'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After months of Shayna Baszler using Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke to retain the NXT Women's Championship, her longtime rival Io Shirai finally would get a fair shake at the champion thanks to a steel cage. With the rest of the horsewomen unable to get inside the structure, Shirai finally had a real one-on-one match with the Queen of Spades.
The NXT Breakout Tournament kicked off on tonight's episode of NXT, with Joaquin Wilde, formerly DJZ, taking on Angel Garza. Last week it was revealed that eight up and coming NXT Superstars would get a chance at a championship of their choosing should they make it to the end of the tournament.
Joaquin Wilde vs Angel Garza
Wilde and Garza locked up, with Garza quickly forcing his opponent into the ropes. Wilde managed to lock in a headlock, and after an attempted counter, tossed Garza onto his back with a delayed snapmare.
Garza and Wilde picked up the pace here, leaving Garza on his knees while Wilde sprang to his feet. A cheap shot rocked Wilde, but he fought out of the corner with a springboard arm drag and a tilt-a-whirl crossbody splash. Garza kicked out at two.
Wilde launched into a tilt-a-whirl headscissors attempt, but Garza turned it into a facebuster, then popped Wilde up into a boot to the jaw. Garza then stripped his pants, revealing all red tights. Tossed into the corner, Wilde suffered through a series of kicks. A package powerbomb turned facebuster nearly gave Garza the win.
Wilde fought out only to be dropped with a crescent kick, where he was locked in the straight jacket. Wilde reversed, locking in his own version of the hold, but Garza pelted him in the dome with three kicks. Wilde brought him down with a crossbody and stunned him with a pop up double foot strike. Rolling him up, he only managed to get a two count.
Garza rolled outside and attempted to walk away from a suicide dive attempt. Wilde caught himself and dove through the turnbuckle, sending Garza crashing into the ramp. Back inside, Garza followed Wilde to the top rope. After the two fought for control, Garza sent Wilde spiraling to the mat with a top rope Spanish Fly.
Stunned that he kicked out, Garza was nearly defeated by a crucifix pin. Kicking out, he nearly knocked out Wilde with a delayed dropkick to the head, finishing him with the Butterfly Stunner.
Results: Angel Garza defeated Joaquin Wilde via pinfall.
Last week, an interviewer caught up with Damien Priest following his NXT debut. Priest said there would be plenty of time for questions later, as he will live forever.
Prior to the upcoming tag match, the Street Profits decided that they would make this a match for the NXT Tag Team Titles. The Forgotten Sons felt cheated after failing to capture the gold at NXT TakeOver: XXV and Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford decided to put an end to that talk with a victory tonight. It was never made official, however.
Street Profits vs The Forgotten Sons
Montez Ford was wrangled up by Steve Cutler, who launched him into the corner of the Sons. They beat Ford down, hammering him with vicious punches and kicks before Blake launched Cutler onto Ford via hip toss. Blake tagged in, where the Sons dropped Ford with a double torture rack neckbreaker.
Cutler tagged back in for another run, but Ford escaped and tagged in Dawkins, who leveled both men with huge punches and a pair of exploder suplexes. In opposite corners, Dawkins landed on both men with corkscrew body splashes.
Ford tagged back in where he dropped onto Cutler with a high altitude Frog Splash. As he went for the pin, Jaxson Ryker pulled him out and laid him out with a double axe handle.
Results: The Street Profits defeated the Forgotten Sons via DQ.
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch made the save, breaking up the three-on-two beatdown from the Sons. They were then seen holding the NXT Tag Titles. After a moment, they handed the titles back, but said that the Profits owed them one.
After the commercial break, a short vignette was played for Killian Dain, who is set to make his return to NXT very soon. Following that, Vanessa Bourne and Aliyah insulted Mia Yim, claiming that they were going to put her in her place, homeless on the streets, next week when Aliyah faced her in a one-on-one match.
Nykos Rikos vs Keith Lee
Rykos tried to prevent Lee from leading the crowd in an "Oh Bask in his Glory" chant, which only angered Lee.
A massive pounce nearly launched him out of the ring. The Limitless One drove his opponent into the mat with the Limit Breaker to end the match.
Results: Keith Lee defeated Nykos Rikos via pinfall.
Adam Cole was traveling the world defending the NXT Championship. At Download Fest in Leicestershire, England, he met Slipknot's Corey Taylor, who was gushing over the NXT Title. The epic story of the Undisputed One continues next week.
Next week, the Breakout Tournament continues, with Isaiah "Swerve" Scott facing off against Cameron Grimes in another first-round matchup. We'll also see the Messiah of the Backbreaker Roderick Strong, in action as he goes one-on-one against Prince Pretty Tyler Breeze.
NXT Women's Championship: Io Shirai vs Shayna Baszler (c)
Shirai rushed Baszler but the champ avoided the attack, countering with kicks to her legs and a punching combination. Shirai fought out of a submission hold, but was quickly brought to the ground with a headlock. Baszler turned around, mounting Shirai's back and looking for the Kirifuda Clutch.
Shirai escaped, only to have her leg picked by Baszler, who stretched out the Genius of the Sky before stomping her face into the mat. Shirai tripped her up before she could make it to the door, sending Baszler to the mat with a dropkick afterwards. A palm strike left Baszler stunned on her back, but she quickly made it to her feet when her challenger tried to escape the cage.
Baszler launched Shirai face first into the steel, then tossed her into it a second time, this time working on the lower back. Shirai tried to break out of a side headlock, only to be driven into the cage one more time, cutting her off completely. Shirai managed to roll her up, but Baszler kicked out, slamming her face first into the steel cage again.
Set up between the cage and the ropes, Baszler delivered a series of punches to her midsection. She considered walking out the door, but decided to continue punishing Shirai. The challenger was tied up in a unique hold, but escaped and caught herself on the ropes before avoiding an attack from Baszler, sending the champion into the steel instead. A pair of dropkicks caught Baszler, sending her into the steel two more times.
A running knee sent her face first into the cage, and a German suplex almost saw Baszler lose her championship. The Queen of Spades broke out, though. A second German suplex set her up in the corner, where she was met with a double running knee strike. Shirai made it to the top of the cage, but Baszler managed to climb faster and bring her back inside, locking tin the Kirifuda Clutch in the process.
Baszler tossed Shirai down to the mat, assuming she'd been choked out. Shirai then leapt to her feet to bring Baszler down on her neck with a super German suplex. Baszler managed to kick out, partly due to the amount of time Shirai took to recover from the landing. As Shirai made it to the door, Shafir and Duke rushed to the ring, blocking her escape.
Shirai escaped another Kirifuda Clutch attempt, connecting with a double foot stomp. Shafir locked the cage door after the outside referee was wiped out, and attempted to prevent Shirai from escaping over the top. Candice LeRae rushed to the ring, saving Shirai and knocking Shafir to the ground. Jessamyn Duke quickly opened the door and tried to pull Baszler out.
LeRae dove onto Shafir, but was met with a running knee from the champion. As she turned around, an incredible moonsault from the top of the cage took Baszler out. Following this, Shirai tried to crawl towards the open door. Baszler pulled her away and went for the same approach. Shirai then dragged her back and launched Baszler backward. As she was halfway out the door, Baszler locked in a Kirifuda Clutch through the ropes.
Shirai broke it up the first time, and the second attempt was ruined thanks to her ramming the cage door into Baszler's head. This proved to be her undoing, however, as this led to Baszler collapsing through the ropes, landing on the outside and winning her championship.
Results: Shayna Baszler retained her NXT Women's Championship.
Following the bout, Shayna Baszler was escorted to the back by Duke and Shafir while Shirai was tended to by LeRae. Shirai lost it at this point, leveling her with a punch and kicking her. She stopped herself, though, seemingly cooling off.
However, it was only so she could grab a steel chair and mercilessly beat her former ally. A suplex on the chair left LeRae crumpled in the middle of the ring as a chorus of boos rained down upon Shirai.
