The NXT Heritage Cup is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is a specialized championship for men of NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The title is defended just like any other championship but has a special stipulation in which all matches are contested under British Rounds Rules. The current champion is Noam Dar, who is in his record third reign. He won the title by defeating previous champion Nathan Frazer by 2–1 at NXT: Heatwave on August 22, 2023.
Unveiled on September 10, 2020, as the NXT UK Heritage Cup, it was originally established as a secondary championship for the NXT UK brand, which was a sister brand of NXT based in the United Kingdom. The inaugural champion was A-Kid. At Worlds Collide on September 4, 2022, all other NXT UK championships were unified into their respective NXT championship counterparts due to the closure of NXT UK. The Heritage Cup, however, was the only championship from either brand that was not contested at the event. The title then saw months of inactivity until April 2023 when reigning champion Noam Dar brought the Cup with him to NXT, with it in turn becoming an NXT championship.
On September 10, 2020, the American professional wrestling promotion WWE announced the relaunch of the United Kingdom-based NXT UKbrand, following a production hiatus since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Along with the relaunch, the promotion announced the NXT UK Heritage Cup tournament to crown the inaugural NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion. The announcement also revealed that the Heritage Cup would be defended just like any other championship, but all matches would be contested under British Rounds Rules.[2][3][4]
Only seven of the eight competitors for the tournament were revealed during the initial announcement: "Flash" Morgan Webster, Noam Dar, Alexander Wolfe, A-Kid, Dave Mastiff, Trent Seven, and Joseph Conners.[2][5] The eighth competitor was determined on the October 1 episode of NXT UK in a triple threat match in which Kenny Williams defeated Ashton Smith and Amir Jordan to win the final spot.[6] The tournament itself also began on October 1 and took place across episodes of NXT UK.[2] The final aired on tape delay on November 26 where A-Kid defeated Seven to become the inaugural champion (the date the episode was taped is unknown).[7]
In August 2022, WWE announced that NXT UK would go on hiatus after the Worlds Collide event on September 4, 2022, and the brand would relaunch as NXT Europe at a later time.[8] At Worlds Collide, all other NXT UK championships were retired as they were unified into their respective American-based NXT championship counterparts. The Heritage Cup was the only title from either brand to not be contested at the event.[9] The last match for the title occurred during the July 7, 2022, tapings of NXT UK, which aired on tape delay on August 25, where Noam Dar became a record two-time Heritage Cup Champion.[10][11] Following this, the title saw months of inactivity until April 2023. On the April 4, 2023, episode of NXT, Dar, along with the Heritage Cup, made his NXT debut, stating he would defend the title when he sees fit.[12] The title was subsequently renamed to NXT Heritage Cup, with the first NXT defense of the championship coming at NXT Battleground on May 28, which was also the first time the title was defended in the United States.[13]
British Rounds Rules
Matches consist of six three-minute rounds with 20-second breaks between each round.
Unlike other professional wrestling championships, the Heritage Cup is represented by a trophy instead of a title belt. The trophy itself is a silver cup, the front of which has a gold shield-shaped plaque that has a vertical NXT logo and below it the text "Heritage Cup". Below the cup is a physical representation of what was formerly the NXT UK logo, which is modeled after the United Kingdom's royal coat of arms, featuring a lion and a horse (instead of the traditional unicorn) on either side of the arms in gold, with a red shield at the center which has a gold vertical NXT logo. A small WWE logo is affixed at the center of the X in both NXT logos. A gold banner below this also says "Heritage Cup". This all sits atop a wooden base that is circled in gold name plaques which notate the current and previous champions.[7]
Reigns
As of February 25, 2024, there have been seven reigns between five champions. A-Kid was the inaugural champion. Noam Dar has the most reigns at three and his second reign is the longest at 341 days; however, due to tape delay, WWE officially recognizes his second reign as lasting 292 days, but still the longest. Dar also has the longest combined reign at 788+ days (737+ days as recognized by WWE due to tape delay). Mark Coffey has the shortest reign at 14 days (42 days as recognized by WWE due to tape delay, but still the shortest). Coffey is also the oldest champion at 32 years old, while A-Kid is the youngest at 23.
Defeated Trent Seven 2–1 in the tournament final to become the inaugural champion. WWE recognizes this reign as beginning on November 26, 2020, and ending on May 20, 2021, when the matches aired on tape delay. The actual dates the matches took place are unknown.
Won 1–0. WWE recognizes this reign as beginning on May 20, 2021, and ending on October 28, 2021, when the matches aired on tape delay. The actual date of when the win took place is unknown.
Won 2–1 after Bate's partner, Trent Seven, who was ringside, accidentally threw in the towel. WWE recognizes Dar's reign as beginning on October 28, 2021, and ending on July 14, 2022, when the matches aired on tape delay.
Won 2–1. Sha Samuels was banned from ringside. WWE recognizes this reign as beginning on July 14, 2022, and ending on August 25, 2022, when the matches aired on tape delay.
Won 2–1. WWE recognizes this reign as beginning on August 25, 2022, when the match aired on tape delay. Following the Worlds Collide event in September 2022, the title saw months of inactivity until it was brought back on the April 4, 2023, episode of NXT, thus transferring the title to NXT with it subsequently renamed to NXT Heritage Cup.
