James Taylor
WWE has been left in chaos after a referee allegedly 'botched' the finish of a match, leading to an accidental champion being crowned on live television.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe was defending her title against Thea Hail at an event on December 17.
Monroe had held the championship for 52 days after winning it at NXT Halloween Havoc 2025 and had been widely expected to successfully defend her crown against Hail.
During the match, Hail hit a springboard senton off the middle rope onto Monroe before going for the cover.
Advert
The referee then counted to three, bringing the match to an abrupt end.
However, the official has since received heavy criticism after replays showed Monroe clearly getting her shoulder up before the three-count was completed.
The moment sparked chaos inside the ring, with Hail visibly stunned that she had been awarded the victory and the championship.
Adding to speculation that the finish was not planned, it was Monroe's music that initially played inside the arena following the decision.
The music was quickly cut off before Hail's theme was played instead.
Wrestling fans were quick to react on social media, believing the referee had made a mistake.
One fan wrote: "The referee just botched the finish and Thea Hail is the new champ.
"This is crazy."
Another added: "Thea Hail definitely wasn’t supposed to win.
"She was obviously legit shocked, and Blake Monroe was in complete disbelief.
"They also had Monroe’s music queued before they cut it off real quick and played Hail’s.
"The ref botched that ending real bad."
According to Fightful Select, Blake Monroe was originally scheduled to retain the title before the 'botched' ending threw WWE's plans into chaos.
SEScoops also reported that WWE officials were left scrambling backstage, with the unexpected outcome impacting storyline plans for several people.
It remains unclear who was responsible for the change of direction, but WWE's creative team has already begun working on alternative plans for the coming weeks.
Monroe was understandably left frustrated by the ending, which brought her title reign to an abrupt conclusion.
On X, she wrote: "Not the first time I've been screwed."
Despite the frustration, Monroe may not have to wait long for a chance to regain the championship, having already demanded a rematch.
With the NXT New Year's Evil special just three weeks away, the event could provide the opportunity for Blake Monroe to challenge for and potentially reclaim the title.