WWE NXT results, video highlights, and analysis - 17 March 2019
This week's edition of NXT was packed to the brim with championship gold. With two championship bouts and an exciting announcement made by NXT Champion Johnny Gargano, the Black & Yellow Brand didn't plan on slowing down following TakeOver and WrestleMania last week.
Tonight, Shayna Baszler would face off against Kairi Sane one final time. If the Pirate Princess failed to capture the NXT Women's Championship this time around, she would have no more chances against the Queen of Spades.
Opening the show, we saw former Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy challenge the NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream for his title. Dream, who handed Matt Riddle his first loss at NXT TakeOver: New York, successfully defending the championship. Dream and Murphy met backstage at WrestleMania after the Juggernaut lost his belt to the new Cruiserweight Champion, Tony Nese. After being teased by the Vainglorious One for failing on the Grandest Stage of Them All, Murphy looked to add a new prize to his trophy case.
NXT North American Championship: Buddy Murphy vs Velveteen Dream (c)
Murphy and Dream locked up in a collar and elbow tie up, with the champion forcing the challenger into the corner. When Dream disrespected him, Muprhy immediately snapped on a headlock, bringing him down to the ground.
Dream managed to escape, locking in a headlock of his own. Finally, after Murphy broke away, the two kipped up back to their feet, meeting each other's gaze in the middle of the ring. The two men dodged each other's fists, but Murphy caught Dream with a running hurricanrana.
He looked to go for a dive to the outside, but Dream slid back in, taunting the Juggernaut. Murphy didn't take kindly to this, grabbing both his arms and delivering a vicious knee to the jaw of the champion. Dream barely kicked out at two.
On the apron, Dream was sent into the ring post, dropping down to the ramp where Murphy finally dove onto him. Back inside, a meteora almost sealed the deal, but Dream again kicked out. Murphy continued to punish Dream with a series of kicks to the back, followed up by a sleeper hold.
Dream squirmed and stretched out in the middle of the ring, trying to find the ropes wherever he could. A second wind helped get him back to his feet, where he drove Murphy into the corner. Murphy broke the hold but shoved Dream's face into the middle turnbuckle.
Dream was set up for a double knee in the corner, but caught the former Cruiserweight Champion with a superkick just as he flew in, sending him sprawling down to the mat. Dream picked up momentum here, dropping Murphy with dropkicks and elbows, before sending him outside to the ramp. A double ax handle wiped out Murphy, and Dream brought him back inside for the Purple Rainmaker.
Murphy made it to his feet, but Dream managed to recover mid dive, returning for a codebreaker. Murphy kicked out. Dream quickly set up for the Dream Valley Driver, but Murphy escaped, hanging Dream's neck up on the ropes. He shook off the cobwebs, however, and met Murphy at the top, looking for a superplex to the outside. The two traded strikes and crashed and burned, landing on the floor below.
They made it back inside before the ten count and again traded standing strikes. A DDT planted Dream in the middle of the ring, but the champion miraculously kicked out. Murphy went up top and attempted the sunset flip. Dream managed to counter into the Dream Valley Driver. In the nick of time, the Best Kept Secret broke out of the pinfall.
Dream went up top, but Murphy bent him under the top turnbuckle pad for a superkick before driving him into the mat with a sit out powerbomb, bending him up like an acordion. Though he kicked out, Velveteen Dream suffered serious damage when he rolled out to the apron, as Buddy Murphy leveled him with a horrid running knee.
Murphy had to break the ref's ten count, allowing Dream to wake back up. A Fameasser and Dream Valley Driver kept Murphy down long enough to be hit with the Purple Rainmaker.
Results: Velveteen Dream defeated Buddy Murphy vial pinfall.