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Tonight's episode of NXT featured some top tier talent in action, including a fantastic opener between former NXT Champion Aleister Black and Roderick Strong.
Tonight, Velveteen Dream cashed in on his opportunity he earned at the Worlds Collide Tournament. Outlasting the best competition that NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live had to offer, the Vainglorious One earned a shot at any NXT championship of his choosing. A few weeks ago, he revealed that he would look to dethrone the recently crowned NXT North American Champion, Johnny Gargano.
Aleister Black vs Roderick Strong
A female WWE star said her life is in danger. Details HERE
Strong wrestled Black down to the mat early, but the Dutch Destroyer wouldn't be on his back for long. Quickly getting back to his feet, he rocked Strong with a kicking/knee combination, followed by a spinning back elbow and a bridging German suplex. Strong kicked out at two.
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Strong sent Black outside and sent him crashing into the ramp with a wrecking ball dropkick. The Messiah of the Backbreaker then dropped Black spine first across the steel steps. Back inside, another backbreaker left Black in anguish. Strong locked him down with a front headlock, attempting to prevent his opponent from throwing any more of his deadly strikes.
Black fought back to his feet, bringing Strong into the corner for an elbow. Strong recovered quickly, however, and whipped him across the ring, following up with a baseball slide to the face. He continued to work his opponents back, driving him into the apron on the outside.
Strong took Black up top for a superplex. Black escaped and picked him up in the powerbomb position, but his back wouldn't allow him to hold Strong, allowing the Undisputed Era's representative to connect with another backbreaker. Black eventually began to build momentum after countering the End of Heartache, delivering some monstrous kicks to Strong's jaw.
After a stiff roundhouse, Strong was dropped with a brainbuster but kicked out at two. Strong avoided the Black Mass and brought Black down with the fireman's carry gutbuster. Black rebounded, sending Strong outside with a high knee. Black went up top, but Strong prevented it, dragging him down and sending him into the turnbuckle spine first. Back inside, Black kicked out.
Black fought away from a Boston crab, but Strong sent him throat first into the ropes. A back suplex facebuster set Black up for the End of Heartache, but Black escaped once again, putting Strong away with the Black Mass.
Results: Aleister Black defeated Roderick Strong via pinfall.
After the match Undisputed Era ran down to beat down Black. Black fought off O'Reilly but Fish and Cole were too much for him. Luckily for the former champion, Ricochet made the save, and the two managed to send Undisputed Era back up the ramp.
In footage from last week, the Three Horsewomen were talking trash to the rest of the women's locker room. Many of them refused to back down, however, including Mia Yim, who was set for action tonight when she took on Xia Li.
A vignette played of Bianca Belair, who threatened anyone who got in her way as she looked to earn another opportunity at the NXT Women's Championship. Her words seemed to be aimed at Kairi Sane and Io Shirai, the latter of whom picked up a pinfall victory over Shayna Baszler a few weeks ago.
It was revealed that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic would return this year.
Mia Yim vs Xia Li
Li and Yim shook hands to start the match. They locked up and were evenly matched in the beginning. Li sent Yim across the ring but caught herself on the ropes when Yim ducked down.
Yim caught her in a wrist lock, only for Li to break out and send Yim into the corner with a flurry of kicks, nearly catching the HBIC in the face. Yim powered Li down, but Li quickly countered into a roll-up, getting a two count.
Li went for a monkey flip but Yim countered. Li managed to turn it into a sunset flip. Yim kicked out, only to be caught in the chest with a solid kick. Yim turned it around, sending Li into the corner with a running single leg dropkick.
Yim followed up with a rolling senton into the corner. Li kicked out. Yim and Li traded strikes, with Li getting the upper hand. A jumping spinning roundhouse to a kneeling Yim nearly got Li the win, but Yim kicked out. Li went up top for a jumping side kick, but Yim dodged, setting Li up for Protect Ya Neck for the win.
Results: Mia Yim defeated Xia Li via pinfall.
Yim was immediately assaulted after the match by the Three Horsewomen, but three of the trainees came in for the save.
They were no match for Baszler, Shafir, and Duke, however, as they took them out and targeted Yim again. Duke and Shafir held Yim as Baszler delivered a running knee to the unprotected jaw.
Backstage, Johnny Gargano was met by both Candice LeRae and Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa said if he needed him, he would be here. Gargano again denied his support, saying he won the title by himself. Ciampa said that he'd be watching, regardless.
In an interview with Jeremy Borash, Matt Riddle explained who he is and why he's looking for gold in 2019.
Next week, Mia Yim will face off against Shayna Baszler in a non-title match. Yim will have to have eyes in the back of her head, as Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke will be in Baszler's corner.
NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream vs Johnny Gargano (c)
Dream attempted to corner Gargano early attempting several single leg takedowns. Gargano captured his leg, attempting to keep Dream on the mat. Dream got on top, but Gargano rolled over to the ropes. Champion and challenger locked up, with Gargano getting the upper hand, putting Dream in the front face lock.
After some repositioning, Dream found himself on top with Gargano's arm trapped. However, Gargano attacked his leg, bringing him in with a hammerlock. Sending him overhead, Dream landed a handstand and slapped the taste out of Gargano's mouth. Gargano retreated to the outside while Dream taunted him inside the ring.
Gargano tried to bring Dream in for a lock up again, but the challenger was having none of it, bringing him in for a headlock. Gargano struggled to shake off Dream, but after a few shots to the gut, sent him into the ropes. Dream caught him with another stiff slap, then brought him down with a top rope ax handle followed by a standing dropkick.
Dream went up for another top rope maneuver, but Gargano pulled his legs out from under him, sending him head first to the mat. A snapmare and dropkick left Dream dazed, but he kicked out at two. Gargano delivered a few right hands, then brought him into the corner for a series of shoulder thrusts. A pair of knife edge chops left Dream gasping.
Gargano brought Dream down with a hangman's neckbreaker. Dream kicked out, though was clearly suffering from the effects of Gargano's assault. Gargano held him by the arm and brushed his face with his boot repeatedly. He then brought both arms back, torturing Dream before turning him over for a pin. Dream kicked out and Gargano went right back to his shoulders.
Gargano wrapped Dream up in the ropes, trying to tear his shoulders out of place. In the corner, Dream avoided a chop, getting a few shots in himself before Gargano sent him across the ring, forcing him to tumble to the outside. Gargano brought Dream to the barricade, where he chopped him in front of fans holding Johnny Champion signs. Back inside, Dream tried to fight back with a few hands to the gut.
Gargano maintained control, catching him with a left-hand punch and locking him in an abdominal stretch. Dream fought out and pelted Gargano with a pair of right hands, then planted Gargano firmly in the middle of the ring with a spinebuster. They traded strikes as they made it back to their feet. Dream Stunned Gargano with a running boot followed by a clothesline sending the champion over the ropes. Another top rope ax handle took Gargano down.
Back inside the ring, Gargano avoided the Twisting DDT. Velveteen Dream escaped two schoolboy enziguris, driving Gargano face first to the mat with a Fameasser. Gargano kicked out. Dream brought Gargano up top, looking for an Avalanche Dream Valley Driver. Gargano escaped and kicked Dream in the leg, bringing him down from the middle rope with a spinning flatliner.
Surprisingly, Dream managed to kick out. They would both crash into each other, with Dream getting to his feet first. Out on the apron, a superkick from Gargano stunned the challenger. Gargano went for the slingshot DDT, but another strong right hand left Gargano nearly out cold. Gargano escaped the DVD and connected with a suicide dive. Back inside, Dream countered the slingshot spear with a knee.
Dream finally connected with the Twisting DDT. Gargano kicked out and avoided the Purple Rainmaker. Another superkick nearly put Dream away, but he kicked out. Gargano went up top and fought Dream off with a few headbutts. Dream countered with yet another right hand to the jaw, picking Gargano up for the DVD from the top rope. Gargano fought out with a series of elbows, but Dream brought him back in for it, driving him all the way down to the mat.
Dream went up top for another Purple Rainmaker. Gargano rolled out, and as Dream dove to the outside, Gargano stunned him with a superkick followed by a snap suplex to the ramp. Gargano brought him back in and dropped him on his head with the slingshot DDT. Dream kicked out.
Gargano brought Dream up and delivered two clotheslines. Running off the ropes, a superkick stunned Gargano, but he rebounded for a spinning lariat. Gargano connected with a superkick but was planted with two Dream Valley Drivers. A Purple Rainmaker would end Johnny Gargano's short reign.
Results: Velveteen Dream defeated Johnny Gargano via pinfall for the NXT North American Championship.
Ciampa looked on from the rafters of Full Sail Arena, disappointed in him for not being able to overcome the Vainglorious One.
