serious threat to his impressive title reign.
A TRIPLE THREAT SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH WITH A 7-MINUTE TIME LIMIT!!! 😱
FIRST TIME EVER NEXT WEEK!! pic.twitter.com/2JR1nBELF4
— WWE (@WWE) February 18, 2026
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