NXT UK Women’s title defended before WWE Evolution

When Evolution was first announced, WWE listed the NXT United Kingdom Women’s Championship as one of the titles that would be defended at the pay-per-view.

The participants weren’t advertised in advance and the match didn’t air live, but the NXT UK Women’s title was defended tonight. Rhea Ripley defeated Dakota Kai to retain the title at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York shortly before the Evolution main card started. ESPN.com noted that it was a fast-paced match that had a lot of energy from the crowd.

Ripley’s title win has yet to air on the WWE Network. She won the championship in an eight-woman tournament at NXT UK’s television tapings in Birmingham, England in August. She defeated Xia Brookside and Kai to get to the finals, then defeated Toni Storm to become the inaugural champion.

Since winning the title, Ripley has also been defending it at NXT’s house shows in Florida.