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With just a few short days until NXT TakeOver: Toronto, this week's edition of the Yellow and Black brand was primarily filled with hype packages.
However, the live segments and in-ring action we were presented with was still the quality that the WWE Universe have come to expect from what's considered to be the best brand in the company.
Shane Thorne has a bone to pick with all of the new NXT Superstars who have been given an opportunity at a title thanks to the Breakout Tournament. Tonight, he would get a chance to put one of those talents down when he faced Joaquin Wilde.
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Matt Riddle would also face Killian Dain in the main event tonight. The King of Bros has been incredibly dominant since joining NXT last year, but was battered and broken at the hands of Killian Dain last month. Dain returned to NXT after a subpar run on the main roster, and looked to take advantage of his second chance, and that meant obliterating Riddle.
NXT Tag-Team Championship contract signing
William Regal opened the show tonight in the ring, revealing that he was there to overlook the contract signing between the NXT Tag Team Champions, The Street Profits, and their challengers the Undisputed Era.
The NXT GM gave the champions a proper introduction, but when he moved onto Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly, he was stopped by Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, who gave their own...unique introduction for the former champs, calling O'Reilly "O'Reilly Auto Parts" and Fish "Laurence Fishburne Jr."
The Era took it all in stride and told the Profits that they aren't on the same level as them, and at TakeOver: Toronto, they stand no chance at walking out with the titles. O'Reilly hit them with a joke of their own. "The Street Profits are the NXT Tag Team Champions."
The NXT Tag Team Champions got serious at this point, running down the successful run of the Undisputed Era, even calling them the best tag team to ever step foot inside the Yellow and Black brand. Ford said facing a team like that means that losing is not an option. Now that they're in the spotlight, they don't plan on moving back to square one.
With that, the contracts were signed, and the match was official. The Street Profits backed up the ramp with the belts held high as the Undisputed Era talked trash in the ring.
A hype package was shown for the NXT Women's Championship match. At NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Mia Yim will challenge the Queen of Spades and the most dominant champion since Asuka, Shayna Baszler. Yim said that she came from nothing and proved that she belonged to be among the best in the world in the WWE.
Baszler said that Yim hasn't even earned her job, let alone a shot at the title. However, without Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke at her side, the champion has a tough battle ahead this Saturday.
Joaquin Wilde vs Shane Thorne
Thorne wrapped up with Wilde, taking him into the ropes. Wilde countered with a schoolboy, leading to a quick kick out at two.
Thorne caught him in a headlock but was tripped up by the NXT newcomer. Wilde kept Thorne trapped with a wrist lock, managing to keep up with his attempts at breaking the hold.
Wilde's hold was broken and was sent into the corner, but sent Thorne overhead with a springboard arm drag and a dropkick. Thorne kicked out of the pinfall and countered a guillotine into a brainbuster, spiking WIlde in the middle of the ring.
From there, Throne worked over Wilde with uppercuts and chops, pelting the flashy Superstar. Wilde fought out of a wristlock, and took out Thorne with a slingshot clothesline. A kneeling jawbreaker set up a leapfrogging springboard back elbow. Thorne attempted to go up in response but was caught, getting dropped with a powerbomb. The Mighty One kicked out at two.
Wilde attempted a rolling guillotine but it was again blocked by Thorne. However, Wilde forced him outside following an arm trapped pop up kick to the jaw. A suicide dive through the turnbuckle and a tope over the ropes left Thorne dazed on the ramp.
Thorne rolled inside at the nine-count, then immediately back outside, attempting to bait Wilde. It worked, allowing Thorne to use the ringside area to batter his opponent, bouncing him off the steps, apron, ring post, and slamming him onto the ramp. Back inside, a running knee pump leveled Wilde, ending the match.
Results: Shane Thorne defeated Joaquin Wilde via pinfall.
Another hype package was shown, recounting the moments that lead to Io Shirai's turn to the dark side. Candice LeRae felt her rage after Shirai failed to defeat Baszler for the title in a Steel Cage Match, laying into her former friend with a series of chair shots.
Shirai turned her back on LeRae and the NXT Universe, donning new black gear and a more heartless attitude. At Toronto, LeRae will get a chance at revenge.
Killian Dain has been terrorizing Matt Riddle for quite some time now, first bowling through him last month, attacking him before a match.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion even sent the Original Bro through the stage with a massive senton, leaving Riddle gasping for air as Dain walked away with a grin on his face. Since then, Dain has been revealing the reasons for his actions in vignettes highlighting his rough childhood in Ireland.
Dain planned on making an example of Riddle as he returned to NXT. Tonight, Riddle hoped to prove to him that he's not one to take lightly.
Matt Riddle vs Killian Dain
Before the match could begin, Killian Dain ran through Matt Riddle with a running crossbody. Dain drove the King of Bros into the steps before leaping onto him with a rolling cannonball splash. The Hound of Ulster confidently walked away as the referees checked on Riddle.
Results: No Contest
The past few months of matches from the NXT Breakout Tournament was reviewed, highlighting the best of the eight superstars who would be taking over the Black and Yellow brand sooner rather than later. At NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Jordan Myles will face Cameron Grimes in the finals, with the winner getting a shot at any title of their choosing.
Next week, Breezango will take on the Forgotten Sons in their first match together in well over a year. Fandango said that the duo needed to reinvent themselves and become "Breezango Reimagined."
The epic rivalry between Johnny Gargano and NXT Champion Adam Cole was dissected to end the show, highlighting Johnny Gargano's relationships with the various NXT Superstars, PC Trainees, and the NXT Champions that moved on to bigger and better things on the main roster, while Adam Cole's incredible streak of title defenses at NXT Live Events were shown, featuring matches against the like of Matt Riddle and Keith Lee.
Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Tyler Breeze, William Regal and more talked about this final chapter in the book of Gargano v Cole, with the consensus split on who they feel will walk out of Toronto as the NXT Champion.
