NXT Results: New Champion crowned; Superstar gets knocked out during match
NXT surprised us with a championship match out of nowhere tonight. Our main event would feature Bronson Reed defending the NXT North American Championship against Isaiah "Swerve" Scott of Hit Row.
With NXT Great American Bash a week away, we still needed to find challengers for The Way's tag titles. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart would also face Io Shirai and Zoey Stark, along with Dakota Kai and NXT Women's Champion for a shot at the gold.
All that, plus Tian Sha continuing their dominance, Johnny Gargano attempting to outsmart Karrion Kross, and Diamond Mine's Roderick Strong returning to the ring. We kicked things off with the NXT Women's Tag Title number one contender's match.
NXT Women's Tag Team No.1 Contender's Match: Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart vs Zoey Stark and Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai
Raquel Gonzalez started the match off with Ember Moon and Io Shirai, dominating them both. Shirai and Moon had to team up to bring down the NXT Women's Champion. A double dropkick connected, but Gonzalez bounced off the ropes for a double clothesline.
Raquel dumped Shirai up top with snake eyes, but was sent to Moon's corner with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Moon and Blackheart hit a one-legged facebuster and sunset flip combination on Gonzalez but the pin was broken up. Zoey Stark took Kai and Gonzalez to the floor where Shirai hit them with a moonsault.
Stark got out of the way and avoided Blackheart's suicide dive as well. Moon landed on everyone with a senton off the top, and Stark followed up with a double jump crossbody.
Back in the ring, Shirai and Stark focused on Gonzalez. Blackheart eventually got back in the fray, giving Gonzalez time to get to her partner.
Dakota Kai dumped Stark to the floor and went in on Blackheart. After nearly getting a pinfall on NXT's Tank Girl, Kai was blindsided by a returning Stark. The newcomer to the brand, impressively, laid out Kai but failed to get the pin. Dakota went back to Gonzalez and tagged her in, followed by Io Shirai shortly after.
Gonzalez drove Blackheart into the corner with a series of shoulder thrusts and left her collapsed with a big body splash. As she set up for a big gorilla press slam, Shirai tried to break it up.
A massive boot sent the former champion into the ropes and Blackheart was slammed. Shirai, Gonzalez, and Blackheart tagged out, bringing in their fairly fresh partners.
Stark went on a tear, lighting up both competitors with an array of strikes. A sliding knee took them both down in one shot. Stark sent Kai into the corner and tagged Shirai. NXT's Genius of the Sky hit the 619 and springboard missile dropkick on Kai, but Blackheart broke the pin up.
Blackheart pelted Shirai with a series of kicks and followed up with a bulldog. The former NXT Women's Tag Champions kept up the pressure with a drop toe hold/dropkick combination. Moon got a near fall on Shirai.
Kai tried to interfere and was nearly beheaded with a nasty rolling forearm. With Shirai and Kai on the ropes, Moon and Blackheart hit a pair of running kicks. Blackheart dumped Kai overhead with a tiger suplex and turned it into Cattle Mutilation. Luckily for Kai, Gonzalez made the save.
Everyone found themselves in the corner going for the Tower of Doom. Gonzalez knocked Shirai and Stark away, saving Kai from certain doom. Moon was planted with a powerslam, and Blackheart was dropped with a powerbomb.
Stark and Shirai eliminated Gonzalez, and as Kai hit a double stomp on Blackheart, she rolled into a kick from Shirai. Kai escaped the pin, but a double underhook backbreaker left her in position for the Moon Over Moonsault.
Gonzalez rolled in just in time to save her partner, taking the brunt of the damage. Moon and Shirai fell to the floor, and everyone hit their finishes, leaving Shirai and Kai in the ring alone once again.
The Moon Over Moonsault finally hit, landing on Kai.
Results: Io Shirai defeated Dakota Kai via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B
Shirai and Stark will move onto NXT Great American Bash next week to challenge The Way for the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles.
Backstage, Johnny Gargano blindsided NXT Champion Karrion Kross. Before it could get out of hand, Samoa Joe's security broke it up.