NXT Results, Video Highlights, and Analysis - January 2nd, 2019
The first NXT of 2019 sought to highlight all of the great moments in 2018, while a certain Gatekeeper got another shot at the King of Bros.
At NXT TakeOver: WarGames II, Matt Riddle knocked out Kassius Ohno and beat him in less than ten seconds. However, Ohno hasn't taken that lying down and has continued to challenge Riddle, even assaulting him after his match with Punishment Martinez last month. Tonight, he got his shot at redemption.
NXT North American Championship 6-Man Ladder Match Highlights:
The highlights opened with The Velveteen Dream, who dropped a sky-high Purple Rainmaker off of a ladder onto Lars Sullivan. The Dream was stopped from ascending the ladder by the debuting EC3, who then brawled with the Beast of Belfast, Killian Dain.
We saw all six men (Dain, EC3, Sullivan, Dream, Adam Cole, Ricochet) fight to become the first-ever North American Champion. This elongated clip showed us the Vader Bomb from Dain onto EC3, with Adam Cole on his back, Ricochet hitting a moonsault off of a falling ladder, Lars Sullivan's test of strength with Dain, and more.
This match was regarded as one of the best matches of the entire year. And with all of these huge moments packed into this war, it's not hard to see why.
The match ended with the crowning of the first NXT North American Champion, Adam Cole. The leader of the Undisputed Era cemented himself as one of the top guys in NXT with his win here, toppling five of NXT's best. This ladder match ended up being one of the WWE's Match of the Year candidates.
Breakout Superstar of the Year Nominees:
- Ricochet
- Dakota Kai
- Lars Sullivan
- Rhea Ripley
- War Raiders
- Lacey Evans
- EC3
- Bianca Belair