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With ten days until NXT TakeOver: Toronto, several NXT Superstars looked to solidify their spot at the show tonight.
Shayna Baszler finally addressed her challenger at TakeOver, Mia Yim, who had taken out her henchwomen, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, in sneak attacks over the past month.
Tonight's main event featured both of Velveteen Dream's challengers at Toronto, Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong. The Messiah of the Backbreaker currently owns a pinfall victory over Dream, and believes he is owed a proper one-on-one shot. Dunne, on the other hand, was tossed into the bout when William Regal brought him over from NXT UK. Strong hoped to break the Bruiserweight before he could make it to TakeOver.
We kicked off the match with Tyler Breeze facing off against the leader of the Forgotten Sons, Jaxson Ryker. Ryker wanted to send a message to the rest of the NXT locker room by breaking the face of Prince PRetty tonight.
Tyler Breeze vs Jaxson Ryker w/Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler
Ryker shoved Breeze into the corner, showing his power advantage early. Breeze was whipped into the opposite corner easily, with Ryker intimidating him as he stood above. Breeze didn't let it get to him, getting back to his feet and lighting the big man up with a series of forearms. However, a running attack was caught as Ryker spiked him with a uranage.
Seated on the bottom turnbuckle, Breeze's face was met with two running knees before being brought out for two pendulum backbreakers. However, Ryker was caught with a series of kicks, stunning the big man. The Forgotten Sons attempted to interfere, leading to them getting knocked off the apron by Prince Pretty.
Ryker tried to finish him off with a cheap shot, but was caught by a victory roll instead, giving Breeze the win.
Results: Tyler Breeze defeated Jaxson Ryker via pinfall.
The Forgotten Sons immediately rushed the ring, with all three men laying the beatdown on Breeze. Before Ryker could connect with the powerbomb, Fandango made the save, sending all three men outside.
After a pair of superkicks to one of the Sons, Breezango stood united in the ring while Ryker, Blake, and Cutler.
Bronson Reed vs Cameron Grimes
Reed forced Grimes into the corner under, leading to Grimes begging the referee to get him off. Reed was pulled off, but, with ease, launched him across the ring with a release mat slam. Grimes tried to go behind Reed, but the big man knocked him down to the mat with a shoulder tackle, following up with a side headlock.
Grimes fought up to his feet, where he stomped on Reed's right foot and locked in his own side headlock. Reed tried to take him over with a back suplex, but Grimes landed on his feet. He was quickly taken out, though, as he came off the ropes, running into an elbow smash across the face. In the corner, Reed pelted Grimes repeatedly, leaving some massive welts over his chest.
Reed chased Grimes around ringside, and as they rolled back inside Grimes caught him with a dropkick to the face. A running clothesline saw Reed crash into the mat. Grimes kept Reed on the mat following another dropkick, locking him in a rear chin lock. Reed easily powered out, and a snap powerslam left Grimes crushed in the middle of the ring.
A body splash in the corner saw Grimes crumble, and after a Samoan Drop and a senton splash, it seemed that Reed was moving on to the finals. Grimes managed to get his foot on the bottom rope, though, saving his run in the tournament.
As he crawled into the ropes, Grimes poked Reed in the eyes, buying himself some time. After the two men traded some stiff strikes, Grimes caught Reed bouncing off the ropes with a double foot stomp.
Results: Cameron Grimes defeated Bronson Reed via pinfall.
Shayna Baszler rushed the ring tonight, not attempting to soak in the spotlight like usual. The Queen of Spades called out Mia Yim after the HBIC attacked Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir from behind over the past few weeks.
Baszler said that this isn't the streets, they're professionals, and what she did was unacceptable. In Toronto, with all the pressure of tens of thousands of people in attendance, she's forcing Yim to tap out.
At this point, Yim came out and asked if the NXT Women's Champion was scared. Without her backup by her side, she seems like a much weaker beast in the eyes of the challenger. Baszler said that under the lights, she's only street trash.
Candice LeRae was seen pacing outside the arena when she was met by William Regal. The General Manager said that Io Shirai was suspended and wouldn't be showing up tonight. LeRae offered a different option, hoping to get a match with her at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. Regal obliged, making the match official.
Roderick Strong vs Pete Dunne
Dunne and Strong tried to take each other to the mat at the beginning, with Strong getting the advantage early. Dunne reversed a side headlock with a pinfall attempt, forcing both men back to their feet.
This time around, the Bruiserweight won the battle, forcing Strong into the ropes. However, when the referee pulled him off, Strong connected with an enziguri to the head. In the corner, Dunne was beaten down as Strong stomped a mudhole into the former NXT UK Champion.
Dunne was brought out into the middle of the ring where he leveled Strong with a huge clothesline. He then went after Strong's left arm, stomping on his elbow. Strong's fingers and hand were turned around, as Dunne connected with a kick to the arm.
Strong shook it off quickly, though, and stopped Dunne from coming off the top rope. A torture rack backbreaker left Dunne grabbing at his spine as Strong attacked Dunne with boots to the head.
A pendulum backbreaker earned Strong a two-count. Dunne took himself closer to the ropes while Strong punished him with more stomps and kicks to the body. As he stood up, though, he managed to attack Strong's legs with a series of kicks. WHen he came off the ropes, however, a standing dropkick caught Dunne on the jaw, leading to another nearfall.
In the corner, Strong took Dunne up for a superplex. Dunne countered with a super gourdbuster and hit a missile dropkick, knocking Strong across the ring. Strong chased Dunne into the corner but the Bruiserweight flipped over him, connecting with an enziguri and the X-Plex. A penalty kick nearly finished off Strong, but he kicked out at two.
Dunne countered a German suplex, kicking Strong in the back of the head and bouncing him off the mat with a sit out powerbomb. Strong kicked out again and rolled to the outside. Dunne went up top, trying to dive onto Strong. Strong chased him up top, dropping him on the apron with a backbreaker.
Inside the ring, Strong picked Dunne up by the hair, connecting with a flurry of offense, finishing with a running knee in the corner. A backbreaker and elevated mat slam lead to a two-count.
Dunne used the ropes to bring himself up. He and Strong traded right hands, leading to Dunne attempting the Bitter End. Strong countered into an Olympic Slam. When he looked for another backbreaker, Dunne countered into a DDT, spiking his former tag team partner.
Strong rocked Dunne with elbows and chops from his right arm, but Dunne responded, taking the Messiah of the Backbreaker down to the mat. As Dunne went up top, he was again stopped by Dunne with a leaping right hand. As he tried to climb, Dunne kicked him off. Before he could take the dive, though, he was again thwarted by Strong and a kick to the knee.
Strong tried to bring Dunne down with a backbreaker from the top, but was countered into a sunset flip powerbomb. Dunne's Bitter End was blocked again, as a Tiger Driver '97 nearly got the pin. Strong locked in the Strong Hold, but Dunne managed to break out after going after his left hand and fingers. Dune forced Strong to tap out after snapping his fingers.
Results: Pete Dunne defeated Roderick Strong via submission.
As Dunne celebrated, Velveteen Dream snuck into the ring. He looked as if he was going to clock Dunne with the North American Championship, but stopped when Dunne turned around.
Dream hit his iconic pose, leading to Dunne snapping his fingers and delivering a Bitter End. Dunne stood tall in the ring as Dream was left face down and Strong backed up the ramp to end the night.
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