Major Title Change Takes Place at NXT Takeover Rival Tonight Due to the Ref Stopping the Match

February 11, 2015

Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover Rival tonight to become the new NXT Champion.

The finish came after Owens hit Zayn with multiple powerbombs, which Zayn kicked out of, but then Owens proceeded to hit several more bombs and trainers instructed the referee to stop the fight. Owens was then declared the winner and new Champion.

Paglino: An amazing finish. For those of you who feel UFC is indeed competition for WWE, and WWE’s product lacks the UFC edge, then this was the finish you wanted to see. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t overbooked, it wasn’t a “typical” finish, but it looked and felt real, and both guys came out of the bout looking fantastic.

I’m a big fan of the “anything can happen” approach to booking match finishes, as real life fights might not end with glossy three counts, so this was the perfect way to end what I hope is only the first of many matches between Owens and Zayn.

Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.

Nick attended New York University and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Drama.

Nick first entered the internet wrestling community back in 2004 when he became the co-host of The Voice of Wrestling Radio Show. From there, Nick made the transition from radio personality to editor when he began working with WrestleZone in 2008.

Nick is a member of two Off-Broadway theatre companies, Another Urban Riff, and the Drama Desk Award winning Godlight Theatre Company. Nick has appeared in over a dozen Off-Broadway plays since he moved to New York City, and has shot several short and feature length films. In 2010, he completed principle photography on a film titled "How to Score Your Life," which also features TNA Knockout ODB.

Inspiration in his life has come from many people including his family, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, The Beatles, and of course, Lassie.