Three titles will be defended, a new one will be officially established, and Johnny Gargano will finally face off with Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans tonight.
Gargano vs. Ciampa is an unsanctioned match, with the stipulation being that Gargano gets his job back if he wins. Ciampa turned against Gargano and attacked him at TakeOver: Chicago nearly a year ago, then returned after Gargano’s loss to Andrade “Cien” Almas in Philadelphia. After that, Ciampa reappeared to cost Gargano a title vs. career match.
Almas is defending his NXT Championship against Aleister Black tonight. The Women’s title is on the line in a rematch from Philadelphia, with Shayna Baszler again challenging Ember Moon.
Adam Cole is working twice, teaming with Kyle O’Reilly against The Authors of Pain and Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong with the Tag Team titles and this year’s Dusty Rhodes Cup on the line and in a ladder match for the newly-created NXT North American Championship. The ladder match will also feature Ricochet, EC3, Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain, and Lars Sullivan.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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EC3 vs Ricochet vs Adam Cole vs Killian Dain vs Velveteen Dream vs Lars Sullivan in a Ladder Match for the North American Championship
Adam Cole won an incredible ladder match to become the first ever NXT North American Champion. The finish saw all six men on 3 side by side ladders when slowly each one dropped off one-by-one, until Lars was the only one left. This was actually the first time Lars climbed up in the entire match. Ricochet did a Springboard to rip Lars down, but Cole ripped Ricochet down before grabbing the belt.
This was a safe, yet spectacular match. No one took a ladder to the face, but there were plenty of memorable spots.
Ricochet started the match by walking up the ropes and doing a Shooting Star Press onto Dain and Sullivan, who were standing on the floor. Dain did a Suicide Dive, of all things, to Sullivan. Sullivan heaved a ladder at all five men and seemed more content with hitting everyone with a ladder than winning the match. Ricochet took a backdrop on a ladder, but then joined EC3, Cole and Dream in hitting Sullivan with a Sunsetflip Power Bomb.
Cole and EC3 teamed up to take out Sullivan and Dain, but Cole turned on him and gave him a DVD on a ladder. Cole hit superkicks on everyone, referred to as a Superkick Party. Dream gave Sullivan a Purple Rainmaker (diving elbow) off the top of a ladder, which the fans went nuts for. He then took a power bomb into a ladder by EC3, which the fans weren’t so happy about. EC3 then gave Cole a TKO off the ladder. Dain did a Vader Bomb to EC3, who was under a ladder, while Cole was on his back.
Ricochet was climbing the ladder when Lars tipped it over, but, while falling, Ricochet did a moonsault to the floor to Dain. He followed that up to a Shooting Star Press to EC3, who was on top of a ladder this time. Dream gave Ricochet Rolling Death Valley Driver on top of a ladder bridge. Lars then gave EC3 a Freak Accident on top of Dream, who was across another ladder bridge. Not to be outdone Dain drove Cole through Ricochet on another ladder bridge with a Michinoku Driver.
The match built to a confrontation between Dain and Sullivan. Ricochet got Beale tossed across the ring by both men. Dain went for The Divide, but Lars caught him and power slammed him, which was very impressive.
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Ember Moon vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship
Ember had a band perform her theme song on the way to the ring. Ronda Rousey and Jessamyn Duke were at ringside to cheer Shayna on.
Shayna became the 7th NXT Women’s Champion by making Ember pass out to the Kirifuda Clutch. The finish saw Ember go for The Eclipse, but on the way down Shayna caught her in the Clutch. Shayna could only use one arm due to Ember injuring it and, like in Philadelphia, Ember fought and scratched and clawed to get to the ropes. Unlike in Philadelphia, Ember couldn’t make it and passed out.
The story of this match was Ember was aggressive from the bell and tried to win the match quickly. Baszler’s best offense was a good defense as her biggest moves were in counter to Ember’s attempts. The match built to a spot where Ember gave Shayna the same stomp to the arm and elbow that Shayna gave Dakota Kai and others. Baszler sold it that her shoulder was separated and she slammed her shoulder into the ring post to pop it back in. Ember finally hit The Eclipse on Shayna, but did it to the floor, which looked spectacular. Shayna got on the Kirifuda Clutch, but Ember got out of it by slamming Shayna’s shoulder down and then power bombed Shayna out of a triangle.
The Queen is dead, long live the new Queen!
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Paige introduced a clip of Fighting With My Family.
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Adam Cole was in the trainers office selling his ribs, unsure if he can defend the tag team titles tonight.
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Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly vs The Authors of Pain vs Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong for the NXT Tag Team Championship and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Cup
Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett were shown at ringside for this match.
The finish saw Roderick Strong turn heel on Pete Dunne and joining Undisputed Era in the process. Dunne had O’Reilly pinned after The Bitter End, but Strong stomped on Dunne and laid him out with a End Of Heartache.
Cole was taken out early when AOP gave him a double team power bomb through the Spanish Announce Table, leaving O’Reilly by himself for the entire match. O’Reilly fared well for himself, at one point having Strong in a Triangle Choke, while giving Akam an Ankle Lock. Rezar broke it up the only way he knew how: he gave Dunne a power bomb onto O’Reilly.
This wild brawl broke down into a tag team match. AOP dominated, which told you they weren’t winning. They used a Super Collider on Dunne and O’Reilly and almost pinning O’Reilly with a Last Chapter, but it got broken up by Strong. Dunne and Strong used their Pop Up Facebuster on Rezar, but Akam broke that up. AOP got sent outside the ring, which led to the finish.
Bobby Fish, on crutches, came out to help the team celebrate. There was no big presentation like the other Dusty Classics. This was a good match, not great, but good.
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Nita Strauss, who is Alice Cooper’s guitarist, was show at ringside.
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Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Aleister Black for the NXT Championship
Black won the title with Black Mass after Zelina Vega’s 5th attempt at interference finally backfired. A fantastic match to end a great title reign by Almas.
Black was on fire at the bell striking Almas all over the ring and did an Asai Moonsault to the floor. Vega used a hurricarana off the apron, sending Almas into the ring steps, to get the heat for Almas. Almas weakened Black with multiple draping armbars, but ate a mouthful of Black’s boot when he went for a Springboard move. A series of strikes and reversals and more strikes led to both men getting multiple near falls. They teased the Rocky II finish where they knocked each other out at the same time, but both got up.
At one point Almas did the spot where he does a moonsault off the top rope, but his opponent rolls out of the way, but Almas lands on his feet and immediately does a second one. Well he did this one with such speed and precision that it was impossible to not be impressed. Almas then used a Springboard Corkscrew Plancha.
Black had the title won with Black Mass, but Vega put Almas’ foot on the ropes. Vega interfered a 4th time when Black went for another Asai Moonsault. Black went for another Black Mass, but Almas used a dropkick to the back of the head when Black was mid-spin. Black did a beautiful Tope Con Hiro, threw Almas in the ring and immediately got dropped with a Hammerlock DDT, but Black kicked out!
Seth Rollins, Big E Langston, Bo Dallas, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, Drew McIntyre, Andrade Almas and now, Aleister Black joins that list. The King is dead, long live the new King!
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Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa in an Unsanctioned Match
Ciampa came out to no music, but a lot of heat and this is actually his first match since he blew out his knee at TakeOver: Chicago.
Gargano won another instant classic. They played off the entire breakup angle and the finish was a true masterpiece. Ciampa removed his knee brace and pad, but Gargano swung for the fences and slammed the brace into his knee. THEN Ciampa played up that he was truly sorry and began crying, lulling Gargano into a false sense of security. Gargano sat on the mat next to him, playing off the breakup of the time. Ciampa, of course, went to take off Gargano’s head with the knee brace, but Gargano ducked it and locked on an STF, using the brace to pull back Ciampa’s head for the tap out!
Referee Drake Wuertz wore UFC-style referee gear, right down to the black gloves. Shockingly this was not a wrestling match. A fight from beginning to end by two men who hated one another. Gargano got far more than a pound of flesh, stomping away at Ciampa in the ring and diving over the guard rail onto the floor. Gargano threw Ciampa over the announce table and into the laps of the announcers, which caused the fans to chant “Mamma Mia” in tribute to Mauro. Ciampa blocked a suplex on the table and delivered one of his own, except they went off the table and onto the floor. Gargano was draped over the ring apron, so Ciampa stomped down on his head.
There was a planted fan in a knee brace at ringside, so Ciampa stole them to use as a weapon. Karma came back to bite Ciampa, as he was unable to hit Gargano with a crutch and was eventually the victim of a sunset flip power bomb onto the concrete floor, which Ciampa exposed earlier in the match. The fans chanted “You deserve it” at Ciampa, which may be the best use of that chant.
Gargano got the crutch and waylayed Ciampa in the head with it, paying off all the sneak attacks from the past few months. Gargano went for the Reverse Hurricarana, but Ciampa didn’t get all the way way over. Ciampa almost tapped to the Gargano Escape, but raked Gargano’s eyes to get out of it.
Ciampa undid some of his wrist tape, but Gargano grabbed the end of it and engaged in a punch battle until Ciampa kicked him low. Ciampa told him that this was his moment, but Garagno nailed two Superkicks and Lawn Darted Ciampa into an exposed turnbuckle for a near fall. Ciampa used a power bomb into a backbreaker off the top rope, but that was also a false finish.
I have watched a lot of great wrestling this weekend, but that may have been the best of all of it.
Thank you for reading, continue enjoying WrestleMania weekend and good luck to the main roster in topping this one!
