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The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions returned to NXT tonight to take on their newest challengers. Former NXT Women's Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane have recently found success as a tag team, securing the gold from Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss. Tonight, they'll face Team Kick, Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox.
Last week, Roderick Strong escaped with his North American Championship against Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic. Following that, the Undisputed Era assaulted Lee. The Limitless One found someone willing to join forces tonight, as he'll team up with the Original Bro Matt Riddle to face the NXT Tag Team Champions, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish.
Speaking of the Undisputed Era's actions last week, they followed up by assaulting Tommaso Ciampa. The former NXT Champion thought he had back-up in the form of Johnny Gargano and Finn Balor, but Balor attacked Johnny Wrestling instead.
Balor spiked Gargano on the ramp to end the night, and later on, stated that the Prince is back on WWE Backstage last week. Tonight, he would finally explain his actions.
We kicked off the night with a special live performance by Poppy, performing her single "I Disagree." Throughout the song we saw highlights from last week's NXT, getting us prepared for the night ahead. Following that was a live performance of "Scary Mask" as Io Shirai made her entrance.
Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae
LeRae knocked Shirai outside and began chasing her former ally around ringside. Shirai managed to shake her after a Tiger Feint Kick off the apron, following up with a suicide dive. She sent LeRae inside, who made it quickly to her feet and responded with a dive of her own. A rope snapping neckbreaker laid out Shirai inside the ring for a senton to the back.
Shirai escaped the pinfall and managed to set LeRae up in the turnbuckle for an elevated Lung Blower. The Genius of the Sky punished LeRae from here, pelting her with boots and kicks. LeRae tried to take her down with a head scissors, but Shirai landed on her feet. She was taken down by an enziguri, however, and found herself on the apron.
LeRae and Shirai both tried to drop each other on the hard ringside area. Shirai's German to the apron was blocked, but she followed LeRae to the top rope for a superplex. Eventually, Shirai took her legs out, forcing LeRae to bounce off the ring post and apron before dropping to the floor.
As LeRae was rolled inside again, Shirai connected with a springboard dropkick. However, as she battered her opponent, she was rolled up for a near fall. Back on their feet, Shirai rocked LeRae with a hard right hand. An Air Raid Crash bouncing off the corner earned her a near fall.
A crossface from Shirai trapped LeRae in the middle of the ring. LeRae broke away and brought down Shirai with a Russian leg sweep, followed up by a modified Rings of Saturn. Shirai kicked her way out of the submission and the two met in the middle of the ring with a pair of cross bodies.
LeRae was the first to her feet, rocking Shirai with a clothesline and a running dropkick. A tornado DDT spiked her, but Shirai kicked out in the nick of time. Up top, Shirai held onto the ropes to avoid the Wild Ride. However, her moonsault was blocked when LeRae lifted her knees up.
A striking trade led to a Shirai trapping LeRae's head between her legs. LeRae made it to the ropes, forcing Shirai to move outside for a chair. Before she could hit her, the referee pulled the chair away.
LeRae planted her with a spin-out double underhook facebuster. However, Shirai was able to roll away from LeRae's patented La Quebrada moonsault, leaving LeRae crashing onto the chair.
Results: Io Shirai defeated Candice LeRae via pinfall.
Shirai, now 2-0 against LeRae, continued the assault after the match. Rhea Ripley made the save, kicking the chair out of Shirai's hands. Shirai backed up the ramp as Ripley stood ready for a fight.
Two weeks ago, Damian Priest defeated Pete Dunne following a low blow. Next week, the Archer of Infamy battles the former UK Champion on NXT.
Finn Balor came out to address the NXT Universe. The former Universal Champion said that two months ago he was laying down for the hottest thing in the business just because he put on a mask. Last week he took off his mask and now he's the hottest thing in the business.
Balor made it clear that he doesn't watch this business. This business watches him. When it came to Johnny Gargano, he vowed to send him back to the hospital if he ever challenged him. In his own words, he would turn "Johnny Wrestling" into "Johnny Watches Wrestling" the way he feels it should be.
According to Balor, there are too many fans in the locker room when they should be out in the crowd. From here on out, Balor's making a statement at the expense of whoever steps up to him on his brand.
Shane Thorne vs Bronson Reed
Thorne came into the match bursting out of the gate, launching Reed into the corner with a shotgun dropkick. Another running dropkick and a cannonball in the corner continued to build his momentum, which was immediately shut down thanks to a massive lariat from Reed followed by a running senton.
The two men traded chops, with Reed getting the better of his Australian compatriot. Thorne got back on top with a roundhouse kick to the head and a belly-to-back suplex, earning a two-count. Reed was battered by an array of kicks but withstood the pain. Catching a running boot, Reed rocked his opponent with a punch and spiked him with a German suplex.
A sunset driver only earned Reed a near fall. Reed was set up on the top rope, but as Thorne attempted a super hurricanrana, Reed shoved him out of the air mid-jump. Reed finished him off with a big body splash.
Results: Bronson Reed defeated Shane Thorne via pinfall.
Backstage, Cathy Kelly was with Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox, who were anxiously awaiting their WWE Women's Tag Title match.
WWE Women's Tag Team Title Match: Team Kick vs The Kabuki Warriors (c)
Nox started the bout with the returning Asuka. The crowd was loud with chants for the Empress of Tomorrow. Asuka caught Nox leapfrogging and kicked her in the face, bringing in Kairi Sane.
Sane chopped Nox's chest then demanded her challenger give her a receipt. Nox obliged, leading to Sane stomping her foot and pushing her over. A single leg dropkick from Nox sent Sane outside. Kai ran in to stop Asuka, taking her out with another single-leg dropkick. Team Kai rolled out to follow the champs, only to be tossed into the apron and steps.
Back from commercial break, Team Kick had Asuka in their corner, leveling her with running elbows and a cannonball senton from Nox. Kai got a two-count. Asuka was rocked by a running penalty kick but again kicked out. She sent Kai outside and caught a kick, twisting her knee with a dragon screw leg whip in between the ropes. A running hip attack knocked Kai off the apron.
Nox checked on her friend, but had to step back as Asuka rolled out to continue the punishment. Asuka threw several kicks to the face of Kai, who blocked a few as best she could. A leg lock in the middle of the ring continued to tweak Kai's leg. She fought to her feet, forcing Asuka to turn it into an ankle lock.
Kai attempted an enziguri but wiffed, and Asuka brought her back to the corner of the tag team champs. Kai was trapped by Sane in a deep cloverleaf. She brought the Captain of TK to her corner where Asuka took over.
Asuka locked in a modified STF, but Kai broke out and rolled up the champ. Asuka escaped and rocked her challenger before pulling her back to Sane. Kai made it to her feet and Sane demanded the best strikes Kai could throw. The Kabuki Warriors continued to tag in and out, punishing Kai for daring to challenge them.
A facebuster/neckbreaker combination nearly put Kai away. Sane followed her to the Kabuki Warrior's corner, but Kai was able to knock Asuka off the apron and send Sane outside. Sane rolled in to block the tag to Nox and was hit with a handspring kick for her trouble.
Nox finally tagged in, as did Asuka. The Girl with the Shiniest Wizard lit up both champions, tearing into them with running elbow strikes. A high kick leveled Asuka, and Nox followed up with a high-angle crossbody from the top, almost winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles.
The Shiniest Wizard was caught as Asuka turned Nox over for a kneebar. Nox Stood up, escaping and trapping the Empress with an armbar. Sane ran in with an axe kick to Nox's jaw. Kai leveled her with a kick, only to be spiked with a German suplex by Asuka. A big boot from Nox took her down and left all four women exhausted on the mat.
Kai tagged back in and hit a double knee strike on Asuka, setting up a rounding big boot in the corner. Sane distracted the ref, however, allowing Asuka to blind her with green mist. A hip attack took out Nox as Asuka tagged in Sane, who hit Kai with the Insane Elbow. Sane covered Kai's face during the pin, stopping the ref from seeing the evidence.
Results: The Kabuki Warriors defeated Team Kick via pinfall.
Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir circled the ring as Nox tried to wipe the mist from Kai's face. Nox sent Baszler to the mat but her cronies took her to the corner. Nox fought out, but a step-up enziguri from Baszler ended Nox's standoff. Before Baszler could snap Nox's arm, Rhea Ripley made yet another save.
Duke & Shafir cleared the ring, leaving Baszler the only one there. However, before Ripley could meet her, Shirai and Belair assaulted her. LeRae made the save, leading to a massive brawl. Ripley laid out everyone, along with Shafir & Duke, before entering the ring to take on Baszler. The NXT Women's Champion was taken down, but the ring soon filled up with the rest of the ringside competitors.
NXT security and referees rushed the ring, separating them as General Manager William Regal appeared. Frustrated with the constant brawling in his women's division, Regal revealed that the women involved in the brawl tonight will face each other in a WarGames match.
Tyler Bate vs Cameron Grimes
The first-ever WWE UK Champion worked over Grimes' arm with a Fujiwara armbar. Grimes escaped but was taken back down with a wrist lock. Everytime Grimes escaped, Tyler Bate was able to take him to the mat, twisting his arm.
Bate leveled Grimes with a standing dropkick and took him around the world with an airplane spin. Grimes responded with a spin-out sidewalk slam. We cut to a commercial break with Grimes on top.
Back from the break, Grimes backflipped into a German suplex, gaining a near fall. Grimes followed up with running knees to the head, then trapped the Big Strong Boi on the mat, working over his left arm.
Bate broke away with a kick to the jaw and took out Grimes with a diving European uppercut. An exploder suplex set Bate up for a running shooting star press. Grimes kicked out at two. Bate was caught in a powerbomb position but turned it into a hurricanrana pinfall. Grimes was nearly beaten there.
Grimes blocked the Tyler Driver and rocked Bate with a superman forearm. Bate responded with a pop in right hand. Grimes countered Bates' rebound lariat with a Collision Course. Bate managed to kick out and finally hit his lariat. Grimes broke out of the jackknife pinfall and took Bate to the ropes to avoid another Tyler Driver.
Bate rocked Grimes with a rolling capo kick and a dive, but as he sent Grimes in was distracted by the Hound of Ulster Killian Dain. Grimes caught Bate with the Cave In, picking up a huge win.
Results: Cameron Grimes defeated Tyler Bate via pinfall.
Following the match, Dain demolished Bate with a senton in the ring and a cannonball senton into the steps. Bate was crushed into the steel, as Dain told him that this was simply a message for Pete Dunne, who broke Dain's fingers a few weeks ago.
Keith Lee & Matt Riddle vs The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly)
Bobby Fish went after Matt Riddle for a cheap shot, then he and Kyle O'Reilly went for Keith Lee. However, the big man was able to take out the champs 2-on-1. A crossbody crushed Fish & O'Reilly, forcing the latter to roll outside.
Fish and O'Reilly tried to low bridge Lee, but the Limitless One stopped his giant frame before he could run over the ropes, rocking O'Reilly and bringing Fish over for a tag to Riddle. O'Reilly also rushed in, leading to both men taking massive chops from Riddle & Lee. A spear from Riddle cut O'Reilly in half, while Riddle drove Fish into the mat with a jackhammer.
O'Reilly and Fish were both manhandled as they tagged in and out, trying to get the best of the Original Bro and the Limitless One. Eventually, Fish caught Riddle with a running forearm smash. Riddle was left in the Undisputed corner where he was lit up by the tag team champions.
O'Reilly battered Riddle's ribs with heavy knee strikes before bringing in Fish, who got a near fall after a belly-to-back suplex. Riddle escaped the punishment and trapped Fish in a sleeper. Fish broke away and tagged in O'Reilly, but when Fish ran in the corner for an elbow strike, he was launched over the ropes to the apron. Riddle ducked a boot, which caught Fish on the jaw.
Riddle made it to his corner but FIsh kicked Lee's leg out from under him. A big boot from O'Reilly rocked the King of Bros. Fish ran in and the Undisputed Era nearly ended Riddle's night with a double pop-up kick and a head kick/brainbuster. Lee broke up the pinfall.
The Era couldn't prevent Riddle tagging Lee again, and the monstrous Superstar crushed both of his opponents into the corners. The UE tried to stop him with a pair of kicks, but Lee ran through them with ease, laying them out with a double clothesline. Lee caught Fish running in with a pop-up, but before he could hit the Spirit Bomb, O'Reilly took his legs out from under him.
Lee recovered and bounced Fish with a spinebuster. O'Reilly distracted him as he moved to the second rope, allowing Fish to avoid the moonsault. O'Reilly tagged in and locked in the cross armbreaker. Lee turned him over and picked him up. A big powerbomb left O'Reilly rolling over to tag in Fish. Riddle tagged in and took both men on two-on-one.
Riddle dumped both men on their heads with exploder suplexes and connected with running Brotons. As he set up to finish off Fish, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole rushed the ring. Riddle took them out, and with all four members of the group on the outside, dove onto them with an Asai moonsault.
Back in the ring, a ripcord Final Flash knee strike leveled Fish. Lee pounced Cole into Strong, but that allowed O'Reilly and Fish to connect with the High Low.
Results: The Undisputed Era defeated Matt Riddle & Keith Lee via pinfall.
The Era attacked Lee after the match, just like last week. However, Tommaso Ciampa came out with his crutch, rushing the ring this week. Blackheart Ciampa took out Fish, O'Reilly,and Strong with ease, before setting his sights on Cole. O'Reilly came in to make the save while the NXT Champion ducked out. Ciampa made an example of O'Reilly, sending him into Riddle for a Final Flash.
Lee sent O'Reilly over the ropes into his allies, wiping out all four men. As they were left on the ground, Ciampa knelt down to the NXT Championship with a mic in his hand. "Goldie, you're going to have to wait," he said. "Daddy's going to war!"
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