Indi Hartwell Didn't Even Pick Herself To Win The NXT Women's Championship In Ladder Match

Former "WWE NXT" Women's Champion Roxanne Perez was able to return and compete at "NXT" Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania weekend, but a new champion was crowned when Indi Hartwell (with an assist from the other half of InDex, Dexter Lumis) climbed the ladder to retrieve the title. 

Hartwell said in a recent conversation with "Busted Open Radio" that the outcome even took her by surprise.

"It's okay because I think I should apologize to myself because I surprised myself as well," Hartwell said in response to host David LaGreca's apology for not picking her to win. "I wasn't even my own pick."

Hartwell was racking up victory after victory in the recent lead-up to Stand & Deliver, and there was a significant stretch of time when she had to find her footing in "NXT" on her own. That's because before Paul "Triple H" Levesque took over as WWE Chief Content Officer, three of her four stablemates in "The Way," were no longer with the company. The faction included Austin Theory, Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Hartwell's on-screen husband Lumis.

"I've gone from being in a group with these amazing people, I was kind of abandoned by these amazing people," she continued. "Had to find my feet on my own, and it wasn't always successful ... I just kept going. And now I realize that all that stuff is paying off." 

In the end, she got there as "NXT" Women's Champion, and ultimately it was all about trust. "I don't think I could've written it any differently," Hartwell added. "Maybe months ago or a year ago I was hoping things were different, but I just trusted the journey and the process."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.