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What's the story?
On last night's episode of NXT TV, Nikki Cross became the fourth and final competitor to book her spot in the Fatal 4-Way match for the vacant NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
In case you didn't know
Ever since NXT TakeOver: Dallas, the NXT women's division has centred around one unbeatable force - Asuka. The Empress of Tomorrow was utterly unstoppable as champion, vanquishing all pretenders to her crown on her way to 510 consecutive days on top.
All things come to an end, however, and Asuka vacated the title after NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. GM William Regal announced a Fatal 4-Way for the vacant title at the next TakeOver special, with a series of matches booked to decide the combatants.
The heart of the matter
Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Ember Moon had all confirmed their spots previously, and the final place in the match was to be decided in a battle royal on last night's episode of NXT TV. A number of Mae Young Classic competitors were involved in the match, including Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair and Mercedes Martinez.
Belair was particularly impressive in the match, making it all the way to the final four alongside Martinez, Billie Kay and Cross. The latter two were the final entrants in the excellent match, with the SAnitY member picking up the win much to the dismay of Peyton Royce at ringside.
The battle royal was another shining example of NXT's booking quality, as Cross, Kay and Belair all came out looking like stars. It is The White Chocolate Cheesecake of Sports Entertainment who goes on to Houston to compete for the NXT Women's Championship.
What's next?
NXT TakeOver: WarGames takes place on November 18 at Houston's Toyota Center, the night before WWE Survivor Series 2017. Sane, Moon, Royce and Cross will do battle to decide who follows Asuka into the NXT history books. It truly is anyone's match at this point.
Author's take
It would have been an absolute crime if Nikki Cross' name was absent from the TakeOver Fatal 4-Way. The Glaswegian is one of the most popular stars in the NXT women's division, and she may well be the dark horse going into the match at WarGames.
An argument can be made for all four individuals in the match. Ember Moon came closest to dethroning Asuka, whilst Kairi Sane proved herself a worthy replacement with her Mae Young Classic victory. On the other hand, Peyton Royce is a great example of the WWE Performance Center's upside.
Nikki Cross gets my vote, however. Roll on November 18.
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