The War Raiders were cheated out of the NXT Tag Team Championships, but now they’re out for revenge! Can Hanson & Rowe take down Bobby Fish & Adam Cole?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Nikki Cross VS Mercedes Martinez; Cross wins.
• The Street Profits VS The Mighty; The Street Profits win.
• Matt Riddle VS Luke Menzies; Riddle wins.
• Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch VS Raul Mendoza & Humberto Carillo; Lorcan & Burch win.
• The War Raiders VS Bobby Fish & Adam Cole; No Contest.

PLAY BY PLAY

We now know who attacked Aleister Black before NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.

There were so many suspects, and General Manager William Regal interviewed everyone present that night. Tommaso Ciampa, Lars Sullivan and the Undisputed Era were obvious choices, but none of them were guilty. Many thought they knew, but Nikki Cross knew who did it all along. She didn’t tell anyone until the Dutch Destroyer returned himself. He demanded to know, so she told her dark secret. And Aleister was furious. The Embodiment of the End would tear his way through security and demand from Regal to know where “he” was. And with a shocking Superkick, we all learned that it was JOHNNY GARGANO!

Nikki Cross VS Mercedes Martinez!

The Twisted Sister let the cat out of the bag, but Johnny Wrestling isn’t her problem. Crazy Cross wants the NXT Women’s Championship, but she’ll have to keep fighting her way up the ranks. And now, one of the fan favorites from the Mae Young Classic fully joins the Women’s Division in Mean Ms. Martinez! Will Mercedes shake everything up now that she’s in Full Sail?

The bell rings and fans are fired up for Mercedes. Nikki approaches and fans duel. They tie up and Mercedes gets the leg takedown. She turns Nikki over but Nikki gets away, and both have a big grin. They tie up again, and Mercedes gets wrist control. She gives Nikki a shoulder breaker and a hammerlock. Nikki spins around to get out and then get the fireman’s carry takedown. She thrashes Mercedes around while putting on an armlock. Mercedes rolls but Nikki wrenches more. Fans rally and Mercedes reverses, picks Nikki up and throws Nikki over head! Mercedes keeps on Nikki with a facelock, but Nikki moves around. They stand up, Mercedes switches to a waistlock but Nikki standing switches. Nikki jumps aboard for a sleeper hold!

Mercedes backs her down into buckles and is free. She runs back in but into boots. Nikki hops up but Mercedes yanks her down! Mercedes looms over Nikki as she stomps away. She grabs a leg for her mounted elbow grind, and then the facelock guillotine! Nikki is stuck but fans rally up for her. She pries a hand free and clubs Mercedes, but Mercedes clubs back. Mercedes rocks Nikki with a right, then waits for her to stand. Nikki slowly gets up, Mercedes runs in but gets forearms. Nikki counter punches more and then starts to rally. Mercedes gets to a corner, Nikki runs in for a splash and bulldog! Nikki climbs up top, leaps and hits a crossbody! Cover, TWO!! Nikki was close but Mercedes survives.

Nikki grins despite the bloody nose, and she drags Mercedes up. She has the facelock and the fisherman, but Mercedes resists. Mercedes shoves, and then hits Nikki with a spinebuster! Both women are down but fans fire up. Nikki gets up and crawls over to Mercedes. She has handfuls of hair, but Mercedes gets Nikki with a back suplex! Then another! Mercedes keeps going, and gives Nikki a German Suplex! Nikki is dazed and Mercedes takes aim, running knee! Mercedes gets her fisherman, lifts, but Nikki fights out. Nikki hits a cross-arm neckbreaker! Nikki slaps herself to fire up. Fans rally up on their own, and Nikki gives Mercedes a jawbreaker to DDT! To the Purge! Cover, Nikki wins!

Winner: Nikki Cross, by pinfall

The Loony Lass had quite the fight on her hands but she makes it a win. But the madness doesn’t go away, and she stares Mercedes down. But she grins, and says that was fun. Nikki continues on in her journey for another shot at the title, will she get it sooner rather than later?

But wait! Here comes Candice LeRae! Gargano may not be Nikki’s problem, but his wife might be. Mrs. Wrestling tries to talk to Nikki, but Nikki just laughs. Candice is upset with Nikki for messing with other people’s lives, but Nikki won’t stop laughing. But then Aleister Black appears! Nikki doesn’t laugh as the Dutch Destroyer walks on stage. She takes another exit route, but Aleister isn’t after her. He glares at Candice! He walks to the ring and stares her down. Candice doesn’t back down, she gets right up in front of him. Aleister asks where Johnny is, but she won’t answer. He lets her know before leaving, that Johnny’s future is gone. Does that mean the next time Gargano shows his face, Aleister will make sure he will #FadetoBlack permanently?

The Street Profits VS The Mighty!

It was one thing for Shane Thorne & Nick Miller to cheat in order to win. It was one thing when they stole Montez Ford’s black solo cup and both Profits’ chains. But it was another when they took advantage and jammed Ford’s leg between steel steps and post! Now Ford & Angelo Dawkins are back to finally get back at Thorne & Miller. Will the score be settled tonight? Or will The Mighty again stoop to new lows?

The bell rings and Dawkins starts again Thorne. Dawkins shows punch, Thorne scrambles to ropes. Thorne tells the ref to bring Dawkins back, and he does. Thorne talks strategy with Miller, then tries a sucker kick. Dawkins blocks that and throws punches. Ford spooks Thorne and Dawkins is on him with body shots! The ref backs Dawkins off and Thorne has an opening to boot Dawkins. Thorne runs out but into Dawkins’ shoulder. Miller runs in but into a shoulder from Dawkins, too. Dawkins goes after Thorne but Thorne yanks him into buckles. Thorne brings Dawkins over and tags in Miller. Miller keeps Dawkins in the corner for chops and punches. He throws Dawkins to ropes but Dawkins comes back for a whip and flapjack! Tag to Ford, and the Profits mug Miller.

Thorne runs in but into Ford’s dropkick. Ford throws hands and kicks, then runs to flip over both Mighty, to dropkick them both down! Ford kips up and fans fire up. Dawkins helps out and the Profits double clothesline The Mighty out. Ford keeps moving, and he FLIES onto both of them! Fans fire up with Ford as he puts Miller in the ring. Thorne grabs a leg but Ford kicks him away. Ford slingshots in, but into Miller’s spinebuster! Cover, TWO! Miller kicks Ford while he’s down, then throws forearms. Miller puts Ford in a corner but Ford fights back, only for Miller to rock him with an elbow. Ford ends up in the Mighty’s corner, and Thorne tags in. The Mighty double Russian leg sweep Ford, then kick and clothesline him down. Thorne covers, TWO! Thorne keeps on Ford but fans rally up.

Ford gets to ropes but Thorne kicks and chops him on the back. Thorne toys with Ford, then stomps him more. He drives in forearms, then goes back to toying with Ford. Ford crawls but into the Mighty’s corner. He fights out, throwing hands and knees, but spins into a suplex, Falcon Arrow! Cover, TWO! The Mighty grow frustrated, but Thorne takes it out on Ford’s face with the neck wrench, then chinlock. Fans rally up and Ford feeds off the energy. Ford pries his way out of the hold but Thorne shoves him back. Ford elbows Miller away, but runs into Thorne’s takedown. Figure four jackknife cover, TWO! Thorne hits Dawkins for good measure before booting Ford down. Thorne suplexes but Ford slips out. Ford leaps over Thorne, hot tag to Dawkins!

Dawkins rallies on both Mighty, even hitting a dropkick on Miller. He fires off fast hands on Thorne, then dodges to send Miller into Thorne. Miller gets a hotshot and a bulldog! Dawkins dodges Thorne to scoop slam him fast! Fans fire up with the #CurseofGreatness and that killer right! Cover, Miller breaks it. Dawkins throws Miller out, then brings Thorne up. Spinning splash and tag to Ford. Thorne huricanrana and Miller anchors Ford. Thorne rocks Ford. then Miller helps Thorne get up. The Mighty work together to do a Tower of Doom Superplex on Ford!! Miller drags Thorne onto Ford, but Dawkins breaks the cover!

Dawkins goes after Miller, gets a back elbow but gives a spinebuster! Thorne clobbers Dawkins in the back, then dumps Ford onto the apron. He chops Ford, then goes to suplex him in, but Ford knees him back. Springboard frog splash!! Cover, Street Profits win!!

Winners: Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford, Ford pinning

They get the W, but more importantly, they get their cup and chains back! The Profits finally put The Mighty behind them, can they move forward towards the tag team championships?

Backstage interview with William Regal.

The NXT GM has a lot on his plate, but what is the word on TakeOver: WarGames II? Regal has some announcements. First, Tommaso Ciampa will defend the NXT Championship against Velveteen Dream. But Aleister Black interrupts, again asking where “he” is, aka Johnny Gargano. Regal told Gargano to stay home, but Aleister will get his revenge. At WarGames II, it will be Black VS Gargano in a grudge match. But Aleister tells Regal now that Gargano’s future will #FadeToBlack. More of the WarGames II card is set, but what of the rest? Will Ciampa deny Dream the spotlight? Will Johnny Wrestling survive the Embodiment of the End?

Lars Sullivan is on a rampage!

The Leviathan is throwing around anything that isn’t bolted down, but why? The NXT Championship should be his, not Dream’s! But if Dream is in his way, then he’ll just rip him apart and take his place! Clearly Regal didn’t realize his announcement would raise the ire of NXT’s resident monster. Will Sullivan be stopped from destroying the Dream?

Matt Riddle VS Luke Menzies!

The King of Bros officially arrives in Full Sail! Will he be as big of a smash hit as he is everywhere else?

Fans already chant “Bro! Bro!” for Riddle as he makes his way to the ring. Riddle fist-bumps every fan he can before entering the ring. He kicks off the flip flops and is ready to go, bro. Fans sing “Bro~ bro-o-o-ohh~ oh!” The bell rings, Menzies runs into Riddle’s single leg. They end up on the ropes, Riddle lets Menzies go. Riddle lunges back in but Menzies sprawls to counter. Menzies and Riddle tie up and grind shoulders. They grind the other shoulders in a test of strength, then foreheads. Riddles turns Menzies around but Menzies throws him. Riddle lands on his feet, then reels Menzies in for a monkey flip cradle, into an armbar! Menzies scrambles to make it a cover, TWO as Riddle lets Menzies go.

Fans chant “BRO! BRO!” more as Riddle and Menzies circle again. Riddle shakse Menzies’ hand but Menzies reels him in for a headlock! Riddle powers out but Menzies runs him over. Menzies runs again and things speed up. Riddle roundhouses Menzies to a corner! He gives more “Bro” Kicks, then runs in for a big forearm! Then for another, but Menzies dodges. Menzies gets the arms, headbutts and throws Riddle overhead! Cover, TWO! Menzies keeps on Riddle with stomps, but fans rally up for Riddle. Menzies throws hands and European Uppercuts, then clubbing forearms. He puts Riddle in a chinlock but fans rally.

Riddle feeds off the bro power and fires off strikes. He spins around to Pele Menzies then kip up. Menzies dodges the Penalty Kick, the moonsault, but not the Bro-ton! Or the second penalty kick! Riddle fires up and waits for Menzies to stand, for the Bro Trigger! And then, with elbows to the shoulders and neck, Riddle puts Menzies in the Bro-mission! Menzies taps, Riddle wins!

Winner: Matt Riddle, by submission

Bro! Riddle rocks it right from day one, will he find himself challenging for a title sooner rather than later?

NXT shares exclusive backstage interview footage after WWE Evolution.

The Queen of Spades took back the NXT Women’s Championship from Kairi Sane, but not without some help from her friends. Shayna Baszler evened the score, because as she’s said all along, Kairi didn’t win so much as Shayna lost. But Kairi comes screaming over despite barely being conscious. Shayna says the belt is hers now. Kairi still had fight in her body, but she’ll have to wait for yet another rematch for revenge. When and where will we see Shayna VS Kairi 5?!

Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch VS Raul Mendoza & Humberto Carillo!

The One-Two Combination is back! The Boston & British Brawlers return at 100% capacity, ready to take on the world! Will they get their momentum built back up? Or will this new alliance of Mendoza y Carillo be a speed-bump on the road to redemption?

The bell rings and Burch starts against Mendoza. They shake hands to show respect then tie up quick. Burch gets the wristlock, but Mendoza uses ropes to go acrobatic. Mendoza whips but Burch reverses. Mendoza goes up and over, and things speed up. Burch gets Mendoza but Mendoza slips out to come back with a headscissor. Mendoza tags in Carillo then wrenches Burch’s arm. Carillo jumps up for an ax handle to the arm. Carillo wrenches but Burch chops! Burch throws EuroUppers then tags in Lorcan. The brawlers double chop Carillo, then Burch tags back in. Burch wrenches and pulls the arm, then tags to Lorcan. They double wristlock but Carillo flips to double arm-drag! Carillo throws Burch out then acrobatically arm-drags Lorcan out!

Mendoza comes in, they both build speed, double DIVES! Lorcan and Burch are down, but Carillo puts in Lorcan. He dumps Lorcan down, then hops up, BIG moonsault gets boots! Lorcan snarls and runs in at Carillo for a big EuroUpper. Tag to Burch, he gives a stiff enziguri. Together they suplex Carillo. Carillo slips out to tag Mendoza! Mendoza rallies, chops, whips but Burch reverses. Mendoza silps out and kicks both brawlers back to then hit them both with the missile dropkick! Fans fire up with Mendoza as he runs it and hits Burch with an enziguri. He runs again, but into a hip toss into buckles! Lorcan tags in and he blasts Carillo! The Brawlers are fired up, they work together on Mendoza for the draping spike! Cover, Lorcan & Burch win!

Winners: Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan, Lorcan pinning

The One-Two again gets the one-two-three, and look as good as they’ve ever been. Can they punch their ticket to a title match in the near future?

The Undisputed Era speak.

Roderick Strong feels great, they’re on top of the world! Bobby Fish is back, the War Raiders aren’t anything. Fish doesn’t need to prepare, he was born ready. Adam Cole is born ready, and is also feeling great because the team’s at 100%. But wait, the War Raiders find them backstage! And the fight is on!!

Rowe rocks reDRagon while Hanson throws Roddy and Cole around. The war has come early and it storms up backstage. Cole and Fish fight back but get knocked around more. This battle spills out into the plaza square, and the Raiders use Cole as a long dart to hit the side of a truck! Fish gets a forearm, then bowled into the table and chairs! O’Reilly & Strong return, but they get much of the same. Strong uses a trash can and Cole uses the lid. Now numbers take over as the Undisputed Era beat up and beat down the War Raiders. But here comes RICOCHET! He flies in and wipes out the Undisputed, then singles out Adam Cole. Cole wants at him and the North American title, so Ricochet gives him some of that. They leave the others behind, and now the Raiders turn things back around on Strong & reDRagon.

Cole throws Ricochet into railing, Fish smacks Hanson with a lid. The Undisputed Era try to get away inside the building, but Hanson throws reDRagon into a garage door. Rowe bounces Strong around backstage, and now they end up in the arena! Fans duel as the brawl moves closer to the ring. Rowe hip tosses Strong over the barriers!! Ricochet and Cole find their way inside the arena, too and now things move into the ring. It’s still 3v4 but Fish gets a chair! Fish smacks Hanson in the leg, Strong and Cole rock Hanson and Ricochet! Numbers again prevail, but here comes PETE DUNNE!! The Bruiserweight has had his issues with the Undisputed Era, and he uses a chair to SMASH Cole’s hand! Then SMACK O’Reilly out of the air! Ricochet rocks Strong, Rowe body slams Fish! Ricochet clotheslines Strong out, but Regal appears.

“This is NOT how this fight is gonna happen!” If these eight want to destroy each other, then do it in… WARGAMES!! Yes, the second year in a row, the Undisputed Era find themselves being plunged into the sinister steel structure. They may have found a way to survive last year, but will they be left for dead in Los Angeles?

My Thoughts:

A pretty fiery episode here. Cross VS Mercedes was great, and Mercedes looks strong even in losing. I really enjoy the tying of stories together here, as Candice apparently doesn’t believe Nikki’s accusations. Aleister still wants after Gargano, and will get him at WarGames II, but that moment with Candice really raised some anticipation. I wonder if NXT would have a Mixed Tag of Mr. & Mrs. Wrestling VS Aleister & Cross, to then give us a crazy moment of Candice fighting Aleister. Also interesting to hear it’s just Ciampa VS Dream right now, but I bet that changes if Sullivan wins and/or comes close to destroying Dream. It’s far from my idea of a Fatal 5 but getting a triple threat is still good enough.

Riddle VS Menzies was pretty great. It helped both guys look strong, much like Keith Lee’s matches where even the loser looked good. Obviously Riddle wins, and there’s still time to set up things between him and Kassius Ohno. That match has to happen at TakeOver, or at least the “post” TakeOver episode. It’s great the Street Profits win a somewhat blow-off between them and The Mighty, and that Lorcan-Burch VS Mendoza-Carillo was fast and furious. But clearly the NXT Tag Team midcard still has to wait while the tag titles are tied up in a bigger story. WarGames II is going to be great though it’s only 4v4. Ricochet joining in makes sense, but I really thought EC3 was going to be in this, just like the fans. Kayfabe he might be “too hurt” to fight tonight but he could still be an x-factor at TakeOver.

My Score: 8.5/10