Mia Yim is the latest NXT Superstar to qualify for a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender to the NXT Women’s Championship. NXT General Manager William Regal announced the match on Twitter just over a week ago, along with Bianca Belair as the first competitor.
Belair remains undefeated in singles competition on NXT TV since her debut last year, and expressed resentment on social media at having to fight anyone else to determine her number one contendership. After over a week of feverish speculation, Regal announced yesterday that Belair would be joined by Lacey Evans, the self-styled. Belair overcame Evans in a hard-fought match last year, but Evans has since racked up a number of impressive wins herself, including a victory over Kairi Sane not long before Sane herself won the title.
Mia Yim earned her spot in the match by defeating Reina Gonzalez. Yim and Gonzalez both competed in this year’s Mae Young Classic. Gonzalez was eliminated in the first round by former American Ninja Warrior Kacey competitor Kacy Catanzaro. Yim advanced to the quarter-finals, where she was eliminated by eventual tournament winner Toni Storm. Though Gonzalez put up a decent effort, Yim got the pin after landing her Seoul Food finisher.
Mia Yim is a particularly interesting addition to the match given her well-known friendship with NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler. Yim lives with Baszler and Baszler’s fellow Horsewoman of MMA Jessamyn Duke. Yim suffered a leg injury late last year that kept her out of the ring for several months, and credited Baszler and Duke for helping her recover in an interview with TV Insider earlier this year. The NXT commentary team have regularly acknowledged their relationship, frequently referencing Baszler’s tutelage in submission maneuvers as a key part of Yim’s recent success.
If Yim prevails in the fatal four-way, her title match against Baszler would also be a rematch of their second-round clash in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, which saw Baszler force Yim to tap out.
Check back in with Diva Dirt for further updates on the NXT Women’s Championship.
