Toxic Attraction are set for six-woman tag team action on next week’s NXT.
WWE has announced that Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) will take on Io Shirai, Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro on NXT next Tuesday. On tonight’s episode of the show, Carter and Catanzaro saved Shirai from a beatdown by Toxic Attraction.
Rose, Dolin, and Jayne all won titles at Halloween Havoc last Tuesday. Rose defeated Raquel Gonzalez in a Trick or Street Fight to win the NXT Women’s Championship, while Dolin & Jayne won the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles in a Scareway to Hell ladder match against Shirai & Zoey Stark and Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta.
Rose kicked off tonight’s NXT and bragged about Toxic Attraction’s title wins. It was revealed that Dolin and Jayne weren’t with her in the ring because they were attacking Stark backstage. After Rose said Toxic Attraction runs NXT and no one can stop them, she was interrupted by Shirai.
Shirai wanted a match against Rose, but Rose gave her a cheap shot and attacked her instead. Shirai fought back and was going for a moonsault when Dolin and Jayne got involved. Carter and Catanzaro then made the save for Shirai, evening the odds against Toxic Attraction.
A tag team match between Kushida & Ikemen Jiro and The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) has also been announced for next week’s NXT. It appears that Kay Lee Ray will have a match on the show as well. A promo aired on NXT tonight where KLR promised that she’s going to “start to rage” next week.
WWE has revealed the stipulation for the triple threat NXT Women’s Tag Team title match at Halloween Havoc.
During tonight’s NXT, it was announced that Io Shirai & Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta vs. Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles at Halloween Havoc will be a “Scareway to Hell ladder match.” Halloween Havoc is a special episode of NXT that’s taking place next Tuesday.
WWE announced yesterday that the NXT Women’s Tag Team title match at Halloween Havoc would be a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match. Tonight’s episode of NXT featured a triple threat match between Shirai, Pirotta, and Jayne to determine who would spin the wheel to reveal the stipulation for next week. Shirai pinned Pirotta to get the win after Jayne was taken out of the match due to suffering an injury.
Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc will also be a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match.
Here’s the updated card for Halloween Havoc:
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defends against Bron Breakker
Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match: NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Mandy Rose
Scareway to Hell ladder match: NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Io Shirai & Zoey Stark defend against Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta and Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne
Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match: NXT Tag Team Champions MSK defend against Imperium’s Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner
WWE has announced that the triple threat NXT Women’s Tag Team title match at Halloween Havoc will now be a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match. Io Shirai & Zoey Stark are defending their titles against Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta and Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne).
Halloween Havoc is a special episode of NXT that’s taking place on Tuesday, October 26. Before that, one member of Shirai & Stark, Hartwell & Pirotta, and Dolin & Jayne will face off in a triple threat match on this week’s NXT. The winner of that match will spin the wheel to determine the stipulation for the NXT Women’s Tag Team title match at Halloween Havoc.
Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc will also be a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match.
Here’s the updated card for Halloween Havoc:
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defends against Bron Breakker
Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match: NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Mandy Rose
Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match: NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Io Shirai & Zoey Stark defend against Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta and Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne
Tegan Nox returned to NXT tonight at the Great American Bash, causing a distraction that helped crown new NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Towards the end of the title match between The Way (Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell) and the team of Zoey Stark and Io Shirai, the battery seen charging up in vignettes over the last several weeks hit 100%. Nox then appeared, causing a distraction for LeRae and Hartwell. Stark used the opportunity to lay out Hartwell and pin her to win the titles for her team.
LeRae and Hartwell had held the titles for 63 days, defeating Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart back on the May 4 edition of NXT.
Nox had been out of action since last August, when she injured her ACL. She underwent surgery the following month. It was the third time that she had injured her ACL since signing with WWE in 2017. On Monday, she wrestled Toni Storm in a dark match prior to Raw in her first match back since being injured.
Two new title matches have been made official for NXT Great American Bash.
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell will defend their titles against Io Shirai & Zoey Stark at the Great American Bash next Tuesday. It’s also been announced that LA Knight will defend his Million Dollar Championship against Cameron Grimes at the Great American Bash. If Grimes loses, he’ll have to become Knight’s butler.
Shirai & Stark became the number one contenders to LeRae & Hartwell’s titles by defeating NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai and Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a triple threat tag team match on NXT tonight. The finish of the match was Shirai pinning Kai after hitting a moonsault.
Knight defeated Grimes in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House earlier this month to win the Million Dollar Championship. Knight is the first Million Dollar Champion since 2010.
Knight turned against “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and attacked him on the post-TakeOver: In Your House episode of NXT. Grimes then made the save for DiBiase. On tonight’s show, Grimes challenged Knight to a Million Dollar Championship match next Tuesday. Knight initially declined before adding the stipulation that Grimes will have to become his butler if he loses.
This is the second straight year that WWE has presented a special Great American Bash edition of NXT. Here’s the updated card for the episode:
Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
NXT Tag Team Champions MSK defend against Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell defend against Io Shirai & Zoey Stark
Million Dollar Champion LA Knight defends against Cameron Grimes
NXT’s final build to the Great American Bash takes place tonight.
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell will be putting their titles on the line at the Great American Bash next Tuesday. Tonight, Io Shirai & Zoey Stark, Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai, and Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon will face off in a triple threat match to determine their challengers.
An NXT Tag Team title match between MSK and Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher has been made official for the Great American Bash. The two teams will take part in a face-to-face segment tonight.
Mercedes Martinez will team with Jake Atlas tonight as they take on Tian Sha’s Xia Li & Boa in a mixed tag team match. Cameron Grimes will also be in action tonight.
Plus, NXT will follow up on last week’s debut of the Diamond Mine. Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust, and Hideki Suzuki are part of the faction and are being managed by Malcolm Bivens. Strong attacked NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida at the end of last week’s show.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Io Shirai & Zoey Stark defeated Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a triple threat number one contender’s tag team match
Shirai pinned Kai to win the match, earning Shiari and Stark a title shot at the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship against The Way at The Great American Bash.
One wrestler from each of the three teams in the ring at once, so three wrestlers were legal at a time.
The match breaks down into a melee with everybody involved, leading to a parade a dives before a commercial break. All the babyfaces flew. Shirai with an Asai moonsault, Blackheart did a tope suicida, Moon off the middle rope with a somersault senton, and Stark springboarded into a flying cross body.
Gonzalez looked to be dominate after a commercial break, but Shirai and Blackheart fought back and tagged out. Stark, Moon and Kai traded near falls after tagging in. Stark and Shirai teamed up to target Kai. Shirai springboarded into a missile dropkick for another near fall. Blackheart broke up the pin with a senton. Blackheart & Moon with momentum on their side were in control.
Blackheart applied cattle mutilation on Kai, but Gonzalez was able to make a save. Babyfaces ganged up on Gonzalez. She was seemingly out out of the way for a tower of doom spot. Gonzalez jumped back in to break up the tower of doom. Gonzalez ragdolled and mowed down the babyfaces. Shirai was finally able to cut off Gonzalez.
Kai off the top rope with double foot stomp on Blackheart. Kai then turned around into a double knee strike from Shirai. Kai countered a crossface, and she superkicked Shirai. Kai could not capitalize, and Shirai struck with a butterfly backbreaker. Gonzalez again jumped in for a save. This time Gonzalez covered Kai, taking the proverbial bullet for her. Shirai with a moonsault press on Gonzalez & Kai.
Blackheart with a senton bomb on Gonzalez. Stark with a modified GTS on Blackheart. Eclipse by Moon on Stark. Got To Kick from Kai to Moon. Kai countered Shirai for a roll up that netted a two count. Kai was then dropped by a plam strike, and Shirai executed a moonsault press. Gonzalez was not there to make a save this time. Shirai then covered Kai for the deciding pinfall.
To the back! Johnny Gargano attacked NXT Champion Karrion Kross, and there was a pull-apart brawl. Lots of screaming, as Kross was very upset by this sneak attack.
A video package retrospective looked back on the Breakout Tournament from 2019. In 2021, the Breakout Tournament returns in two weeks time on NXT.
NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed was backstage when McKenzie Mitchell asked him about the tournament. Reed was in the tourney in 2019. So was Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. He interrupted Reed, and Scott was flanked by Hit Row. Scott challenged Reed to a title match tonight. Reed accpeted the challenge, setting the stage for a North American title match.
NXT Champion brawls with The Way
NXT Champ Karrion Kross stormed to the ring, and he dared Johnny Gargano to face him. Gargano confronted Kross, setting up a grudge match. This was also a distraction by Gargano as Austin Theory ran in to attack Kross. Despite the sneak attack, Kross easily fought off Theory.
Kross then went after Gargano, and Kross attempted to bash Gargano with the ring steps. Officials poured out for a pull-apart. They pried Kross away from Gargano. As security held back Kross, Gargano with a cheap shot superkicked Kross. Even the security team took a bump on that one. Superkick, indeed.
Gargano and Theory feld the scene. Kross told Samoa Joe he was doing a helluva job. Not sure who are the protagonists here, but it was pandemonium nonetheless. During a commercial break, Gargano and Theory did the Earl Hebner gimmick of speeding away from the building in a waiting vechile.
Roderick Strong (with The Diamond Mine) defeated Asher Hale
Strong submitted Hale in a short match. First match for the Diamond Mine on NXT stable since they debuted together last week. In winning Strong looked… well, very strong.
In Strong’s corner were Malcom Bivens, Tyler Rust and Hideki Suzuki. This was a showcase match for Strong, who has slightly changed his look. He is still great in the ring. Also great to finally see Bivens in a featured role. He was very vocal at ringside.
Bivens in a promo after the match declared that Diamond Mine is “open for business, and this is just the beginning, baby!”
Up next was another enhancement match like this was an episode of Superstars from the 1990s.
Cameron Grimes defeated Ari Sterling
Grimes pinned Sterling after a Cave In. Fun match while it lasted.
Sterling got to shine getting some offense on Grimes, including a wicked springboard moonsault where he jumped from inside the ring over the ropes. Grimes fought back, but Sterling continued to look strong. Sterling missed a 450 splash, and Grimes struck with a Cave In. Grimes then covered Sterling for a pinfall.
New Million Dollar Champion LA Knight interrupted Grimes’ celebration. Knight said nobody gave a damn about Grimes. Then why is Knight trolling him if nobody gives a damn? Anyway, Knight went on to call Grimes a “natural born loser.”
Grimes proceeded to cut a promo on Knight, and Grimes challenged Knight to a match next week for the Million Dollar title. Knight at first declined the offer, until Knight added another stipulation. Knight would put the belt on the line, but if Grimes loses, then Grimes has to become Knight’s butler. Looks like the match is on for The Great American Bash.
The NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions — Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell — confronted their challengers. Io Shirai & Zoey Stark were being intervied backstage when they were interrupted by LeRae & Hartwell. LeRae warned Stark that Shirai is a sore loser, teasing Shirai would turn on Stark when they lost. Shirai shot back at LeRae to say LeRae had naver beaten her, and Shirai vowed her and Stark would win the titles. “We’ll see about that,” LeRae exclaimed, and she stormed off with Hartwell in tow.
Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole face-to-face
Cool Kyle comes to the ring for a monologue. He was actually cutting a really great promo, but this is WWE so somebody seemingly always has to interrupt promos like this. Out comes Adam Cole. They are joined by Samoa Joe.
Cole and O’Reilly cutting promos on each other seemed like old hat at first, but business picked up when Cole insulted O’Reilly wife. O’Reilly was overcome with rage at Cole mentioning his wife. They were about to brawl when Joe stepped in between them. Joe said not now, but Cole would not listen.
Cole charged at O’Reilly, and they go to the mat. O’Reilly catches Cole in heel hook, and Cole screamed in pain. Cole begged Joe to stop O’Reilly. Much like Cole ignored Joe, then Joe in turn ignored Cole’s pleas. Joe left the ring with Cole still pleading for mercy as O’Reilly cranked on the hold. Finally, Joe ordered the security team to break up the fight.
Tian Sha vignetted highlighted the faction before their upcoming mixed tag match tonight.
Hit Row bumped up Swerve ahead of his title challeneg later on.
The charging battery is now above 70%.
Xia Li & Boa defeated Mercedes Martinez & Jake Atlas in a mixed tag team match
Li & Boa won after a referee stoppage. Martinez was rocked by a kick, and the match ended soon thereafter. The ref stopped the bout, ruling Li & Boa as the winners.
The match started with a wild brawl. Of course, the men and women only faced off against each other as per usual in a WWE mixed tag. Mei Ying watched from her throne at the top the stage. Martinez yelled at her before a commercial break.
Li hit Martinez with a roundhouse kick at one point. Martinez went down like she was knocked silly, and Li went for a cover. Martinez got her shoulder up, but she looked out of it. The referee backed Li away, and Martinez rolled out of the ring. Off camera, the ref checked on Martinez, and then the ref stopped the match.
MSK face off with Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa
Everyone brought a steel folding chair to the ring, and they had a literal sit down. There was tension, but things seems rather cordial at first. They soon grew angry with each other. Honestly, I had trouble with my television feed during this segment. When things cleared up, the two teams were no longer seated. They were in each other’s faces.
MSK wanted the challengers to put some respect on their name. Lee was cut a great promo, and Carter then slapped Thatcher. “Toothless Timmy”, as Ciampa called him, was incensed by the slap. Thatcher lunnged at Carter, but Ciampa held Thatcher back. Ciampa told MSK to bring their pride and their titles next week at GAB. Ciampa vowed he and Thatcher will take both. This week MSK got a free shot on Thatcher, but Ciampa said next week they would not be so lucky.
General Manager William Regal was being interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell when Regal was approached by Sarray. She wanted a match against Toni Storm, and Regal basically said he would consider it.
Johnny Gargano did not leave the property despite speeding off in a SUV earlier in the show. Gargano instead stayed around to attack Karrion Kross in the parking lot. Kross was leaving in his car when Gargano attacked him, seemingly leaving Kross laid out on the ground. Gargano was gloating when Kross caught him in a Kross Jacket sleeper, and Gargano was choked out by Kross. Samoa Joe would later step in to pick up Gargano like a child in trouble as recess. Joe remarked to Gargano that he possibly pushed Kross to far.
Great American Bash lineup for next Tuesday on NXT:
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell defend against Io Shirai & Zoey Stark
LA Knight defends the Million Dollar Championship against Cameron Grimes (if Grimes loses, then he becomes Knight’s butler)
NXT Tag Team Champions MSK defend against Tommoso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher
Cole-O’Reilly II
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (with Hit Row) defeated NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed to win the title
Scott pinned Reed to win the title after interference by Hit Row. Really good match, even despite the distraction at the end. The finish was very WWE, but it allowed Reed to save face. Scott becoming a champ is also really great for nis new faction. They continue to get over.
Reed displayed his power at the outset, and Reed manhandled Scott. There was a spot before the commercial break that must be seen to be truly appreciated. Scott went for a sunset flip off the ring apron. Reed countered by squishing Scott with a sit-out splash on the apron.
The tide turned during the commercial break. Scott gained the upper hand, and Scott leapt off the apron with a missile dropkick on the floor. Scott with a near fall after using the ropes for an assisted German suplex.
Scott caught Reed with a flatliner for another close near fall. Reed countered Scott’s signature kick, and they trade strikes. Scott rolled through seemingly going for another flatliner, but Reed with a counter to deliver a Spicolli Driver. That led into a double down.
Reed with a Dusty Rhodes tribute by using a bionic elbow. Scott is mowed over with a belly splash. Reed signals for his tsunami finisher as he climbed the turnbuckles. Top Dolla caused a distraction at ringside, diverting the referee’s attention. Ashante “Thee” Adonis then interfered by pulling Reed off the turnbuckles. Reed retaliated by throwing Top Dolla through the plexiglass barricade. Adonis is also tossed over the barricade as well.
Scott catches Reed trying to get back into the ring, and Scott nailed him with a kick. Scott followed up with a 450 splash, and Scott hooked a leg while covering Reed for a pinfall. Scott becomes the new NXT North American Champion.
A triple threat tag team match on next week’s NXT will determine Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell’s challengers for the Great American Bash.
WWE has announced that Io Shirai & Zoey Stark vs. NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon will take place on NXT next Tuesday. The winning team will challenge for LeRae & Hartwell’s NXT Women’s Tag Team titles at NXT Great American Bash on Tuesday, July 6.
The number one contender’s match was announced for next week after a brawl between Shirai & Stark, Gonzalez & Kai, and Blackheart & Moon broke out on tonight’s NXT. After Shirai & Stark defeated Aliyah & Jessi Kamea on tonight’s show, there was a confrontation between LeRae & Hartwell and Shirai & Stark. Gonzalez & Kai and Blackheart & Moon then also appeared and argued that they should get the next Women’s Tag Team title shot.
Here’s the full list of what’s been announced for next Tuesday’s NXT:
Number one contender’s match: Io Shirai & Zoey Stark vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon
Mixed tag match: Mercedes Martinez & Jake Atlas vs. Xia Li & Boa
NXT Tag Team Champions MSK will go face-to-face with Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher ahead of their title match at the Great American Bash
Tonight’s NXT will feature Io Shirai’s first appearance since losing the NXT Women’s Championship.
In an email sent out promoting the show this afternoon, WWE announced that a special sit-down interview with Shirai will take place on NXT tonight. Shirai lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Raquel Gonzalez in the main event of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one earlier this month.
A few more announcements were also made for tonight’s NXT. Kyle O’Reilly will kick off the episode, making his first appearance since defeating Adam Cole in their unsanctioned match in the main event of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two. Zoey Stark will be Sarray’s opponent as Sarray makes her NXT debut tonight, and Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Breezango) vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) has been added to the card for the show.
On last week’s NXT, footage was shown of O’Reilly and Cole being taken out by ambulance after their unsanctioned match. As they were being wheeled into the hospital, Cole yelled at O’Reilly and threatened him.
Sarray (formerly known as Sareee) is 24 years old and from Tokyo, Japan. World Woman Pro Wrestling Diana, SEAdLINNNG, and Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling are among the promotions she’s wrestled for during her career.
MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) defeated The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one to win the then-vacant NXT Tag Team titles. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain defeated Breezango in a number one contender’s match on the TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two pre-show. MSK retained their titles against Maverick & Dain last week.
Here’s the updated lineup for tonight’s NXT:
Kyle O’Reilly will kick off the show
Sarray vs. Zoey Stark
Dexter Lumis vs. LA Knight
New NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida will issue an open challenge
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver kicks off tonight with night one airing live on the USA Network and Peacock in the United States, and the WWE Network internationally.
In the main event, Io Shirai will put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Raquel Gonzalez. Shirai, who has been NXT Women’s Champion for more than 300 days, was last pinned by Gonzalez in WarGames this past December.
The NXT United Kingdom Championship will also be up for grabs as WALTER defends against Tommaso Ciampa tonight. WALTER’s reign as champion recently reached the two-year mark.
New NXT Tag Team Champions will be crowned as MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter), The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zach Gibson & James Drake), and Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) face off in a triple threat match. The NXT Tag Team titles were declared vacant last month after Danny Burch suffered a separated shoulder.
A Gauntlet Eliminator match on tonight’s show will decide NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano’s challenger for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two. The Gauntlet Eliminator participants and their order of entry were decided by a battle royal last week. Leon Ruff will enter first, followed by Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis, and LA Knight.
The Gauntlet Eliminator will begin with Ruff and Scott in the ring, then a new entrant will be added every three minutes. Eliminations can occur via pinfall or submission.
Pete Dunne vs. Kushida in a match to prove who’s the superior technical wrestler rounds out the main card. On the pre-show, Toni Storm will face Zoey Stark. The pre-show begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time and will air on Peacock in the U.S. and the WWE Network elsewhere, along with WWE’s social media platforms.
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Media personality Sam Roberts and MMA commentator Jimmy Smith welcomes viewers to the pre-show. Smith reportedly had a recent audition with WWE. Now he is hosting the pre-show alongside Roberts.
Sports media journalist Arash Markazi joined the show via a virtual link. He offered his thoughts on the show.
The pre-show so far has separate sit-down interviews conducted by Samoa Joe with both WALTER and Tommaso Ciampa. LA Knight cut a promo during a backstage interview with McKenzie Mitchell. Lots of hard sell too, of course.
Mickie James and Vic Joseph are on commentary for the pre-show match that is up next.
Zoey Stark defeated Toni Storm
Stark upset Storm via pinfall in a good match. This was not your average WWE pre-show match. They worked really hard, and the live crowd in the CWC helped to make it more dramatic.
They started with grappling where they traded headlocks. Stark on offense and Storm was reeling, until she cut off Stark. Storm grounded Stark, and Strorm began working her over. Stark was able to superplex Storm, and the tide began to turn.
Trading strikes, and they trade counters. Stark with a suplex and a running knee for a near fall. Storm answered back with a sit-out facebuster for a two count. Stark countered Storm’s finisher, and she leveled Storm with a kick.
Storm with German suplexes, and she went for Storm Zero. Stark then countered into an inside cradle, and she pinned Storm for the upset.
Samoa Joe did interviews with Raquel Gonzalez and NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai ahead of their title match later on.
By the way, there is ramp leading to the ring like Clash of the Champions back in the day.
The main card opened with Nita Strauss playing an instrumental version of the “Star Spangled Banner” on electric guitar.
Pete Dunne defeated Kushida
Dunne pinned Kushida in a great opener. This was quite possibly Kushida’s best match in NXT. More matches between these two, please.
They started by each trying to catch the other in a submission hold. The grappling continued as they fought for control. Dunne with joint manipulation, and he tripped up Kushida on an attempted handspring. Dunne gave Kushda the X-plex on the apron.
A slugfest developed, and the fight spilled onto the ramp. Great sequences as they went back-and-forth. Dunne snapped Kushida’s fingers, but Kushida answered back with a fisherman’s buster into a small package. On USA the show went to a picture-in-picture commercial break, but Peacock stayed on full screen with the match.
They both went for cross-armbreakers, and they traded lots of strikes. Awesome stuff so far, and it was only getting better. They fought on the turnbuckles, and Kushida with a flip off the top into a Hoverboard Lock. Dunne escaped, but Kushida tied up Dunne in another hold.
Kushida with a flying knee drop on Dunne’s elbow. Back to the Hoverbaord Lock. Dunne escaped again, and he targeted the fingers. Kushida went for his big punch, but he sold his own hand. Dunne a moment later executed the Bitter End, and he covered Kushida for a pinfall.
Bronson Reed won the Gauntlet Eliminator
Reed with the win earned a title shot at NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano. The match overall was good and action-packed.
Leon Ruff during his entrance crawled onto the ramp. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott was close behind, and he had apparently attacked Ruff before the match. Ruff fired up and they brawled around ringside before getting into the ring. All of this took place during a commercial break on USA, but it aired live on Peacock. After the break, the match began in the ring.
Scott with heat on Ruff, but Ruff came back by springing off the announce desk into a cutter on the floor. Scott soon cut off Ruff. They fought on the turnbuckles, and Ruff sent Scott flying with a Super Frankensteiner.
Bronson Reed entered the match. Ruff went for a flying crossbody on Reed, but Reed caught him. Reed then flung him into the ring. Reed proceeded to clean house. Power moves by Reed, and then he sat on Ruff. Triple German spot with Reed suplexing Scott while Scott also suplexed Ruff.
Cameron Grimes strolled down the ramp as the next entrant. Grimes moonsaulted into the ring, landing on Reed. After Reed was sent outside, Grimes bribed Scott with a fistfull of cash money. Scott then teamed up to help Grimes.
Ruff was taking all kinds of big bumps, including an exploder into a corner. Good grief. He was also the first eliminated.
Dexter Lumis joined the match as the next entrant. Lumis cleared the ring, and then he faced off with Reed. Everybody was sent out of the ring just before the newest entrant.
LA Knight came out cutting a promo. He kicked a downed Reed on his way to the ring. Reed interrupted Knight’s promo to begin kicking his butt. Reed made a comeback on everybody.
Lumis was eliminated when Knight cradled him for a pinfall. Reed then eliminated Knight via pinfall. Lumis grabbed Knight, and he put him to sleep. Great three-way dance develolped between Reed, Grimes and Scott.
Scott eliminated Grimes after reversing an O’Connor roll with a handfull of tights. That left Scott and Reed as the final two.
Reed took a Death Valley Driver on the apron. It looked very painful. Scott with a 450 splash for a near fall. Reed kicked out after another two count moments later.
Reed powerbombed Scott, and he also planted Scott with a Air Raid Crash. Reed finished the match with the Tsunami off the top to score the deciding pinfall.
NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER defeated Tommaso Ciampa to retain his title
WALTER pinned Ciampa to retain in a slobberknocker. Great bout. Highly recommend. They beat the heck out of each other.
Ciampa was notably back in trunks instead of his more recent gear. He has also shaved his head again.
Just when Ciampa thought he was in control, the monster inside WALTER awoke. WALTER struck down Ciampa, and WALTER pummeled him at ringside. Ciampa ducked a chop, and WALTER almsot chopped the anounce desk in half. That is no exaggeration.
Ciampa in the ring blocked another chop, but he could not lift WALTER. Ciampa targeted a hand, but WALTER mowed him down with a big boot to the face.
WALTER grounded Ciampa on the mat, and WALTER again booted him the face. WALTER punished Ciampa, but WALTER kept selling his hand. Ciampa fought back with lariats, yet he was unable to knock WALTER off his feet. Ciampa kept hitting WALTER countless times with lariats before finally knocking WALTER off his feet. Ciampa followed with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall.
WALTER with a backdrop for a two count, but Ciampa answered back with Devil’s Wings for another near fall. WALTER caught Ciampa in a sleeper, and Ciampa used the injured hand to break the hold. Suplex by WALTER, and the he hit Ciampa with a lariat from hell. Ciampa somehow kicked out.
Ciampa countered WALTER to apply a Fujiwara armbar. WALTER looked to be in trouble as Ciampa stomped on him. WALTER with a counter, and he clubbed Ciampa with his good hand. They fought on the top turnbuckle, and Ciampa gave WALTER an avalanche Air Raid Crash.
They traded vicious chops. WALTER targeted the neck, and twice powerbombed Ciampa. Nonetheless, Ciampa managed to kick out. Sleep suplex by WALTER, and he followed with a hard knife edge chop before covering Ciampa with a pinfall.
MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) defeated Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) and Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) in a triple threat match to win the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship
MSK won the three-way to become the new champs. This was pretty dang good. Sometimes there was so much action it was hard to keep up with it all, but everybody worked extremely hard.
So three wrestlers are legal at a time, and their partners can tag in from the apron. Lots of action at the start, and too much to name. The Vets slowed things down, but MSK fired up into a flying comeback. Wilde himself also did a dive to the outside. Legado del Fantasma with stereo coast-to-coast flying dropkicks.
Legado del Fantasma in control throughout a commercial break with heat on Carter. Hot tag to Lee, and he ran wild with high flying offense. Lot of action with everybody involved.
The Vets smashed Lee’s hand in a turnbuckle, and Lee was trapped in an arm bar by Gibson. Carter went to make a save, but he was put to sleep by Drake. Legado del Fantasma rushed into the ring to hit several double team moves.
MSK takes out Legado del Fantasma with double team moves. The match comes down to MSK against the Vets. They all four face off heading into the finish. Carter with a double cutter on the Vers. MSK then execute a Doomsday Blockbuster, and Gibson took the pinfall.
Raquel Gonzalez defeated NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai to win the title
Gonzalez pinned Shirai to win the championship. They match was really good, and it felt like a special match. Maybe not the best match on the show, but it was still good nonetheless. Gonzalez looked like a powerhouse, and Shirai looked tough as nails.
Shirai used quickness to outwit Gonzalez during the early portion of the match. Shiari eventually flew trough the ropes with a dive to the outside.
Dakota Kai was in the corner of Gonzalez, but Kai was ejected from ringside mere minutes into the match. Kai interfered, and the referee ejected her. The distraction did allow Gonzalez to cut off Shirai. Gonzalez with power moves, but Shirai kept kicking out at two.
Gonzalez worked over Shirai, and Gonzalez applied a modified Gory Special. Shirai escaped to mount a comeback. Shirai came back with a Tiger Feint Kick and a springboard missile dropkick, which led to a near fall.
Shirai countered a power move to catch Gonzalez in a crossface. Shirai off the top turnbuckle with a moonsault on the ramp, and she followed that by hitting Gonzalez with double running knee strikes. There was a huge skull on the ramp as part of the set, and Shirai climbed on top of it. Shirai leapt off the skull into super plancha on the ramp. She did it better than when Sabu jumped off the “R” on Raw back in the day. It was impressive like an Aerostar dive.
Shirai with her signature moonsault press, but Gonzalez kicked out. Gonzalex soon cut off Shirai’s momentum, and she talked trash to Shirai. That fired up Shirai for one final flurry, but Gonzalez was too powerful. She lifted Shirai with a one-arm powerbomb, and then Gonzalez covered Shirai for a pinfall.
A Women’s Championship match will headline the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
WWE has announced that Io Shirai will defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Raquel Gonzalez in the main event of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one. The two-night event is taking place on Wednesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 8. Night one will air live on the USA Network. Night two will be live on Peacock in the United States and live on the WWE Network everywhere else.
Shirai retained her NXT Women’s Championship against Toni Storm on NXT last week. Later in the night, Shirai confronted Gonzalez and declared that she wants to face Gonzalez next. Shirai then shoved a contract at Gonzalez on this week’s NXT and told her to sign it. Gonzalez posted a video today of her signing the contract for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
At NXT TakeOver: WarGames in December, Gonzalez pinned Shirai to get the win in the women’s WarGames match. Gonzalez was part of Team Candice with Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai & Storm, while Shirai was part of Team Shotzi with Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley.
Shirai & Zoey Stark are facing Gonzalez & Kai in a tag team match on this coming Wednesday’s episode of NXT.
Shirai has been NXT Women’s Champion since defeating Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at TakeOver: In Your House in June of last year.
Shirai vs. Gonzalez is the third match that’s been made official for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The NXT Championship will be on the line at the event as Finn Balor defends against Karrion Kross. And NXT Cruiserweight Champions Jordan Devlin and Santos Escobar will face off in a title unification match. WWE hasn’t announced which night those matches will be taking place on.
Big title matches and major announcements are the theme of tonight’s episode of NXT.
NXT’s top two championships will both be on the line tonight. Finn Balor defends his NXT Championship against Adam Cole, while Io Shirai puts her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Toni Storm.
Two “game-changing announcements” will be made by NXT general manager William Regal tonight. One of those announcements figures to be related to the situation with the Women’s Tag Team titles. Last week, Regal and WWE authority figure Adam Pearce were shown arguing after Pearce got involved and helped WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler retain their titles against NXT’s Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez. Regal promised that he would make an announcement that would change the landscape of NXT tonight.
After a ref bump in last week’s Women’s Tag Team title match, Pearce brought a Raw referee out to the ring. And despite Kai not being the legal person, the Raw referee called for the bell when she passed out in Baszler’s Kirifuda Clutch.
Xia Li vs. Kayden Carter is also set for tonight’s show. Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opened with footage of the champions and challengers arriving to the building ahead of the two titles matches later on.
William Regal is in the ring for special announcements.
A video package announced TakeOver: Stand and Deliver is a two-night event during WrestleMania weekend. TakeOver takes place on April 7th and April 8th. Night one airs on USA Network in the current NXT timeslot on Wednesday night. Night two the next night will air exclusively on Peacock at 8pm ET. The logo for TakeOver matches the pirate theme of WrestleMania.
The NXT women’s roster gathered on the top of the stage for the next announcement. A table in the ring with a cloth covering it clearly held what loooked to be title belts. Regal called for Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai to join him in the ring. They won the Dusty Classic, but Regal said they suffered an injustice last week. NXT powers that be made a decision. Kai and Gonzalez are now the first ever NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, and they were awarded a brand new pair of title belts.
Kai & Gonzalez cut a heel promo bragging on themeselves. Gonzalez vowed they would carry the titles for a long time. Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon interrupted them. They wanted to challenge the new champions. So, Regal booked the match for later tonight. That makes three title matches on tonight’s card, and the first one is up next.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai defeated Toni Storm to retain her title
Shirai submitted Storm in a good match. Storm kept tripping up Shirai thrughout the match until Storm herself tripped up by missing a diving headbutt. Shirai then trapped her in a crossface.
Shirai gained an early advantage, and she rocked Storm with strikes. Shirai applied a cobra twist. Moments later, Storm tripped up Shirai on the apron. Storm then sent Shirai crashing into the ring steps. Shirai was down selling as the show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Storm worked over Shirai during the break, but Shirai fired up when the show came back from commercial. Shirai was tripped up again, this time on the top turnbuckle. Storm with a superplex on Shirai.
Shirai came back after backdropping Storm on the apron, and Shirai followed with a moonsault off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Storm was still able to trip up Shiari just a moment later. Storm with a Liger bomb for a two count. Shirai responded with a Liger spot of her own as she hit Storm with a shotei palm strike. Shirai transitioned into applying a crossface, but Storm was able to get a rope break.
Running knee strikes in a corner by Shirai, but she missed on a moonsault press. Toni struck with a Storm Zero for a close near fall, and Shirai kicked out. Storm climbed the turnbuckles for a Harley Race diving headbutt. Shirai rolled out of the way, leaving Storm to crash and burn. Shirai then caught her in a crossface, and Storm tapped out.
NXT Champion Finn Balor was backstage in his dressing room. He cut a promo on Adam Cole. He concluded by saying he defeated Cole to win the title, and he will defeat Cole tionight.
Pete Dunne defeated Jake Atlas
Dunne submitted Atlas in an action-packed match. NXT Tag Team Champions Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan were in Dunne’s corner during the match.
Dunne grounded Atlas early on in the match, but Atlas springboarded into a flurry. Dunne stopped him in his tracks with a kick. Dunne punished Atlas with joint locks. Atlas soon fired up into a comeback.
Atlas peppered Dunne with a series of strikes that led to a standing moonsault. Atlas went of his cartwheel DDT, but Dunne targeted an arm. Atlas crashed into the ring, and the “Bruiserweight” went to work on the arm. Finger break spot and an armbar, and Atlas with his arms trapped behind him had to verbally submit.
Dunne in a post-match promo said he the best techincal wrestler, and he made an open challenege to prove him wrong.
Imperium in a pre-tape promo had a message trying to recruit Timothy Thacther into their stable.
Leon Ruff in a backstage promo cut a promo on Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. Ruff vs. Scott takes place next week.
Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart defeated NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez to win the titles
Blackheart pinned Kai to win the titles. The championship changes hands during its first defense. Kai & Gonzalez were champions for maybe an hour.
Blackheart locked Kai in a Texas cloverleaf very early in the match. Kai escaped with a rope break. Both went for a high kick, leading to a double down before the show cut to commercial. The heel champs worked over Blackheart during the break.
A hot tag after the break led to Moon coming into the match like a house of fire. Moon cleaned house. Blackheart flew through the ropes with a tope suicida. Kai countered Moon moments later, and Gonzalez tagged back into the match.
Double team Go To Kick got the heels a near fall. Gonzalez with a Gory Special on Moon, and then she flipped Moon over into a sit-out powerbomb. That was a cool spot.
Blackheart ran wild on Kai, leading to a close two count. More near falls for the challengers, but Kai kept kicking out. Gonzalez broke up one pinning attempt, and Blackheart used a stunner to create some space. Moon leapt off the top gong for The Eclipse.
Gonzalez blocked Moon’s finisher, and she countered a hurricanrana. Gonzalez was fighting for a powerbomb when Kai collided into them. Gonzalez and Moon went tumbling over the ropes. Blackheart with an O’Connor roll into a bridging pinfall, and the titles change hands.
Adam Cole cut a great promo on Balor ahead of their title match later on.
Xia Li defeated Kayden Carter via disqualification
Kacy Catanzaro interfered to cause the DQ.
Carter got more offense on Carter than anyone else since Li’s character was repackaged. Li soon cut off Carter. Kacy Catanzaro came down ringside walking with on crutches.
An enraged Catanzaro hit Li with the crutch, causing the DQ. Catanzaro kept hitting Li with the crutch. Boa got into the ring, and Catanzaro tried to hit him with the crutch. He took the crutch from her, but Carter nailed him with the other crutch. The supposed babyfaces fled the scene after the attack.
Jordan Devlin was at the airport cutting a promo. He is headed to the United States, and said we will find out once and for all who is the real NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Devlin was champion before Santos Escobar became an interim champ. Looks like a title match is coming soon.
A video package highlighted Zoey Stark and her journey to NXT.
Santos Escobar was upset backstage, and he was complaining to Regal about Devlin.
Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) defeated Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson)
This was more of an angle than a match. MSK caused a distraction that cost Grizzled Young Veterans the bout. MSK came out dressed astronauts, which was teasing they were Breezango. Legado del Fantasma had attacked Breezango last week.
MSK took off their helmets to reveal it was them. That distracted Drake, and Wilder rolled him up for a pinfall. Breezango hit the ring after the match to attack Legado del Fantasma. Breezango danced with MSK after all the heels fled.
Gonzalez & Kai were backstage being interviewed about their loss. Shirai interrupted to challenge Gonzalez for a title match. Shirai challenges a lot of people, which is odd for a champion. Usually they accept challenges instead of issuing challenges, but this does make Shirai look like a fighting champion.
Announced for next week on NXT:
Dexter Lumis vs. Austin Theory
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Leon Ruff
In-ring debut of LA Knight
Also teased for next week is Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Imperium in a tag match, but that is yet to be made official. Ciampa did mention it on a backstage interview alongside Thatcher.
NXT Champion Finn Balor defeated Adam Cole
Balor pinned Cole after Kyle O’Reilly returned to NXT. O’Reilly attacked Cole after the macth.
Cole was supposedly wearing the same gear he wore when he won his first NXT title.
The match started off hot. Lots of crowd noise pumped in to give it a big fight feel. Counters and reversals led into a standoff. That gave way to a picture-in-picture commercial break. Chain wrestling during the break. Back-and-forth continued after the break.
Eventually, Cole went to work on Balor. Cole targeted Balor’s back. Balor answered back by targeting a leg. Neither held an advantage for long as the fight spilled outside. Balor reversed an attempted suplex to give Cole a suplex on the floor. Both were down selling as the show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Balor targeted Cole’s back during the break, and Balor applied a sharpshooter. They were trading strikes when the show returned from the break. Cole struck with an ushigoroshi brainbuster. Close nearfall.
Cole went for his Panama Sunrise, but Balors counters to deliver a sling blade. Shotgun dropkick by Balor, and he goes for the Coup de Grace. Cole moved out of the way, and then he hit Balor with a superkick. Balor sold his surgically repaired jaw. Cole went for a crossface, and Balor struggled to break free. Cole kept countering Balor to reapply the hold. Eventually, Balor was able to get a rope break.
Cole countered an attempted 1916, and he superkicked Balor in the knee. Pulling down his kneepad, Cole signaled for his Last Shot finisher. He connected with a Last Shot, but Balor kicked out at two-and-a-half. Piped in “this is awesome chants” kind of hurt the moment in my opinion, especially when none of the fans there live in person were chanting or clapping along with the chant.
Cole executed a Panama Sunrise, but Balor kicked out again for another near fall. Cole sold the kickout with a look of disbelief on his face. Balor sent Cole out of the ring, and Cole took a bump on the floor. Cole was trying to get to his feet when Kyle O’Reilly emerged from the shadows. O’Reilly looked haggard, but he glared a hole through Cole.
Balor gave Cole a 1916 on the floor, and he rolled Cole back into the ring. O’Reilly with a stone face stare looked on. Balor delivered a Coup de Grace, and then he covered Cole for a pinfall.
O’Reilly after the macth got into the ring to confront Cole. When begging off didn’t work, Cole went for a low blow. O’Reilly blocked it, and Cole looked scared. O’Reilly attacked Cole, and Cole tried to flee. O’Reilly twice shoved down a referee. The atttack on Cole continued until referees poured out to rinside. They pulled them apart, but O’Reilly was like Stone Cold attacking on Bret Hart on Raw in ’97. He could not be stopped.
Balor was in the ring looking on when he turned around to see Karrion Kross standing in the ring. Kross and Balor had a staredown as the show went off the air.
Io Shirai has appeared in a promotional video celebrating Stardom’s 10th anniversary.
She appears in the video, which you can see below, with the NXT Women’s Championship. The video lasts under a minute, and is tied to Stardom’s upcoming 10th anniversary as well as their upcoming anniversary show, All Star Dream Cinderella, which takes place on March 3 at Budokan Hall. Shirai wrestled for the company starting in 2011 and left in 2018 to sign with WWE.
It was recently reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that another former Stardom star, Kairi Sane, expressed interest in working the upcoming anniversary show. While Sane left WWE to return to Japan last year, she still remains under contract to the company as an ambassador. The plan was for her to either work a singles match, or participate in a battle royal. WWE rejected both ideas.
Matches announced for the show are AZM vs. Natsupoi for the High Speed Championship, Donna Del Mondo (Maika and Himeka) vs. Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima) for the Goddess of Stardom titles, an All Star Rumble battle royal, Momo Watanabe vs. Nanae Takahashi, Syuri vs. Konami for the SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship, Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoshiko in Iwatani’s 10th anniversary match, Utami Hayashishita vs. Saya Kamitani for the World of Stardom title, and Giulia vs. Tam Nakano in a hair vs. hair match for the Wonder of Stardom title.
Toni Storm is getting a one-on-one shot at NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai.
Shirai will defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Storm on the NXT episode that’s taking place in two weeks (Wednesday, March 10). The match was announced after Storm confronted Shirai on NXT tonight.
Shirai retained the NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a triple threat match at TakeOver: Vengeance Day earlier this month. As Storm was pinning Martinez, Shirai flew in with a moonsault and pinned Martinez to get the win. There was then an angle that aired on last week’s NXT episode where Storm attacked Shirai during a photoshoot.
On tonight’s NXT, Shirai defeated Zoey Stark in a non-title match but was then confronted by Storm. After Storm said Shirai can’t beat her, Shirai said she’ll face Storm whenever she wants. Storm still claimed that Shirai is afraid of her and dared Shirai to prove her wrong by going to NXT general manager William Regal and making the match happen.
Shirai has been NXT Women’s Champion since defeating Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at TakeOver: In Your House in June 2020.
Stark (Lacey Ryan) made her WWE debut in the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. She teamed with Marina Shafir in the tournament, with them losing to Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a first round match that aired on 205 Live. Stark made her NXT debut by defeating Valentina Feroz last week.
WWE posted a video on Wednesday night with NXT general manager William Regal praising Stark’s performance in her debut and informing her of the opportunity to face Shirai in a non-title match on NXT this week. Regal said that — after Stark’s debut — there’s nothing he’d like to see more than Shirai vs. Stark.
Shirai retained her NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm in a triple threat match at TakeOver: Vengeance Day earlier this month. As Storm was about to pin Martinez, Shirai flew in with a moonsault and pinned Martinez to retain her title. There was then an angle on NXT last week where Storm attacked Shirai while Shirai was taking part in a photoshoot.
Here’s the updated lineup for this week’s NXT:
After turning against Kyle O’Reilly and attacking NXT Champion Finn Balor, Adam Cole will explain his actions
Non-title no DQ match: Karrion Kross vs. NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar
Non-title match: NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Zoey Stark
Non-title match: NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis
Xia Li vs. Kacy Catanzaro
The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) vs. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain
The NXT Women’s Championship will officially be on the line in a triple threat match at February’s TakeOver event.
WWE has announced that NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai will defend her title against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a triple threat match at NXT TakeOver on Sunday, February 14.
Shirai, Storm, and Martinez took part in a three-way brawl on this week’s episode of NXT. It ended with Storm standing tall and holding up Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship belt.
Martinez made her return to NXT last month by attacking Shirai. Shirai had been challenged by Storm and went to the ring to call her out, but Martinez blindsided Shirai and ended up throwing her into the announce table.
Storm & Martinez teamed together in the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic but were eliminated by Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter in the first round after Shirai attacked Martinez during the match. It was said on NXT this week that the finals of the women’s Dusty Classic will take place at TakeOver.
Shirai has been NXT Women’s Champion since defeating Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match for the title at NXT TakeOver: In Your House in June of last year.
