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Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for WarGames! The next installment in this NXT annual event is here, featuring two WarGames matches to bookend the event. The Undisputed Era battled Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Pete Dunne, the Kings of NXT in the main event. Team LeRae and Team Blackheart would get their chance to steal the show in the opening contest.
The NXT North American Championship was also on the line tonight, as Leon Ruff defended against NXT Triple Crown Champion Johnny Gargano and former NXT NA Champion Damian Priest. Would Ruff be able to prove that he's not the joke everyone thinks he is, or would his reign be another flash in the pan?
Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa battled in an intense war, taking each other to the limit. Would Thatcher be able to teach the former NXT Champion a lesson in defeat tonight? Along with all of that, Cameron Grimes would have to face Dexter Lumis once again, this time in a Strap Match. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide for NXT's resident loudmouth.
We kicked things off with our first WarGames of the night. Team Blackheart vs Team LeRae. On NXT, the final member of Shotzi's team, NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai, was revealed as Shotzi earned the advantage for her team in a ladder match.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames Match- Team LeRae (Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, and Candice LeRae) vs Team Blackheart (Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai, and Shotzi Blackheart)
The first competitor to enter the cage was Dakota Kai, which was kind of ironic considering her involvement in the NXT TakeOver: WarGames match in 2019. Kai would attack her former best friend Tegan Nox, turning heel and leaving her team at a two-on-four disadvantage. Oddly enough, one of those women that she abandoned was her team captain Candice LeRae, along with one of her opponents in Rhea Ripley.
The first representative of Team Blackheart? That would be Ember Moon, looking to enforce Ember's Law. Dakota Kai baited her into the second ring, catching her with a pump kick-ass he crossed the ropes. The Captain of Team Kick choked out the former NXT Women's Champion momentarily, but couldn't keep the Shenom down for long. Both women traded vicious strikes, back and forth, with Moon taking the advantage.
Kai was blasted with a rolling forearm to the jaw as the clock ticked down, just two minutes shy of another member of Team Blackheart joining the fray. A suplex over the ropes put Kai in between the ring and cage, and Moon squashed her into the steel with a running crossbody.
Ember was caught moving up to the top, with a boot leaving her in a daze. From here she took over, and eventually connected with the Kairopractor. Of course, that advantage didn't last long, as the clock struck zero, bringing Shotzi Blackheart into WarGames.
Blackheart brought a crowbar and toolbox into the ring before planting Kai with a facebuster. A question mark kick set up for the running senton in the ropes. Blackheart put Kai in between both rings where Kai couldn't avoid a wrecking ball dropkick. She did, dodge a pump kick, sending Shotzi's leg into the steel cage. Kai went back to keep the pressure on Moon.
That was a mistake, as the fresh Blackheart quickly recovered, and grated Kai's face on the cage. As Moon stood up, she and Blackheart dropped Kai with an electric chair/missile dropkick combination. When the clock ran out, Kai's bodyguard Raquel Gonzalez rushed to the WarGames set up next.
Even in a two-on-one advantage, Raquel Gonzalez absolutely demolished Moon and Blackheart. A Tour of the Islands planted Moon, and Gonzalez countered a springboard hurricanrana with a powerbomb. Gonzalez then used her partner as a weapon against Team Blackheart at WarGames.
Team LeRae dominated here. No matter what they did to Kai, neither Moon nor Blackheart was able to take Gonzalez off her feet. As the clock ran out, Gonzalez launched Kai into Blackheart and Moon, leaving Gonzalez by herself to take on Rhea Ripley.
The former NXT and NXT UK Women's Champion was ready for a showdown, and even though Kai did get back to her feet, Ripley fought off the two-on-one assault. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart held Gonzalez back as Ripley took her time tearing Kai apart. In the other ring, a Codebreaker from Moon and a springboard Code Red dropped Team LeRae's heavy hitter at WarGames.
Ripley opened Shotzi's toolbox and battered Kai with a mallet before tossing her into the cage wall. Gonzalez took out her opponents and called out Ripley, leading to both competitors meeting in the middle. As they brawled on the mat, Toni Storm rushed in, bringing in kendo sticks. Storm, who dethroned Ripley in NXT UK, spiked her with a German suplex.
Gonzalez held Ripley in place for a series of shots from the kendo stick. With the inclusion of Storm, Team LeRae took over quickly. In one ring, she and Gonzalez battered Moon and Blackheart with kendo sticks. On the other, Kai was busy wearing down the former NXT Women's Champion. They all fought to two corners, with Moon knocking Kai off of Ripley's shoulders with a flying bulldog as Moon, Storm, and Gonzalez crashed to the opposite mat at WarGames.
Io Shirai came out next as the final member of Team Blackheart, but Gonzalez actually managed to keep her out for a few moments, bouncing the steel door of the NXT Women's Champions' head. Storm tied the door shut with her belt, but that didn't stop Shirai from trying to climb the cage. Gonzalez slammed Blackheart into her, knocking her off.
Candice LeRae was the final competitor to emerge, and as she stared down Io Shirai, Indi Hartwell jumped the barricade, assaulting the Joshi Judas. As LeRae entered, Hartwell locked the cage shut, stealing the key and placing it in her shirt before leaving WarGames.
Team LeRae completely demolished Team Blackheart for several minutes. However, as all seven brawled on one side of the ring, the NXT Women's Champion appeared at the top of the cage with a trash can, putting it over herself before diving onto the crowd of NXT Superstars. Ripley tossed Shirai into Gonzalez for a tilt-a-whirl DDT and followed up with a 619 to Kai. Storm, Kai, and Gonzalez were left in one corner as Team Blackheart took turns crashing into them.
Gonzalez was the last one standing, with Blackheart holding a chair over her chest. Moon and Ripley launched Shirai into her like a bullet for a high impact dropkick. Gonzalez was then held down for the Moonsault, but the pin was broken up at WarGames.
Moon and Storm found themselves in the other ring just as LeRae and Blackheart followed. LeRae trapped Moon in the Gargano Escape while Blackheart took Storm down with a Last Chancery. LeRae broke the hold to save her partner, but Blackheart got payback with a steel chair.
Kai ran in to put a stop to Blackheart's momentum and rocked an emerging Io Shirai with the running boot in the corner. With a trash can over her, Shirai was crushed by a diving double stomp. Moon barely managed to break up that pinfall, but the damage was already done at WarGames.
Moon set up two chairs, dropping Kai's throat across them with an Eclipse. Had Storm not broken up the pin, that definitely would've been the end. Storm dropped Moon with Storm Zero on a trash can, but also couldn't secure the win as Shirai broke up the fall.
Storm was locked in Ripley's Prism while Shirai hit a dropkick. Somehow, Storm kicked out. Blackheart set up a ladder and knocked LeRae onto a pile of chairs. The Senton splash from the top crushed LeRae, who pulled a chair in just to make sure that Blackheart came out of that dive worse for wear at WarGames.
In the other ring, Raquel Gonzalez launched Rhea Ripley into the cage and powerbombed Shirai through a ladder in the middle of the structure. That was the final straw, as nobody could get up from something like that.
Results: Raquel Gonzalez and Team LeRae defeated Io Shira and Team Blackheart via pinfall at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Grade: A+
Tommaso Ciampa vs Timothy Thatcher at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Timothy Thatcher succeeded in bringing Tommaso Ciampa down to the mat, but Ciampa managed to counter a heel hook, locking in a chin lock. Ciampa went to his game here, battering Thatcher and repeatedly bouncing Thatcher's knee and ankle off the mat. Thatcher turned things around when he caught the former NXT Champion in between the ropes with an uppercut to the jaw at WarGames.
Tommaso Ciampa fell like a sack of potatoes, and it looked like the referee may end the match early. Of course, Ciampa wouldn't allow that. Thatcher hit a few more uppercuts before tossing Ciampa overhead with a half hatch suplex. Thatcher worked over Ciampa's surgically repaired neck, and the Psycho Killer struggled to get a breath in, much less any offense off at WarGames.
The NXT veteran was brutalized by the Thatch-As-Thatch-Can master for several minutes. Of course, Ciampa was able to fight through the pain as the two traded punches. Both men went for a headbutt, leaving them down on the mat. Ciampa was up first and began to build steam. A series of clotheslines left Thatcher dazed, confused, and unable to keep up with Ciampa at WarGames.
Ciampa took Thatcher to the top, looking for a sky-high superplex. Thatcher couldn't block it, but Ciampa's neck took some damage during the fall. Thatcher kicked out at two. Thatcher managed to catch Ciampa in that standing guillotine, the same thing that put Ciampa to sleep in NXT last week. This time, Ciampa was able to counter, driving Thatcher and himself to the floor at WarGames.
Ciampa avoided a throat chop, hitting one of his own followed by two running knees to the head. A chokehold left Thatcher scrambling in the middle of the ring. Blood gushed out of Thatcher's ear as Ciampa increased the pressure, but he stood up and made it to the ropes, then immediately spiked Ciampa with a German suplex. Another one connected, but Ciampa blocked a third on the apron.
As Ciampa set up for Willow's Bell, Thatcher yanked his arm through the ropes, again damaging the neck. Ciampa countered a punch with a backslide, and when Thatcher escaped up the ropes, he found himself right in line for Willow's Bell and get the win at WarGames.
Results: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Timothy Thatcher via pinfall on NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Grade: A
Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa never took their eyes off of one another even as the former left the ring at WarGames. This isn't over, not by a long shot. Fingers crossed, this NXT feud isn't over already.
Strap Match- Dexter Lumis vs Cameron Grimes at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Cameron Grimes brought his own strap into this NXT Strap Match at WarGames. Before the referee could put it on Dexter Lumis, Grimes blindsided him, sending him to the floor. Grimes bounced him around ringside, looking to damage him as much as he possibly could before the match officially began.
Of course, NXT's Tortured Artist shook that off when they got back in the match. Lumis caught Grimes with a Thesz Press and battered him for a while before finally putting on the strap. With the bell officially ringing, Lumis used the strap to his advantage, leading Grimes around like a dog at WarGames.
Grimes moved to the floor and tried to climb up the barricade. He couldn't escape, for obvious reasons, and Lumis yanked him off for an uppercut, laying out NXT's resident loudmouth. Grimes managed to get some space from Lumis after dumping him over the barricade with a backdrop. Of course, that didn't last for long as Lumis stood right back up. A kick rocked Lumis, and Grimes yanked him over the barricade with the strap at WarGames.
Grimes brought out an old gimmick from one of their other NXT matches, as Grimes placed a blindfold over Lumis' head. Grimes continued to whip Lumis with the strap, but it only angered the man. A spinebuster planted Grimes, and Lumis yanked the blindfold off. That didn't last long.
Lumis tried to tie Grimes up in the corner, but Grimes poked Lumis in the eyes and pulled him into the ring post. Again, Lumis didn't stay down long, and yanked Grimes onto the floor, with Grimes bouncing with a sickening thud. Back inside, Lumis lashed Grimes repeatedly at WarGames.
Grimes was able to counter the second half of the clothesline/running bulldog combination, bouncing Lumis's head off the turnbuckle with a German suplex. Bringing a steel chair into the match, Grimes hammered the spine of Dexter Lumis.
After a fallaway slam, Lumis was back in it momentarily. As he moved up, though, Cameron Grimes pulled him off the top, sending him crashing to the mat. Grimes set up for the Cave In on the chair, only to be countered with Silence. Grimes broke away not once, but twice. However, after Grimes was hogtied by the ropes and dropped face-first on the chair, Lumis locked in Silence.
Once that was done, there was nowhere for Grimes to go.
Results: Dexter Lumis defeated Cameron Grimes via submission on NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Grade: B+
As we were seeing the competitors for the main event get ready, a ticking clock appeared on the screen.
As the camera panned to the stage, a vulture was standing on a branch. Karrion Kross is back, but when? Could we see him on NXT this week?
NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano vs Damian Priest vs Leon Ruff (c) at WarGames
Damian Priest was sent to the floor immediately so Johnny Gargano could focus on the "weaker opponent" Leon Ruff at WarGames. The NXT North American Champion's speed was tough for Gargano to keep up with, as he struggled to fight back. Priest ran in, tossing Ruff away to get his hands on Johnny TakeOver.
Ruff, tired of the disrespect, hit a springboard dropkick on both men. Priest tried to walk past him again, but Ruff wouldn't have it. Ruff and Gargano teamed up to send Priest to the floor. The NXT Triple Crown Champion tried to keep Ruff working as a partner but instead caught Ruff setting up for a dive, hitting the slingshot spear instead.
Gargano set up the DIY superkick only to be pulled to the floor by the former NXT North American Champion. Priest continued to batter Gargano, and caught Ruff going for a dive. Confused, NXT's Archer of Infamy warned Ruff not to attack him anymore. Ruff didn't listen, and was sent through the plexiglass with the Razor's Edge.
Priest, immediately, felt terrible about what he'd done. He apologized as he was taken away by officials, and Priest struggled to deal with what he'd done. Gargano took advantage, hitting Priest with a tornado DDT on the floor. Priest avoided One Final Beat, but inside the ring he was hit with a standing shiranui. Priest kicked out and took Gargano'd head off with a clothesline.
As both men struggled to stand, Leon Ruff returned to the match, leaping over Priest and battering Gargano. Priest and Gargano were hit with a dive on the door by the NXT North American Champion. A corner corkscrew springboard cutter planted Gargano's face on the mat, but it wasn't enough to put Johnny Wrestling away at WarGames.
Gargano was hit by a rebound clothesline, and again barely kicked out. Leon Ruff moved up, but when he turned around, stared right into the eyes of the Archer of Infamy. "No more chances, Leon." Ruff's dive missed, and a boot nearly decapitated him. Priest planted both Ruff and Gargano at the same time with a flatliner.
With Ruff and Gargano set up in the corners, Priest ran into both of them with a series of leaping elbows. A broken Arrow sent Ruff into Gargano. Setting up for the Razor's Edge, Priest couldn't hold onto Gargano, who sent Preist into the ring post. With Priest's head sitting on the second turnbuckle, Gargano lawn darted Ruff into Priest.
Gargano tied Priest up in the ropes in the other ring, but was taken down by a crucifix pin from Ruff. Unfortunatey for Ruff, he failed to get the pin. The Frog Splash missed, and just as Gargano locked in the Gargano Escape, Priest broke free to stop Ruff from tapping. A diving heel kick took out Gargano.
NXT's biggest underdog pelted Priest with a pair of clotheslines. No dice. Priest bounced Ruff away, and as Ruff went for the rebound clothesline, a superkick took Ruff out of the match. Priest countered One Final Beat with a sit-out uranage. However, six Ghostfaced mystery cronies attacked Priest before he could get the win at WarGames.
Preist dove onto all six men, and caught Gargano diving, hitting a chokeslam on the apron. Ruff tried to steal it with a Frog Splash, and Priest just barely broke up the pin. Ruff pelted Priest with a series of strikes, but the cyclone kick turned him inside out at WarGames.
Priest looked for the Reckoning on Gargano. Though Gargano escaped it, two cyclone kicks left him nearly unconscious. As Priest set up the Reckoning, another Ghostface hit Priest with a lead pipe at WarGames.
With the biggest threat eliminated, Gargano spiked Ruff with One Final Beat to win the NXT NA Title for a third time at WarGames.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Leon Ruff via pinfall on NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Grade: A
After the match, the final Ghostface was revealed to be Austin Theory, who quit NXT last month. Just like Candice LeRae took Indi Hartwell under her wing, Johnny Gargano has apparently done the same for Theory.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames - Undisputed Era vs The Kings of NXT
Former NXT Tag Team Champion Kyle O'Reilly and former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne kicked off the main event. With Dunne being the only man on his team with WarGames experience, Team McAfee hoped that Dunne would give them a necessary advantage.
The Bruiserweight looked to snap the fingers of O'Reilly, but the resident air guitarist of NXT escaped, going for a cross arm breaker. Dunne dragged him through the ropes to no man's land, and they wrestled right into the other ring. O'Reilly's German suplex failed as Dunne landed on his feet, rocking him with a roundhouse to the back of the head.
Dunne worked on weakening the arm of O'Reilly, twisting and snapping every joint from the shoulder to the digits. O'Reilly's hands were caught with a double stomp, but he choked Dunne out with a guillotine. A knee to the jaw left Dunne dazed, but he countered a suplex with an x-plex into a cross arm breaker. O'Reilly slipped out, synching in a heel hook.
Dunne was locked in the hold for a while but was finally given the break when Oney Lorcan entered. The current NXT Tag Team Champion and Dunne took turns torturing O'Reilly. With Dunne locking in a surfboard, Lorcan pelted O'Reilly with kicks to the chest before spiking him with a DDT.
O'Reilly crawled to the other ring and caught both opponents with dragon screws in the ropes. A diving knee took out Lorcan, but Dunne responded with a missile dropkick to the knee. Lorcan and Dunne trapped O'Reilly in a double submission; Single leg Boston crab for Oney and armbar for Dunne. The clock finally hit zero, and Bobby Fish rushed the ring.
Bobby Fish was able to pick apart both Lorcan and Dunne with some pinpoint strikes. After taking out Dunne, O'Reilly and Fish hit a pop-up roundhouse on Lorcan. An elevated DDT spiked him. This legendary tag team separated their opponents, with O'Reilly putting Lorcan in an armbar. Dunne left Fish's hand in the cage, squashing it beneath his boot.
Danny Burch was in next and brought a unique weapon to the ring, a cricket bat. Though O'Reilly ducked it, The Guvnor of NXT took him down with a strong right. Dunne drove the bat into Fish's shoulder blades as Burch brought out another bat. Burch said he did find cricket boring, but does love the bat.
In the opposite ring, O'Reilly caught Burch in a heel hook. That would've been it if the match had actually started yet, but since there are no falls or submissions until everyone's in the ring, Burch's tap meant nothing. Dunne broke it up with a diving knee, and a cricket bat to the back of the knee took O'Reilly out.
Roderick Strong was in next, and even though he was taken out by a running uppercut from Lorcan, the Messiah of the Backbreaker lit up Team McAfee. A backbreaker to Dunne, an Angle Slam to Burch, and the former NXT North American Champion lit all three competitors up. Inside no man's land, Strong ran through all three, repeatedly hitting them both with running forearms.
Team McAfee would take over just before their leader entered the match. Pat McAfee brought in tables with the Undisputed Era's logos and names, one for each member.
Pat McAfee drove Roderick Strong through a table with a moonsault, but between dragging all the hardware in and showboating, Adam Cole made it to the ring just as McAfee was setting up the next member of the Era. The NXT Triple Crown Champion took out Team McAfee and set his sights on Pat. However, McAfee held Cole so Dunne could snap his fingers. O'Reilly broke it up with a steel chair.
All four men brawled, with O'Reilly sparing off with Pat McAfee. Cole and Dunne went to war, while the NXT Tag Team Champions fought Fish and Strong in the other ring. Eventually, O'Reilly was brought to the other side for One-Two's elevated implant DDT. Fish broke the pin up. Cole came in to take out the champs, but a chop block took out Cole's knee.
Pat locked in a Figure Four on Cole while his hired guns held the Undisputed Era in the other ring. Cole turned it around, reversing the hold. The Kings of NXT struggled to break free, but The Bruiserweight eventually managed to save his leader.
One-Two set up Adam cole's table but were stopped by Fish and Strong, who laid one another out. The only men left standing at that point were Cole and Dunne, with the former NXT Champion nearly getting a pinfall. An Ushigoroshi spiked Dunne.
Burch was planted on the table marked Cole, and Dunne was nearly powerbombed through it. To finish the job, Roderick Strong dove through, crushing both men beneath him. Pat McAfee tried to superplex Cole through a table, But the former NXT Champion sent him flying through it instead. McAfee was in a heap as the Undisputed Era looked to finish Team McAfee.
Dunne and Burch were stuck between the ropes and cage, and Lorcan was tossed into their sternums. With all three men set up, the Era took turns teeing off on each man. Clotheslines, forearms, knees, and superkicks left them all unconscious on the apron.
McAfee made it to his feet just in time to see his team demolished. The Era turned their sights on him, savoring each and every bit of punishment on the Indianapolis Colts legend. As they set up to punt McAfee, the Kings of NXT recovered and rushed the Era. Cole and his crew were too focused on revenge to put it away, and it was a mistake that could cost them dearly.
Every man fell off the top, including a sky-high neckbreaker from Cole to Dunne and a superplex from Strong sending McAfee across the ring. Slowly but surely, everyone made it to their feet. It was a seven man brawl while McAfee climbed to the top, diving onto everyone below with a senton bomb.
O'Reilly and Dunne stood up, the iron men of both teams, and traded a nasty series of forearm strikes. O'Reilly nearly took some teeth out with a wind-up forearm smash. An armbreaker and ax kick connected, but Dunne caught O'Reilly in the ropes with a finger snap. The Bitter End connected, only for O'Reilly to kick out at the last millisecond.
They made their way to the space between the rings, and a vertical suplex to the former NXT UK Champion nearly put him away. O'Reilly placed Dunne on a chair, but the Bruiserweight was saved by McAfee. Cole ran in, ducking a chair shot and going for one of his own. However, a low blow left Cole down on the mat. McAfee's punt missed, and a pump kick left McAfee out cold.
Cole's Panama Sunrise was stopped by Burch, but Fish drove him through a table for his troubles. A superkick from McAfee stunned Cole, but the leader of the UE responded with one of his own followed by Panama Sunrise. Unlike their bout at NXT TakeOver: 30, Pat McAfee kicked out.
Next up was the Last Shot, but Lorcan took it for his leader. Dunne dropped Cole on the chair with Bitter End, but he and Lorcan were taken out by Strong and Fish. O'Reilly finally ended the match when he hit a springboard knee drop on Lorcan, who had a chair across his face. The Undisputed Era was victorious in the NXT TakeOver main event.
Results: Kyle O'Reilly and The Undisputed Era defeated Oney Lorcan and The Kings of NXT via pinfall on NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Grade: B+
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