Kendal Grey Wins NXT Women's Championship on 3rd Try, Ending Lola Vice's 85-Day Reign

Q: How will rookie Kendal Grey's championship win define NXT's new broadcast era on The CW?

Kendal Grey’s title win is poised to define NXT’s CW era as a bet on youth, homegrown talent and fast-track star-making. The timing matters. Grey won the NXT Women’s Championship at The Great American Bash, the first NXT premium live event carried on The CW, giving the network’s expanded partnership with WWE an immediate signature moment. By putting the title on a rookie who only joined the NXT roster in April, WWE is signaling that this version of NXT is not just a feeder system but a place where new stars can break through quickly and credibly. Grey also fits the brand message Shawn Michaels and The CW have pushed: showcasing “up-and-coming Superstars.” Her win came after two earlier title failures and followed a 146-day run as WWE Evolve women’s champion, so the result was not random. It presented Grey as a developed prospect ready for a larger stage, reinforcing NXT’s identity as a launchpad for the next generation. That matters because NXT’s CW run has faced uneven ratings and year-over-year declines. In that environment, Grey’s reign becomes more than a title change; it is a test case for whether a fresh, homegrown champion can re-energize weekly television, create new rivalries and give viewers a reason to invest in the brand’s future. If Grey connects, her victory will stand as an early defining image of the CW era: NXT using its biggest platform yet to create a new face of the women’s division in real time.

Q: After a historic title defense in Mexico, why did Lola Vice's 85-day reign end so suddenly?

Lola Vice’s reign ended abruptly because WWE had positioned Kendal Grey for a breakout title win at NXT Great American Bash, and Grey capitalized on the opportunity cleanly one night after Vice’s historic defense in Mexico. Vice had just made history on June 27 by defending the NXT Women’s Championship against La Hiedra at a AAA event in Mérida, the first time the title had been defended in that promotion. But at Great American Bash on June 28 in Orlando, Grey—already on her third shot at the championship and widely viewed internally and publicly as a rising star—finally broke through. The match turned when Grey avoided Vice’s spinning backfist and hit her “Shades of Grey” finisher from the middle turnbuckle for the pin. Any potential outside disruption was neutralized when Wren Sinclair stopped Kelani Jordan from interfering, leaving Vice without an opening to recover. So the sudden end was less about the Mexico defense itself and more about timing and momentum. Vice entered the weekend as a strong champion and left it after a rapid turnaround against a heavily backed challenger who had been built for this moment. Grey’s win also fit WWE’s broader push of her as a rookie with major upside, following earlier failed title bids and a 146-day run as WWE Evolve women’s champion.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 29

The Great American Bash delivered Grey’s breakthrough as she beat Lola Vice with the Shades of Grey, then celebrated the NXT Women’s Championship win with Wren Sinclair and her family.
The title change ended Vice’s 85-day reign after a closing sequence in which both women escaped near falls before Grey dodged a spinning backfist and hit her finisher off the middle turnbuckle.
Grey captured the belt on her third attempt after earlier losses to Jacy Jayne at New Year’s Evil and in a Stand & Deliver triple threat also involving Vice.
Since joining the NXT roster in April, Grey has risen quickly from a 146-day WWE Evolve women’s title run to the top of NXT’s women’s division.