History was made on the February 24th edition of WWE NXT. Recent signee Elio LeFleur (formerly known on the indies as Aigle Blanc) won the WWE Speed Championship in a special seven-minute triple threat match, pinning the previous champion, Jasper Troy, following an Eli Knight moonsault in what was one of the more exciting Speed matches since the titles were introduced.
While the value of the Speed title is certainly a conversation to be had, the win is a sure sign that WWE thinks highly of the French Luchador by giving him a championship so soon after his debut. It undoubtedly bodes well for his future in NXT.
Not only that, but LeFleur’s win was also history-making in its own right. Born in Paris, France, LeFleur’s victory made him only the second France-born wrestler in WWE history to win championship gold. The first, of course, is the legendary André the Giant, whose last WWE championship run ended at WrestleMania VI in 1990, when he and his partner Haku lost the World Tag Team Championships to Demolition. Thus, it’s been thirty-six long years since a superstar born in France has held a title in WWE.
With LeFleur only just making his presence felt in the company, it’s not hard to imagine that he’ll continue to make history. Who knows, perhaps he’ll join the first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame as the second Frenchman to win the WWE championship. Only time will tell, but the sky is seemingly the limit for the newest star in NXT.
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