WWE Officially Retires Universal Championship While NXT Stars Eye Main Roster Call-Ups
WWE announced on its official website on April 22, 2025, that the Universal Championship has been retired. This title had been absent from WWE programming since April 2024 and was last seen at WrestleMania 40.
At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns, ending his 1316-day title reign in the main event. Since then, this title has not been mentioned in WWE programming. The title was unified with the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 38 when Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar.
WWE has removed Cody Rhodes’ reign as Universal Champion from their WWE official history, while Roman Reigns is now listed as the final Universal Champion. This update was made recently as Rhodes was still listed as Universal Champion on the website on April 21, 2025.
Additionally, the website has been updated to show John Cena as the Undisputed WWE Champion, removing Rhodes’ title history. John Cena recently defeated Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to become the new Undisputed Champion.
Two NXT Stars Considered for Main Roster Call-Ups
After WrestleMania, several stars from WWE’s developmental brand NXT appeared on the Raw show, including Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and Roxanne Perez. While Perez has appeared on the main roster before, this time it seemed like a clear possibility for these three to be called up.
According to new reports, two more stars from NXT are being considered for main roster call-ups.
Cory Hays from Bodyslam.net reports that WWE has been discussing moving former NXT Champion Trick Williams to the main roster, with a possible call-up to either Raw or SmackDown. Additionally, Lola Vice is also under consideration for a main roster call-up. Lola Vice, who joined WWE in 2022 after transitioning from MMA to professional wrestling, has competed for both the NXT Women’s Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Title but has not won a championship yet.
With WWE officially retiring the Universal Championship, all attention is now on new changes. The possible call-ups of Trick Williams and Lola Vice to the main roster could bring fresh matchups and storylines. This move shows that WWE is ready to push its stars into new directions.
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