With just a few days to go before NXT Takeover: San Antonio, this was bound to be a must-watch show, especially considering that a face-off between the four women in the Women’s Championship match was advertised. What happened in this week’s explosive episode? Let’s find out.
Ember Moon vs. Liv Morgan
The match was made last week in a backstage segment. With neither of these women getting a Takeover spot, both aimed to impress here. Both women were working babyface, so they began by trading holds and kip-ups.
Near falls followed, a total of at least six, with a reversal each time. As the reversals picked up in steam, the two women would roll across the ring like a massive cannonball. Morgan tried to get the offence with a Hurricanrana, but a hard knee from Ember Moon followed by a fallaway slam would ensure that the balance of power shifted.
Ember Moon then locked Liv Morgan in a Crossface and transitioned seamlessly when Liv tried to roll her over for a pinfall attempt. Liv eventually powered out into a pinfall attempt and rolled out of the submission with some hard strikes. A beautiful bulldog, a dropkick and some hard strikes followed, with Liv now gaining the advantage.
Liv Morgan then locked Ember Moon in a Guillotine. However, Moon powered out and dropped Morgan all the way outside the ring. Hitting Morgan hard with her legs, and eventually delivering the Twisting Stunner ie. the Eclipse from the top rope; this was a great way to start the show!
Result: Ember Moon def. Liv Morgan
After the match, Ember Moon glared at the camera with her supernaturally red eyes. Moon then helped Morgan up, in a show of sportswomanship. With her scary eyes, she made her way to the back once again.
We saw Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas in a backstage interview, where the interviewer asked him what he thought about Roderick Strong being unworried about being called out. Almas said that the next time he saw Strong, he would kick him in the face.
Strong interrupted and said that he’s not a hard man to find. He asked Almas to kick him in the face right there since he was going to anyway. Almas would back down but attacked Strong soon after, as Roddy tried to answer some questions.
We came in from commercial to see a great video package chronicling the rivalry between The Authors of Pain and #DIY. Paul Ellering was the anchor of this package, breaking down the run of his tag team into different ‘chapters’. Before going into commercial, we saw No Way Jose come to ringside to face Kona Reeves.
Announcer Percy Watson seemed extremely excited.
No Way Jose vs. Kona Reeves
The basis for this rivalry is strange indeed. Kona Reeves claims that No Way Jose did not save him from SAnitY. As the two men began trading holds, No Way Jose began gyrating his hips seductively against Reeves (Not PG).
Generally having fun with Reeves all throughout, Jose would appear to have the upper hand. At which point, Reeves would invite Jose to dance and take advantage of the situation with a strike right to the throat.
The two men would exchange blows before Reeves hit a devastating running Samoan Drop for a near fall. With some hard kicks, Reeves laid Jose flat on his back and then appeared to go surfing on it! The two men then exchanged blows, before Jose definitively picked up the advantage by delivering hard shots to Reeves.
A flapjack set Reeves in position to deliver Jose’s finisher, but he evaded it. However, a Pop-Up Punch from Jose dismantled Reeves for good, allowing Jose to pick up the win.
Result: No Way Jose def. Kona Reeves
Dasha Fuentes was ringside to interview Jose, but the sound of the guitar would interrupt the moment. Elias Samson came to ringside, confronting No Way Jose. As he sang his song, Jose interrupted him by saying that it’s a shame that The Drifter spent all year writing the song, because it absolutely sucks.
No Way Jose added that he had a better song. To the same rhythm of ‘No-Way-Jose’, he started a ‘Just-Drift-Away’ chant. An incensed Samson came to ringside before he was punched in the face by No Way Jose. As we went into commercial, we were told that the leader of SAnitY Eric Young would be in action next, to send a message to Tye Dillinger.
We came back from commercial break to see Chris Atkins, an Australian wrestler with a pretty good physique in the ring. SAnitY made their way to the ring, with the addition of Killian Dain.
Eric Young vs. Chris Atkins
The numbers game caught up with Atkins from the word go, as he was distracted by Alexander Wolfe immediately. Young seized the advantage but was taken down by a shoulder tackle from Atkins. Young regained the advantage pummeling relentlessly. Each hit was punctuated by a ‘ten’ chant, mocking his Takeover opponent Tye Dillinger.
A scary looking dragon sleeper from the second rope completely annihilated Atkins. An elbow from the middle rope followed, and Young ended with a modification of his finisher to pick up the win.
Result: Eric Young def. Chris Atkins
Young cut a promo shortly after the match was done, informing Dillinger that he had made the wrong choice. Killian Dain unleashed his fury on Atkins.
We saw a video package of a recap from the TM-61 and The Revival match, informing us that Shane Throne’s supposed kayfabe injury was, in fact, real. A subsequent video package advertising the Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura match got us excited for the Takeover main event.
We went into commercial break after being informed that the four women involved in the NXT Women's Championship match at NXT Takeover: San Antonio would face off in the closing segment.
Fatal Four Way NXT Women’s Championship Contenders face off
We saw William Regal in the ring saying that the four women involved in the Fatal Four Way had assured him that this wouldn’t break into a fight. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay were serenaded by ‘Asuka’s gonna kill you’ chants from the crowd. Royce said that she didn't think so.
Kay added that they run the NXT Women's Division, while Royce chimed in with the fact that we have seen what damage they can do to Asuka, and added that Nikki Cross is just ‘crazy’. Cross came in soon after, fuming and crazed. Asuka ran in before her music hit.
Royce and Kay would make a hasty retreat at that point. As Cross and Asuka faced off, the heels attacked them from behind. Cross and Asuka cleaned house, dumping Royce and Kay outside the ring. Security would run in to break up the fight, but the two women would beat up security too.
Asuka ultimately took out Cross with a roundhouse kick. As security dragged Asuka away, Cross jumped from the top rope on the whole ensemble to end this week’s episode. Cross and Asuka lay unconsious on the floor, as the crowd chanted ‘NXT’!
Takeover happens in just a few days. Cannot wait.
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