WWE NXT Great American Bash - Tegan Nox is the new #1 contender for the Women's title

The first night of WWE NXT Great American Bash kicked off with the Fatal 4-way match to determine the new #1 contender for Io Shirai's NXT Women's Championship.

Tegan Nox defeated Mia Yim, Dakota Kai and Candice LaRae to become Io Shirai's next challenger.

NXT Great American Bash: Fatal-4 Way Elimination Match - As it happened

4️⃣ women. 1️⃣ opportunity.

Who will become the No. 1 Contender to @shirai_io's #WWENXT #WomensTitle? #NXTGAB @MiaYim @DakotaKai_WWE @TeganNoxWWE_ @CandiceLeRae pic.twitter.com/ZiPsDSNghe
— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

The four competitors made their way to ring, and the match got underway with Dakota Kai and Candice LaRae moving out of the ring. That left Mia Yim and Tegan Nox inside the squared circle, and they got the match rolling.

Candice LaRae, who was the odds-on favorite heading into the match, was surprisingly the first Superstar to get eliminated. Mia Yim connected with a knee to LaRae's face and pinned her for the elimination.

.@CandiceLeRae has been ELIMINATED!@MiaYim @DakotaKai_WWE & @TeganNoxWWE_ remain in this No. 1 Contender's #EliminationMatch! #WWENXT #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/eW3NWiF0Ld
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 2, 2020

Mia Yim looked impressive throughout the match as she cleaned house and put on a dominant performance. However, it all ended abruptly as Dakota Kai booted Yim out of the contest with a sneaky back bridge pin.

Bodies fly and rivalries get rekindled in this fiery #Fatal4Way #EliminationMatch on #WWENXT! #NXTGAB @MiaYim @DakotaKai_WWE @TeganNoxWWE_ @CandiceLeRae pic.twitter.com/B7Xw4EkIzb
— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

From friends to enemies real quick. #WWENXT #NXTGAB @TeganNoxWWE_ @MiaYim pic.twitter.com/VcbOWSuGaA
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 2, 2020

Creativity = off the charts#WWENXT #NXTGAB @MiaYim @DakotaKai_WWE @TeganNoxWWE_ pic.twitter.com/SnypD19Qv9
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 2, 2020

Stunned. 😮

Despite a masterful display of dominance, @MiaYim is ELIMINATED from the No. 1 Contender's #EliminationMatch! #WWENXT #NXTGAB @DakotaKai_WWE pic.twitter.com/lEPaChNbhX
— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

The battle heats up as @MiaYim, @TeganNoxWWE_ and @DakotaKai_WWE pull out all the stops in this #EliminationMatch! #NXTGAB #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/TpVylxMZ79
— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

Friends turned bitter enemies, Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai were the final two women standing.

What followed was a nail-biting battle with many intense back-and-forth sequences. There were near falls galore as both women built up to the grand finale. In the end, Tegan Nox hit Kai with the Shining Wizard for the three-count.

Nox was visibly stunned by the victory as the 'fans' in the Performance Center erupted in unison.

HARD NOX. 🤙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

You deserve it, @TeganNoxWWE_! #WWENXT #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/ps13LRGFUr
— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

Her face says it all. 😀😧😲❤️@TeganNoxWWE_ is victorious in the No. 1 Contender's #EliminationMatch! #WWENXT #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/YZTXNRdQxD
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 2, 2020

That was a solid opener to kick off the festivities on day one of The Great American Bash. The four women involved in the match worked hard to deliver a fast-paced and technical contest. The fact that Tegan Nox was pushed to win against Dakota Kai was a smart booking decision.

Tegan Nox certainly deserves the spot at the top of the NXT Women's division as she has been one of the most improved female performers in the Black and Gold brand over the past couple of years.

Shirai now has a new title challenger, and we must say, her match against Nox for the NXT Women's title should be a memorable affair.