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We're three days removed from NXT TakeOver: In Your House, and what a show it was! Adam Cole and Keith Lee retained their titles against Velveteen Dream and Johnny Gargano, respectively. Io Shirai defied the odds and defeated Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair to become the new NXT Woman's Champion. Not to mention the utter destruction of Tommaso Ciampa by Karrion Kross.
Kross, it seems, already had his sights set on a shiny new prize, but we'll get into that later on in the night. We kicked off the show with the longest-reigning NXT Champion of all time.
The NXT Champion triumphantly returns
Adam Cole is out first, and he's accompanied by Bobby Fish and Roddy Strong! Cole wasn't teasing earlier today. He found them after they were kidnapped by Dexter Lumis at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
The NXT Champion said that Velveteen Dream is one of the greatest Superstars that NXT has, but he's just not Adam Cole, Bay-bay. Now that Dream is no longer allowed to challenge him, who's next? Well, according to the champ, it doesn't matter.
Adam Cole is the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history, and nobody would be able to end his reign. Contenders aside, Cole's next target was Dexter Lumis, who like I mentioned above, kidnapped Bobby Fish and Roddy Strong.
Strong was visually shaken and was seeing the psychotic Lumis in the crowd. However, when the Undisputed Era turned around never saw him. Fish and Cole calmed the Messiah of the Backbreakers down, and Cole said tonight was about getting his revenge for his best friends. Tonight, Cole will take on Lumis in the main event, and it's just another body he's looking forward to going through on the NXT roster.
The Tortured Artist stared on from the shadows as the Era boys backed up the ramp. Strong wasn't seeing things.
Next up, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae looked to get revenge over their opponents from NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Keith Lee and Mia Yim.
Before their opening NXT bout, Keith Lee and Mia Yim walked up to the Undisputed Era on NXT, where Roddy was still shaken by the appearance of Dexter Lumis. It looks like the Limitless One has his sights set on more gold.
NXT Mixed Tag Team Match: Keith Lee & Mia Yim vs Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae
Lee and Yim took it to Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae early, countering a pair of hurricanranas with a Super Collider. Yim officially kicked the match off with LeRae, tossing the Poison Pixie around the ring with ease.
Gargano pulled LeRae out to save her. When Yim dove, Lee was shoved in the way but caught her. The Yimitless couple then rocked the Garganos and dropped them face-first on the apron as we cut to commercial.
However, during the break, a distraction from Gargano allowed LeRae to take Yim down with an elbow to the throat. She continued to punish the HBIC with a series of chops and elbows. Still, Sole Food out of nowhere allowed Yim to get to the NXT North American Champion.
Keith Lee bowled through Johnny Gargano before caving his chest in with Grizzly Magnum. Johnny Wrestling was launched overhead from corner to corner before Lee held Gargano mere inches away from his wife.
Gargano would tag out, and though Lee managed to hold them both over his shoulders, they managed to counter for an enziguri (Gargano) DDT (LeRae) combination. Yim rolled in for a dragon suplex, which could've won her the match on NXT had Gargano not broken it up.
Yim's frustration led to her taking out Gargano with a striking combination. The Gargano's were tossed over Yim's head with a pair of German suplexes. However, LeRae managed to catch Yim with her own Sole Food before hitting La Quebrada on NXT.
Yim kicked out, forcing Lee to tag in. LeRae was set up for a dragon suplex over the ropes, but she was instead knocked to the floor wen Gargano pounced Gargano into LeRae. There was a similar issue with Gargano, who dropped Lee with One Final Beat. However, all of his weight landed right on the body of LeRae.
Lee picked up LeRae to carry her to the back, but he was instead rolled up with a school boy, which incidentally launched LeRae all the way to the floor.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Keith Lee via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: A
Johnny Gargano celebrated...with Candice...kind of? He used her kind of like a puppet, raising her arm in victory while she hung off of him clearly unconscious. Yim was okay, though, and Lee checked in with her as we cut to a WWE Network exclusive.
At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Damian Priest was interviewed about his match with Finn Balor. The Archer of Infamy may have lost, but he knew how great Balor was going into the bout, and was happy to have had a great match with The Prince. Win or lose, his name will live on in infamy.
Backstage, Cameron Grimes was asked about his rematch with Finn Balor tonight. Cameron "Confident" Grimes said that he didn't know why this match was booked, but the first win was so nice he might as well do it twice. Priest walked up on him, and after Grimes talked a bit too much, Priest laid him out with a right hand.
Indus Sher w/Malcolm Bivens vs Enhancement Talent on NXT
Indus Sher tore through their unnamed opponents on NXT. Rinku dominated their victims with a series of running body splashes before connecting with a sidewalk slam (Saurav)/diving leg drop(Rinku) combination.
Results: Indus Sher win via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: D-
After the match, referee Drake Wuertz was talking to William Regal, who was sitting at home. Wuertz revealed that Cameron Grimes was refusing to wrestle Finn Balor tonight. Regal, furious, demanded to talk to Grimes.
When he found him, Grimes was chatting up two PC performers. Wuertz was actually carrying the iPad, allowing Regal to hear everything Grimes was saying and doing. Sadly for Grimes, but good for anybody else that wanted to see him get his teeth kicked in, Regal demanded he get ready for his match later tonight.
We saw Tyler Breeze and Fandango talk about their paths to NXT, and how, though they love to make people laugh, they're a legit team. Fandango's first match was a pinfall victory over Chris Jericho at WrestleMania.
Breeze helped build NXT and had incredible matches with the likes of Jushin Liger, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler and more. They'll continue to entertain, but once they get inside their ropes, the jokes end.
Next week, Breezango will face Imperium for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
We saw another WWE Network exclusive, showing Tommaso Ciampa leaving the arena following his crushing defeat at the hands of Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Speaking of Tommaso Ciampa, be sure to check out this video below with our own Riju Dasgupta and Randy Orton, where the Viper gave some advice to the Psycho Killer.
Backstage on NXT, Rhea Ripley was getting interviewed by McKenzie when all of a sudden Robert Stone came into the picture, hoping to bring the Nightmare in as his new client. Stone said that they were both losers on Sunday, and Ripley responded saying there was a one in a million chance she'd ever join him.
He kept it up, though, leading to Ripley low blowing him before dumping him through a trash can.
Cameron Grimes vs Finn Balor in an NXT rematch
Cameron Grimes tried to stay away from Finn Balor, but was eventually taken out with a forearm to the jaw. Grimes took Balor to the corner, attempting to drive his shoulders through the former NXT Champion's sternum. However, Balor, fresh off his big win at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, was fired up, delivering a series of knife edge chops to Grimes.
A sunset flip basement dropkick sent Grimes to the floor, where Balor continued to punish him by the plexiglass. Grimes was able to catch Balor coming in the ropes, and met him with a devastating lariat.
Grimes controlled the bout throughout the break, but once we came back, Balor landed a standing double boot to the chest followed by the sling blade. The shotgun dropkick sent Grimes flying into the corner.
Somehow, Grimes was able to avoid the Coup de Grace, and laid into Balow with a nasty elbow to the jaw. Balor responded with a 1916 attempt, but Grimes rolled him up instead.
As Balor kicked out, he planted Grimes with a spinning headlock elbow drop. Grimes turned it around with a spin out sidewalk slam for another two-count. Balor escaped the Cave-In and spiked Grimes with a reverse 1916, but could only get a nearfall.
After the Coup de Grace, the 1916 put Grimes away, putting the series at 1-1.
Results: Finn Balor defeated Cameron Grimes via pinfall.
Grade: A
After the match, Balor challenged Keith Lee for the NXT North American Championship.
Kacy Catanzaro vs Dakota Kai w/Raquel Gonzalez on NXT
Dakota Kai looked to get some much-needed momentum and a win after her six-woman tag team loss at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Catanzaro dropped Kai and hit a tope atomic. A somersault capo kick nearly put Kai away.
Kai responded with a flatliner into the middle turnbuckle, following up with a face wash in the corner. However, another corner attack allowed Catanzaro to roll the Captain of Team Kick up with a sunset flip.
After kicking out, Kai knocked out Catanzaro with a scorpion kick and the GTK.
Results: Dakota Kai defeated Kacy Catanzaro via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: C+
After the match, Kai and Gonzalez continued to attack Catanzaro. However, Kayden Carter broke it up, landing a series of kicks on Kai and nearly dropping Gonzalez with the tornado DDT.
However, the powerhouse was able to avoid it, instead dropping her with the pump handle powerbomb. Still, with that, NXT's women's tag team division is really beginning to take form.
We saw a vignette with Timothy Thatcher on NXT, who was setting up his own stable through a serious and terrifying training regimen. It all begins next week.
El Hijo del Fantasma addresses NXT Universe
El Hijo del Fantasma was introduced next as the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Of course, Jordan Devlin is still across the pond with his NXT Cruiserweight Championship and has been vocal as of late about this decision. Before Fantasma could speak, he was interrupted by Drake Maverick.
Maverick congratulated the champ on everything he'd accomplished and thanked him for their match. He stated that Fantasma absolutely deserved to be the champion, but Maverick's been wondering what would've happened if he wasn't so focused on losing his job last week.
Now that he's an official member of NXT, Maverick knew he could beat Fantasma if given the chance. Fantasma happily obliged, before being interrupted by the masked men. It seemed that Fantasma and Maverick would take them on together, but Fantasma turned on him, revealing that he was behind their antics the entire time.
Fantasma removed his mask, as did the other men, who turned out to be Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza. Now dubbed Santos Escobar, the NXT Cruiserweight Champion tore his mask away.
Roderick Strong was seen freaking out about a drawing that he found in the Undisputed Era locker room. Adam Cole and Bobby Fish told him not to worry, as Cole was about to destroy Dexter Lumis in the NXT main event.
Still, it seemed that Lumis had fully gotten into the head of the former NXT North American Champion.
Dexter Lumis vs Adam Cole w/Undisputed Era on NXT
Adam Cole took Dexter Lumis to the corner but was immediately thrown in there himself for a series of fast rights to the stomach. A back elbow sent Cole to the floor. Cole was able to take control again on NXT as the Undisputed Era distracted him, but it wasn't for long.
Lumis countered a headlock with a big toss, sending Cole into the ropes for a sliding slap across the face. Lumis talked Cole inside, blocking a kick and delivering a vicious haymaker, Again, thanks to Fish and Strong, Cole was able to catch Lumis with a boot that knocked him to the floor below.
Back in the ring, Cole battered Lumis, who continued to stare and crawl towards the NXT Champion. Cole called him a freak, which only seemed to excite Lumis. A swinging neckbreaker dropped Lumis, who again stared on into the eyes of the Undisputed Era.
Lumis demanded Cole hit him harder, and Hulked up, laying out Cole with some more right hands. A corner clothesline/bulldog combination set up for the slingshot suplex, giving him a near fall over the NXT Champion! Cole fought out of the fireman carry position but was spiked on his neck with a German suplex. Again, a two-count.
Lumis blocked the Last Shot with an attempt at his Anaconda Vice. Cole fought out and landed a superkick that was half a second away from giving Cole his second win of the week. The Last Shot missed, and Cole was driven into the mat with a powerful spinebuster. As Lumis closed in, Cole dumped him to the floor. Fish and Strong attempted to attack him, but Lumis had escaped, sliding under the ring.
As Cole turned around, another spinebuster planted the Panama City Playboy. Lumis moved to the top for a senton bomb, but Cole put his knees up. Cole set up for the Panama Sunrise, only for Lumis to counter with the Anaconda Vice.
Cole scratched, clawed, and scrambled to escape. Thankfully for him, Bobby Fish distracted the ref, allowing Roderick Strong to break it up with an enziguri. Cole finished it with the Last Shot.
Results: Adam Cole defeated Dexter Lumis via pinfall.
Grade: B+
After the match on NXT, Cole tried to talk some trash, leading to Lumis trapping him in the Anaconda Vice. After several kicks from the Era, Lumis finally let go. Velveteen Dream rushed the ring to even up the odds. As Dream and Lumis sent Fish and Strong packing, Scarlet appeared at the entrance ramp. Smoke began to fill the area as Scarlett made her way to the ring on NXT.
She placed an hourglass in the ring, leaving quite the ominous message for the NXT Champion. Will Karrion Kross be the one to end Adam Cole's record-shattering run at the top?
Episode Rating: A
All the champions were put on notice tonight on NXT while Fantasma's heel turn and debut of his new faction is surely the biggest talking point of the night.
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