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SURPRISE Debut at WrestleMania 37! Apollo Crews Beats Big E to Win The Intercontinental Championship

Published 04/11/2021, 10:28 PM EDT

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On the second night of WrestleMania 37, “Nigerian Royalty” Apollo Crews faced WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E in the first-ever “Nigerian Drum Fight.” Following some grueling moves and a surprise intruder, Crews won the title.

In reality, the drum fight was nothing but a variation of no disqualification match with large drums and brass gongs laid on the ringside. Anything and everything could be used in the match.

Big E dominated the match as the men started with repeated Kendo Sticks attacks on each other. The match was rather short as the men swung each other inside and outside the ring.

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Crews once got an opening and set Crews on the infamous steel steps. Big E tried to turn the tables with a big Uranage, but Crews again got the advantage following an enziguri and repeated kendo shots.

Dabba Kato helped Apollo Crews Win the Match

Crews proceeded to use the same table E laid out earlier in the ring. As Crews attempted a frog splash from the top rope, Big E moved and sent Crews crashing on the table.

E had it in the palm of his hands as he hit The Big Ending and went for the pin. But “Dabba-Kato” debuted at WM 37 and attacked Big E, laying him flat in the ring.

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Kato proceeded to put Crews on top of Big E as the referee counted the pin. Apollo Crews won the title for the very first time in his career as he and Kato celebrated.

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There have been reports that Dabba Kato (who briefly appeared on RAW Underground and RAW against Braun Strowman) would be repackaged as “Commander Azeez” or “Azeez.” Although nothing has been confirmed by WWE, the military outfit of Kato adheres to the gimmick change.

We will get our answers to the current equation between Crews and Kato on the next SmackDown. However, in a positive way, now that Big E has lost the title, he could pursue his first WWE title run.

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Let us know your thoughts on the controversial, shocking ending to the Intercontinental Championship match in the comments below.

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Written by:

Angana Roy

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Angana Roy is a WWE and AEW author for EssentiallySports, having published more than 800 professional wrestling articles. She is currently pursuing higher studies in English language and literature from the University of Calcutta and has over three years of experience in journalism. As a life-long fan of the sports entertainment brand of pro-wrestling, her work consists of live coverage of weekly shows, PPVs, speculating the future course of storylines and everything in between.
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