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Before the show, WWE NXT paid respects to the late great Joe Laurinaitis, AKA Road Warrior Animal, who sadly passed away early this morning with an in memoriam graphic. He was just sixty years old. Animal had recently been working with our own Chris Featherstone, reviewing Monday Night RAW.
Tonight's episode of NXT was about setting up for NXT TakeOver on October 4th. Two NXT Champions would learn of their next challengers tonight, while Breezango set the table for their No. 1 contenders tonight.
We started the night off with the NXT Women's No. 1 Contender Battle Royal. Before the show, Candice LeRae attacked Tegan Nox, re-injuring her knee in the process. An equipment box driven into Nox's leg finished the job.
This match didn't just feature the NXT Superstars shown on the graphic last week, as many PC performers were also competing. Though, they weren't around for long.
No. 1 Contender Battle Royal for NXT Women's Championship
Rhea Ripley made an immediate impact, making several eliminations in the opening moments. Raquel Gonzalez kept up with Ripley, launching four stars over the ropes.
The field was quickly reduced by Ripley and Gonzalez, with Shotzi Blackheart, Aliyah, Candice LeRae, Xia Li, Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Carter, Dakota Kai, and Indi Hartwell left after the smoke settled. Aliyah attempted to eliminate Catanzaro, but the Ninja Warrior was able to pull herself through the ropes following an impressive handstand.
During the break, Catanzaro was launched into the barricade but still survived. Indi Hartwell tried to knock her off but failed. Carter was sent out by Gonzalez, but she offered safe passage for Catanzaro before leaving. Xia Li and Aliyah were eliminated during the break.
Ripley and Gonzalez brawled over the ropes, eliminating one another. Dakota Kai was stunned as her bodyguard was taken out of the equation. At this point, Kai, Blackheart, Hartwell, Catanzaro, and LeRae remained.
Blackheart tried to dump the Poison Pixie while Catanzaro launched Hartwell over the ropes with a hurricanrana. Kai and LeRae teamed up on Catanzaro, leading to her elimination. Blackheart avoided the boot in the corner and upended Kai for the elimination, leaving just Blackheart and LeRae.
LeRae was planted with a reverse sling blade, but fought back from the apron. Blackheart missed her running senton in the ropes, allowing LeRae to spike her with an elevated neck breaker. They made their way to the top of the turnbuckle where both women tumbled to the apron.
Eventually, LeRae was able to toss Blackheart off the stairs and win the match to become the new No.1 Contender for the NXT Women's Championship.
Results: Candice LeRae won the NXT Women's No. 1 Contenders Battle Royal.
Grade: B-
NXT Triple Crown winner and No.1 Contender for the North American Title, Johnny Gargano, celebrated with his wife in the ring. Could the IT Couple of NXT walk out of NXT TakeOver with two titles?
Backstage, Fandango offered his idea to determine the No. 1 Contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship. William Regal heard him out, but still needed Danny Burch to translate.
One member of four teams will team up with another to compete in a tag team match. The winning team faces each other in a tag team match later, with the winner of that bout becoming the contenders for Breezango. One-Two/Undisputed Era vs Legado Del Fantasma/Imperium.
Next up was the grudge match between Jake Atlas and Tommaso Ciampa.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Jake Atlas on NXT
Jake Atlas didn't let Tommaso Ciampa get an early start, brawling with the former NXT Champion and taking him to the floor. Atlas attempted to hit the slingshot into the underside of the ring, one of Ciampa's latest go-to maneuvers.
Ciampa squirmed out of harms way and rushed into the ring, catching Atlas with a lariat as he came in. However, the Cruiserweight returned the favor with some devastating blows of his own, including a pump kick in the corner that sent sweat and spit flying into the plexiglass.
Atlas followed Ciampa to the floor with a moonsault, and went back inside for the diving blockbuster, which connected. Ciampa managed to kick out at two, but he was clearly having more trouble with Atlas than expected.
As Atlas went for the Rainbow DDT, Ciampa kicked his arm out from under him. Ciampa followed up with Willow's Bell, but didn't pin Atlas. He wanted to send a message, and drove Atlas into the mat with a modified Fairy Tale ending.
Results: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Jake Atlas via pinfall.
Grade: B
NXT presented the fans with a vignette for one of their latest imports from the NXT UK Brand, Ridge Holland.
Roderick Strong & Danny Burch vs Fabian Aichner & Raul Mendoza on NXT
Roderick Strong and Fabian Aichner started the match off, with Imperium's powerhouse getting the best of Strong. The former NXT Tag Team Champions then tagged out to Raul Mendoza and Danny Burch.
The Guvnor of NXT dropped Mendoza with a leg hook and rocked him with an enzguri in the corner. A distraction from Aichner allowed Mendoza to get back in the match, however, as we went to break.
When we returned, Mendoza and Aichner were still demolishing Danny Burch. The veteran brawler managed to tag in Strong, eventually, just as he was bulldozed with a decapitating clothesline by Aichner.
The Messiah of the Backbreakers went to work, launching Aichner into Mendoza before planting Aichner with the Olympic Slam. A kick to the back by Mendoza allowed Aichner to plant Strong with a spinebuster. Mendoza tagged back in, but as he moved to the top rope, was blasted with a pump knee from Strong.
Burch tagged in as Strong laid out Aichner. Burch planted Mendoza with the Tower of London to pick up the win for his team.
Results: Danny Burch & Roderick Strong defeated Raul Mendoza & Fabian Aichner via pinfall.
Grade: A
Backstage on NXT, Austin Theory was being interviewed when Johnny Gargano came in to give him some advice. Gargano said that Theory had everything he needed to be a star in this sport, and if he softened Damian Priest up for TakeOver, Gargano wouldn't forget the favor.
Austin Theory vs Damian Priest on NXT
The NXT North American Champion took hold of the Blue Chipper's left arm before sending him across the way with an arm drag. Damian Priest blocked a takedown and took out Austin Theory with a leaping back elbow.
Theory avoided a splash in the corner, but couldn't evade Priest's rope walking springboard crossbody. Theory responded with a standing moonsault, but was dropped with a bell-clap and elevated flatliner.
Theory struggled to get out of the gate, but was able to get some time to breathe when he sent Priest off the ropes to the floor as he went up for a springboard maneuver. After Theory avoided a kick on the apron, he landed a rolling dropkick on Priest.
Eventually Priest fired up with a kicking combination and followed it up with an elbow smash and a discus clothesline. The leaping elbow in the corner connected, and a toss falcon arrow put Theory down for the two.
Theory momentarily turned things around with a Blue Thunder bomb, but couldn't get the win. Priest rolled to the floor where he almost slammed Theory on the apron with South of Heaven.
Theory avoided it, but couldn't avoid the windmill kick. A Razor's Edge to the apron connected, and Theory rolled inside where he was planted with The Reckoning for the win.
Results: Damian Priest defeated Austin Theory via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B+
Damian Priest will defend the NXT North American Championship against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver on October 4th. If he can do that in a week in a half, he'll walk away still champion.
The former NXT Champion laid out Priest during his celebration with a superkick. Gargano then taunted Priest with his own arrow motion.
We got a vignette of a mystery man, with a voiceover claiming they were coming back for what was theirs. They threw something at a glass case, taking a replica of the NXT Championship. Looks like another main roster star is returning to NXT.
Ridge Holland vs Antonio De Luca on NXT
The former Rugby star and latest NXT import Ridge Holland absolutely demolished Antonio De Luca. Massive clubbing clotheslines. A pounce that sent De Luca sky-high. Holland was an absolute monster.
De Luca was tossed with a series of over-the-head belly-to-bellysuplexes. Multiple headbutts in the corner left De Luca nearly out cold. Holland followed up with Northern Grit, a northern lights driver.
Results: Ridge Holland defeated Antonio De Luca via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: C
Ridge Holland is a serious force to be reckoned with, and someone who could find himself in the hunt for gold at any given moment considering his sheer brute strength and force of will. It's only a matter of time until he's holding gold in NXT.
Backstage, Io Shirai was being antagonized by Candice LeRae and her husband when Damian Priest rolled in with a punch to the face. The NXT Women's and North American Champions stood tall against the Gargano Family.
Later on in the night, it's confirmed that Damian Priest and Io Shirai would face their NXT TakeOver opponents, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, next week on NXT.
Gauntlet Eliminator to determine No.1 Contender for the NXT Championship
Kushida and Kyle O'Reilly started the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator. The former NXT Tag Team Champion brought Kushida to the mat where both men jockeyed for position.
O'Reilly had the upper hand in the match for a while but was caught with a hip toss/dropkick combination. Kushida followed up with an arm wrench, wrapping O'Reilly's arm around his leg before dropping down for a shoulder breaker.
Both men began slugging in the middle of the ring as the third competitor, Bronson Reed, emerged. The Colossal One of NXT rolled in and squashed both of his competitors. Kushida was lifted over Reed's head and shot into O'Reilly with a military press slam.
Reed followed that with an attempt at a double Samoan Drop. Kushida escaped and tried to cut Reed down. A handspring double back elbow took out O'Reilly momentarily and dropped Reed to a knee. Kushida and O'Reilly tied back up, with O'Reilly going for an armbar on the Time Splitter.
Reed broke it up and was trapped in a heel hook. Kushida set up O'Reilly with the Hoverboard Lock, but Reed broke it up again. A big senton on O'Reilly crushed the multi-time NXT Tag Team Champion.
All three men fought to the top, but O'Reilly was launched onto the barricade. As the ref checked on him, Velveteen Dream rushed in and planted Kushida with the Dream Valley Driver. Reed took advantage, landing on Kushida with the Tsunami Splash for the first elimination.
First Elimination: Bronson Reed defeated Kushida via pinfall on NXT.
Timothy Thatcher was next, and we went to break just as he entered the ring. When we came back, the final entrant, Cameron Grimes, emerged. Four of the five members of the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator were now in the ring.
Grimes took out Reed with a diving crossbody and pelted O'Reilly with a kick on the apron. As he rolled back in, he superkicked Thatcher. However, Grimes' momentum was haulted with a big bodyattack by Reed. All four men traded blows here, with O'Reilly laying out Thatcher before getting platned with a spin-out sidewalk slam by Grimes.
As Grimes turned around, he was hit with a gigantic clothesline from Reed. While Thatcher held Reed on the apron in a sleeper but was kicked to the floor by Grimes. O'Reilly followed up with a diving knee. Reed launched Grimes onto O'Reilly and Thatcher, then joined them on the floor.
Thatcher hammered Reed with some stiff shots and brought the big man back inside. The Thatch-as-Thatch-Can teacher was planted with a Death Valley Driver, however, and was nearly eliminated. O'Reilly jumped back in the match, looking to eliminate Reed's legs.
Reed planted O'Reilly with a powerbomb, but couldn't get the elimination. Grimes took advantage of a distracted Reed, but was launched to the floor again. Reed found the perfect moment to send himself through the ropes, taking out all his opponents with a suicide dive.
Thatcher was the first to his feet, and it seemed that Reed was worse for wear following the dive. Thatcher worked over the big man's arm while Grimes and O'Reilly moved to the ring.
With Reed momentarily out of commission, Thatcher and Grimes took turns clobbering O'Reilly. Thatcher tried to turn O'Reilly over for the single leg Boston Crab, but couldn't get it. He transitioned to a Fujiwara Armbar attempt, but again failed to sinch it in.
Reed was back in the ring at this point, and Grimes and Thatcher again teamed up. Reed shook them off and slammed dropped O'Reilly with a Road Warrior Animal style powerslam. As Grimes and Thatcher rushed him, Reed spiked Thatcher onto Grimes with a uranage side slam. .
O'Reilly caught Reed after a Tsunami Splash attempt with a big knee to the back, eliminating him.
Second Elimination: Kyle O'Reilly defeated Bronson Reed via pinfall on NXT.
O'Reilly, Thatcher, and Grimes were left. Thatcher's butterfly suplex on O'Reilly was blocked, and the two stiff strikers took turns rocking one another. Grimes was caught with a wiffed enziguri.
Thatcher locked O'Reilly in a sleeper while the UE star held Grimes in an ankle lock. Both submissions were broken, leading to O'Reilly lighting up Thatcher with a kicking combination. Thatcher responded with European uppercuts and slapped the taste out of O'Reilly's mouth.
Kyle O'Reilly managed to eliminate Thatcher with a roll-up.
Third Elimination: Kyle O'Reilly defeated Timothy Thatcher via pinfall on NXT.
Immmediately after O'Reilly stood up, he was hit with the Cave In by Grimes. Luckily, he was close enough to the ropes to break the pin. Grimes trashed O'Reilly, stating he wasn't like Adam Cole, the man of the group.
O'Reilly was planted with a spinning powerslam but kicked out. Both men threw out their best strikes, with Grimes getting the better of O'Reilly with a roundhouse. The second Cave In missed, though, and O'Reilly locked in a heel hook, forcing the submission.
Results: Kyle O'Reilly defeated Cameron Grimes via submission on NXT.
Grade: A+
Kyle O'Reilly will now challenge Finn Balor for the NXT Championship, O'Reilly's first singles title, at NXT TakeOver on October 4th. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong rushed the ring to celebrate with O'Reilly.
NXT Champion Finn Balor stood on the stage and stared down his new challenger.
