We kick off tonight’s show with the entrance of Emma, once again dressed in Bayley’s ring gear, and mimicking her entrance.
Emma vs. Charlotte
The pair tie up and exchange headlocks before Charlotte slams Emma’s head into the turnbuckle. Charlotte reapplies the headlock and demonstrates some superior strength, but as she tries to ascend to the top rope, Emma responds by sweeping her legs, appearing to cause an injury to the left knee. Emma begins to target the leg with kicks, before slamming it against the apron and bottom rope. She applies a leglock whilst grabbing Charlotte’s hair, utilising the referee’s 5 count, but Charlotte fights out with forearms. Charlotte attempts a body slam but her knee gives way, allowing Emma to regain momentum and continue targeting the knee, as Charlotte wails with pain.
Emma continues the assault on the left knee, applying a half-crab in the centre of the ring, hyperextending her knee, but Charlotte is able to clamber to the bottom rope. As Emma attempts another knee lock, Charlotte is able to fight out and deliver a spear in desperation coming off the ropes, which gains a near fall. Out of nowhere, Charlotte hits the Natural Selection for a hard-fought victory.
Winner: Charlotte
Bayley joins Emma in the ring, as the fans chant ‘Bayley’s gonna huge you’, she helps the Australian to her feet and gives her the hug that the fans have been looking for, but as Emma tries to leave the embrace, she is greeted with a Bayley-to-belly. She begins an assault on Emma, as Charlotte comes in to try and restrain her. Bayley grabs her t-shirt and headbands and departs the ring.
After the match, we see a video package of BEcky Lynch’s past and her accomplishments and storied history in pro wrestling to this date, as the NXT brand seems to continue the push for the Irish starlet.
Following this we see footage of a pre-recorded interview between Kevin Owens and Michael Cole. Cole asks why Owens did what he did to Sami Zayn, and Owens reiterates saying that it is always about his family. Cole probes whether it is merely about the NXT championship, but after Owen maintains it is, Cole asks if the NXT champion hadn’t been Sami Zayn, if he would have conducted himself in the same manner. Owens makes clear how frustrated he is about the repeated questions about Zayn, and criticises Cole for not congratulating him and not giving him the respect he deserves. Michael Cole asks passionately ‘how could you do what you did? Sami Zayn is as close to you as family’, and Owens claims the only headline is ‘Kevin Owens is a good father, and provides for his family’, and that that’s all there is to say.
Bull Dempsey vs. Rhyno
A clash of two very similar styles; stocky, powerful brawlers, and as they tie up to begin the contest they reach a stalemate, with neither man able to cause damage to the other. Rhyno hits a shoulder tackle off the ropes, then a huge belly to belly off the ropes. He sets up for the Gore, and nails Dempsey for a surprising squash win against a man who seemed highly regarded in NXT a few months ago.
Winner: Rhyno
Rhyno grabs a mic as the fans chant ‘Gore, Gore, Gore’, and claims he wants to meet a similar unstoppable force at NXT Takeover, and calls out Baron Corbin.
Backstage, Sasha Banks deserves herself the baddest diva of all time, and reminds Becky Lynch that she was the one who made her, and just as quickly as she made her, she’ll make everyone forget about her. She claims the NXT Women’s championship is staying with The Boss. We then see a segment in which Uhaa Nation signs an NXT contract, before a video package explains his goals in the company, and shows him working in the Performance Centre, before merely announcing ‘coming soon’.
Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder vs. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady
Amore and Big Cass’s music play, but the tag team are nowhere to be seen, and we see the pair beaten by Murphy and Blake backstage.
Winner: Match never starts.
In the same vain as the Owens interview with Michael Cole earlier, we now see a pre-taped interview between Cole and Sami Zayn. Cole asks if it is personal to Zayn, and Zayn says the difference between them is that Owens is a liar, and of course it is personal. He claims he will fight fire with fire, and that is the reason the pair are where they are now. Zayn quantifies the personal notion of the rivalry by saying it is all about the NXT title, and that the title is the ultimate goal. Sami Zayn stares down the camera and addresses Owens directly, saying that next week he wants Owens to merely come out to the ring, look him in the eye, and tell him why he did what he did. We then see footage of Zayn’s Raw debut on Monday night.
William Regal then comes out to the ring for the NXT Women’s championship contract signing between Becky Lynch and the champion, Sasha Banks. Lynch grabs the mic and reminds the audience of her global wrestling exploits since her youth, saying that there were points where she didn’t believe this moment was possible, but that every mistake and sacrifice was worth it for the sake of getting to the point of winning the NXT Women’s championship. Banks doesn’t say a word, but merely uses a personalised stamp to sign, before throwing the contract at Lynch and beginning an assault on the challenger. Lynch is able to fight out though, and applies her brutal armbar to The Boss, who frantically taps out before Regal is finally able to restrain them.
We then see a video by Alex Riley to the NXT universe as he prepares for a second knee surgery in 2 years, saying that his career has been one of taking risks, but he wonders if these risks are worth it. He says that chants of ‘thank you Owens’ made him sick after he had been powerbombed on the ring apron by the NXT champion, and that since the people don’t want Alex Riley, you wont be seeing him for a while.
Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze
Finn Balor takes a seat at ringside to watch the contest between his two opponents at NXT Takeover in a fortnight, and Breeze makes his entrance first. Itami follows Prince Pretty to the ring, and the pair tie up to begin the contest. Breeze dodges a kick from Itami and retreats to the outside, before doing the same as Itami attempts another kick, shouting ‘I will not be kicked!’ Back in the ring though, Breeze hits a big kick of his own, followed by a forearm splash, but Hideo responds with a running knee to the gut, and a stiff kick to the chest, and this time Breeze retreats to the outside in pain, rather than to avoid the stiff kicks of Itami. After a commercial, we see Itami in control with some kicks, before taunting and mocking Breeze’s style with a soft kick to the side of the head and a sweep of his hair. He hits Breeze with a series of right hands, but Breeze counters off the ropes with a pinning neckbreaker.
Breeze seizes control of the contest in the corner, stomping a mud hole into Itami and utilising the ref’s count. Breeze hits a legdrop for a near fall, before applying a headlock to the Japanese superstar. Breeze trash talks Balor on the outside and asks if he’s watching, and as Itami finally powers out of the sleeper, Breeze hits a huge dropkick off the ropes for another near fall. Breeze ascends the turnbuckle, but Itami counters with a shot to the gut, before gaining momentum with a couple of clotheslines and a running knee in the corner, before a DDT off the ropes is followed by a flying clothesline for a near fall. Itami peppers Breeze with slaps, punches and kicks, but as he attempts his running dropkick into the corner Breeze retreats to the outside. Itami follows him and again attempts the dropkick, but inadvertantly delivers it to Balor, knocking him through the guard rail. Back in the ring, Breeze misses with a Beauty Shot, and Itami hits a running kick for the victory.
Winner: Hideo Itami
A furious looking Balor stares down Itami, who apologises, but Breeze attacks Itami from behind, hitting forearms before Balor makes the save. Balor looks conflicted as he helps Itami up, but is nailed by a Supermodel Kick by Breeze, who then delivers a Beaty Shot to Itami, before standing tall and taking a selfie with his laid-out Takeover opponents to close the show.