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This week, NXT focused on their solo PPV event, NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Mia Yim would face Io Shirai in a ladder match in the main event, with the winner earning their team the advantage in the match.
The O.C. managed to knock off some of NXT's top wrestlers last week thanks to a distraction from Finn Balor. Though the Black & Gold brand has continuously been a thorn in the side of RAW and SmackDown, the "main roster" finally shot back. How would NXT respond, and what repercussions would Adam Cole face for that backstabbing Last Shot?
After months of wowing the NXT crowd by tearing his pants off, Angel Garza earned a shot at the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, besting Tony Nese for the opportunity. Tonight, he'd battle the Champ of the Hour, Lio Rush, for a chance to pick up his first title.
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match: Angel Garza vs Lio Rush (c)
Garza tied to match the Cruiserweight Champion's speed, but after tearing away his tights outside in front of Rush's family, he was taken out by a suicide dive. Back in the ring, a tilt-a-whirl DDT gave him a near fall.
Rush launched Garza outside and followed with the wrecking ball dropkick. However, as he came back in for the suicide dive, Garza caught him in mid air with a powerslam, driving him into the ground below.
The challenger brought Rush inside for a pinfall, earning a two-count. A reverse suplex rebounding off the ring ropes gave Garza another near fall. Garza was caught with a hurricanrana counter, but cut off Rush's momentum, sending him flying into the mat.
Finally, Rush got one over on Garza, and after hitting his patented striking combination, followed up with a handspring back elbow. Garza's Wing Clipper was countered, and a bicycle kick set up for the Come Up stunner. Garza found him bouncing off the ropes with a dropkick to the back of the neck.
Rush evaded a moonsault, and planted Garza with a twisting Killswitch. Garza kicked out at two. Rush took his time getting to the top rope thanks to the damage distributed by his challenger. That allowed Garza to meet him before jumping off, instead nearly driving Rush through the mat with a moonsault powerslam from the top rope.
A frustrated Garza battered Rush but was caught by a Spanish Fly. Rush rocked him with a spinning back kick and finally delivered the Come Up. Looking to finish him with a second Come Up, he was caught by Garza, who hit the Wing Clipper for a two and a half count.
Garza brought Rush up for a second rope Wing Clipper. Rush fought out, leading to the two men battering each other with headbutts. Rush slung him off the turnbuckle with a sunset flip and moved to the top rope. The Final Hour was not enough, though, to end Garza's chances.
Rush found Garza using the ropes to get to his feet and dropped onto him with a second Final Hour. His leg was draped over the bottom rome, but Rush pulled him back to secure the pin.
Results: Lio Rush defeated Angel Garza via pinfall.
Would you like to see a rematch between these two for the title? Rate this bout and let us know your thoughts right here!
We cut to somewhere behind the building where Tegan Nox and Rhea Ripley were found laid out. Nox was grasping her arm while Ripley was out cold.
Xia Li vs Aliyah w/Vanessa Borne
Thanks to a distraction from Borne, a hair pulling mat slam sent Li's head bouncing off the mat. She bounced back, though, rocking Aliyah with a fierce striking combination. A rolling wheel kick nearly ended her night early, but she avoided it and hung up Li in the ropes.
A northern lights suplex gave Aliyah a near fall. Aliyah would, however, finally fall to the rolling wheel kick.
Results: Xia Li defeated Aliyah via pinfall.
Immediately after the match, Borne rushed the ring to check on Aliyah. It seemed that Li may have broken her nose, and a doctor was quickly brought in to assess the situation. A glancing shot saw blood pouring from Aliyah's nose before the camera cut back to Li celebrating with the crowd.
It was a scary scene, but it looked like Aliyah was okay following the match.
Could we see this rivalry continue? Let us know here and rate the match as well.
On WWE Backstage last night, it was announced that Johnny Gargano would be unable to compete at WarGames. Finn Balor came down to address the NXT crowd about the event and what was next for him after injuring his opponent.
Balor ran down the crowd and NXT as a whole, calling it a joke. The Heart of NXT was so easily broken, and ever since he's been gone a bunch of "little boys" moved in. As he started to dig into Matt Riddle, the Original Bro rushed the ring. Balor hightailed it after a strong kick to the chest sent him over the barricade.
Before he could continue, the Undisputed Era stormed the ringside area. Cole let him know that, unfortunately, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Before they could jump him, Keith Lee and Tommaso Ciampa ran down for the assist. Lee challenged Cole to a bout, but Roderick Strong cut him off, stating that the NXT Champion deserved a night off.
Instead, the North American Champion stepped up. Lee said he wasn't that picky, as long as he got a fight.
Keith Lee vs Roderick Strong
Keith Lee spiked Strong on the mat with a pop-up slam. Strong tried to send Lee back with strikes, but Lee's bear-like hands nearly knocked the champion outside the ring. Lee caught Strong mid-air and dribbled him with a thunderous bodyslam.
Strong finally managed to put Lee on his knees with some low chopping kicks to the legs. A few shoulder blocks sent Lee wobbling, but the Limitless One rose back to his feet. A double handed chop to a mid-air strong sent him rolling to the side where he coughed up a few cups worth of saliva.
Lee attempted to get a hold of Strong, but the North American Champion managed to avoid his grasp and hung him up in the corner as we moved to break.
Back from commercial, Strong kept Lee on the ropes with a picture-perfect standing dropkick. Lee was hit with two Wrecking Ball dropkicks on the outs. Strong tossed him inside, continuing the punishment. Lee finally hulked up, taking some massive shots from Strong as he stood to his feet. A belly-to-belly suplex gave Lee a nearfall.
Now back on top, Lee blocked a leaping knee and tore Strong in half with a side backbreaker. Lee looked for a possible super Spirit Bomb, but Strong escaped, rocking him with a step-up enziguri. Lee shook it off, but a step-up knee strike allowed Strong to bring him over for a top rope superplex.
A Stronghold attempt was blocked, with Lee sending Strong across the ring. Strong began running the ropes, pelting Lee with a series of running elbows. Lee caught him coming in with a massive clothesline, turning him inside out. Undisputed Era rushed the ring, but were stopped by Tommaso Ciampa and Matt Riddle. The Original Bro left the group on their backs, but Finn Balor caught Riddle from behind.
A slingblade and a shotgun dropkick took out Riddle. Lee was distracted by the brawl outside, allowing Strong to drive him into the mat with an Olympic Slam. Lee recovered, though, breaking out of the pin and planting Strong with a fireman's carry Jackhammer.
Results: Keith Lee defeated Roderick Strong via pinfall.
Tommaso Ciampa tried to help Lee, but was quickly taken out by the numbers game. However, Dominik Dijakovic ran down the ramp and took on all four members of the Undisputed Era with ease. A pair of chokeslams to the NXT Tag Team Champions left them broken on the side of the ring. Cole's superkick was blocked, and the big man leveled the NXT Champion with the Feast Your Eyes knee.
Dijakovic shook Ciampa's hand, making him the final member of Ciampa's WarGames team. Lee stared Dijakovic down before offering his hand. Dijakovic accepted, meaning Ciampa now has the two Titans of NXT backing him up in two weeks. And he'll need all the help he can get, especially since Matt Riddle has dropped out to challenge Finn Balor.
Is Keith Lee in for North American Championship match after this effort? Rate the bout and let us know here!
Behind the arena, more contestants from WarGames were found unconscious. Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, and Candice LeRae were all unconscious on the sidewalk. Triple H was surrounded by various members of the crew and demanded that security report in ASAP.
Next up was a match between two NXT Breakout Tournament competitors.
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs Bronson Reed
Scott and Reed traded wrist locks, leading to a missile dropkick from Scott. Reed bounced off the ropes and responded with a massive shoulder block. Scott was caught with several headbutts, sending him bouncing back and forth between the ropes and the massive Aussie.
Several hip drops left Scott writhing on the floor. Reed followed up with a toss to the outside. As he chased, Scott evaded, sending him shoulder-first into the ring post while we cut to commercial. Back from the break, Scott broke away from Reed's paws again, rocking him with a jumping kick and an elbow drop to the back of the neck.
A rolling flatliner earned "Swerve" a nearfall. Reed absorbed some clotheslines, turning Scott inside out with one of his own. As he ascended the turnbuckle, Scott cut him off, trapping him in a hammerlock. Bronson Reed easily broke away and set up for a top rope Tombstone. Scott escaped once again, countering with a DDT.
A second rolling flatliner was countered with a sit-out spinebuster. The sunset driver nearly put Scott away. Scott escaped a suplex and snapped Reed's arm off the ropes. A springboard into a triangle attempt was countered by Reed. The big man was rocked by several kicks, and the House Call earned Scott another impressive victory.
Results: Isaiah "Swerve" Scott defeated Bronson Reed via pinfall.
Another top performance by these two young athletes. Rate their match here!
Pete Dunne and Killian Dain were set for another match-up tonight, but as Dain made his way to the ring, Damien Priest rushed him, taking him out. Security tried to keep everyone separated, but the Archer of Infamy broke away, sending Dain into the steps and rocking Dunne with his windmill roundhouse kick.
He then set his sights on the security guards, sending one into the rest with a powerbomb. As Dunne and Dain continued to brawl, Priest took them out with a step-up senton over the ropes.
Mia Yim was interviewed backstage about her main event match with Io Shirai. Dakota Kai came in to bury the hatchet between the two, stating that if something weird happened during the bout, she'd be there to stop it.
Mia Yim vs Io Shirai
Yim and Shirai battled to reach the ladder first. Shirai dumped the HBIC to the outside with a dropkick to the back, following with a suicide dive. Yim recovered and bounced her head off the apron.
Placing the ladder on the apron, Yim was taken out with it as Shirai dropkicked the ladder. Yim responded by dropping her face first on another ladder on the outside. The ladder was set up between the apron and barricade where Shirai kicked it into her opponent's jaw.
Shirai's fingers were slammed in the ladder, allowing Yim to kick her through the ropes with a big boot. They brawled near the ramp, crawling over each other to try to get back inside with the ladder. As they finally entered the ring, Yim dropped Shirai on the ladder with a suplex, leaving both women writhing in pain.
Shirai gained the upper hand in the commercial break, and we came back to Yim getting bounced across the mat with a 619. A flapjack planted Yim into the mat face first, but she recovered just as Shirai ran in for a dropkick. A belly-to-belly launched the Genius of the Sky into the ladder.
Yim ascended the ladder, but was quickly yanked down by Shirai. She pelted Shirai with kicks to the chest. Shirai bounced Yim off the ladder and sandwiched her in between the steel. Shirai returned with another ladder only to be stunned by the Protect Ya Neck.
As Yim picked up the ladder, Shirai sent it into her face with a springboard dropkick. With Yim being checked on by refs and the ringside doctor, Shirai set up the ladder. However, before she could make it to the top, Yim shoved everyone away.
Shirai responded with a German suplex from the ladder, following up with a running double knee strike in the corner. Yim was dumped outside as Dakota Kai came down to check on her.
As Kai tried to help her friend, they were leveled by a moonsault from Shirai. With Yim and Kai down on the outside, Shirai lifted the ladder in the ring, setting it up for success. As she moved up top, Dakota Kai rushed in and powerbombed her. She then pushed Yim inside, hoping to seal the deal for Team Ripley.
NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray rushed ringside, though, sending Kai into the steps and knocking the ladder over, sending Yim crashing through the ladder set up on the apron and barricade.
Kay Lee Ray helped push Shirai to the top where she finally managed to grab the briefcase.
Results: Io Shirai defeated Mia Yim.
As Shayna Baszler came out to applaud her team, SmackDown Women's Champion attacked her from behind, spiking her on her NXT Women's Championship.
What a chaotic end to show! How would you rate this insane ladder match between Shirai and Yim. Let us know here!
