Smark Out Moment

The WWE NXT Championship has changed hands as Ilja Dragunov defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the title at NXT No Mercy on September 30, 2023.

My immediate reaction: You know, as much as I was leaning toward Hayes retaining, there was a nagging voice in my head that kept saying "If Trick wins the North American title, Hayes losing his belt is the story that pushes the most narrative. And there isn't anything left to do with Dragunov." I should've listened to that voice. Granted, I thought it would come with a heel turn for Dragunov, which hasn't happened yet, at least. As far as the next champion goes, hm.....

Since this happened, be sure to check out the updated full list of title changes for this year and the list of current champions and my predictions for who will take the belts away from them.