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Best: Shirai and Ripley shine
This match was put together at the last minute, but it didn't look like it, and it was superb given the circumstances.
Rhea Ripley dominated most of the match with her size and strength advantage. Io's selling was marvellous (and Ripley's wasn't bad either), but she never looked completely helpless. Io Shirai's aerial attacks took their toll on Ripley, even if they were sparsely timed throughout the beating that Ripley was dishing out.
Eventually, Io Shirai hit her meteora and moonsault to put her opponent away and advance to the finals. The ending was a bit sudden, but there wasn't much to criticize. Rhea Ripley is going to be a star. That much is clear.
Kairi Sane was in the ring to present her best friend with flowers, which was a moment to see all in itself. By sheer fate, NXT has something extraordinary in its women's division with these two, and hopefully, it will take advantage of this.
With Kairi as the champion and Io saying repeatedly that her goal is to prove herself the best in the world after already proving herself the best in Japan, how long will they remain friends?
