Cole vs. Balor to kick off NXT, match will be presented commercial-free

One of the show’s title matches will open this week’s episode of NXT.

WWE announced this morning that Adam Cole and Finn Balor’s NXT Championship match will kick off Wednesday’s show. The match will be presented commercial-free.

Balor became the number one contender to Cole’s title by defeating Keith Lee and Tommaso Ciampa in a triple threat match last week. The finish was Balor hitting the Coup de Grace and pinning Lee immediately after Lee had given Ciampa a Spirit Bomb.

Since debuting on the USA Network, this is the second time that an NXT Championship match has opened an NXT episode and been presented commercial-free. The first time it happened was when Cole retained his title against Matt Riddle on October 2. That show went head-to-head with the AEW Dynamite premiere and was the first time NXT had aired on the USA Network for its full two hours.

Balor returned to NXT on that October 2 episode and confronted Cole after he defeated Riddle.

Shayna Baszler will also defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley on Wednesday’s episode.