Ricky Saints Set For First Title Match In WWE

Ricky Saints made headlines with his swift arrival onto "WWE NXT," and after only two months with WWE, he is set for his first title match. On Tuesday's episode of "NXT," Saints was announced to be Shawn Spears' first challenger for the NXT North American Championship. The match's announcement, however, was anything but peaceful.

Tensions flared when Spears interrupted a sit-down interview between Saints and Vic Joseph. Spears originally extended an invitation for Saints to join The Culling, Spears' recently-formed group of "NXT" upstarts that include Brooks Jensen, Niko Vance, and Izzi Dame. Spears noted that Saints was "sadly, still the same guy [he] left over a year ago." Saints ultimately rejected Spears' proposal, and instead challenged Spears to a title defense.

While Spears walked away from Saints' original request, "NXT's" newest member did not have to wait long for an answer. After Saints finished a stint as a guest commentator during Ethan Page's impromptu match against Andre Chase, Spears struck Saints with the NXT North American title, with The Culling trailing close behind. "NXT's" commentary table confirmed a title bout between Spears and Saints as Page looked on to close the segment.

The title match is set for the upcoming April 1 episode of "NXT," just two weeks removed from Saints' incredibly successful singles debut against Ridge Holland. This will be Spears' first NXT North American Championship defense since he won the title from Tony D'Angelo back in early March. Page may be a factor heading into the high-profile match-up, considering his past loss to Saints and the pair's verbal altercation prior to Spears' attack.