Imperium defeat Riddle and Thatcher for NXT Tag Team titles

Wednesday’s NXT on USA show kicked off with a title change as Imperium (Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner) defeated Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher to win the NXT tag team championship.

The beginning of the end started when Riddle monkey flipped Marcel Barthel into the corner, accidentally hitting Thatcher in the process. An incensed Thatcher then walked out on Riddle leaving him to face Imperium two-on-one.

Riddle held his own against both men temporarily, but the numbers game was too much. Barthel and Aichner hit the European Bomb finisher (spinning back elbow from the top rope) for the pin and win, the first NXT gold for either man.

Afterward, Thatcher was doing a promo backstage where he explained that he was tired of Riddle’s antics and Riddle interrupted, resulting in both men needing to be pulled apart. It was later announced that the two will face off later in the show.

Riddle and Pete Dunne had won the titles in February, but with Dunne unable to travel due to the pandemic, Thatcher was put in his place although he was never officially recognized as a champion.