Well this is interesting...
BREAKING: #NXTChampion @DMcIntyreWWE will defend his title against @AdamColePro w/ @ShawnMichaels as guest referee! https://t.co/ByVhnuCUbB
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) October 19, 2017
Adam Cole has been set up as a NXT title contender since he debuted at TakeOver: Brooklyn III to attack Drew McIntyre moments after he won the strap from Bobby Roode. Shawn Michaels works in WWE Developmental and calls the San Antonio area home.
This could just be a nice treat for the Texas crowd. It could be a sign tickets weren’t moving as briskly as Triple H and company would like (which wouldn’t be a great sign, as while The Aztec Theatre is on the larger side of NXT house show venues, it’s still only an approximately 2000 seat house).
Or, it could be the latest “anything can happen at a live event!” booking move, following in the footsteps of Samoa Joe beating Finn Bálor for the NXT championship in Lowell, Massachusetts last year, or AJ Styles taking the United States title from Kevin Owens at Madison Square Garden back in July.
This event happening on Friday, Nov. 17 - one night before TakeOver: War Games in Houston - adds another layer of intrigue. Without spoiling anything (you can do that for yourself here), let’s just say the belt changing hands here would alter the complexion of the card for NXT’s next live special.
Cole’s not worried about that. As he told WWE.com:
“Drew had been chasing that NXT Championship, and he finally achieved his dream. I almost feel bad for the guy. I feel bad that after all that hard work, all the sacrifice, it's going to be taken away by me. And there's not a damn thing he can do about it.”
Guess away about why this match has been announced and what the outcome might be below. And if you’re gonna be on the San Antonio River in four weeks, get your tickets here.
You never know what you might see...
UPDATE: Matt Jackson thinks he’s knows what’s going on here, and he’s probably right.