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NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross (c)
The former NXT Champion locked up the new top dog with a headlock. Karrion Kross easily shook off Finn Balor's grasp, but a sliding dropkick to the knee forced Kross to escape to the floor.
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During the break, both men traded submission holds. Balor had Kross in the middle of the ring with a modified STF, but couldn't keep the pressure up for long. He transitioned to an armbar, but Kross stood out of it and slammed him. In this battle of two-time NXT Champions, Karrion finally took over when he slowed the pace down.
After some nasty clotheslines in the corner, Kross took Balor over with a suplex. Karrion missed another lariat, though, and Balor flipped over the champion for an abdominal stretch. Some seated sentons drove Kross into the mat for a two-count.
Kross responded by tossing Balor across the ring. Still, Balor would not die. A crossface was locked in, and when The Prince knew it wouldn't work, he quickly broke to lay some stiff strikes in. Kross caught a kick only to be rolled up for a leaping double stomp.
Kross was taken to the floor where Balor almost took his head off with the apron running kick to the jaw. During the break, Kross took over with some decapitating lariats, but he couldn't put The Prince of NXT away. A sunset flip into the dropkick left Kross down, giving Balor time to wake up.
They traded rights and lefts, and it seemed that Balor was about to take Kross down once and for all. However, he was caught in The KrossJacket. For several moments, Balor fought and squirmed to the edge of the ring to get to the ropes.
Kross followed him to the floor and drove him repeatedly into the plexiglass. A Razor's Edge into the glass left Balor out on the ground. Back in the ring, Kross went for a powerbomb. Miraculously, Balor countered it with a DDT. A slingblade connected, and a clothesline sent Kross to the floor. Balor hit a big dive, believing that he had brought down the monster.
The NXT Champion stood straight up and dropped Balor on the table with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Back inside, again, Balor found his second wind. That was until he went for the Coup de Grace, though. When Kross avoided it, Balor crumbled to the mat. A German suplex spiked Balor, as did the Doomsday Saito.
With that, Kross looked to end it all. Balor countered Kross' elbow to the back of the neck with a victory roll for a near fall. Kross broke away and hammered the neck with forearms. Balor responded with some of his own. Kross made it to the ropes but was pulled away as Balor locked in a sleeper.
Kross somehow refused to die and slid out of the hold. Balor transitioned into a triangle choke, and it seemed that Kross was out. At the last second, Karrion Kross woke up and powerbombed Balor. A devastating clothesline and forearm left Balor in a daze. Balor followed with his elbow to the back of the neck. After that, the Kross Jacket was synched in. With that, Balor went to sleep.
Results: Karrion Kross defeated Finn Balor via submission on NXT.
Grade: A
The NXT Champion dominated Finn Balor once again. Who from NXT will step up next? Can Johnny Gargano, Kyle O'Reilly, or Pete Dunne hope to stand up to Karrion Kross at NXT In Your House?
