We start with the usual recap of the events of last week’s episode. They highlight the pointless match from last week with Kross and Balor challenging for the tag team titles.
RAQUEL GONZALEZ & DAKOTA KAI VS. ZOEY STARK & IO SHIRAI
We can’t be the only ones that see entrances like that of Io Shirai’s and want to know the character reasoning for what they do in their entrances.
Zoey Stark is starting off against Raquel in this one. What are the betting odds for Dakota and Raquel splitting by the end of TakeOver?
Gonzalez showing off her strength against Zoey in this one to start but Zoey is getting chances to show hers as well.
Weird spot during the back and forth pinfall attempts by Io Shirai and Dakota Kai with the ref even looking unsure what was going on.
Back from a commercial with both teams getting the tags in but Io is the hot tag taking both Dakota and Raquel on by herself.
Io looked like she kneed Raqeul when hitting the shooting star to the outside.
Raquel gets the pinfall victory on Zoey Stark after hitting her slam.
Post match, Io and Raquel crawl to each other and slowly stand up. Dakota tries to sneak attack Io but she sees it. This is enough for Raquel to hit a big boot and then power chokeslamming Io on to the announce table. Would not bet on Raquel winning at TakeOver after this but we will see how Io responds next week.
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We are seeing footage of Cole attack Kyle O’Reilly at a Jiu Jitsu facility where Kyle was training.
This leads to Kyle O’Reilly coming to the arena with Roderick Strong coming up to him saying they should kick Cole’s ass tonight.
Strong seems disappointed after Kyle said there is no more us and Roddy tells him to go to hell with Adam.
LA Knight is talking to us about tonight being the night he and Reed get their hands on each other.
Jordan Devlin is giving a video promo about his match tonight against Kushida. He says he respects Kushida but tonight Kushida is in the wrong place at the wrong time as Devlin is going to show Escobar something tonight.
BRONSON REED VS. LA KNIGHT
LA Knight’s history in wrestling and how his character is being booked in NXT so far makes me think he may end up with a gimmick where he doesn’t get to talk if brought to the main roster.
Knight makes the first mistake in this one by starting off poking Reed in the head and Reed starts to destroy him.
Back from Commercial with Knight fully in control now keeping Reed down but can’t get a pin yet.
Is it wrong for me to want to see someone take a long time to get to the top turnbuckle and still hit the move without being stopped?
Reed finally hits a Tsunami from the top after fighting Knight off and gets the pinfall victory.
We now hear the report from during the week that the NXT Tag Titles had to be vacated because of an injury to Danny Burch.
Video package to put over just how scared NXT should be that Walter is there.
KARRION KROSS W/ SCARLET VS. ONEY LORCAN
Lorcan is not messing around and gets in the ring and tells the ref to ring the bell before going right at Kross.
Doesn’t take long before Kross gains control while Scarlett does a lot of over acting on the outside.
What the heck was up with Karrion Kross laughing in the ring out of no where?
Lorcan starts to comeback after Kross yells at Oney that Kross enjoyed taking out Burch.
Kross gets the pinfall victory hitting the forearm to the back of Lorcan’s head but story is the arm of Kross as it creates a target for Balor at TakeOver.
Post match, Kross cuts a promo on Balor saying Balor’s neck felt like anyone else’s. This of course leads to Balor coming out with microphone in hand.
Love that Balor makes a point to step over the laid out body of Lorcan before getting in the ring.
Finn tells Kross he saw Kross’ weakness last week and that is he fights with emotion and doesn’t control it.
William Regal is now going over how they will determine who will challenge Gargano at night 2 of TakeOver.
Kushida cuts a quick promo on Devlin to promote their match tonight.
DRAKE MAVERICK VS. WALTER W/ MARCEL BARTHEL & FABIAN AICHNER
we are seeing footage of Maverick confronting Barthel and Aichner asking where Dain is but runs off when Walter takes his weapon away.
Drakee showing no fear but Walter knocks him out and the ref stops the match there for a TKO Victory.
Post match, Ciampa’s music hits and he comes out to stare down Imperium from the stage then makes his way to the ring with no fear.
Ciampa says that he misspoke before saying Walter doesn’t intrigue him but The NXT UK Title is what intrigues him and challenges Walter at TakeOver.
Walter tries to walk off leading to Ciampa trying to stop him and Imperium beating him down.
Walter accepts the match but will he still be champion after his match against Rampage?
Duune is now cutting a video promo about being the next challenger for Gargano.
Stone and Aliyah are talking to Mercedes Martinez about being her partner after Kamea apparently was injured. She agrees but expects double the payment she was given.
Gargano barges in to Regal’s office who asks Johnny if he wears the North American title everywhere.
Johnny says the situation is not fair since he won’t know who is opponent will be until 24 hours before the match.
MERCEDES MARTINEZ & ALIYAH W/ ROBERT STONE VS. SHOTZI BLACKHEART & EMBER MOON – NXT WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
All champions on Martinez to start including one of the worst looking Mediora’s I’ve seen.
Pretty much the story so far is Mercedes working over the champs and Aliyah comes in to give her a rest.
Eclipse from Moon to Aliyah to get the pinfall victory to the displeasure of Stone who is now broke.
Cut to Roderick Strong in the locker room with Cameron Grimes coming in telling Roddy that it doesn’t have to end and he can buy the rights to UE and live on.
Strong had enough of the proposal and Grimes gets decked.
Shotzi and Ember are celebrating backstage when Candice and Indi Hartwell walk in saying that was their last successful defense.
So it appears the match between Walter and Ciampa is the night before the NXT UK show. So I still see Rampage being the one to take the belt from Walter.
JORDAN DEVLIN VS. KUSHIDA
Really excited to see what these two are allowed to do in this one.
Devlin gets the first pin attempt but Kushida kicks out with authority after just a one count.
What a beautiful looking moonsault to the outside by Devlin as we head to a commercial break.
Really love when a wrestler’s offense is designed around their finish like how Kushida was going after the arm of Devlin in this one.
Legado Del Fantasma come out while Devlin is in control allowing Kushida to gain control of Devlin.
Wilde and Mendoza pull Devlin out of the ring but Devlin is able to get back in and use the bridge to get the pinfall victory.
Post match, Kushida goes directly after Wilde and Mendoza for costing him the match. Santos gets in the ring to face off against Devlin when HBK’s music hits.
Michaels says nothing but grabs a ladder from under the ring and slides it in between the two champs to call back to his match against Razor.
Liked this moment especially since he was not announced to appear. A much bigger impact for me.
Cole is now seen heading to the arena when he goes face to face with HBK who just laughs him off.
Regal is with Cole and Kyle for their contract signing for an Unsanctioned Match between the two at Night Two of Stand & Deliver.
Did Regal realize he said “NXT is not responsible for anything happens to BOTH of you” when that means they are responsible for anything that happens to just one of them?
Cole says Kyle made him realize he didn’t need the UE anymore. Saying that Kyle is a sidekick and he is a leader and Kyle would be nothing without him.
Kyle says he is the only one who became a better person since coming to NXT. He says he sold his soul for the UE and now he wants it back.
Contract is signed then both are held back as we go off the air.
Jeff Johnson's Wrestling Soundoff 