Roderick Strong wins NXT Cruiserweight title

Diamond Mine has won its first championship gold.

On tonight’s NXT, Roderick Strong defeated Kushida to win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. The finish of the match included interference by all of Strong’s Diamond Mine stablemates.

Kushida had the Hoverboard Lock applied on Strong during the match, but Diamond Mine manager Malcolm Bivens put Strong’s foot on the bottom rope to cause a rope break. While the referee was distracted by Bivens and Hachiman, Julius & Brutus Creed pulled Kushida out of the ring. Ivy Nile then jumped off the steel steps and hit a strike on Kushida.

After the Creed brothers threw Kushida back in the ring, Strong hit a jumping knee strike and End of Heartache to win the Cruiserweight title.

Grayson Waller interrupted Diamond Mine as they were celebrating in the ring after the match. Waller challenged Strong to a Cruiserweight title match on next Tuesday’s NXT, and Bivens accepted on Strong’s behalf after consulting with him.

Waller (formerly known as Matty Wahlberg) joined the WWE Performance Center this April.

Waller has been a regular on 205 Live since making his WWE debut. He’s also been aligned with Drake Maverick in NXT.

Kushida and Strong’s Cruiserweight title match was originally scheduled for last month, but it couldn’t take place then due to Kushida testing positive for COVID-19.