WWE Crowns New Champion After Controversial Finish As Referee Misses Huge Moment During Title Match

Nikkita Lyons finally has championship gold around her waist. The WWE star picked up the biggest win of her career at Evolve Succession III, where she defeated Wendy Choo to become the new Evolve Women's Champion. Not long after the match ended, WWE officially acknowledged the title change with a statement on social media.

What makes the result stand out even more is how the match finished. Choo looked very close to keeping her championship, but a crucial moment went unnoticed by the referee. That mistake completely changed the direction of the match and ended a title reign that had lasted over two months.

A missed submission call changed everything for Wendy Choo

The championship match almost had a very different winner. Late in the contest, Lyons was tapping out behind referee Vicky D'Errico's back. The official didn't see it, so the match continued. Choo had every reason to think she was moments away from retaining her title, but the opportunity slipped away.

Lyons quickly took advantage of the situation. She hit Choo with her crystal and followed it up with a roundhouse kick. That was enough to secure the victory and crown a new champion.

WWE later shared the result publicly after the event.

The victory gives Lyons her first championship in WWE

For Lyons, this wasn't just another win. Despite being part of WWE since 2021 and making appearances on different brands over the years, she had never won a championship before. That changed at Evolve Succession III.

The loss was also significant for Choo. Her run as Evolve Women's Champion lasted 70 days, and she successfully defended the title twice before running into Lyons.

Becky Lynch once predicted big things for Lyons

Lyons has been building her resume for a while now. She debuted on 205 Live in 2021 and later arrived in NXT the following year. Her Evolve debut came in May 2025 when she defeated Kendal Grey.

She also turned heel after being revealed as Adrianna Rizzo's mystery attacker. This year, Lyons aligned herself with Blake Monroe and appeared in Season 3 of LFG.

One person who has publicly backed Lyons is Becky Lynch. Reacting to a photo with her on social media, Lynch said she saw a big future for the star and referred to her as a "Becky Believer."

The championship win comes only a few months after Lyons returned to NXT in April, where she lost to debuting star Lizzy Rain a week later. Now, she's carrying the Evolve Women's Championship, and previous titleholders have already appeared on NXT with the belt, making that a possibility for Lyons as well.