Tonight’s episode of NXT came to us from Osaka, Japan with footage from NXT’s recent tour of the Far East. The show was headlined by two huge title matches involving to local heroes as Asuka defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Nia Jax and Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship.
The NXT Tag-Team Championships were also on the line with an exciting card from top to bottom.
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Oney Lorcan vs Andrade 'Cien' Almas
Lorcan and Almas feel each other out in the opening stages. They then trade headlock snapmare takedowns in quick succession. Almas then employs a headlock on Lorcan who pushes Almas into the turnbuckle. Almas then hung onto the ropes after a push from Lorcan and taunted him. A seemingly impressed Lorcan offered a handshake but Almas wasn't in the mood for a friendly gesture and the crowd booed the heel.
Lorcan showed off his nasty side with a vice-like headlock. Almas hit a back body drop but Lorcan didn't let go of his grip. Almas eventually broke out and hit a running dropkick off an Irish Whip. They went back and forth again as Lorcan reversed an attempted neckbreaker into a backslide pinning attempt. Almas kicked out and got up at 2 but he was taken down by a shockingly loud knife-edged chop.
Lorcan then hit Almas with forearms and a running corner splash before hitting a running blockbuster. He then went to hit an inverted exploder suplex but Almas reversed it and hit a flipping reverse DDT. Insane move.
Almas then tried to hit a deadlift Powerbomb but Lorcan hit him with stiff strikes as the duo began to trade brutal strikes. Lorcan straight-out booted Almas in the face before hitting an inverted Exploder Suplex. Lorcan then went for the triple running corner elbows. He hit the first two but Almas sent him crashing into the turnbuckle on the third one. The former-La Sombra then hit his trademark running double knees but only managed to get a nearfall off the cover.
Almas then got Lorcan back up and attempted a spiked DDT but Lorcan drove him into the corner. He then hit an inverted Exploder Suplex from the top rope. Lorcan then crawled over and pinned Almas for the 3-count. An amazing match to kick off the night.
Oney Lorcan def. Andrade 'Cien' Almas
Liv Morgan and Aliyah vs Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
Morgan and Aliyah continued their feud Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.
Liv Morgan and Billie Kay started us off. Morgan went for early pin attempts including a unique set of rolling pinning attempts. Morgan then tagged in Aliyah. Aliyah went for an arm-lock but Kay broke out of it easily and tagged in Peyton Royce.
Aliyah hit Royce with multiple armdrags before hitting a backflip off the top rope which she transitioned into another armdrag. Royce hit back with a devastating backbreaker before tagging Kay back in. The duo choked Aliyah with boots to the throat in the corner simultaneously before taking her down with further kicks after Aliyah had dropped to her knees.
Kay then locked in a unique submission attempt that but Aliyah got out of it and reversed it into a pin, but just for a 2-count. Kay then tagged Royce back in and the Aussies hit a double vertical suplex on Aliyah.
Royce and Kay then continued to rotate tags and work on Aliyah. She kept on trying to reach Morgan for the tag but Kay and Royce just wouldn't let it happen. Time after time they closed her down.Aliyah then finally reversed out of a double suplex and made the tag as Liv Morgan came in and cleaned house. Kay and Royce managed to isolate her though after Royce neutralised Aliyah.
Royce hit Morgan with the running facebuster into Bille Kay's knee before Peyton Royce covered her for the pinfall. The better women definitely won on the night. Aliyah looked a little green in the ring tonight.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce def. Liv Morgan and Aliyah
#DIY (C) vs Akira Tozawa and Tajiri (for the NXT Tag-Team Championships)
The NTX Universe greeted all four men warmly and they broke into chants of DIY as the match was about to begin.
The two teams shook hands before the match began as Gargano and Tozawa started us off.They locked up and traded holds before getting back on their feet and squaring off again. They then traded armdrags as Tozawa hit a senton. The two men then avoided kicks from each other as they faced off and the crowd broke into applause.
Both men then tagged in their partners. Tajiri and Ciampa felt each other for a while before Tajiri locked in a modified armbar. Ciampa broke free as both men traded headlock takedowns. Tajiri then tagged Tozawa back in as the two men traded strikes. Ciampa tagged Gargano back in and they hit a tandem knee strike-enzeguiri combo in the corner before Ciampa tagged himself back in.
Tozawa rolled Ciampa up for a 2-count before hitting a running knee to the side of the head. He then tagged Tajiri back in and both gave Ciampa a double armdrag before Tozawa hit another Senton. Ciampa cornered Tozawa after he got tagged back in before making a tag to his partner. Gargano came in and worked Tozawa on the mat. locking in a modified choke hold. Tozawa countered a cross body with a Gut Buster but Gargano managed to crawl over and tag Ciampa in.
Ciampa knocked Tajiri off the apron but Tozawa hit him with a jumping boot to the face before tagging Tajiri. Tajiri came in and hit both Gargano and Ciampa with a series of kicks before hitting a handspring elbow to Ciampa. He then hit side kicks to both men before covering Ciampa for a 2-count.
Tajiri then hit a double handspring kick to both members of #DIY, knocking them off the apron. Tozawa followed it up with two suicide dives on both men.
Back in the ring, Tozawa hit a vertical suplex on Ciampa before looking for his trademark deadlift German suplex. Ciampa elbowed his way out of it as Gargano got tagged in and hit a mid-rope spear.
Tozawa tagged in Tajiri who locked Gargano in his trademark tarantula hold. Gargano followed it up with a rolling sidekick before Tajiri made the tag. Tozawa came in and got hit by an enzeguiri before Ciampa hit him with two German Suplexes before Tozawa hit him with a snap German Suplex of his own. Tozawa followed it up with one to Gargano. He then hit Ciampa with his trademark deadlift German Suplex but Gargano broke up the pin.
Gargano then Superkicked Tajiri before Tozawa came in and hit him with the bicycle kick. He then hit the bicycle kick to the back of Ciampa's head but Ciampa hit back with a clothesline that turned Tozawa inside-out. Ciampa then hit his trademark Powerbomb into a double knee backbreaker but Tajiri once again broke the pin.
Tozawa tried to roll Ciampa up but he tagged in Gargano. Gargano hit Tozawa with an Enzeguiri as he charged at Ciampa. #DIY then hit their trademark running knee-superkick combo to finish Tozawa off and pick up the win.
#DIY def. Akira Tozawa and Tajiri
Asuka (C) vs Nia Jax (for the NXT Women's Championship)
Nia Jax returned to face undefeated NXT Women's Champion Asuka.
Asuka circled Jax as the match began as she avoided her much larger opponent's offence, delivering kicks in exchange. Nia overpowered Asuka, sending her crashing into the turnbuckle. Asuka tried to hit back with elbows before Nia tossed her across the ring by the hair. Asuka tried to lock in a Guillotine hold before hitting kicks to the gut. Jax hit back with a devastating spine buster before kicking Asuka across the back of the head. Jax then drove Asuka right into the turnbuckle as the champion looked vulnerable.
Jax the hit Asuka with a running rear-end to the corner. Asuka looked rocked but she got up again and tried to fight back, only to be laid out again by a dominant Nia Jax. Asuka tried to fight back once again with forearms, only for Jax to slam her into the mat. Jax attempted a Samoan Drop but ended up falling into Asuka and covering her for a 2-count. Nia Jax followed it up with a sidewalk slam for another 2-count.
The champion tried to fight back again and looked like she'd rocked Jax with a spinning back-fist but Jax recovered and smashed her into the mat again. She then locked Asuka into a sleeper but Asuka broke out and acrobatically locked in a kneebar. Nia broke out once again and slammed Asuka into the mat by the hair. Asuka then sent Nia crashing out of the ring and hit her with a running hip attack as she tried to climb back in. Asuka then tried a running hip attack from the apron to ringside but Jax caught her in midair and flung her into the apron.
Jax tried a leg drop as Asuka climbed in but missed as Asuka hit her with a series of vicious knees, dropping her to her knees. Asuka then hit her with a running hip attack, grounding her. As Jax got up and attempted a Powerbomb, Asuka smoothly reversed it into an armbar before transitioning into a triangle lock. Asuka powered Asuka up but Asuka climbed onto the apron and jumped onto Jax to attempt an Asuka lock. Jax responded with a vicious Powerbomb before getting a nearfall off the cover.
Asuka hit back with spinning fists and a roundhouse kick, before somehow managing a German Suplex on her much larger challenger. Jax screamed as she was on her way back to her feet by Asuka knocked her lights out with a shin kick to the side of the head. The champion then pinned Jax for a hard fought victory.
Asuka def. Nia Jax
Samoa Joe (C) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (for the NXT Championship from the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan)
The show finishes off with the epic rematch between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura from Osaka, Japan. Joe got a pretty big reception but it was nothing compared to the reception that Shinsuke Nakamura got from the Japanese fans who treated their hero like a homecoming king.
Joe and Nakamura went nose-to-nose even before the bell rang as they eyed each other, getting ready for the battle to come. The crowd threw the traditional streamers into the ring as the announcements were made and both men got ready for the fight of their lives.
The two men started off by circling each other before Joe went for the early takedown only to be blocked by Nakamura. Nakamura followed it up by a series of stiff knees which he followed up with the Good Vibrations in the corner as Joe rolled out of the ring to collect his thoughts after the early onslaught. Joe then climbed onto the apron and hit a cheap shot to take control. He followed it with an STF lock which he transitioned into a devastating crossface.
Nakamura finally managed to reach the ropes but an undeterred Joe went for a vertical suplex. Nakamura blocked it and tried to transition it into a cross-armbar which he then changed into a triangle hold just as Joe reached the ropes. Nakamura then went for the reverse Exploder Suplex which he failed to hit and instead went for a devastating German Suplex. Nakamura then went for the Kinshasa but Joe countered with a massive Powerslam for a 2-count.
Joe then went for a Muscle Buster but Nakamura managed to counter out of it at the last moment and immediately went for a Kinshasa which Joe dodged and managed to lock in a Coquina Clutch, almost. Joe changed his mind at the last moment and hit a German Suplex instead, which he followed with a second German which he followed up with a modified Exploder Suplex for the nearfall.
Joe then took Nakamura to the top rope and went for a Muscle Buster but Nakamura kicked Joe away who hit back with an Enzeguiri that sent Nakamura crashing to the outside. Joe followed him out and went for a modified Roc kBottom on the steel steps but Nakamura hit back with a near-endless series of elbow strikes. Nakamura followed it up with a knee to the back of Joe's head which also resulted in Joe's face smashing off the steel steps.
Nakamura rolled Joe back into the ring and looked to take advantage only to be met by a series of kicks by Samoa Joe. Nakamura hit back with knee strikes of his own which he followed with a calf strike to the back of the head and a running knee to the side of Joe's head. Nakamura then tried to pick Joe up in a fireman's carry but Joe's weight proved to be too much.
Changing his approach, Nakamura went to the top rope instead and hit a flying knee from the top rope to the back of Joe's head. Nakamura followed it up with a Kinshasa and he covered Joe for the 3-count as he beat Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship in his homeland, making Nakamura a 2-time NXT Champion.
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Samoa Joe
