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Only a few days away from TakeOver: XXV, the NXT roster hoped to get some final shots in on their opponents. The Undisputed Era will have their hands full at the event, as all four members are competing. Roderick Strong will face off against the King of Bros Matt Riddle, who looks to get revenge on the Messiah of the Backbreaker for his attack on him weeks ago.
With the NXT Tag Team Titles vacated, The Undisputed Era will face the Street Profits, the Forgotten Sons, and Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. At the beginning of the year, Adam Cole claimed that 2019 will be an Undisputed year, promising that they'd all be draped in gold sooner rather than later. At TakeOver, that prophecy may come true.
Speaking of Cole, the leader of the Undisputed Era will finally get another shot at the NXT Championship when he challenges Johnny Gargano for the belt. Since their match at NXT TakeOver: New York, Cole has reminded Gargano and the rest of the world that he won the first fall in the 2-out-of-3 falls match. At TakeOver: XXV, all he has to do is get one pin on the champ.
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Mia Yim vs Bianca Belair
Mia Yim started off the match with a dropkick, sending Belair out to the apron. Belair dropped her across the top rope, then rushed inside for a pin attempt. Yim kicked out and escaped a powerslam, but was brought to the mat with a double leg takedown. Both women jockeyed for position, leading to a chop block from Yim to the front of Belair's right knee.
A cannonball in the corner gave Yim the two-count. Belair took two kicks to the chest, catching the third and bringing the HBIC down with a leg whip and a running knee to the face. Yim was locked in a double chicken wing, then Belair transitioned into a full nelson. Yim broke out but was knocked back down by Belair.
A stalling suplex, with squats, was followed by a leaping splash. Yim struggled to stand up in the corner while Belair taunted her. However, the Est of NXT was caught by Yim when she ran in, getting caught in the Tarantula. Yim let go at the three count and rolled up Belair for a pin.
Belair broke out and leveled Yim with a running boot. The assault continued as Belair flaunted her strength advantage. A double lifted chicken wing was turned into a roll-up by an escaping Yim. Belair kicked out but was rolled up into two more pinning attempts. Belair broke out once again and rocked Yim with a forearm.
Yim beat the three-count, and escaped a double chicken wing by tossing Belair into the ropes. An overhead belly-to-belly suplex tossed Belair on top of her head, leaving both women struggling to make it to their feet. Yim got there first, knocking Belair down with clotheslines and a throat chop. The Code Red nearly gave Yim the win, but Belair managed to power out.
Belair chased Yim into the corner where she ran full force into the ring post shoulder first. The Seoul Food (Eat Defeat) connected, but Belair managed to roll out of the ring and avoid the pin. Belair tried to get out of dodge, forcing Yim to chase her. The strategy worked, as Belair dropped Yim face first with the Glam Slam onto the apron.
Belair rolled back inside, and Yim would soon follow, breaking the ref's count at nine. Belair beat down her rival and tossed her around the ring with two hair pulling slams and a back body drop. Yim escaped a powerbomb, and held onto Belair's hair to connect with the Protect Ya Neck.
Results: Mia Yim defeated Bianca Belair via pinfall.
We were treated to a vignette by the North American Champion Velveteen Dream, hyping up his title defense against Tyler Breeze at NXT TakeOver: XXV. Dream said the last time Breeze got a standing ovation was when he found out he was leaving NXT. Since then, he was treated to loss after loss, and couldn't handle the spotlight.
Dream claimed to be the upgrade to the idea of Prince Pretty, and that the NXT Universe had abandoned Breeze. The champ followed up by saying that Breeze is the Great Value version of the Vainglorious One.
Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke were seen backstage taking part in a photo shoot. Baszler was asked what she thought about the beatdown she received last week from Io Shirai, who saved Candice LeRae from an assault and sent all three Horsewomen scurrying to the back with a kendo stick.
Baszler said that facts are facts. Shirai won't be allowed to use a kendo stick at TakeOver, and she's run out of friends, while Baszler still has Shafir and Duke.
Kushida vs Drew Gulak
Gulak brought Kushida down early, taking the back. Kushida managed to escape and both men traded the lead with a wristlock. Kushida tried to roll through Gulak's clutch, eventually breaking out after rolling several times.
A test of strength led to Gulak getting the leverage advantage. The Submission Expert quickly transitioned into a single leg Boston crab. Kushida crawled under Gulak and tried to lock in a triangle choke. Gulak broke away.
A backslide by Kushida was quickly escaped, only for Gulak to be locked in a headlock. Gulak made it back to his feet, but Kushida kept the pressure on, adjusting to a side headlock. Kushida was shot off, but came back from the ropes with an octopus stretch. Gulak easily broke out and trapped his opponent in the trailer hitch.
Kushida made it to the ropes, breaking the hold. Back in a standing position, both men countered various arm drag attempts, leading to an armbreaker across the top rope by Kushida. Gulak managed to avoid a kick to the face and dropped Kushida with a fireman's carry gutbuster.
Kushida managed to break out of another submission attempt, wrapping Gulak up in the process. Gulak broke out but was tossed by Kushida, transitioning from an arm drag to an armbar.
Gulak escaped, picking Kushida's ankle for the ankle lock. Kushida and Gulak battled back and forth, but the Time Splitter finally escaped the ankle lock and sent Gulak face first into the turnbuckle with an enziguri. Gulak blocked a fisherman's buster, but was nearly brought down with a Hoverboard Lock. Gulak broke out and rocked him with an elbow, but countered a clothesline with a flatliner.
Gulak was rolled up by Kushida for the win.
Results: Kushida defeated Drew Gulak via pinfall.
Gulak disputed the fall, then called Kushida a coward. Kushida simply threw up a "three" sign, signifying his 3-0 record in NXT at the moment.
Io Shirai responded to Baszler's comments, saying she's not afraid of the NXT Women's Champion or any of her friends. Candice LeRae came out and told Shirai that she appreciated what the Genius of the Sky last week. To repay the favor, she'll watch her back at NXT TakeOver: XXV.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs The Forgotten Sons w/Jaxson Ryker
Burch and Wesley Blake started the match, with Burch sending his opponent into the corner with a dropkick. Blake was taken down to the mat with an arm wrench, but he fought back up for a tag to Steve Cutler.
Burch suffered a beatdown from the Sons and managed to tag in Lorcan. A series of stiff uppercuts to Blake and Cutler was interrupted by Ryker who tripped him up coming off the ropes. Ryker was immediately thrown out of the match. While he backed his way up the stage, the Street Profits jumped Ryker, sending him into the screen on the stage.
Results: No Contest
The Profits jumped the ring, helping Lorcan & Burch launch the Sons outside. The four men then jumped on each other but were interrupted by the Sons who attacked all four of them with steel chairs.
Ryker stood at the top of the ramp cheering them on, where he was jumped again, this time by Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. Cole and Strong taunted Blake and Cutler, baiting them into an attack by Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish. The Undisputed Era leveled the Forgotten Sons. Cole and Strong dropped Blake with a jumping knee/superkick combo while Fish and O'Reilly put away Cutler with the Leg Sweep & Flying Fish Hook.
Ryker tried to get back to his feet, but was finally left laying when the Era attacked him with a ladder. Cole stood atop the ladder with the rest of his crew surrounding him. Cole grabbed a mic and said that the carnage that was left in their wake was a message to Matt Riddle and NXT Champion Johnny Gargano.
