Blake Monroe has publicly addressed the highly controversial conclusion to her NXT Women’s North American Championship match against Thea Hail. The bout, which took place on the December 16th, 2025, edition of WWE NXT, featured a botched finish that prematurely ended Monroe’s inaugural championship reign in the company.
Former Champion Cites Referee Error and Reveals Physical Toll
The unexpected title change occurred due to a miscommunication in the ring. Monroe had the wind knocked out of her during a sequence, leading to a situation where the referee counted a pinfall that was not intended to be the actual finish. During a recent appearance on the Notsam Wrestling podcast, Monroe candidly discussed the incident. She revealed the physical toll of the match, noting that she suffered damaged cartilage in her ribs around Christmas time as a direct result of the bout.
Monroe did not hold back her frustration regarding the circumstances surrounding her defeat. She expressed annoyance that her career will now be permanently linked to Thea Hail because of the mistake, and she openly criticized the official for executing a fast count to end the match.
“Yes. I mean, look, the negative is Thea Hail will always be attached to me now,” Monroe stated. “I have to wrestle her next week and you’re lucky I’ve shown up today. I was going to go to therapy, but I decided to be a company woman and show up. But no, I mean, I think the theme of my career is people will talk about me and who are you if you’re not talked about, to be honest.”
Monroe continued to express her belief that the referee was at fault for the sudden conclusion. “And it was definitely shocking and I feel like the ref was clearly in a rush to get home. I mean, he counted that quick, but um no, it was definitely very exciting and I’m going to get my revenge next week in under three minutes.”
