– The Schism cut an in-ring promo about how Cameron Grimes has run out of chances. There was a person in the crowd for this wearing a red hoodie and gold face mask. The Schism were interrupted by Malik Blade and Edris Enofe.
– The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid) defeated Malik Blade & Edris Enofe
– Cora Jade defeated Wendy Choo
Lash Legend attacked Choo after the match.
– There was a backstage interview with Oro Mensah (former NXT UK wrestler Oliver Carter) ahead of his debut.
– Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams cut a promo in the ring about Solo Sikoa’s NXT North American Championship win. They were interrupted by Chase U.
– Chase U (Andre Chase & Bodhi Hayward) defeated Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams
Chase U celebrated with the Chase U section in the crowd after getting the upset victory.
– Von Wagner defeated Sanga
– Oro Mensah defeated Grayson Waller
Mensah won with help from Apollo Crews.
– The Creed Brothers were backstage and Julius and Brutus both wanted to be the one to face Damon Kemp next week. They ended up agreeing that it would be Brutus.
– JD McDonagh defeated Tyler Bate in a number one contender’s match to earn an NXT Championship shot
There was a staredown between NXT Champion Bron Breakker and McDonagh after the match. Former NXT United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov then made a surprise appearance, joining Breakker and McDonagh in the ring. All three stood across from each other and Breakker held up his title belt.
WWE NXT spoilers (Tuesday, September 27) —
– Joe Gacy defeated Cameron Grimes
The person in the red hoodie and gold face mask was also in the crowd for this match.
– Sol Ruca defeated Amari Miller
– Nikkita Lyons defeated Kayden Carter
– There was an in-ring segment where Ilja Dragunov was interrupted by JD McDonagh. Bron Breakker also appeared. A triple threat match between them for the NXT Championship was made for Halloween Havoc.
– Damon Kemp defeated Brutus Creed
It appeared that the finish of this match was later re-taped.
– Wes Lee defeated Tony D’Angelo by referee stoppage
The stoppage came after D’Angelo was injured during the match.
– NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose defeated Fallon Henley in a non-title match
Alba Fyre appeared on the video screen after the match and said she’s coming for the NXT Women’s Championship.
– Brutus Creed called out Damon Kemp and the finish of their match from earlier appeared to be re-taped. It ended in a no contest as Kemp beat down Brutus with a steel chair.
– Ilja Dragunov defeated Xyon Quinn
– Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen defeated Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) in a Pub Rules match
The next two weeks of NXT episodes were taped at the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday night. Due to a scheduling conflict with the Olympics, both episodes will air on Syfy.
Ridge Holland returned after the match to help Dunne and Lorcan destroy Ciampa and Thatcher.
– There was an in-ring segment with Samoa Joe offering his resignation as an NXT authority figure to be able to have a match with Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver 36. William Regal, who initially wanted to fire Kross, agreed to Joe’s deal and signed the paperwork. TakeOver 36 is taking place on Sunday, August 22.
– NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai came out to the ring. Gonzalez and Kai both talked up how dominant Gonzalez has been and said that, as long as Kai has Gonzalez’s back, no one is taking the title.
When Gonzalez turned away to pose with the championship, Kai laid her out with a kick and then held the title up herself.
– Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter defeated Franky Monet & Jessi Kamea (w/ Robert Stone)
– Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) defeated Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante “Thee” Adonis)
Hit Row lost when Legado del Fantasma caused a distraction.
– Adam Cole defeated Bronson Reed
Kyle O’Reilly attacked Cole with a steel chair after the match.
205 Live (Friday, August 6) —
– NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida defeated Ari Sterling
NXT (Tuesday, August 3) —
– Ridge Holland (w/ Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan) defeated Ikemen Jiro
Dunne cut a post-match promo on Ciampa and Thatcher.
– There was a backstage segment where Indi Hartwell received a drawing from Dexter Lumis. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae weren’t happy about it.
It was announced that Gargano will face Lumis later in the show. If Gargano wins, Lumis has to stop chasing after Hartwell.
– Roderick Strong defeated Bobby Fish
– The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) defeated Million Dollar Champion LA Knight & Cameron Grimes
Knight walked out on Grimes during the match. Ted DiBiase returned and consoled Grimes after his loss.
– Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante “Thee” Adonis) defeated Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) by DQ
The disqualification came when Santos Escobar used a steel chair. Legado del Fantasma then attacked NXT North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott with a chair until Hit Row recovered.
– NXT Champion Karrion Kross cut a promo, leading to Samoa Joe coming out to confront him. Joe beat up several security guards — but Kross bailed. This may have been re-taped after the main event.
– Love Her or Lose Her match: Johnny Gargano defeated Dexter Lumis
Hartwell started to leave after the match and was upset. But she then ran in the ring and kissed Lumis. Hartwell and Lumis made out and then left together.
Prior to TakeOver: Toronto, two matches were taped at the Scotiabank Arena for this coming Wednesday’s episode of NXT television.
– Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) defeated The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler w/ Jaxson Ryker)
This match was set up when Fandango returned and saved Breeze from The Forgotten Sons on the NXT TV episode that aired on July 31.
– Jordan Myles (formerly known as ACH) defeated Cameron Grimes (Trevor Lee) in the finals of the Breakout Tournament
As a stipulation of winning the tournament, Myles will get a future shot at the NXT title of his choosing. William Regal came out to the stage after the match and congratulated him.
Myles had defeated Boa and Angel Garza (Garza Jr.) in the first two rounds of the tournament. Grimes defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (Shane Strickland) and Bronson Reed (Jonah Rock).
The next set of NXT tapings will take place at Full Sail University on Thursday (August 15).
Sane pinned Shafir to get the win. Shafir was wearing a protective face mask like she was wearing when she got involved in Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship match against Bianca Belair at TakeOver later in the night.
– The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler) defeated The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
A brawl also took place after TakeOver went off the air. As Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were celebrating on the stage, Velveteen Dream came out and confronted them. Adam Cole then came out, Aleister Black and Ricochet made their way to the stage, and Dream slapped Gargano.
Officials tried to keep Dream, Black & Ricochet and Ciampa, Gargano & Cole away from each other. They attempted to go after each other backstage in the Gorilla position, with Triple H making an appearance and trying to settle things down.
Dream, Black, and Ricochet went back out and appeared in front of the crowd to close the show.
Three matches took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California prior to TakeOver: WarGames II, but Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno wasn’t one of them.
After going back and forth on the pre-show panel, Riddle opened the main card by cutting a promo and saying he was supposed to face Ohno next week — but he’ll knock him out tonight instead. The angle led to Ohno telling the referee to ring the bell and Riddle defeating Ohno immediately with a knee strike.
Here are the matches that were taped before TakeOver:
– Keith Lee defeated an enhancement wrestler
Lee’s opponent was Fidel Bravo.
– Lars Sullivan defeated an enhancement wrestler
Keith Lee came back out to make the save after the match.
– Nikki Cross defeated Candice LeRae
Cross and LeRae were both involved in the “who attacked Aleister Black?” angle, with Johnny Gargano being revealed as the attacker ahead of TakeOver.
Two matches were taped for Wednesday’s episode of NXT TV prior to TakeOver: Brooklyn at the Barclays Center tonight.
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne retained his title against Zack Gibson, and Bianca Belair defeated Deonna Purrazzo. Dunne vs. Gibson was a rematch from June’s UK-brand shows at Royal Albert Hall. Dunne retained in that match as well after Gibson won this year’s United Kingdom Championship tournament on night one.
On the most recent episode of NXT, it was mentioned that Belair would soon be returning from a storyline injury. This will be Purrazzo’s first televised match in NXT since signing with WWE. She was also one of the participants in the Mae Young Classic earlier this month.
In addition to the two matches, Wednesday’s episode will feature fallout from TakeOver with video packages and post-match interviews. The next set of NXT tapings will take place at Full Sail University on Thursday.
Two matches were taped for the next episode of NXT television prior to TakeOver: Chicago.
In matches that were both set up last week, Bianca Belair defeated Dakota Kai and War Raiders defeated The Mighty (TM61). Belair vs. Kai was taped second and was said to be good and competitive. The crowd was also into War Raiders.
Belair interrupted an interview with Kai on last week’s show. Belair said she’s the person who should have been being interviewed, that she’s the best, and that Kai needs to get to the back of the line after failing against Shayna Baszler. Kai then challenged her to a match.
War Raiders responded to The Mighty putting the tag team division on notice by destroying an enhancement team and saying they’ll show Shane Thorne & Nick Miller what mighty really is.
When TakeOver went off the air, Candice LeRae helped Johnny Gargano to the back after his street fight loss against Tommaso Ciampa:
NXT will follow up on TakeOver when they return to Full Sail University for TV tapings this coming Thursday.
At the second straight night of television tapings in Atlanta, NXT built towards the WrestleMania weekend TakeOver special and the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic began.
Dark match —
– Kassius Ohno defeated John Skyler
Ohno won in a minute with an elbow strike.
NXT TV tapings —
– Nikki Cross defeated Vanessa Borne
This appeared to be them re-taping a match that took place the night before. Borne came out with a whip and licked Cross’ ear during their first match, but she didn’t do either of those things here.
– Adam Cole defeated Cezar Bononi
Cole told the crowd that the 2017 NXT Future Star Award winner should join Undisputed Era. Kyle O’Reilly then tossed Bononi an Undisputed Era shirt. He sold putting it on, but Cole punched him before he could.
After some interference, Bononi made his comeback before getting superkicked and taking a Shining Wizard for the finish.
– Velveteen Dream defeated Tyler Bate
Both were really over, with Dream getting a superstar reaction. He won with the Purple Rainmaker in 8-10 minutes. This was a really fun match.
– Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane
In a rematch of the Mae Young Classic finals, Baszler got the win this time as she submitted Sane with a choke to end a good match.
Baszler ran to the announce table after and called Ember Moon a coward. She said she’s leaving with Moon’s title or a limb the next time they face each other.
– Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega did an in-ring promo where they insulted Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. They were interrupted by Aleister Black and then Killian Dain, with Dain laying out Black to end the segment.
Dain and Black later faced off in what was essentially a number one contender’s match.
– Ricochet defeated Fabian Aichner
Ricochet, who wrestled using that name, made his NXT in-ring debut and defeated Aichner with a 630. The crowd popped louder for Ricochet than anything else on the Atlanta tapings and he came off as a main event superstar.
– William Regal came out and announced that the “first three rounds” of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic would take place tonight, but it seems like he may have meant the first three matches.
– The Authors of Pain defeated TM61 in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic first round match
This was a rematch of the 2016 Dusty Classic finals. The result was the same as that match, with AOP advancing. The crowd supported TM61 and were willing them on.
The match was good and may be what solidifies TM61 in the eyes of NXT fans who aren’t familiar with them.
– Bianca Belair defeated an enhancement wrestler
Belair won with a reverse powerbomb. She received a louder reaction than the night before and the crowd seems to get more invested each time she appears.
– Tommaso Ciampa entered, didn’t say a word, and got massive heat for several minutes. He took a Johnny Gargano sign from a fan in the crowd and destroyed it with his crutch.
During the segment, the crowd told Ciampa that he sucks and chanted for Gargano. They booed every time the microphone would go close to Ciampa’s lips.
– Aleister Black defeated Killian Dain
They had a good match that ended with the Black Mass.
– The Street Profits defeated Heavy Machinery in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic first round match
Montez Ford got the pin following a frog splash.
– Ciampa was back out and again couldn’t get a word out. The crowd had Gargano signs that had been given to them.
– Dakota Kai defeated Lacey Evans
Kai pinned Evans with a schoolboy. After the match, Baszler came out to attack Kai again but Moon made the save. Moon and Baszler got into it, and Kai saved Moon from Baszler trying to break her arm. Moon then hit Baszler with The Eclipse.
Moon defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Baszler is official for TakeOver: New Orleans.
– SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic first round match
SAnitY advanced with their double-team finisher where Young hits a neckbreaker. Sabbatelli and Moss continued to tease dissension.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne defeated Adam Cole by DQ
This was a great match despite the crowd not loving the finish. The disqualification came when Bobby Fish and O’Reilly interfered as Dunne was trying to hit Cole with the Bitter End.
Roderick Strong saved Dunne from a three-on-one beatdown, then Dunne shrugged off Strong’s handshake.
– A contract signing for Almas defending the NXT Championship against Black at TakeOver: New Orleans closed the tapings. Vega came out alone, but Black didn’t believe Almas wasn’t with her. She and Black went back and forth, with Vega eventually slapping him.
Black signed the contract and said he’s glad Vega came alone — because he didn’t. LeRae then came into the ring and fought off Vega.
NXT returned to Center Stage in Atlanta on Thursday night for the post-TakeOver: Philadelphia television tapings.
The show was sold out. Unlike the last tapings, there weren’t any backstage promos shown between matches to help our understanding of the stories being told. There will be another night of tapings at Center Stage on Friday.
Dark match —
– The Street Profits defeated Fabian Aichner & Raul Mendoza
The Profits are at the point that when the beat drops on their music, the crowd automatically reacts. This was a quick match, with Angelo Dawkins hitting a spinebuster variation on Mendoza and Montez Ford following up with a frog splash for the finish.
NXT TV tapings —
– NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) never got started
Fish and O’Reilly came out with Adam Cole for their announced title defense against SAnitY. As all three of them faced the stage, Young, Wolfe, and Killian Dain ran in through the crowd and attacked them from behind.
Twenty or so security guards and referees broke them up. William Regal then announced that the main event of the first episode of the tapings will be The Undisputed Era vs. SAnitY in a tornado tag match.
– Heavy Machinery defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
There were some “Steaks and weights” chants to start things off, and the crowd loudly chanted “Tino sucks” whenever Sabbatelli was in the match. There was a spot that played off their last meeting where Sabbatelli and Moss cheated, but the referee caught them this time.
Late in the match, there seemed to be some dissension teased between Sabbatelli and Moss. Moss tagged in Sabbatelli by chopping him. Later, when it was clear Sabbatelli should have made a tag, he walked to Moss in the corner before turning around and continuing on, much to Moss’ frustration.
Heavy Machinery won with the Compactor slam finish. After the match, Sabbatelli was on the ground and stuck out his hand to have Moss help him off the mat — but Moss backed off.
– Johnny Gargano entered for a promo. He said when it comes to Tommaso Ciampa, he has bit his tongue since TakeOver: Chicago — but now he is coming to fight Ciampa face-to-face.
Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega interrupted him. Vega cut a great promo about how Gargano is 0-for-3 against Almas and he is so bad that even his best friend left him. The crowd started chanting for Candice LeRae, and she came out and beat Vega up.
Vega and Almas retreated to the stage, then Gargano said he wants one more shot. Vega said they’ll give him a title shot, but if he loses — Gargano is out of NXT. Gargano accepted and LeRae freaked out over the thought of her husband being fired. Almas vs. Gargano will be the main event of the February 21st episode.
– Bianca Belair defeated an enhancement wrestler
Belair destroyed her quickly and won with a reverse powerbomb. The crowd is starting to react to Belair more.
– SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain) defeated The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) in a tornado tag match
The tag titles weren’t on the line. This went 15-20 minutes with two segments and was a fantastic brawl. There were several “NXT” chants and it received a standing ovation after.
For the finish, Dain hit the One Winged Angel on Fish. Before that, Fish and O’Reilly used their finisher on Wolfe but couldn’t win. Cole also hit a neckbreaker on his knee on Young but couldn’t win. Other highlights included Dain throwing Fish off the stage onto the four other men, O’Reilly doing running knees off the apron onto Wolfe (who was sitting on a chair), and Dain doing a front flip into a table.
O’Reilly possibly hurt a part of his lower extremities near the end of the match. There were kendo sticks, chairs, and tables used, and this was a very entertaining bout.
– TM61 defeated an enhancement team (John Skyler & a partner)
TM61 won with their Thunder Valley finisher. There were lots of signs for them in the audience and they received a great ovation.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne defeated Roderick Strong to retain his title
They had a fantastic match with tons of near falls before Dunne retained with the Bitter End. It wasn’t quite at the level of Dunne vs. Tyler Bate from Full Sail two months ago, but it was still better than most NXT TV main events.
There were dueling chants of “Let’s go Roddy” and “Bruiserweight” throughout. The story of the match was Dunne methodically working over Strong’s right hand. He destroyed Strong’s hands on the steps and tried it again on the other steps, but Strong gave him a backbreaker on the steel.
The pain in Strong’s hand is what led to the Bitter End. The crowd gave both men a standing ovation following the match.
– Aleister Black came out to cut a promo. He said the devil that drives him is the NXT Championship. Dain interrupted him, saying “The devil isn’t on your back, I am. I won’t stop until the NXT Championship is around my waist.”
Black responded with, “You crossed me, so now you must fade to black.” They had a staredown, which seems like it may possibly lead to a number one contender’s match.
– Shayna Baszler defeated NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon by DQ
Moon retained the title with the disqualification. At the last set of tapings, the crowd loved Baszler. But tonight, she was the most booed performer on the show.
The match was built around Moon’s arm still being injured, though she spent the first minute or two kicking the living hell out of Baszler. Baszler spent the whole match attempting the armbar to no avail. Moon went for The Eclipse, but Baszler rolled out of the ring in front of the announce table.
Moon hit a suicide dive that drove both of them onto the table. They recovered, with Baszler attacking the arm. She ripped off the guardrail banner and went to break Moon’s arm with an armbar between the guardrail, but Kairi Sane appeared and attacked Baszler for the DQ.
She speared Baszler, with Baszler then retreating. After the match, Sane helped Moon to the back — but Moon looked her deep in the eyes knowing Sane will eventually be seeking a title match.
– Velveteen Dream defeated No Way Jose
Dream received the loudest ovation of the night, getting tons of “Velveteen” chants throughout the match. He won with the Purple Rainmaker.
Dream proclaimed himself as the NXT Superstar of the Year, the NXT Male Superstar of the Year, the winner of the Match of the Year, and so on. He said there was a reason his name was on the lips of everyone in attendance.
– Nikki Cross defeated Vanessa Borne
Borne has added a whip to her gimmick. She also licked Cross’ ear during a submission hold, which got a reaction from the crowd.
– Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake defeated an enhancement team
Cutler and Blake are now going by the “Forgotten Sons” and have new gear. They cut a promo after the match about how they’re the outcasts of society and the forgotten sons.
They also said they’re entering the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which was news to everyone in the crowd.
– NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/ Zelina Vega) defeated Johnny Gargano (w/ Candice LeRae) to retain his title
With Almas retaining, Gargano is forced to leave NXT in storyline. The match went 16 minutes and was great, but it obviously wasn’t near the level of their TakeOver bout.
Two minutes in, Gargano went for a suicide dive on Almas — but Vega stepped in Gargano’s way. LeRae jumped in the ring and dove onto Vega, with Gargano then doing a diving flip off the apron onto Almas. Later in the match, Almas put Gargano in the Gargano Escape — but Gargano returned the favor by attempting Almas’ DDT finisher.
Almas went for his double foot stomp on Gargano to the outside near the end, but Gargano did a sit-up and flipped Almas back-first onto the apron and down to the floor. Once Almas got in, Gargano hit the springboard DDT for a huge false finish.
At the end, Almas ran into referee Drake Wuertz, then turned around into the Gargano Escape. As the referee was down and Almas was about to tap, Ciampa ran in (he didn’t limp but was still in is knee brace) from the crowd and nailed Gargano across the back with his crutch. Almas hit his DDT finisher and the referee counted the pin. There was even hesitation in the referee’s final count because he knew the ramifications.
The entire crowd, including the NXT announcers, then gave Gargano a standing ovation. Gargano sat in the middle of the ring looking heartbroken. LeRae came back and they hugged while sitting down in the middle of the ring. The crowd was chanting “Thank you Johnny” and “Please don’t go.” I even saw a child crying in the audience.
They made their way up the stage and Gargano hugged his wife again. William Regal came out and embraced Gargano. As they hugged, Ciampa reappeared from across the building and smiled as he waved goodbye.
The cameras went off the air as Ciampa exited the crowd.
After the cameras were off the air and the announcers left their booth, Gargano got on the mic and thanked the fans. He then closed the show by saying he was going to celebrate his tenure in NXT by going out to the fans who made his career there so special. LeRae and him went in the crowd for a good 10 minutes and took a million selfies and signed everything presented to them.
After they exited, Mike Rome announced that the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic begins at tomorrow’s tapings.
NXT was at Center Stage in Atlanta on Thursday night for the final television tapings before TakeOver: Philadelphia. With approximately 600 people in attendance, the former home of WCW Saturday Night hosted Johnny Gargano putting his TakeOver title shot on the line against Velveteen Dream in the main event.
Dark match —
– Candice LeRae defeated Vanessa Borne
NXT TV taping spoilers —
– Kassius Ohno defeated Raul Mendoza
– Shayna Baszler defeated Dakota Kai
The referee stopped the match after a vicious assault by Baszler. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon made the save and confronted Baszler following the match.
– Lars Sullivan defeated Lio Rush
Sullivan destroyed Rush with the Freak Accident, then proceeded to call out Killian Dain before hitting Rush with another Freak Accident. The last one was off the ropes.
– TheUndisputed Era attacked SAnitY backstage before doing an in-ring promo. Nikki Cross attempted to fight them but was held back, then William Regal announced the next match.
– NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly defeated Roderick Strong & Aleister Black to retain their titles
Adam Cole took Black’s attention away and they brawled while Strong was defeated. Black was beaten down by Cole after.
Regal then announced that Black vs. Cole at TakeOver: Philadelphia will be an extreme rules match.
– Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss defeated Heavy Machinery
– Lacey Evans defeated Aliyah
Evans cut a promo when this was over, but Baszler showed up and was destroying Aliyah until Moon made the save again. Regal announced Moon vs. Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver.
– Roderick Strong defeated Fabian Aichner
Strong then challenged Sullivan to a rematch.
– Johnny Gargano did a promo in the ring about his quest to win the NXT Championship.
– The Authors of Pain defeated The Street Profits in a number one contender’s match
AOP will face Fish & O’Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Championship at TakeOver.
– No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi
– Bianca Belair defeated an enhancement wrestler
– Before a match could get started, The Authors of Pain destroyed a pair of enhancement wrestlers and taunted Undisputed Era.
– Johnny Gargano defeated Velveteen Dream to retain his NXT Championship shot
This was said to be a great match with huge near falls. Gargano fended off Almas and held the title in his hands to end the tapings.
As expected, they had a good match. Lorcan is on fire these days with his ring work, but Sabbatelli and Moss hit their double team Gory Bomb for the win.
– Nikki Cross won a battle royal to earn the final spot in the Women’s Championship match at NXT TakeOver: War Games
Billie Kay, Sarah Logan, Mercedes Martinez, Candice LeRae, Zeda, Vanessa Borne, Taynara Conti, Santana Garrett, Lacey Evans, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Sage Beckett, Reina Gonzalez, Abbey Laith, and Dakota Kai were also in the battle royal.
After the match, William Regal posed with Cross, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, and Kairi Sane (the four women who will face off at TakeOver) and the title in the ring.
– Velveteen Dream attacked Aleister Black before an apparent match. He tied Black in the ropes and slapped him before being fought off.
Vega did a pre-match promo about McIntyre ducking Almas for a title shot. Almas won with his DDT after Vega hit a rana on Strong into the steps on the outside.
The Undisputed Era came out to talk to Strong after the match.
– Nikki Cross defeated Taynara Conti
Cross used her spinning neckbreaker for the win.
– Fabian Aichner defeated Johnny Gargano
This was an action-packed match. Aichner rolled through and pinned Gargano, who was distraught after being out-wrestled.
– We were set up for a contract signing, but Almas attacked McIntyre on the ramp and signed it there. McIntyre defending the NXT Championship against Almas is seemingly set for TakeOver.
– SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) vs. The Authors of Pain went to a DQ when The Undisputed Era ran in
The crowd was hot for this one and it delivered. Strong teased joining Undisputed after the match, but he attacked Adam Cole instead. Everyone brawled until Mr. Regal gained control and announced there would be a three team triple threat match between The Authors of Pain & Strong, The Undisputed Era, and SAnitY inside War Games at TakeOver. The crowd erupted for this announcement.
– Heavy Machinery defeated two enhancement wrestlers
Heavy Machinery used their double team strongest slam for the victory.
– Kairi Sane defeated Billie Kay (w/ Peyton Royce)
Sane won with the flying elbow drop.
– Velveteen Dream defeated Cezar Bononi
This was a fast match. Post-match, Dream said that he would make Aleister Black say his name at TakeOver.
– The Street Profits defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
The Profits won and celebrated in the crowd with a fan-made banner.
– Lars Sullivan defeated Raul Mendoza
Sullivan won quickly with his slam. Kassius Ohno then made the save to prevent Sullivan from doing further damage, with Sullivan backing off from Ohno.
– Ember Moon defeated Mercedes Martinez
Moon hit The Eclipse for the win, then the other three women in the fatal four-way at TakeOver stared her down.
– McIntyre was out to talk about Almas and said Vega might not let Almas off his leash to face him like a man. Almas made his way to the ring, then Vega dove on McIntyre for a distraction. That allowed Almas to leave McIntyre laying.
– Adam Cole vs. Roderick Strong went to a DQ
All three teams that will be in War Games got involved in a huge brawl to end the taping.
– Triple H introduced Mauro Ranallo as the new commentator before the show.
– Bianca BelAir defeated Aliyah in a Mae Young Classic qualifying match
Female referee Jessika worked this match. BelAir (previously Bianca Blair) got a huge reaction instantly for smacking Aliyah with her braided hair. BelAir won with a spear.
– Velveteen Dream defeated HoHo Lun
Velveteen Dream used a flying elbow to get the victory.
– Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan was stopped
Lorcan ran in to fight and caught Itami with a shot, then the referee backed Lorcan away and we saw that Itami was bleeding. The referee and doctors wiped him down and waved the match off.
– Vanessa Bourne defeated Jayme Hachey in a Mae Young Classic qualifying match
Bourne was formerly known as Danielle Kamela and Hachey was Jayme Jameson. This was a quick match that Bourne won to advance to the Mae Young Classic.
– Johnny Gargano made his return to Full Sail and talked about what Tommaso Ciampa did to him. He said that he’s going to get back to wrestling and he has to be at TakeOver: Brooklyn.
– Hideo Itami defeated Oney Lorcan
The match that they were supposed to have earlier got re-taped here. Itami hit a GTS to win one of the best sprints in recent memory. It had great action, then Itami called out Kassius Ohno to talk after the match. Before they could, SAnitY destroyed them both.
– No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi
Jose got the victory with his pop-up knockout punch. Andrade “Cien” Almas and Thea Trinidad showed up at ringside, with Almas jumping Bononi and destroying him. He then pointed down Jose before bailing out of the ring.
– Ember Moon defeated Ruby Riot
The crowd was hot for this one, with them doing dueling chants early. Riot hit a top rope rana for a close near fall, but Moon ended up winning with The Eclipse. The crowd was into this one the whole time.
SAnitY worked over Itami throughout. The story was that Ohno was out of position for the tag whenever Itami needed him, so Itami seemed weary of him. Dain hit a running crossbody splash on Itami for the finish. Ohno was frustrated as he looked down Itami after the match. They both then made their way to the back.
– Oney Lorcan defeated Danny Burch
Lorcan submitted Burch with a single-leg crab to win another physical match. Burch wanted a rematch in the future and Lorcan seemed to agree.
– NXT Champion Bobby Roode defeated Roderick Strong to retain his title
The crowd was hot for this one as well. Strong had the early advantage, including when they were fighting outside of the ring. Roode ended up cutting him off and started working over the knee viciously. Strong fired up and fought valiantly, even kicking out of the Glorious DDT.
Strong hit a double knee backbreaker for the visual pin, but Roode had his foot under the ropes so the match continued. Roode then retained after hitting his DDT in the middle. This was a match worthy of a TakeOver main event and it told a great story with Strong’s fiancee at ringside. Strong sat in the corner devastated by the loss.
– Aleister Black defeated Bobby Fish
Ring announcer Mike Rome announced Fish as making his NXT debut and he received a full entrance. The crowd was quiet early and were unsure how to react until Black hit Black Mass for the victory.
– NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain (w/ Paul Ellering) defeated Heavy Machinery to retain their titles
As expected, they had a physical match. The audience was behind Heavy Machinery with a “Steaks and Weights” chant, but the champions retained with their double team stand-up lariat.
SAnitY’s music hit after the match and they made their way to the ramp and had a staredown with AoP.
– Jeet Rama defeated Johnny Vandal
Rama won this one very quickly.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Killian Dain in a number one contender’s match
Dain had the advantage early. He wore his opponent down until McIntyre fired up and hit the Claymore Kick to win. He will now face Roode for the title in Brooklyn.
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated Nikki Cross in a last woman standing match to retain her title
This had all types of brutality, with suplexes on chairs, Asuka putting Cross in a trash can and kicking it in, and more. Cross hit Asuka with repeated swinging neckbreakers, though they both kept making the ten count and continuing. Asuka hit four German suplexes in a row and a spin kick, but Cross kept getting up.
The brawl went out of the ringside area and made its way to the production and commentary side. Asuka suplexed Cross off of a ladder and through the commentary table. The champion made the 10 count and retained her title.
Bate connected with the Tyler Driver ’97 to end this one.
– TakeOver video packages were shown.
NXT TV taping spoilers —
– Tommaso Ciampa opens the show on crutches for a promo. He called out Johnny Gargano, who isn’t here tonight. Ciampa cut a long, passionate promo about how he knew he was injured going into TakeOver and he knew Gargano would have replaced him, so if he was going away then Gargano was too.
He blamed the people because he did it for them. He made sure to say TakeOver: Chicago was his moment. He finished by saying that when he returns he will be the most dangerous son of a bitch we’ve ever seen and he is professional wrestling whether we like it or not.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne defeated Danny Burch
They had a hard-hitting match. The crowd was behind Dunne, though they bit on all of Burch’s near fall attempts. Dunne hit his finish to win in a good match. He talked down Tyler Bate as “some boy” who had been holding a title that belonged to him.
– Cezar Bononi defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas
A roll-up pinned Almas, who was again telling his partied out story as Thea Trinidad was ringside for the match.
– Heavy Machinery defeated an enhancement wrestler & Lars Sullivan (the former Dylan Miley)
The enhancement wrestler had “Andrews” on his trunks. Machinery pinned the smaller Andrews, then Sullivan blamed him for the loss and destroyed him.
– Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay) defeated Sarah Logan
Sarah Logan is Crazy Mary Dobson’s new NXT name.
– Hideo Itami and Oney Lorcan went to a no contest
These two had a hard-hitting match that didn’t have a finish. Itami hit three Go to Sleeps and was going for a fourth when Kassius Ohno made the save and shoved him down. The crowd was booing Itami a lot by the end.
– Killian Dain (w/ SAnitY) defeated No Way Jose
Dain had new music and won with the One Winged Angel.
– Roderick Strong was out for a promo about his life. Bobby Roode interrupted him and was fake crying with a handkerchief. He ran down Strong in every way on the mic and left.
– Drew McIntyre defeated enhancement talent Rob Ryzin
McIntyre won fast with a Claymore Kick.
– Ember Moon defeated Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay)
This was a very good match. Royce looked good in defeat and hit some new offense, including a Widow’s Peak. Moon fought off double team attempts and finally hit The Eclipse to win it.
– NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain defeated two enhancement talents
Paul Ellering cut a promo after the match about how Heavy Machinery won’t even be a footnote in their next chapter. Heavy Machinery came out to confront them, with the AOP backing down.
– Velveteen Dream defeated Raul Mendoza
Mendoza participated in the Cruiserweight Classic last year. Velveteen Dream won with his flying elbow drop.
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka went to a no contest with Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot in a triple threat elimination match
There was action all over the place in this match. Riot connected with a double dropkick to the outside on both of her opponents. Cross later eliminated Riot with a swinging neckbreaker. The crowd woke up big time when it was Asuka against Cross. They brawled to the outside and the referee ruled it a no contest.
They were shown on the screen fighting out back before going around to the other side of the venue, where they fell through a production table.
– Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe defeated The Ealy Brothers
Young got the pin.
– Sonya Deville defeated Rachael Evers
Deville submitted Evers with a guillotine.
– Aleister Black defeated Kassius Ohno
They had an excellent match, doing everything that you could imagine from them. The crowd didn’t want to pick a side. Black hit the Black Mass to end it before they embraced after the match.
– Jeet Rama (w/ The Bollywood Boyz) defeated an enhancement talent
Rama won this one quickly.
NXT TV taping spoilers —
– Hideo Itami defeated Kona Reeves
A GTS got the win for Itami. There’s a chance this was a dark match as well.
– Killian Dain (w/ Eric Young) defeated Danny Burch
Dain hit the One Winged Angel before pinning Burch.
– Heavy Machinery defeated two local wrestlers
Heavy Machinery squashed them quickly, then cut a promo on The Authors of Pain. They talked about how hungry they are. The crowd loved them and even gave them a “Steaks and Weights” chant.
– Sonya Deville defeated Lacey Evans
Both Daria Berenato and Macey Estrella got new names here. Berenato picked up her first win under her new name.
– Aleister Black defeated Cezar Bononi
Black got the win following a flying knee and a roundhouse kick.
– Hideo Itami defeated Roderick Strong in a number one contender’s match
They had a good, long match. Itami hit the GTS to get the win. They shook hands afterwards, then SAnitY snuck in and destroyed Strong as Itami made his way to the back. Itami will challenge Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Chicago.
– Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford defeated HoHo Lun & Dylan Miley
This was a great debut performance by Dawkins and Ford. Lun took the pin, leading to Miley destroying his partner after the match.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Sean Maluta
McIntyre hit the Claymore kick to get the victory.
– Kassius Ohno defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas
This was a great match. Thea Trinidad was in the front row watching Almas during this one to further his ladies’ man persona. Ohno won it with a rolling elbow.
– DIY cut an in-ring promo before being interrupted by Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss. The heels got electric heat.
– DIY defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa hit their running knee and kick combo to pick up the win. William Regal came out after the match to announce that DIY will face The Authors of Pain in a ladder match for the tag titles at TakeOver: Chicago.
– Bobby Roode came out for a promo. He ran down Shinsuke Nakamura and Hideo Itami, which led to Itami coming to the ring and laying Roode out with a GTS after fighting off security.
– A battle royal to determine a number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship ended in a no contest with Ember Moon, Ruby Riot, and Nikki Cross remaining
Asuka caused the no contest by destroying the final three. The participants in the match were: Candice LeRae, Rachael Ellering, Liv Morgan, Aliyah, Peyton Royce, Kimberly Frankele, Nikki Cross, Ruby Riot, Sarah Bridges, Victoria Gonzales, Bianca Blair, Billie Kay, Sonya Deville, and Lacey Evans. LeRae and Ellering got big reactions.
Regal came out after it was over to announce that Asuka will defend against Moon, Riot, and Cross in a fatal four-way match at TakeOver: Chicago.
Dark match main event —
– SAnitY vs. The Authors of Pain ended in a no contest
The teams brawled and had to be separated by security.
Dawkins and Ford used a double team DDT for the victory.
NXT TV taping spoilers —
– Aleister Black defeated Corey Hollis
A roundhouse kick ended this pretty quickly. Black’s entrance was a great visual.
– DIY defeated an unnamed enhancement talent & Dylan Miley
Miley destroyed his partner and stormed off after the match.
– Ruby Riot defeated Kimber Lee
Nikki Cross tried to distract Riot but it didn’t work.
– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Danny Burch
Almas got the pin after a keylock DDT.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Oney Lorcan
There was a huge reaction for McIntyre, who has new music. He won a good, hot match with a Claymore kick.
– Shinsuke Nakamura cut an in-ring promo thanking us. The entire locker room went to the stage to send him off. Finn Balor and Triple H also joined him in the center for photo ops. Nakamura ran around ringside recording a video with the fans.
– NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain defeated Kassius Ohno & Roderick Strong
The champs won with their double team lariat on Ohno.
– Jeet Rama defeated John Skyler
The crowd had a lot of fun with Rama. He won after hitting a belly-to-back suplex.
– Bobby Roode came out to the ring for a promo about sending Nakamura packing. Hideo Itami interrupted and laid out Roode with a GTS.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defeated Jack Gallagher to retain his title
They did excellent chain wrestling and counters early on. It was a good, long match with a lot of grappling. Bate retained after hitting the Tyler Driver.
– Aliyah & Liv Morgan defeated Billie Kay & Peyton Royce
Aliyah caught a roll through pin to win.
– Nikki Cross called out Ruby Riot and they had a brawl in front of the ring as security failed to separate them for some time.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas
This was a hard-hitting match with unbelievable chops and slaps. McIntyre used a Claymore kick to win it.
– Aleister Black defeated Kona Reeves
Black again used a roundhouse kick to the head.
– Ruby Riot was making her way to the ring when she was attacked by Nikki Cross. They brawled all over the stage and ramp until security carried Cross away.
– Tye Dillinger defeated Eric Young in a cage match
The crowd was hot for Dillinger throughout. This was a battle where they got thrown into the cage at every turn. Young hit an unbelievable elbow from the top of the cage. Dillinger hit a crossbody off the top and escaped the cage to win.
Dillinger locked the cage behind him to keep SAnitY locked in as he celebrated with Ohno and Strong, who had tried to run off SAnitY themselves. After the match, Dillinger talked about how much he loved us. He said that he’s officially on SmackDown and we got him there. This was great stuff.
