The finale match to crown a new number-one contender for the Speed Women’s Championship is now set, coming out of the latest episode of WWE NXT. Lainey Reid (from NXT) will face Candice LeRae in the finals after securing a surprise win over Faby Apache (from AAA) last night.
Before colliding in the match, both wrestlers received pre-taped promos to get themselves over. Apache, being a legend, shone bright during the match, but, thanks to a distraction by Nattie AKA Natalya Neidhart at ringside, she had to come up short on the September 9 episode of WWE NXT. That distraction made Apache miss a senton, allowing Reed to deliver a running knee strike.
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Reed thus earned the pin count on Apache, and she has now advanced in the ongoing tournament to face Candice LeRae in the finals. The winner of this match will face the Speed Women’s Champion, Sol Ruca, at No Mercy. There’s no confirmation on whether the final match of the tournament to determine Ruca’s opponent will take place on next week’s WWE NXT.
As for Natalya Neidhart, she was sitting in the front row to witness the match featuring Faby Apache and Lainey Raid on WWE NXT because she and Apache will collide in a match at WWE – AAA World Collide this weekend. The winner of this bout will get a shot at the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship.
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What an ending! 😱
A slight distraction by @NatbyNature, and @lainey_wwe is moving on in the Women's Speed Championship Tournament! pic.twitter.com/TDl8qdTRtL
— WWE (@WWE) September 10, 2025
WWE NXT: Candice LeRae advanced to tourney finale last week
Last week, on the September 2 Episode of WWE NXT, Candice LeRae (from SmackDown) defeated Xia Brookside (from TNA) to advance to the final match of the WWE Women’s Speed Title Number-One Contenders Tournament in what marked the inaugural bout of the tournament.
It was back at Heatwave premium live event that WWE NXT General Manager Ava announced that she was bringing the Men’s & Women’s WWE Speed Championships to NXT. Ava told Sol Ruca (the current dual title-holder with the WWE Women’s Speed Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Championship) that there will be a Tournament featuring 1 Woman from NXT, 1 from TNA, 1 from AAA, and 1 from RAW or SmackDown, with the winner facing her for the Speed Title at NXT No Mercy 2025 set for September 27.