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Velveteen Dream was brought out on stage by a bevy of beautiful women while on top of a loveseat. Dream said that he's not one to complain, and has never been one to gripe about taking on more than one man at a time. So now, he's challenging the Messiah of the Backbreaker for the NXT North American Championship.
However, this time he wants a one-on-one championship bout, no Undisputed Era. Dream said that when he gets that opportunity again, he and the rest of the WWE Universe know how it will all end; Dream...Over.
A few weeks ago, Lio Rush earned the spot as #1 contender for Drew Gulak's Cruiserweight Championship. After besting Oney Lorcan, the Man of the Hour gets a chance at some championship gold. All he has to do is best the Philadelphia Stretcher.
Io Shirai vs Mia Yim
Yim attempted to shake Shirai's hand, leading to the Genius of the Sky shoving away the HBIC. Yim dumped her repeatedly with arm drags before connecting with a Yakuza Kick in the corner. An atomic drop sent Shirai outside as she was then sent into the barricade thanks to a baseball slide.
Knife edge chops battered Shirai's chest, and some stiff punches nearly sent her over the barricade. However, as she was sent into the ring, she responded with a double boot shot to the jaw. Back inside the ring, she stomped a mudhole in her opponent, leaving Yim at the bottom of the turnbuckle.
Yim was dumped in the middle of the ring with a snapmare and locked in a surfboard stretch. Shirai let go of the hold and sent Yim into the ropes where she connected with a knee to the gut, following that with a suplex. Yim kicked out at two. An abdominal stretch left Yim struggling to break away from Shirai. Thanks to an armdrag, she was able to end the submission. However, a kick was blocked, and a dragon screw leg whip allowed Shirai to hit a huge running basement dropkick to Yim's back.
Shirai choked Yim out in near the ropes but was forced off by the referee. A flapjack facebuster set up Shirai for a handstand knee drop to the gut. Yim kicked out at two. The Tiger Bomb was blocked, though Shirai landed on her feet. Yim responded with an overhead belly-to-belly. A few jabs, a kick to the teeth and a chop block allowed Yim to hit a leaping lariat and a basement dropkick to the face. Shirai kicked out at two.
Yim pelted Shirai with kicks to the chest, but when she bounced off the ropes was caught in a hurricanrana. Yim kicked out and was sent into the middle rope. A Tiger Feint Kick and a springboard missile dropkick gave Shirai the nearfall.
Shirai attempted a German suplex, but was instead caught in the Code Blue. She kicked out but as she rolled out was hit with a suicide dive, leaving both women out on the ground below. They both managed to beat the ref's ten count, and Yim tried to follow up with a pinfall on an exhausted Shirai, who kicked out just in the nick of time.
A Fujiwara Armbar attempt was prevented when Shirai rolled up Yim. Yim broke out after the referee noticed Shirai was holding the tights, allowing her to connect with Protect Ya Neck. Shirai, somehow, kicked out. Yim sat on the mat for a while, stunned that her best shot wasn't enough to put away Shirai.
As she climbed to the top, Shirai knocked her down to the ground below. However, Yim, back inside, stunned her with a jawbreaker and again took to the top rope. Shirai slapped her across the face and took her all the way to the mat with a superplex.
After a sliding kick to the jaw, a moonsault from the Genus of the Sky finally finished off the HBIC.
Results: Io Shirai defeated Mia Yim via pinfall.
Following the match, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were seen in the front row, celebrating an amazing war between Shirai and Yim.
The Street Profits, accompanied by Bianca Belair, were seen making their way to the arena. Tonight, they hoped to recapture the gold.
A vignette was shown for the returning Tegan Nox, the woman many felt would rise to the occassion and win both Mae Young Classics that she competed in. However, some serious knee injuries took her out of both tournaments. Now, though, Nox is ready to get back to what she does best, and will be returning to NXT soon.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
