[upbeat music]
[music ends abruptly]
[calm music]
♪ My love, NXT ♪
♪ I picked this flower with you in mind ♪
♪ This is for you and I ♪
♪ This ain't no puppy love ♪
♪ This is the truest kind Rather see black and yellow ♪
♪ Than look at the bluest sky ♪
♪ I watch every Wednesday night To see how you do it live ♪
♪ And truthfully I swear, When I think of Raquel and Dakota Kai ♪
♪ Versus Ember and Blackheart I've always known it's time ♪
♪ For the women of NXT To truly step in and shine ♪
♪ Now that's classy. Something Dusty could imagine ♪
♪ First sight, I'll let you Just take over my love ♪
♪ From the first night, I knew what it was ♪
♪ And I usually don't kiss and tell ♪
♪ But your lips are a kiss from above ♪
♪ I keep running back 'Cause I can't get enough ♪
♪ Love, I am your prince charming ♪
♪ Promise that your heart Will never bruise ♪
♪ From the top while blindfolded, You're still in my perfect view ♪
♪ We can ride in my Mercedes Through the night, early morn' ♪
♪ 'Cause I'll do anything to prove That I can weather your Storm ♪
♪ Yeah, I am a must see kid, I know your preference ♪
♪ I got the confidence Of both the young veterans ♪
♪ I know you used to have A little thing with Angel Garza ♪
♪ But I approach you with bigger plans And I'll take you further ♪
♪ I don't need no one else's way ♪
♪ I'll be taking my time ♪
♪ I don't need no more room to think ♪
♪ 'Cause I made up my mind ♪
♪ Leaving this flower in the ring ♪
♪ And hoping that you're gonna be mine ♪
♪ On February 14th I'll be easy to find ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ And I'll be seeing you live ♪
♪ J will ♪
♪ Wrestle, flow, flow, flow, yeah ♪
[music ends]
[male voice with deep voice] And now, WWE Network presents
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance day.
[Creepy vocals]
[male commentator] It's our Valentine's day alternative.
Three championship matches
and history is guaranteed to be made.
Welcome to NXT TakeOver:
Vengeance day.
I'm Vic Joseph, alongside a hall of famer,
Beth Phoenix,
and someone you will never consider too big, Wade Barrett.
But in all seriousness, Wade,
what are you excited for here tonight?
Oh, come on, Vic.
It is impossible to choose.
Here is why, five matches
all with massive consequences,
be it Dusty cup finals,
championships on the line.
one thing is for sure,
careers will be permanently altered tonight.
Let's get things started.
History going to be made here
tonight at NXT TakeOver:
Vengeance day.
[crowd cheering]
[heavy music]
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[male commentator] The following is the finals
of the women's Dusty Rhodes tag team classic.
Introducing first,
the team of Dakota Kai
and Raquel González.
[Vic] Well, go ahead, Wade.
This has been your pick
from the very beginning.
[Wade] Absolutely right.
Huge fan of these two.
Individually, both championship caliber
in my estimation.
Join them together, they are the most dominant force
in the women's division here in NXT,
and soon to be the Dusty cup champions.
[Vic] Well, the first-ever winners
of the Women's Dusty Cup, not to mention
also a guaranteed WWE women's tag team title match
in their future.
And the champions are watching,
Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler are both tweeting,
doesn't matter who wins, they're ready.
[heavy music]
[Beth Phoenix] And the opponents,
the team of of Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Well, Beth, you can take a look
at Blackheart and Moon.
Certainly intimidating, to say the least.
But how do you really topple--
[sound of projectile being fired] Woah
Oh, jeez.
[Blackheart and Moon yelling] How do you topple González and Kai?
[Beth] Well, first of all, forger about the chocolate and flowers.
Blackheart and Moon, I mean,
more like a My Bloody Valentine vibe
coming into this in here.
[Wade] My bloody Valentine? The band?
I used to love that.
They didn't dress like that.
[Beth] The movie, Wade.
But, you know, you can check that one out later.
But toppling Dakota Kai
and Raquel González will be no easy task.
I'm glad Moon and Blackheart
are bringing their A game.
If they're gonna have a chance at all,
they're gonna have to isolate González,
[cheering a loud music continues] take her out of the picture
and then strike fast and strike hard
to get Dakota Kai down and out.
[Vic] What a way to kick-off NXT TakeOver: Vengeance day.
And wherever you are in the world,
remember this moment.
Because, Beth, you think of July 2013,
Paige becoming the first ever NXT Women's Champion,
Bayley, Sasha Banks, the first women
to main event a takeover at TakeOver: Respect.
[bell rings] Even Rhea Ripley, last year
representing NXT, defending an NXT championship in WrestleMania.
-[crowd] NXT, NXT! -[Vic] The first superstar to do so.
We are going to witness history right now.
[crowd cheering "NXT, NXT"]
[Beth] Well, I come from a generation where we wanted
more time and more opportunities-- [sound of fighter hitting the floor]
-[Vic] Wow! -[Beth] To show we can do the same things
that the male superstars were doing.
#GiveDivasAChance becoming a trending topic.
The WWE universe demanding it.
[screams from the fighters] And NXT has finally given women
an equitable platform.
[fighter hitting the floor] Women are a must-see spectacle
-just as much as the men. -[Vic] Wow.
[crowd shouting] [Beth] And we have the universe
to thank for it.
[Vic] Speaking of the universe, they're trying to rally
Blackheart and Moon early on this matchup.
But, Beth, you talked
about isolating Raquel González.
She singlehandedly is showcasing
her power upfront.
[Beth] Yeah. Unfortunately,
that might be a two-on-one job as González is able
to fend off the offense thus far.
You see the powerful--I mean,
staying on her feet
even while Ember Moon has her-- [fighter hits the floor]
[Vic] Woah...
[Beth] … clutched in that octopus.
[Vic] What a sidewalk slam from González.
And, well, Blackheart tagging herself back in. And--
[fighter yelling] I'll take on both of you.
Come here. [crowd clapping]
[Vick] Wade, González has been in control.
-[fighter grunts] -[Wade] Moon and Blackheart
everything but the kitchen sink.
González early on, a smart strategy.
You need to take the big powerhouse out as early as you can,
[fighters screaming] if you're gonna be successful.
But, oh, this isn't working.
[Vic] Yeah, the strength on display.
Blackheart trying to run some interference.
[fighters grunting] Goes up, goes over.
Just trying to take González down.
[Vic] Look how strong again González is.
Into a pin and got a one.
[Wade] Everything you throw at this woman
just backfires.
That is the power of Raquel González.
[González] You think you're gonna get one on me, huh?
You think you're gonna get one on me?
[Vic] González again talking trash.
[fighter grunting] And now burying her shoulder
into the stomach of Shotzi Blackheart.
-[referee talking indistinctly] -[fighter] Stop.
[Beth] You gotta like the strategy
-early on from González and Kai. -[fighter grunts]
Devastating out of the gate.
[Vic] The speed, power, agility.
Wade, you've talked about González and Kai,
the favorites from the start. Tag made.
-[people clapping] -[Wade] Absolutely.
And here's Kai, one of my absolute favorites.
[fighters groaning] Beautiful pump kick there--
-[Crowd] Oh! -The side of the face of Shotzi.
This could do it.
[Vic] Hook of the leg, and a kick-out.
One second away
from crowning themselves the first-ever
Women's Dusty Cup winners.
[Wade] The question is how does Shotzi Blackheart
weather the storm
when the storm will never end?
[female voice] - Get her!
[Vic] Speaking of that, charging right in, nobody there.
Blackheart might have heard you, Barrett!
Shotzi trying to answer back quickly now.
Gain a little momentum for her team.
Catches Kai.
-And now hooking up Kai. -[Referee] Out. One.
[Vic] We always talk about the innovative unique offense
of Shotzi Blackheart.
Looking for almost a-- [fighter screams]
[Beth] Texas Cloverleaf there, Vic. [Vic] Yeah, Cloverleaf.
Kai so close to the bottom rope.
Is Dakota Kai gonna submit?
Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon--
And Kai gets to the bottom rope.
[Beth] Excellent ring awareness
out of the gate from Dakota Kai,
knowing exactly where to go.
[Wade] Before the hold was fully--
Oh, wait a second.
[Vic] Well, tag was made.
Blackheart throwing her body [fighter grunts]
on the line, but Ember Moon
is a superstar who's legal.
Big knee lift.
Moon up and over with a splash.
Into the cover for the win,
hook of the leg, and Kai kicking out at two.
[Wade] Well, Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart
finally building a little momentum
in this one as we see this slingshot press here--
-[Vic] Boom. -[Wade] …From the outside
onto the cover with Kai. [sound of referee smacking the floor]
[Beth] And to add to that, Wade,
a critical moment for Moon and Blackheart
keeping Raquel González-- [Vic] Whoa
[Beth] …out of the ring and focusing on Dakota Kai.
[Vic] Ember Moon said she came back
to NXT to make history.
Is tonight the night
that Moon does that?
As Moon and Blackheart now
isolated Dakota Kai, Beth, to your point.
[Vic] Yeah. And doing a good job here.
You see them going straight through the knee.
We know Dakota Kai has a history
of knee injuries
-and a surgically repaired ACL. -[crowd] Oh!
[Vic] Dakota Kai trying to run through.
Blackheart, nice counter,
and into a single leg crab.
Again continuing to focus
on the knee, the small of the back. [Kai screams]
You can hear Kai screaming in pain,
trying to reach out to Raquel González.
[Kai keeps screaming]
Nowhere for Dakota Kai to go.
[Wade] Pain and agony. Also realizes her--
…her opportunity to win the Dusty cup
-could be slipping away from her. -[Vic] Tag.
And, again, a smart strategy here.
Moon and Shotzi Blackheart
keeping Dakota Kai far away
from her tag team partner.
-Oh! -[Beth] Nice teamwork for Moon and Kai.
And the onslaught continues
back on that injured knee.
[Vic] Now focusing on the knees,
Ember Moon of that innovative offense.
And let's not forget, Ember Moon
[screams of pain] was targeted by Dakota Kai upon returning.
[Beth] What a lot of blood-- bad blood here
between these two young ladies.
We see-- Oh, so close there to the tag.
Moon struggling to hang on to that ankle.
[Vic] Well, heads up by Ember Moon,
relinquishing the hold slightly
[screams of pain] to drag Dakota Kai back across the ring.
[Moon] Break it.
Come on.
[Vic] And obviously, the strategy, Wade,
to keep Raquel out of the match.
[Wade] Yeah. I think clear
from that beginning of the match,
where Raquel was so dominant
in the early goings.
If that wasn't the strategy from Moon,
and Blackheart coming in,
it certainly is now.
[Vic] Again, Dakota Kai reaching out so close.
Raquel González stretching out her fingertips away at Moon.
And Moon ripping Kai right back. And the pain has to be
excruciating right now in Dakota Kai.
She has been in this leg hold,
in this almost heel hook for a very long time.
[Wade] Yeah, but do not underestimate
the remarkable
ability of Dakota Kai to absorb punishment
for such a sly individual. [fighters yelling]
We saw her at WarGames.
She got absolutely battered
-in that matchup. -[Vic] Well, it's actually Kai
who was injured by Moon in WarGames.
And now it's Kai trying to kick her way free.
Moon trying to hold on.
Kai starting to crawl.
Again, Ember Moon able
to pull Dakota Kai away.
And at what point, Beth,
is Kai's body just gonna give out?
[Beth] Well, I mean, Kai, we've seen
her in the past.
-One of the most resilient-- -[Vic] Tag.
[Beth] …Female superstars on the roster--
[Vic] Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I believe Shotzi Blackheart
made the tag.
The referee, though,
distracted by Raquel González.
[Beth] Oh, a little bit of confusion here.
And Raquel González has seen that opening.
And Moon wasting time.
[Wade] Brains as well as brawn.
Referee didn't see a thing.
[Vic] It would have been a legal tag.
Ember Moon, though, arguing with the official.
Finally realizing-- [fighters grunting]
Oh, right to the forearm of González.
And Ember Moon pulling away Dakota Kai.
[Referee] Get in the corner. Touch the tag rope.
[Vic] Moon and Blackheart have
to keep their eye on the ball.
[Beth] Beautiful DDT to the leg once again.
I mean, they have remained focused
on that leg of Dakota Kai, working toward a tackled Victory.
[Vic] Well, again Ember Moon wanting to make history.
Wanting to put her name
along with Shotzi Blackheart [fighters shouting]
on the Women's Dusty Cup, earning a WWE.
Women's tag team title match
as well.
[Wade] Well, here's your chance, Dakota Kai.
Get that tag. There we go.
[Vic] Here's the tag made.
In comes Raquel González. [crowd booing]
And González, who dominated
early on, picking up
right where she left off
with a series of battering ram-like clotheslines.
[Beth] And here comes the game changer. [fighter hitting the floor]
[Vic] Ooh.
[Wade] And the game changer is fresh as a Daisy.
[Vic] González called out the champions--
[fighter talking indistinctly]
[male voice] Come on, Raquel.
-Get her out of there. Come on. -[Referee] One.
[crowd booing]
Two.
[Vic] Before the matchup. And now González called out Moon
and Blackheart. You can feel the rage coming off
of González in this match.
[Wade] Exploding with velocity.
Nobody is safe.
Not even us.
[Vic] Raquel González singlehandedly [crowd booing]
has dominated every match she has been in since WarGames,
including the semifinal matchup
against Kacy and Kayden.
And Raquel González,
with Dakota Kai being worn down
in this matchup, picking up the pieces.
[Beth] A powerful throw,
that fallaway slam.
-[Vic] Again! -[Beth] And Ember Moon, again,
effortlessly-- González isn't even breathing heavy, guys.
[Vic] Well, González doesn't care
who she gets her hands on.
[Wade] I love watching this woman
cause chaos and destruction.
I'm sure it doesn't feel so good
for Shotzi Blackheart right now, though.
[Beth] Wow. One more for the team of Moon.
[Vic] Finally now into the cover,
a hook now on Moon.
Moon able to kick out at one.
[crowd cheering]
González looks like she's
just having fun right now.
[Wade] She's gonna beat them on her own.
[Beth] Surveying the scene
and the damage.
A little bit of strategy here.
-[Vic] Tag. -[Beth] The rapport
over a year of tag team together.
-[indistinct male voice speaking] -[Vic] No doubt the longest tenured team
in this Women's Dusty Cup classic.
Flying clothesline.
Kai wiping out Moon.
To win the Women's Dusty Cup.
And Blackheart breaks it up with a senton.
Unfortunate for Kai, Ember
Moon landed so close to the
corner of Shotzi Blackheart,
able to break that one up.
But, again, backfiring perhaps
for Shotzi.
What do you think you're doing?
What are you doing, huh? Come on.
Let's go. Well, that might shut up
González.
A little bit of leverage
there from Blackheart, and now
she's got the advantage.
Both of you get in the corner now.
Let's go.
Oh, my god. The power.
Oh, no.
Blackheart's in trouble. Destroying the Capitol
wrestling center is the powerhouse Raquel González.
Using Shotzi Blackheart as a
missile.
You can just hear the body of
Shotzi Blackheart here.
This powerful--listen to this.
The sound of flesh and bones
against that barricade.
Bass was turned up to eleven on that one.
Oh.
Well, what a dropkick by Moon.
González is legal, I believe,
and she's now on the floor.
Moon, I don't believe, realizes
brutally what superstars of the
power slam.
Forearms now by Ember Moon.
And Ember Moon might be realizing,
desperation might be sinking in.
She's gotta unload the gas tank
right now. [crowd applauds]
[Beth] All four of these women
battling to be a part of history. [Vic] Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[countdown from audience] - One, two… [Vic] - Cover to win the Dusty Cup,
and Moon kicks out at two.
[Wade] Let me tell you, these four women
are dropping that heavy artillery. We can see.
We're so close to the action
like never before.
[crowd chanting]
[Vic] NXT universe here inside
the Capitol Wrestling Center.
Those--we are on the verge
of making history.
Moon creating a little bit of separation.
[fighter groans]
[Beth] But unable to follow up, though.
[Beth] It's gonna take more than that-- [Vic] Tag.
[Beth] …to put a ding on Raquel González.
[Vic] Dakota Kai coming back into the ring.
But again you can see Dakota Kai
feeling the effects
of the early onslaught from Moon
and Blackheart in this matchup. [fighter screams when she attacks]
Blocking out the pain. [crowd clapping]
[Beth] A great deal of Dakota Kai's offense
involves her kicks.
[Vic] Cover, hook on the leg,
and Moon again able to get her right shoulder up
just in time at two.
How close is Dakota Kai
and Raquel González
from becoming the winners?
Where's Shotzi Blackheart at?
[Beth] Shotzi Blackheart is still
suffering the effects from getting slammed
[roar of fighter charging opponent] into the barricade.
[Many voices at once] Oh!
-Talking about feeling the effects, Beth. -[roar of fighter charging opponent]
[Vic] González back in.
Into the top turnbuckle.
[Beth] You see the freight train of fury.
[fighter grunts] [Vic] Oh.
[Wade] A bit of malfunction at the junction here
for Kai and González.
And here is Ember Moon to capitalize.
[thud from fighters hitting the floor] [Vic] Oh, two for one.
Moon is getting it done.
Moon now to her corner.
[Wade] Oh, this has to be it, the eclipse.
[Vic] Looking down on Raquel González.
González in her sights.
[several voices] Eclipse!
[Vic] It connects.
[screams of pain]
Flush on the jaw.
-[Vic] Into the cover. -[Referee] Get out of here!
[Vic] Dakota Kai--
[Referee] You gotta wait for the tag. Let's go.
-[Indistinct response from fither] -[Referee] Get out of here!
You know the rules. Get out of here.
[Vic] Kai running interference.
The referee doing what he needs to do, his job.
Finally, Moon getting the referee's attention
[crowd counting] One, two… [Vic] Cover,
and González kicks out.
[Wade] Just brilliance from Dakota Kai.
She knew her opportunity
to win the first Women's Dusty Cup [fighter screams]
was about to--Oh, wait. Oh.
[Vic] Oh, again, Ember Moon
and Dakota Kai, no love lost.
[Beth] You call it brilliance. I call it pure foolery.
[Vic] Wait a minute. González hoisting up--
Shotzi Blackheart, missile dropkick.
[fighter screams] Moon fell onto the cover,
hook of the leg. [sound of referee smacking the floor]
And is three.
And González again.
Boom, short scissor kick.
[Beth] Moon unable
to get leverage earlier.
[Vic] Cover again, middle of the ring.
Not enough.
-González one more time. -[Wade] What on earth does it take to
keep Raquel González down?
[Vic] What a way to start things off.
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance day.
González though presence of mind to make the tag, as did Ember Moon.
[Beth] Dakota Kai
-the fresher of the two currently… -[crowd cheering]
…but not for long.
[Vic] I wonder…
if Kai is at 100%.
Arm drag by Shotzi Blackheart.
-Blackheart can realize… -[woman screaming]
…and Beth, Blackheart… Playing off of all the emotions
in the last five months.
-[Beth] Blackheart's channeling emotions. -[Vic] Boom!
[Beth] Everything she went through.
-[crowd cheering excited] -Having her tank destroyed
by Candice LeRae.
But in this moment
possibly about to make history.
-[Vic] Dropping Dakota Kai face first. -[crowd thumping]
Shotzi Blackheart
goes into the cover for the win.
-[crowd counting] -[Vic] Oh.
Where are these women getting it from?
-[Wade] Yeah. -[Vic] Wow.
-[Wade] And this is just the beginning of the night.
-[Vic] Ooh.
-[Vic] Dropped over the middle rope -[crowd thumping]
and almost out of pure desperation for Kai, who makes a tag.
González back in.
Little step up enzuigiri.
[Beth] And again on her feet.
[female voice] Stop!
[Vic] Blackheart now
holding on to González
and González able to stop Blackheart's momentum.
[González groaning]
[Vic] They're both teetering.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Blackheart…
from all the way from the top.
[Beth] This looks dangerous.
-[Wade] Oh! -[audience] Oh!
[Wade] Blackheart landing sliced bread.
[Vic] Moment's now.
The moment's now… And Dakota Kai breaks up the count.
[audience booing]
[Beth] A rough landing for Blackheart too.
[Wade] And taking something out of themselves on that one,
but here comes Ember Moon.
[referee] Get out of here.
-[Vic] What in the heck? -[Wade unintelligible]
-[crowd cheering] -[Vic] Blackheart wiping out Dakota Kai.
[audience cheering] NXT!
[cheering continues]
[Beth] Shotzi Blackheart.
[Vic] Whoa.
[Beth] Giving it her all.
[Vic] Will it be enough now?
Neckbreaker by Blackheart.
-[Vic] Ember Moon… -[crowd] Oh!
[Vic] Blackheart-- …trying to chop down González.
-And again up and over. -[audience] Oh!
[Vic] Ember Moon's legal. Moon into the cover.
Hook of the leg and another near fall.
[Wade] Raquel González is inhuman.
[Vic] Indestructible.
[Beth] After that series of spectacular tandem offense
and Moon is not done.
[Vic] Dakota Kai now trying to cut off Ember Moon.
[Wade] I don't know how
Dakota Kai's still on her feet.
[Vic] It might not be for long.
-Oh! -[audience] Oh!
[audience cheering] NXT!
[unintelligible chatter]
-[González yelling] -[audience] Oh!
-[Vic] Unbelievable. -[women grunting]
The action in this matchup again proving
why the women's division in NXT, the best in the world.
[Wade] Raquel González hitting those steel steps hard,
but somehow still unable to get back to her feet.
-[women grunting] -[Vic] Right back to her feet
and now eats multiple kicks from Moon.
[Beth] Something has been able to keep this woman down.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Kick to the knee.
Moon's now trying to chop down Raquel González,
isolate González's power.
Ember Moon might have found the solution to the González problem!
[Beth] She's eliminating size advantage!
-[crowd cheering] -[indistinct]
[Wade] Can't make it.
[Vic] Is González gonna tap out?
-Pump kick by Kai.
-[Crowd clapping] -[male voice] Hold up.
[Vic] Raquel González
could've been moments away from tapping.
Instead, she finds herself in her own corner to make a tag.
[Wade] This referee has been losing all control,
such as the-- [unintelligible]
Of the Dusty Cup.
The first ever Women's Dusty Cup.
[Vic] Well, scorpion kick by Kai.
Kai now goes up, goes over!
Kai-ropractor, got all of it.
Into the cover…
…to win.
-Another kick. -[crowd cheering]
-Another near fall. -[crowd clapping]
[Beth] I can't believe Shotzi Blackheart kicked out of It.
[Vic] These four women are showing you
exactly what it means to win, to want to win
the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
[male voice unintelligible]
[Vic] And now an assisted…
-GTK! -[crowd cheering]
[female voice unintelligible]
[Vic] González fall into the cover.
Ember Moon…
able to break things up yet again.
[Beth] This match could've been over in an instant.
[Vic] This match could've been over
multiple times.
-[Beth] Absolutely. -[Wade] Exactly. Oh my…
Well, it might be--
Oh my God!
-What a horrible landing on the ramp. -[crowd booing]
No padding, whatsoever.
[booing continues]
-[Beth] Just a sickening thud. -[Vic] Oh!
González just catapulting Moon off the stage.
-[crowd booing] -[Referee] Get in. One! Get inside. Two!
[Wade] We now might need a medic out here.
[Vic] And Blackheart up and down into the back of González.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vic] Is it enough?
Is it enough into the cover?
-[audience] Oh. -[Vic] And again González powers out.
Oh! Dropkick by Blackheart.
[Referee] Let's go. Come on.
-[Vic] What else does Blackheart--
-[Woman yelling] -[Vic] …have in her arsenal tonight?
[crowd cheering and thumping]
[Beth] We might be about to find out, Vic.
[Crowd cheering]
-[Woman yelling] -[Vic] Shotzi gets cut off by González.
[audience clapping]
[Beth] Now you see the teamwork here.
[Referee] Go, get inside!
-[Vic] González straight… -[Referee] Get inside.
-[Vic] …just tossing Dakota Kai with the assisted splash.
[Referee] What's the problem? -[Blackheart yelling]
[Vic] You can hear and you could feel the air
-driven out of the lungs of Blackheart. -[crowd booing]
And if you didn't feel it or hear it then
you will now.
The power of González!
-[Vic] Cover! -[audience] One!
[audience] Two!
-[audience] Three! -[bell ringing]
-[Vic] González and Kai have made history. -[rock music playing]
[Female announcer] Here are your winners!
[audience chatter]
The team of Dakota Kai
and Raquel González.
[Wade] Well, what a matchup
to kick off Vengeance Day.
That was incredible.
All four women laying it on the line.
And I hate to say "I told you so",
but I called it from the very beginning.
Raquel González, Dakota Kai are your winners.
[Beth] Oh, Wade, I'm gonna let you revel in that because,
my God, what a hell of a match.
Take a look at this moment here.
Ember Moon throwing caution to the wind to level, Dakota Kai.
[Vic] I mean, all four of these women laid it on the line.
Dakota Kai sensing her partner was in danger.
That was the theme the whole night.
These women laid it on the line including--
I mean, Beth, Ember Moon was taken out at this point.
Shotzi Blackheart was left all alone.
[Beth] Yeah. You mentioned themes, and here's the theme,
right here, Raquel González is a freight train--
Boom! Tossing Dakota Kai for some real tight teamwork.
[Vic] And then González would put the exclamation point on the evening,
punching her and Dakota Kai's ticket into the history books
and the winners of the Women's Dusty Cup,
and a guarantee at WWE Women's Tag Team Title opportunity.
[Female announcer] Here are your winners.
[rock music playing]
[female announcer] The winners of the first ever
Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic:
Dakota Kai and Raquel González!
[rock music continues playing]
[Vic] Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler,
wherever you are I hope you're watching
because you will be facing González and Dakota Kai down the line
for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles.
Congratulations to Dakota Kai and Raquel González.
[rock music playing]
[González talking unintelligibly]
-[crowd booing] -[Wade] And earlier today,
Pete Dunne flagged by the NXT Tag Team champions,
-arriving at the Capitol last week. -[man talking unintelligibly]
His main event matchup later on tonight.
-[Beth] And we heard Finn Balor's mantra -[crowd cheering]
that he doesn't watch this business, this business watches him.
Who can argue that because tonight Balor thrives
under the squeeze of topping his last performance.
He'll contend with the threat of the bruiserweight later on tonight.
[Vic] Well, we're set now for the first of three championship matches
here in NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
-And there's no broken bones. -[audience excited] Woo!
There's no wheelchairs.
There's no more excuses for Johnny Gargano.
It's the time now for Kushida
as he attempts to dethrone the NXT North American champion.
[Suspenseful music playing]
[Gargano] Ladies and gentlemen,
open your eyes
because we are:
The Way.
[suspenseful music fading away]
-[thrilling drums playing] -[male announcer] Johnny Gargano
his wife, Candice LeRae,
Indi Hartwell,
Austin Theory.
The Way
has arrived.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Wade] What a man, the first ever three-time North American champion.
That's The Way!
[Wade] Somebody who never disappoints is Johnny Gargano.
[suspenseful music playing]
[female voice] Johnny Gargano has the tenure,
the experience.
He's earned his place in NXT.
[Vic] The path has been set
and The Way
prevails.
If you're not in The Way.
Stay out of our way.
[music stops abruptly]
[Vic] That's Kushida
going right after the North American champion.
[Wade] A Viciousness and savagery
from the man almost unbeatable.
[Vic] Kushida getting his hands on the North American champion.
[Beth] Week after week.
[male voice] One of biggest international stars in the world.
Kushida had been right at the very top.
[Beth] Gargano getting a front row seat of what Kushida is truly capable of.
[suspenseful music rising]
[Kushida] This is my time.
[suspenseful music fading away]
You will be defending
your North American title
at TakeOver.
Against who?
-Kushida. -Oh my God! You said the K-word!
[speaking Japanese]
-[menacing rock music playing] -[men grunting]
Kushida attacked me…
[men grunting]
…for no good reason.
[Vic] Kushida making The Way into fools. -[LeRae] No!
[Wade] Kushida wanted the champ's attention,
now he's got it
and he can't handle it.
[Gargano] You'll never have this.
[loud kick]
[Speaking Japanese]
[rock music playing]
[Vic] His eyes locked
on the North American champion.
[Gargano] I am Johnny freaking TakeOver.
No one can hang with me.
[male announcer] Kushida's time, is it now?
[menacing rock music stops]
-[unsettling instruments sounds] -[electronic rhythmic ticking]
-[electronic rhythmic ticking fading] -[rising whooshing sound]
[deep hum fading away]
[exciting rock music erupts]
-[crowd cheering] -[exciting rock music continues]
[buzzing sound]
[bell ringing]
[female announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the NXT North American Championship.
Introducing the challenger from Tokyo, Japan,
weighing in at 192 pounds:
-Kushida! -[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Oh, no doubt, Kushida's been a thorn
in the side of Gargano, who stated,
"If you're not in The Way, stay out of the way."
[Wade] Oh, that reminds me of a little group that used to say,
"You're either Nexus or you're against us."
[Beth] Well, hopefully The Way is a little more successful than that--
-[Vic] Oh! -[Wade] Come on.
[Beth] Let's get back to the core of the issue here.
[Wade] Oh, all right.
Let's talk about it.
[Vic] Well, the core of the issue
is Kushida could become the first ever
Japanese North American champion
here tonight.
Is his time now?
[Wade] How do you spell "core"?
-Is it one or two r's? -[Vic unintelligible]
[rock music playing]
And Kushida focused on the task at hand.
-Tonight's the night. This is the dance. -[crowd booing]
-Are we ready? -[teammates] Yes.
[Gargano] Beat Kushida on three.
[The Way] One, two, three. Beat Kushida!
-[Vic] There you have. -[Wade] Yes!
-[crowd continues booing] -[harmonious female voice singing]
-Feel that? -Sure.
[powerful electric guitar playing]
-[rock music playing] -[crowd booing]
[Vic] Well, Johnny Gargano-- all smiles.
-[Beth] Did you see-- -[Wade] Did you see that?
I just saw the three superstars.
The Way making their way, no pun intended, to the ring.
[Female announcer] And his opponent, representing The Way,
he is the NXT North American champion:
-Johnny Gargano! -[crowd booing]
-[rock music playing] -[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Well, there--
Johnny's looking for--
…Austin Theory.
-[unintelligible conversation] -[Wade] He was kidnapped by that creeper.
You guys go find him.
I got this. I got it.
-[unintelligible conversation] -[crowd continues booing]
Well, Johnny Gargano sending Indi Hartwell
and Candice LeRae to look--
-[Wade] I'm concerned… -[buzzing sound]
…about the well-being of Austin theory.
That creeper, Dexter Lumis, kidnapped him. [unintelligible]
-[Vic] Well, we got a championship match. -[crowd booing and clapping]
As Johnny Gargano's got to switch gears, refocus on Kushida.
And Beth, there's no excuses tonight for Mr. TakeOver.
-[Beth] There are no excuses. And also… -[Gargano unintelligible]
[Beth] …there's two more backup guys. Johnny Gargano looking to find that zone,
that load because he's gonna need it against Kushida tonight.
-[audience chatter] -[unintelligible conversation]
Kushida already trying to get the mind of the champion.
And look, Johnny Gargano,
I just mentioned, Mr. TakeOver,
eight TakeOver main events. The most TakeOver matches ever.
-[crowd chanting unintelligibly] -Does the big match experience, Wade,
help Gargano in this matchup?
[Wade] Of course it does. The pressure is right here.
It's TakeOver North American Championship on the line with, let's face it,
one of the absolute best on the planet and Kushida.
[Vic] We don't like to talk about the C-word, wich is cursed…
[bell ringing]
…but Johnny doesn't have the best win-loss record here at TakeOver.
[Wade] Well, hang on a second,
he's been at a record number
of takeovers and that in itself
is a massive achievement.
Just getting on the show is a--
-Oh, here we go! -[Vic] Oh, wait for the hoverboard lock.
Quickly Gargano into the ropes.
[Wade] Yeah, what on earth
do you know about wins or losses?
You're out here in a pink suit.
Big l.
[Beth unintelligible]
It looks like McKenzie may have dressed him to be honest.
[Vic] All right. Back into the match.
Now Gargano's trying to focus in
to Kushida right now.
Take a look at this matchup,
some have called it, many consider it, a dream match.
[Wade] Yeah, I'd have to agree with that.
Let's face it, Johnny Gargano wrote the playbook on in-ring excellence.
And if there is a Japanese version,
it would have been written by Kushida.
The two of the absolute best on Earth.
The quarters of the Internet and the underground wrestling scene
have wanted to see this for years,
they're getting to see it
under the brightest spotlight
right here at TakeOver.
[Beth] And finally, I can agree with you on something, Wade.
[crowd thumping]
[Vic] Both superstars trying to jockey for position.
See Kushida trying to work on the left arm softening up Gargano
for that hoverboard lock.
Gargano doing his best now to play defense.
We know, somewhere watching,
Leon Ruff will be cheering on Kushida,
former North American Champion in his own right,
as Kushida now
going from the upper body,
trying to now work on the lower body of Gargano.
[Wade] Well, it's impressive because Gargano
got a miraculous recovery
-from a disgraceful fracture. -[crowd cheering]
Into a world record recovery. And--
Oh, straight onto that arm now is Kushida.
-Perhaps he heard me. -[Vic] Now again,
looking for that submission, maybe trying to hook in
the hoverboard lock or some sort of armbar is Kushida.
Gargano, though, staying very calm right now in this position.
And Beth, are we finally seeing the real Kushida?
-[crowd thumping] -[Beth] You know what, Wade…
Excuse me, Vic, I've had the opportunity
-to call Kushida's matches-- -[Vic] Oh!
-[Beth] …since coming to NXT in 2019.
There's a little bit of stumbling out of the blocks
for Kushida.
You could see he was holding back,
but something's changed in him since late 2020.
After returning from that hand injury
Kushida's determined
to unleash everything we've been waiting for.
[Vic] Well can he live up to the potential
tonight in the biggest match of Kushida's career here in NXT?
And now it's Johnny Gargano
controlling the wrist of Kushida.
Gargano, of course,
who broke his championship curse
at TakeOver WarGames,
-looking to continue his-- -[Crowd clapping]
…Victorious championship title defenses.
As again, Kushida, nice transition into the front facelock.
[Wade] These two have a beautiful hold for hold mat style.
-We know all about Gargano… -[referee] Get up.
-…but Kushida certainly needs-- -[Vic] Oh!
…one small window
to lock in a match-ending submission
and become the new North American champion.
[Vic] And now Kushida trying to hold onto Gargano.
Gargano trying his best to shake Kushida,
but look at Kushida going up, going around,
-and staying on top. -[Gargano groaning]
[audience thumping]
Now into almost a crossface on Gargano.
We're really seeing a technical matchup.
-Who has the technical advantage? -[screaming]
[Wade] Yeah. And not only the North American Championship,
-there is a level of professional pride -[groaning]
that goes into a chess match like this one.
[Beth] Absolutely. I mean,
we got to give the experience in big TakeOver matches
to Johnny Gargano,
but Kushida is world-traveled,
-[loud thud] -adept in so many forms of combat, MMA,
amateur wrestling, Canadian, Mexican wrestling
-across the world. -[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Right now, the pace is starting to quicken
in this matchup.
Kushida sidesteps Gargano.
Gargano up and over,
Hurricanrana!
Kushida lands on his feet through the cartwheel.
Gargano rolling through,
trying to connect with a kick, does not.
Swing and a miss by Kushida.
You talk about a chess match,
we're almost at a stalemate.
[Wade] Yeah. Absolutely.
-Kushida perhaps getting the better-- -[Vic] Oh!
[Wade] …going slightly, but once again, Johnny--no.
[Vic] Oh, looking for the Gargano Escape into a pin,
and again
into the Crossface.
And now the Gargano Escape on Johnny Gargano.
Gargano quickly finds his way to the bottom rope.
[crowd cheering]
-[unintelligible conversation] -[Beth] When you have two competitors
-so similar in size. -[crowd chanting unintelligibly]
I mean, it's limitless, the amount of reversals
-you could see. -[crowd chanting continues]
[Vic] Look, Kushida knows he wants to keep this match in the ring.
It's the only way he can win the championship,
-a pinfall or submission, as Gargano-- -[Kushida screams in pain]
[Vic] …huge form right under the jaw.
-And now Johnny's uppercut. -[man in the audience] Go Johnny!
-[Wade] We're getting to break down -[loud punch]
-[fighters grunting] -and find a different gear in this lot.
A lot of hatred built up already
between them,
and now it's coming to the fore.
-[timid clapping] -Let's face it, this is the--oh.
-[Vic] Oh, might be coming into our laps. -[Referee] Come on!
-[Vic] Gargano through, Kushida sensed it coming.
-[Kushida shouting] -Kushida up and over.
-Gargano now trying to answer back. -[crowd clapping excited]
And a kick into the jaw.
And for Gargano, you can see in his eyes
from the beginning of this matchup,
this is a different Johnny here.
-[loud slam] -This is Johnny TakeOver.
-[Wade] Yeah. And it really needs to be. -[crowd thumping excited]
-This is my world! -[audience thumping and booing]
-[crowd chanting unintelligibly] -[Wade] Because let's face it,
this is the first time in a long time
that Johnny Gargano has been involved in a matchup.
[Crowd chanting unintelligibly]
This audience needs to learn some respect.
-But he's gonna beat-- Oh my word.
-[Vic] Whoa. -[Loud thud]
-Oh! For-- Into the armbar -[unintelligible squeak]
a submission, but again Kushida--
[Wade] Caught with the match outside of the ring.
[Vic] It doesn't matter if Gargano taps out.
-[crowd cheering] -Damage is being done.
The referee is at five.
-[Gargano unintelligible] -He's at six.
-Kushida realizes the count, -[referee] Seven!
-[Vic] breaks the count-- he needs to break the count
-[referee] Eight! -[Vic] …to continue the match.
And Kushida, the veteran,
sensing it, realizing it,
-and now Kushida all business. -[crowd thumping]
[Wade] As I was about to say,
it's the first time Gargano's had a match
-without the rest of The Way -[crowd chatter]
by his side at ringside helping him out.
He could really do with them right now.
-[crowd thumping] -[Beth] All the distractions,
all the shenanigans
have stripped Gargano to this moment
and he's struggling
[excitedly] to contain Kushida!
-[Vic] Oh! -[audience] Oh!
[audience clapping]
[Wade] Chickenwing suplex
onto that injured left arm of Gargano
[loud smack]
slapping the mat in frustration.
I've been there.
[Vic] And let's remember the hoverboard lock,
as the referee is getting up to six.
Referee now at seven. The damage is done.
And Beth,
how about this strategy from Kushida?
[Beth] Yeah, the phony X-ray
and all the shenanigans,
he might need a real MRI
-after this match is done. -[Vic chuckles]
Kushida now
focusing in on Gargano.
[quiet chatter]
Champion doesn't realize
where the challenger is, as John--
-Dropkick! -[crowd cheering]
Right to the arm.
The left elbow this time
specifically of Gargano.
[referee unintelligible]
You see Gargano extending
and flexing that arm,
trying to see if those tendons
are still functioning.
-[smack] -[Vick] Oh!
And Wade brought up a great point, Beth,
The Way
nowhere to be found right now.
[Beth] Yeah, and honestly,
-Johnny is in trouble without them. -[feet rumbling]
This is the best news Kushida could get.
[Wade] Yeah.
Johnny Gargano's gonna need
other than a wheelchair
if he keeps getting the arm beaten up by Kushida.
[Beth] He might leave this matchup
-ten pounds lighter… -[Gargano grunting]
…losing that NXT North American Championship.
[Vic] Well, Kushida couple of shots to the ribs.
And now the left arm wide open for Kushida
and the joint manipulation
is starting for the challenger.
[Gargano groaning]
Oh!
Twisting the left wrist,
focusing on the elbow
-into the bicep of Gargano. -[referee unintelligible]
And this has been the strategy,
Wade, since you've pointed out
what had happened right here in front of us.
First, the steel steps, then the chicken wing suplex.
[Wade] Yes.
Kushida is so focused on that left arm
that you have to be concerned
for Johnny Gargano.
[Vic] Oh, Gargano slipping out…
-[audience] Hey! -…but then caught an elbow.
Kushida's game plan being executed right now.
-[Vic excited] Wait a minute, Gargano! -[Beth] Oh!
-[Vic] Looking for maybe a neckbreaker! -[Wade] Ooh.
[Vic] Connects on the middle ropes. Kushida laid out,
-and now Johnny… -[crowd booing]
…with a few moments
to regroup, recover, and refocus.
[Wade] Well, he had a game plan
but the game has now changed,
thanks to this outstanding rope assisted neckbreaker there--
-[audience] Ooh! -…from Johnny Gargano.
Always thinking, never concerned.
Never stressed in the ring,
always has plan B, C, D, and further if we need it.
-[Gargano grumbling] -[Beth] I don't know,
he looks pretty stressed to me, Wade.
Trying to stretch out that arm.
I think some serious damage may have been done.
[Vic] I mean, Beth,
you've had to wrestle plenty of matches
in your hall of fame career with an injured arm.
How hard is it going to be
-for the champion? -[audience booing]
-[Beth] Yeah. He's got to switch gears
and dig into a different bag of tricks.
He's got to use other maneuvers
than what he had planned.
Nobody plans for an injury,
but can you adapt to something
different with your offense?
-[Kushida grunts] -[Vic] Ooh!
-Gargano driving Kushida -[referee] Four!
[Vic] right into the outside where steel meets wood.
-[referee] Five! -[Vic] And now Gargano…
-[Vic] thought about it for a moment, -[referee] Six!
…realizing he couldn't use his left arm
and switched gears-- -[referee] Seven!
…to Beth's point, and used his right elbow.
-[Beth] Yup. -[Wade] Of course,
he's gonna have to go against his instinct.
He's a lefty,
he's gonna throw that left…
well, by instinct, but now he has to overcome that.
[Beth] When you're using that non-dominant arm
it throws everything off,
it makes you just a little bit slower.
[audience amazed] Ooh!
[Vic] Nice suplex float-over,
champion into the cover.
Kushida kicking out before a one count.
-[audience cheering] -[Wade] Yeah,
that's sending a message to Gargano,
now taking a breather here.
"Hey, I know you've had the best of this lately.
However, you haven't got me down
for even a two-count at this point.
What else have you got?"
-[crowd chanting] -[Vic] Gargano again
now using that left arm
trying to execute neckbreaker.
Kushida trying to counter,
maybe you knew his own neckbreaker.
[struggling grunts]
Kushida now looking for a backslide
trying to drop his hips.
-[crowd chatter] -Is he getting the champion over?
-Gargano now… -[crowd cheering]
…trying to switch things around.
Instead, into another suplex.
-[loud thud] -[crowd] Ooh!
And this time face plants Kushida.
-[audience booing] -[loud steps]
-[smack] -[commentators] Ooh!
[Wade] There you go.
That is your receipt.
That's payback
for that brutal cowardly sneak attack…
-[crowd booing] -…that Johnny Gargano sustained
some weeks ago
on NXT.
[Beth] And then Gargano
just mocking Kushida
by looking at his wrist.
-[Kushida groaning] -[referee unintelligible]
[Vic] Well, Kushida, certainly--
-you can sense the pain. -[referee] Now get up.
-[Kushida screaming] -[Vic] And Johnny Gargano has swung
the tangential momentum in this matchup.
-[referee] Three! -[Vic] Focusing once again.
-[referee] Four! -[Vic] Bending back Kushida's neck
[Wade] Maybe Kushida now believes
that the broken arm of Johnny Gargano
-was genuine. -[audience cheering]
[Wade] Serves him right for doubting it in the first place.
-[crowd chanting names] -[Beth] Guys,
I'm having some concern about
the neck of Kushida
because we know Johnny
has that one final beat in his repertoire.
[crowd chanting] Johnny!
Gargano trying to tie up Kushida.
And again, as Beth just mentioned,
-Gargano has focused in on the neck. -[Kushida screams]
But look at Johnny shaking feeling into the left arm.
[Kushida muffled groan]
[Vic] How impactful
-is this right now… -[two thumps]
…if you're Johnny Gargano with one arm?
[Beth] I mean, not as impactful
as if he was at a 100%.
Do you see how he has that right leg
snaked around the left leg of Kushida
to try to get extra leverage?
[Gargano groaning]
[Beth] Gargano adapting.
[Vic] Oh, the air getting driven out.
And now Kushida!
Kushida
trying to work in to an octopus stretch.
[crowd chanting excited]
[Wade] Just, in a flash, the slightest,
the smallest window of opportunity,
[crowd shouting excited]
Kushida is all over it like a rash.
[Vic] Gargano able to shimmy out-- Oh!
-Falls into the cover shoulders down. -[loud smack]
Kushida counters.
-[referee smacking] -Gargano's shoulders down.
Another near fall. Johnny right back in.
Kushida with a counter.
-[crowd cheering] -Pinfall for pinfall.
Cover, short-- Crucifix pin!
And now Gargano rolls out,
trying to go around.
Gets tripped up.
Kushida looking for a pinfall.
-One more time. -[referee smacking]
Shoulders down, center of the ring.
Do we have a new champion?
Gargano-- oh! Double clothesline.
-[audience erupts excited] -[Vic] Both men same thought.
-[crowd cheering] NXT! NXT! -[unintelligible conversation]
[audience thumping and cheering]
[Beth] Take a look at this moment, the--
Oh! …impact after an incredible
series of reversals.
[referee unintelligible]
[Wade] Both men going pin for pin, hold for hold,
I have never moved that fast
in my entire life.
Hats off to the pair of them.
[Vic] For a moment, Gargano
was trying to get feeling.
He stretched out the left arm,
Wade, you've been highlighting that all night long.
-[Kushida groans] -But now Gargano
must be blocking out the pain.
[Wade] Throwing those lefties,
-but it's hurting again! -[Gargano groans]
-[audience] Ooh! -[Wade] And, once again,
-that moment of hesitation from Gargano -[Vic surprised] Oh…
and Kushida capitalizing.
[Vic] Kushida, inverted atomic drop.
Kushida now,
picking things up, hip toss, cartwheel--
-Bam! Dropkick. -[audience clapping]
And Kushida-- power punch under the jaw!
Champion's knees buckle.
-[crowd thumping] -Kushida…
-[Kushida screams] -with a foot in the small of the back,
stretching the champion,
[loud thumping]
now stomping on the champion.
[Wade] Stomping between those shoulder blades,
now the back of the neck of Johnny Gargano,
-unable to defend himself. -[referee unintelligible]
-[crowd cheering] -[Vic] Kushida
looking for that career defining moment.
Is it his time?
Will we see
a new North American Champion
-crowned here tonight? -[Kushida grunts]
Looking for that chickenwing suplex again,
Gargano trying everything to block it.
Oh, a forearm under the jaw by Gargano,
-just for a moment -[loud smack]
-able to catch his breath. -[crowd] Oh!
[Vic] Like don't [unintelligible] get into a slugfest right now.
-[loud smack] -[Kushida groans]
[Wade] Oh, I can't take my eyes off-- oh!
[Vic] Whoa.
[Wade] How Gargano
keeps holding that left arm.
But once again,
-Kushida just too fast. -[Vic] Ankle lock!
[male voice] Hey, come on, Johnny!
-[Wade] The center of the ring. -[referee smacking]
[Vic] Kushida one step ahead of Gargano.
-[Kushida grunts in effort] -Gargano able to get back on his feet.
Let go--
German suplex! Folding Gargano inside out.
[Beth] Gargano is stunned.
-[Vic] Oh! -[crowd erupts excited]
[Vic] Might be out now.
Kushida trying to flip the champion over.
Don't wait, no.
-Cover. -[referee smack]
-Count. -[referee smack]
-Oh! -[Beth] Oh!
[Vic] Gargano's shoulder
-just gets off the mat. -[audience chanting] Kushida!
[Wade] A glassy-eyed Gargano after this…
-[audience chanting] Kushida! -…beautifully executed German suplex…
-combination into this strike… -[Vic] Ooh.
[Wade] to the back of the neck of Gargano.
His face tells the story.
How on earth he kicked out of that one?
I will never know.
-But this match continues. -[audience clapping faster]
[Beth] I'll tell you how he kicked out,
because he's Johnny TakeOver.
We've seen
performance after performance
of an incredible level.
It brings out
something special…
in Johnny Gargano.
[Vic] And can Kushida match that level
of Johnny Gargano here tonight?
Can Kushida become
the first-ever Japanese North American Champion?
As again Kushida
focusing on Gargano's arm.
Kushida now.
Gargano on the outside, and Gargano…
able to slingshot--
-Gets caught! -[audience] Oh!
Gargano thought he's one step ahead of Kushida,
but it was Kushida
one step ahead of Gargano.
-[Wade] Oh. -[Vic] Roll through.
Look at Gargano's face.
[thrilled] Look at the strength
with the bridge!
-Shoulders down. -[referee smacking] One!
-[referee smacking] Two! -[Vic] Cover!
-Whoa. -[audience cheering]
How did Gargano break the hold and kick-out?
[Wade] Milliseconds away.
The face of Gargano told the whole story.
Sheer panic
as he was locked in this suplex,
unable to escape, knowing exactly what was coming,
but somehow [unintelligible] to kick-out
at the last possible moment.
[audience chanting] Let's go, Johnny!
[Vic] And you can see
how much damage had been taken out of Johnny,
barely able to move the left arm
that Kushida has focused on since the beginning.
[Beth] Gargano has been struggling to stay in this.
-And I mean… -[audience cheering] Let's go, Johnny!
what picture-perfect beautiful offense from Kushida.
-[loud smack] -[Vic] Oh!
-[Beth] Gargano making things nasty. -[crowd booing]
[Vic] The kick right between the eyes--
Oh! And a punch
right between the eyes.
[crowd cheering]
Kushida, again,
staying one step ahead of the champion.
[crowd chatter]
Kushida said this was his night
with his family watching,
he would become champion
not for himself,
-but for them-- -[Kushida screaming]
And now he's dragged Gargano's left elbow
-and shoulder… -[crowd cheering]
…into that middle turnbuckle.
[referee unintelligible]
[referee] Johnny, what do you say? You're good?
[audience chanting] Kushida!
[Beth] Take a look at this quick decision-making--
Boom!
…by Kushida, laying out Gargano…
-[unintelligible chatter] -[Beth] …and then running--
[Vic] Devastating, yeah.
As you mentioned, running the arm into the post.
-[Beth] Just a thin piece of fabric… -[men grunting]
-…over that middle turnbuckle. -[male voice] Get him in, Kushida!
[Wade] And then a kimura lock
left in there from Kushida,
as we find ourselves--
Gingerly heading up the ropes.
Gargano
managing a brief respite.
-[Kushida shouting] -[crowd] Oh!
[Vic] Kushida!
And Gargano laid out on the top rope.
[crowd cheering]
Beth, you talked about watching Kushida's career.
Kushida very close to a statement Victory tonight.
[Beth] This is everything Kushida has ever wanted
to prove himself on the grand stage
here at TakeOver
and walk away
as the new North American Champion.
[Vic] Kushida's screaming,
trying to lock in.
The hoverboard lock
now switching gears,
looking for maybe a suplex.
-Gargano countered! -[crowd erupts excited]
[Wade] Second rope twisting suplex.
Still on top, still has Kushida in a hold.
[Vic] Have you ever seen
anything like that, Wade?
[Wade] Absolutely not.
[Vic] Gargano now
middle rope assisted DDT.
Johnny holding on to the neck,
-flows into the cover -[audience] One!
-in the center of the ring, -[audience] Two!
and Kushida's able to kick-out.
[Crowd cheering]
-[referee unintelligible] -[crowd chanting] NXT! NXT!
I mean, listen to the thunderous noise
from this innovative…
counter from Johnny Gargano
and then followed up quickly right here,
tornado DDT from the top of the head.
Somehow Kushida…
able to kick-out with the last bit of energy.
[Wade] And this matchup
has purely been about instinct
and whose instincts kick in the fastest.
[audience thumping]
[Vic] No doubt this becoming
an instant NXT classic
in what many considered the dream match.
[Kushida screaming]
-[Wade] Every Gargano match is, -[audience booing]
but wow, he might have met his match tonight in Kushida.
Every step of the way.
[Vic] Gargano's looking for a submission.
Kushida able to roll through.
swing wildly of the clothesline,
charging back in, Gargano goes up,
goes around, trying to land, able to roll through.
Kushida charges back
and now he goes up, goes around
and able to land into the armbar.
Gargano able to topple Kushida.
Kushida able to topple Gargano.
-[wrestlers shouting and thumping] -[Vic] Both superstars
outwrestling each other
in this technical chess matchup
here in NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
[Wade] Here we go,
trying to lock in that armbar.
-[male voice] Come on, Johnny. -[Vic] Johnny--
[Wade] Once again, free to-- Oh, no!
-Cross armbreaker! -[crowd cheering frantically]
[Vic] Johnny rolls through. -[Beth] Oh, Johnny's got it!
[Vic] Shoulders down, and Kushida--
Kushida has to relinquish the hold.
-[wrestlers screaming] -[loud smack]
-[Vic surprised] Oh! -[audience] Oh!
-[Vic] Both superstars same idea, -[audience claps]
-[Vic] both superstars laid out.
[Crowd cheering loudly] NXT! NXT!
[Vic] NXT Universe here inside the Capitol Wrestling Center.
-Live… -[referee counting] Two!
-[Vic] in NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. -[referee] Three!
[Vic] Showing their passion -[referee] Four!
…for the two superstars
-who are leaving it all in the ring -[referee] Five!
[Vic] for the right to be called champion.
-[Wade] And this is an unusual situation -[referee] Six!
-[Wade] where you cannot imagine -[referee] Seven!
[Wade] either man losing from this point.
How on earth can anyone beat the other?
-[scattered audience voices] Oh! -[crowd clapping mildly]
-[male voice] Yeah! -[coinciding booing and clapping]
[enthusiastic clapping]
[crowd] Oh!
[Vic] Well, not much
behind these rights and lefts
between these two superstars.
[Beth] Can you blame them
after that stunning display of conditioning we just saw?
[Kushida screams energetically]
-[Vic] Oh! -[Beth] These two men
have been running a marathon.
[Vic] We talked about Gargano switching gears,
it's Kushida now who's trying to pick up the pace once again.
[rousing narration] Got caught looking for that springboard elbow!
-Gargano caught Kushida -[crowd intrigued] Oh!
-[Vic] and the Gargano escape, -[referee] What do you say?
[Vic] center of the ring, with the left arm of Gargano.
-Can he finish the hold? -[crowd thumping]
[Wade] Made that Russian leg sweep
-into the Gargano escape -[referee] Come on [unintelligible]
[Wade] center of the ring,
nowhere near the ropes.
-This has to be a tap out, Kushida. -[referee] Come on. Get up.
[Vic] The pain on the face of Kushida.
Does Gargano have enough strength in his left arm to hold Kushida?
As Kushida's trying to drag himself to the bottom rope.
[Vic intrigued] Is Kushida gonna tap?
-[referee] Come on, Kushida. -[Kushida groaning]
[Beth] Look at the angle on the shoulder of Kushida and the hand.
[crowd thumping]
[Vic] Kushida grabbing onto that left arm.
[Beth] Looking to peel the arm of Johnny Gargano off the injured arm.
[Vic] The injured arm of Gargano.
[Wade] Digging his way up there.
-[Vic] Oh! -[Wade] Once again now the Kimura lock.
[Vic] Kushida
-looks for the hoverboard lock. -[referee] Come on.
Kushida, center of the ring.
Gargano is a desperate man.
Desperation could be setting in
for the champion.
[Kushida screams]
[Wade] This will be an absolute disaster if Gargano loses from it.
-Oh-- -[Vic] Gargano goes--
[Wade] Scurrying into the lose but denied.
[Vic] Rolling through, Gargano caught Kushida.
Kushida back to his feet
with a bridge!
Shoulders down [unintelligible] lock!
Gargano kicks out again.
[female voice] Come on, Johnny!
-[loud smack] -[Vick] Superkick!
[Kushida screams]
[Vic] Huge punch!
[Kushida screams]
[Vic] And it's Kushida now…
charging in.
Gets caught for the moment.
[Beth excited] Once again, Kushida's got the arm! He's got the arm!
[Vic] Kushida with Gargano's arm--
[thrilled] Launched into that middle turnbuckle.
[Audience cheering]
[Vic] It may be the last-ditch effort from Kushida.
The door was just slammed shut by Gargano.
[Wade] Kushida has no idea where he is.
This precision [unintelligible] from Gargano,
eating that middle turnbuckle face first.
The issue being Gargano has no chance
to capitalize or go anywhere.
[Vic] Nothing but passion
has been oozing out of every single NXT superstar
that's stepped into the ring here tonight
on the biggest stage.
-The TakeOver stage here at Vengeance Day. -[crowd thumping slowly]
[Wade] Nobody deserves to lose this one.
-It's that simple. -[crowd thumping faster]
[Vic] And you could feel the energy
in the Capitol Wrestling Center.
They know they could be
on the verge of witnessing history or--
A defense by Gargano.
There's Gargano,
a couple of strong elbows
into the back of the neck,
but now Kushida answers back.
[Beth] Kushida was looking to make--
-[Vic] Oh, again! -[Beth] …Gargano meet that buckle
and finally did it!
[Vic] That chicken wing suplex.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] The left arm has been bent,
pulled and prodded by Kushida.
[crowd cheering] Kushida! Kushida!
[cheering subsiding]
[Vic] And the crowd trying to will on Kushida.
[Beth] Gargano's arm has to be dangling by a thread…
after everything it's been through.
[Wade] Kushida clearly having something in mind there.
He's expecting Gargano
to be picking himself up.
Gargano is out.
Gargano just being pulled up
-by his hair by the challenger. -[referee unintelligible]
We've seen Kushida and Gargano
pull out all the stops here tonight.
[referee] Come on.
[Wade] Gargano's a sitting duck at this point.
[Vic] Oh, uh-oh.
Both men up top.
[increasing murmur]
-[Wade shouts delighted] Oh! -[audience cheering and whistling]
[Vic] Off the top rope-- Kushida
[excitedly] trying to lock in an armbar,
-looking for a submission! -[Wade excitedly] It's locked in!
The arm of Johnny Gargano
-about to snap once again! -[crowd cheering]
[Vic alertly] Gargano trying to fight the hold.
Holding on for dear life is Gargano,
-holding out for championship. -[Kushida screaming]
Kushida trying to break it.
[Wade excitedly] Kushida wide open.
This could be the final nail in the coffin
of Johnny Gargano's
North American Championship reign!
-About to tap out. -[crowd cheering]
[Vic excitedly] Is Gargano gonna tap?
[overexcitedly] Is Gargano gonna tap?
[Beth] He's holding on.
He's turning in to try to release the pressure.
[Vic] Gargano trying to turn to us,
but Kushida rolls right back.
Johnny Gargano's mere inches away from the bottom rope.
[Wade] Oh, my word.
[worriedly] Just give up, Johnny, save the arm!
Live to fight another day.
[Vic] He doesn't wanna lose his title tonight.
[Beth] Kushida having that foot planted, trying to stop Gargano.
[Vic] Oh my god! [Wade excitedly] Got to the ropes!
-He got to the ropes! -[referee] One.
-[Wade] Break them up, referee. -[referee] Two.
-[Vic] Look at Gargano's feet. -[referee] Three.
The difference-maker.
Kushida not letting go of the hoverboard lock.
[referee] Hey. Hey.
[Beth] These two men intertwined in battle.
-Kushida just-- -[wrestlers screaming]
…not letting go.
[Vic] Kushida
-absolutely incensed at Gargano! -[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Kushida's smelling Victory,
Gargano smelling the fate of--
[excitedly] Once again, strike back on that arm!
[Vic] Whoa, whoa, whoa,
[excitedly] Gargano! This time into the barricade.
-[crowd cheering] -[Wade unintelligible] smashing hard
into that safety barrier.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Johnny could barely use his left arm,
but finally able to get away from Kushida.
[referee] Get back here.
[Beth] Gargano just crawling, making his way--
[referee] Let's go!
[Beth] Making some space.
[referee] Listen to my count.
[Vic] Any space is good space--
[referee] Listen. Let's go!
-[Vic] as the referee's started his count. -[referee] One!
Kushida has to get Gargano back into the ring.
-[referee] Two! -[Vic] Pinfall submission
has to take place
inside the squared circle.
-[referee] Three! -[male screaming in the distance]
[crowd cheering]
-[loud smack] -[commentators excitedly] Oh!
[thunderous cheering]
[Vic] If the arm wasn't broken before,
it certainly could be now.
Kushida back into the ring.
[Wade] Just plain nasty.
What a run up by Kushida.
What a connection to the left arm of Gargano.
Is this it?
Yes, it is!
[Beth] This is definitely it.
And it's not nasty, it's Karma.
Gargano deserving every single bit of this.
[Vic] Look at the angle of Gargano's left arm.
Gargano, though, trying to get--
-Oh! The neck of Kushida! -[crowd cheering]
[referee unintelligible]
[audience thumping]
[referee] Come on!
[Vic] That's one way to break the hold.
[Wade] Well, you could say what you want
about the attitude of Johnny Gargano.
-[crowd chanting] Johnny Wrestler! -[Wade] Never once disrespect
his ability or drive to win.
[crowd thumping and chanting] Johnny Wrestler!
[referee] Come on, back in!
[crowd thumping and chanting] Johnny Wrestler!
[Vic] Gargano pulling himself up.
[crowd thumping and chanting] Johnny Wrestler!
[Vic] Gargano now-- Woah…
-[loud thud] -[Wade and Vic] Oh!
[Vic excitedly] One final beat on the ramp!
[crowd chanting swells] Johnny! Johnny!
[Wade] Needs to get him in the ring here.
This is your chance, Johnny.
Put him to bed.
[groans]
-[Vic] Gargano… -[referee] Hey, Kushida?
[Vic] pushing the challenger back into the ring.
-[referee] Are you with me? -[Beth] We saw Johnny
softening up Kushida's neck earlier on in this matchup.
[referee] Look at me. Are you in this?
[Vic] We talked about legacy
in the opening matchup.
-Tonight… -[referee] Johnny, get back in.
[Vic] the legacy of Johnny Gargano's championship reign
is Gargano looking at Kushida.
[Wade] Still there is something left
in the tank of Kushida.
[Vic] One final beef for a second time!
Gargano into the cover!
-[smack] -[crowd] One!
-[crowd] Two! -[Vic] Hook of the leg.
-Gargano retains. -[crowd] Three!
-[bell ringing] -[rock music starts playing]
-[crowd chatter] -[rock music continues]
[female announcer] This is your winner,
and still the NXT North American Champion,
Johnny Gargano!
[Wade] My word!
That one was an instant classic.
It lived up to every inch of its billing.
Brilliance from both men.
Nothing but sheer respect for the pair of them.
-[music break] -[crowd booing]
[music build-up]
[crowd booing]
[referee unintelligible]
[crowd booing]
-[Beth] You said that-- -[Vic] Johnny Gargano--
Johnny Gargano weathering the storm tonight, Beth,
in order to retain his title.
[Beth] And what a matchup this was.
Take a look at this slow motion maneuver.
Kushida shifting midair
to latch the arm of Johnny Gargano,
and extended in an excruciating fashion.
Gargano almost tapped out in that moment.
[Vic] Well then after that,
the focus maintaining on the left arm and,
bang! A kick right to the bicep.
And, well, Johnny may actually need to go get an X-ray after that one.
[Beth] I mean, you can argue
nobody pushed Gargano to the limits quite like this,
but it was the-- this moment, the experience,
the intelligence of Johnny Gargano,
able to level Kushida on the ramp, that would lead to this.
[Vic] And if the first point wasn't enough,
the damage to the neck of Kushida.
Gargano kept his focus all night on Kushida's neck,
and in the end, one final beat gets Johnny Gargano,
one more day,
as North American champion.
And look, Vengeance defines the way
-for Gargano here tonight. -[crowd chatter]
[rock music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[rock music continues playing]
[crowd chanting] [unintelligible]
[music fading away]
[rock music playing]
[echoing voices] N X T
[man voice] Tonight only, tees as low as $14
and save 20% off championship titles.
only at wweshop.com.
[suspenseful music playing]
[commentator echoes] It's ominous,
intimidating,
unforgiving
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] The most dangerous stop
on the road to WrestleMania.
[suspenseful music playing]
-[commentator 1] What the hell! -[commentator 2] Are you kidding me?
That is absolutely brutal.
Oh, my god!
[music stops]
[rock music starts playing]
[Beth] I can't wait to watch the destruction next Sunday.
Speaking of destruction,
Martinez has been a wrecking ball
targeting the NXT Women's champion with her 20 years of experience.
[Wade] Three months ago,
she promised a new Toni Storm.
She certainly delivered on that.
Will it culminate in gold tonight?
Speaking of gold, Io Shirai will have the challenge
of navigating these two women.
Shirai won NXT Women's title under triple threat rules.
Can she do the same tonight and retain later on this evening?
[Vic] Oh, what a matchup that's gonna be.
And we saw the first Women's Dusty Cup winners earlier tonight
in our opening matchup.
Well now, it's time for the men.
The veterans or the upstarts?
It started with 16 teams,
it's now down to two.
Who will etch their name
on the prestigious Dusty Cup?
[rock music continues playing]
[soft instrumental music playing]
[man voice] I think when you talk about big matches
and a career that you wanna have that lasts a long time…
[soft instrumental music continues]
…you got to take a step at a time.
[prolonged music note]
[music resumes suddenly]
Welcome to 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
The winners will not only receive the coveted Dusty Cup,
but they will also receive an NXT Tag Team Championship match.
Best of luck
On your road to succeed.
Predictions are dime a dozen.
[prolonged music note]
[rock guitar playing and stops]
[Vic] Former Tag Team champions,
upcoming duos,
Who will advance?
Who will make it to the finals?
[Beth] Tunnel vision, on the endgame of this,
an NXT Tag Team title shot
by winning the Dusty Cup.
[Vic] You got to be kidding me!
Showing you what it means
to get to TakeOver.
What it means to put your name
on the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team trophy.
[Male voice] And now, we look for Tag Teams of the future.
[Vic] Semi-finals in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
[energizing music playing]
MSK, Legado del Fantasma trying to punch their ticket to TakeOver.
[energizing music]
[excitedly] MSK advances!
[Nash Carter] You're seeing a dream come true for the both of us play.
We're not gonna be denied.
[Wade] Not just debuting in NXT, but debuting in the Dusty Cup.
[Beth] MSK has exceeded all expectations.
[Carter] We're three for three going through the finals of the Dusty Cup.
[energizing music]
[Male voice] Opportunity knocks
and let's get down and get on with it, baby.
[Vic] Grizzled Young Veterans
take on Ciampa and Thatcher.
Who'll MSK face?
[Wade] Grizzled young veterans won out
and they are heading to TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
[energizing music dies out]
[drums playing]
[Zack Gibson in British accent] Last year,
we made our debut in the Dusty classic.
[Vic] For the second year in a row
headed to the Dusty Cup finals.
[Gibson] Well, this year, we are looking for more.
[intimidating music]
[Carter] You're in the way of MSK as we continue to make our meteoric rise.
[intimidating music]
[Vic] Will it be MSK or will it be the Grizzled Young Veterans?
[Carter] It's MSK!
[Gibson] Soon to be recognized--
-[Carter] All night-- -[Gibson] …as the Dusty Classic winners.
[Carter] …and all day.
[Gibson] And the next Tag Team champions.
This is the constant reminder
of the [unintelligible] that lived on and on.
[music dies out]
[Crowd cheering]
[techno music playing]
[Vic] Dakota Kai, Raquel González,
celebrated earlier tonight.
Who is about to celebrate in just a matter of moments?
[techno results in rock music]
[Crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[female announcer] The following is the finals
of the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Introducing first
Nash Carter, Wes Lee.
MSK!
[Vic] I talked to Wes Lee earlier tonight, Beth.
He said that he was feeling horse-sized butterflies.
What sort of nerves are these two feeling right now?
[Beth] I mean, this is the moment
they've been waiting for their entire careers.
I mean, this is the kind of thing
that you fight for through everything.
But this is not a time to have nerves and you've got to--
You're at the top of the roller-coaster about to come down.
Don't look, don't be scared, guys,
because this is your moment.
[Vic] We also said on the…
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day pre-show
[tense music]
…that being in the finals was absolutely surreal.
[heavy rock music playing]
[female announcer] And their opponents,
the team of James Drake
and "Liverpool's Number 1" Zack Gibson,
Grizzled Young Veterans.
-[crowd booing] -[rock music playing]
[Gibson arrogantly] MSK, you lads have had quite the emotional journey
to get here today,
but here is some friendly advice
from the veterans to the new boys,
wipe that stupid smile off your face
and take this seriously.
-[inaudible conversation] -You are not here
to have fun.
You will not enjoy a single second of this fight.
In fact, you can take
your little sob stories,
take your flips, and your spins,
take those daft green pajamas
and stick them up your ass!
That trophy
belongs to the Grizzled Young Veterans,
[prolonging the 's'] soon to be recognized
as Dusty Classic winners.
[Vic] That's a lot of talk, Beth.
[Beth] I mean, Gibson is never at a loss for words,
that's for sure, but you got to remember
how things went for the Grizzled Young Veterans in 2020
making it to this very moment
in the Dusty Cup.
So they're coming into this with a lot of confidence.
[rock music playing]
[Vic] Grizzled Young Veterans
getting through [unintelligible].
Kushida, Leon Ruff,
and Timothy Thatcher, Tommaso Ciampa.
MSK taking out Jake Atlas,
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, not to mention, Killian Dain, Drake Maverick,
and most recently, Legado del Fantasma.
And I believe Zack Gibson will start off
[scattered crowd shouts]
-[bell ringing] -…with Carter in this matchup.
I also talked to Carter, earlier tonight,
and it's funny that Gibson talks about emotion
because Carter became a wrestler
because of his father.
They watched WWE.
That's what he bonded with his dad over.
When his dad passed away,
Carter knew he needed to become a professional wrestler.
[Beth] A great story.
You know, MSK is… they value
-and honor family so much. -[Vic] Oh!
[Beth] Either with each other as tag partners,
started off as opponents and saw something special in one another,
undeniable chemistry, and then, ended up tag team partners,
and of course, best friends outside of the ring.
[men grunting]
[Vic] Carter now and Gibson working on
earlier on this matchup, NXT UK alum are the Grizzled Young Veterans
and current NXT UK superstar, Flash Morgan Webster watching right now,
tweeted, he believes Grizzled Young Veterans
gonna come away with the trophy tonight.
[Wade] I agree with him.
I bat the Grizzled Young Veterans
from the very start of his tournament.
I'm pleased to see that,
once again, my pick is in the final.
[Vic] No, that's your second pick.
As Gibson's now wearing down Nash Carter.
[Wade] Oh, I had a false start
with Imperium, but they'll be back.
They've got Alexander Wolfe now, but I'm not worried about that.
But then I went straight
onto the Grizzled Young Veterans
-and they were my bet. -[crowd booing]
[Vic] Well, Gibson and Drake aren't strangers to big map situations.
-NXT UK TakeOvers. -[crowd cheering]
Of course, Gibson, a lot of success in tournaments
having won the 2018 United Kingdom title tournament.
[crowd thumping]
But this is different as the Grizzled Young Veterans
have pointed out
to MSK here tonight.
[men grunting]
[Beth] And, you know, the Grizzled Young Veterans
look at these pressure point situations
as a place they belong.
Everything they've been through
-in their careers, the travels, -[loud thud]
the challenges of going up and down the highways,
making it to the tournament finals,
they see that as the reward, not pressure.
[Vic] They were in the finals last year
and Drake and Gibson today
said there is no pressure tonight.
Is that overconfidence, Barrett?
[Wade] Yeah. You know, why they don't feel a lack of confidence
is because they've put in the work.
This isn't their first TakeOver.
It's not their first Dusty Cup final.
GSK, on the other hand,
their nerves must be through the roof.
I remember my first ever WWE pay-per-view,
I was petrified,
I ended up losing that matchup,
so, I expect
the Grizzled Young Veterans to do the same tonight
-to MSK. -[Vic] Oh!
Springboard off that middle rope for Nash Carter,
and Carter quickly turning things around
-looking for a front face lock, -[wrestlers grunting]
and now working the arm of James Drake.
And finally, Nash Carter able to get Drake into his corner to make a tag.
[Beth] Well, Wade,
if MSK is petrified, they're doing a great job
of channeling it into offense
because take a look at this teamwork.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vic] Teamwork on display for MSK.
[Gibson coaching Drake]
[Beth] I think the thing
that stands out to me the most about MSK
is you can just tell they love
what they're doing and…
[crowd cheering]
…they're so passionate and it just shows in everything they do.
-[Vic] Right. -[Wade] Who wouldn't love
…to be in the the Dusty Cup final?
[Vic] So true. Not only that, Beth,
-also having fun. -[Beth] Absolutely.
-Wade, they didn't just-- -[Vic] Oh, tag.
[Beth] …land here on accident.
They earned their way here.
They're here because they belong.
[Vic] Certainly are. But right now--
Oh! Dropkick by Lee.
Dropped Drake.
Lee turning right around, goes right and up,
and nice hurricanrana takedown of Gibson.
MSK blocking out those emotions,
maybe riding that emotional wave
here in this match.
-[Wade] If you're so fast-- -[Vic] Boom!
[Wade] …MSK, you can't blink…
-[loud smack] -…while they're in the ring.
[Vick] Oh, stomp!
-[Gibson screaming] -[crowd cheering]
[Vick] And the energy coming off MSK
into the Capitol Wrestling Center.
[Wade] Well, the NXT universe
is falling in love with these two in record time.
[crowd] Oh!
[Vic excitedly] What is Lee looking for?
[Wade] And that's about why
moves like that never seen before.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Wes Lee coming on maybe a little gingerly,
but now it's Carter looking to fly.
[crowd cheering]
And Carter-- Oh! Taking out James Drake
[Carter shouting thrilled]
but he didn't get the second part of the equation.
-Zack Gibson. -[crowd cheering]
[Wade] That's the veteran wiles of the Grizzled Young Veterans.
The key is in the name "veterans,"
that's why never take your eyes off Zack Gibson for a second
or he'll [indistinct]
[Beth] We see here shades of Jeff Hardy.
Beautiful high fly move by Carter,
but, bam, Gibson stopping him in his tracks,
and just like that,
the momentum has slowed right down in favor of veterans.
[Vic] Well, for MSK,
this is unlike any team they have faced
in this Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
certainly, Wade, contrasting styles
from their last match
against Legado del Fantasma.
[Wade] Absolutely.
-As the highfliers against -[Vic] Oh!
[Wade] …so much more
grounded technical style that can get downright nasty
-as I'm sure. -[smacking]
[Vick] Kick-out of the neckbreaker.
[Wade] We're gonna see from Drake…
and Gibson right now,
once they slow this match down.
This is a key to beating someone like MSK,
take them out of their stride.
Get them down to the mat, prevent them from that
unorthodox offense that they're used to.
-[Vic] The Grizzled Young Veterans-- -[loud smack]
Whoa, did you hear
that right hand by Gibson? As Gibson blocking out.
Nash Carter makes a tag to Drake,
Drake charging right back in
[crowd cheering]
And this is that textbook
tag team tandem offense
with the spinning heel kick to boot!
[Beth] And you see, with the GYV,
nothing is pretty about
-that just downright nasty offense. -[Vic] Cover…
-[referee smacking the mat] -to win the Dusty Cup.
and another cover, again to win the Dusty Cup.
-[wrestler screaming] -Carter continues to fight. Third time.
Probably not gonna be the charm and another kick-out.
But look,
Grizzled Young Veterans
are sticking to their M. O.
They're sticking to their scout report,
divide and conquer.
[Wade] Yeah, and they've got brilliant tag team chemistry.
This has clearly been one of the keys
to success in the Dusty Cup.
These are two legitimate tag teams with great chemistry.
The winner's gonna be the one that has the best chemistry
between their parts.
[Vic] Winners will put their name on the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
and will also earn a future
NXT Tag Team title matchup against the current champions
if they still hold the gold, Oney Lorcan
-and Danny Burch. -[crowd] Oh!
[Wade] They must be watching this
very closely, sizing up the opposition
as we speak.
[Vic] And a cover, and another kick-out by Carter.
-[crowd cheering] -[Beth] GYV hoping to do
what they fell short of just by a hair
last year, 2020, to an odd couple Tag Team
sitting and reviewing their strategy
and trying to figure out what went wrong. -[referee] Tag!
[Vic] Revered Grizzled Young Veterans now,
well over a month talking about wanting to win this tournament,
trying to learn from their mistakes a year ago.
And as crisp as they've ever been,
-Gibson into the cover -[referee smacking]
-and another kick-out. -[crowd cheering]
But look at Gibson holding on to the shoulder
almost looking for a key lock,
another cover and another kick-out.
Zack Gibson not letting go.
Another cover by Gibson, another kick-out.
Gibson is keeping such close contact
to Nash Carter.
Carter can't gain any momentum.
[Wade] That's the smart technical side
of Zack Gibson,
often lost with his big mouth approach and his nasty, gnarly look.
He's a hell of a technician when in there, never giving his opponent an inch.
[crowd thumping]
-[Vic] Oh! -[Beth] Well,
especially opponents like MSK
that need that high-flying style
-[referee] Tag! -[Beth] to get through this matchup.
Grounding Carter right here is the best thing GYV can be doing.
-[Vic] Carter holding on-- -[loud smack]
Oh! Caught Drake for a moment.
Gibson now. Up and over goes Carter, and--
-[loud smack] -Carter just got depleted!
-[thud] -In the center of the ring.
Drake quickly into the cover
to win the men's Dusty Classic
[referee smacking]
[Vic] and another kick-out by Nash Carter.
But Beth, how much can Carter have left?
I mean Wes Lee is waiting patiently
to get back in this match.
[Beth] Well, I'll show this. Boom, right here, a clothesline from hell.
But Drake getting a little bit flustered,
a little bit frustrated.
We've seen this temper come out on him before.
He needs Gibson to keep this team on track.
-[Carter punches] -Well Carter now,
doing whatever he can to finally get out of the corner
of the Grizzled Young Veterans
because Carter
is in a world of trouble if he doesn't make a tag soon.
Carter switching gears! Able to switch the suplex
and now the door has opened for Nash Carter.
[Wade] Yeah, of course, the fresh man,
Wes Lee, on the apron, wants in there in the worst way possible.
And this is a chance,
James Drake headed over, a tag-- Wait a second.
[Vic] Wait a minute! Gibson running interference.
-[crowd booing] -Wes Lee having none of it.
[Wade] Gibson clearly knew that James Drake
wasn't gonna make the tag in time
got involved in there.
-[Beth] Oh! -[Vic] Wait a minute.
The referee distracted by Lee--
-[passionately] From behind! -[crowd] Oh!
Referee did not see the double team.
[Wade] Dropkick flat line. This could be it!
[Vic] Not like this. -[crowd counting]
And Carter kicks out.
[crowd cheering]
Maximum skulduggery from the Grizzled Young Vets
within an inch of winning the Dusty Cup.
[Gibson unintelligible]
[crowd chatter]
[referee] Let's go.
[Vic] Gibson shouting to Drake. Grizzled Young Veterans,
Beth, really can taste the Dusty Cup.
[wrestlers grunting]
[Beth] Yeah.
And you see the systematic brutality
right here from Drake just hammering away
-at the neck of Carter. -[crowd booing]
[Carter whimpering]
[crowd booing]
[Vic] And there again Lee,
and you can feel the anger building in Wes Lee.
That's not just his tag team partner,
Beth, as you pointed out,
that's his family, his brother.
That's his best friend in there.
[Beth] Such a connection and a rapport
living their dream together side-by-side.
And you see Lee pacing that apron
like a tiger.
[crowd thumping supportively]
[grunting]
[Lee] There you go!
There you go!
Fight!
-[crowd] Oh! -[Drake grunts]
[Vic] And Lee trying to woo Carter
-back to his feet. -[wrestlers grunting]
Carter can hear Lee.
He doesn't necessarily know
where Lee's at right now because Carter
has been turned around in this matchup.
-[Vic] Tag! -[Beth] And Grizzled Young Veterans
doing what they do best which is cutting off the ring,
keeping Carter in dangerous waters.
-[Vic] Whoa! -[Beth] Whoa!
Carter underneath the spinning heel kick.
[Wade excitedly] There's the tag!
Here's the fresh man! Wes Lee in there, exploding as you would imagine!
[Vic] And Wes Lee hits anything
that's moving right now.
Lee taking out James Drake.
Lee focused on the outside. He's got
a lot of pent up aggression and wants it out.
[Beth] Lee exploding like a coiled spring
and here's that innovative offense
that we've been waiting for.
Snapmare off the dropkick.
And Lee…
realizing Grizzled Young Veterans are taking a hike.
But Lee's gonna meet them
on top of the mountain!
[audience roars excitedly]
[audience clapping and cheering]
[loud anger punches]
[crowd screams excitedly]
[Wade] There is no angle for which
this man, Wes Lee, cannot attack.
There is nowhere to hide in this arena.
[Vic] Lee feeding off the energy.
This indeed is awesome.
[excitedly] This indeed could be the moment!
-MSK! Into the cover. -[referee smacking]
Hook of the leg and…
Oh!
[Wade] How did that not put him away?
[woman in the crowd] Come on!
[Beth] Look at this gymnastic, spectacular ability, right here,
of Lee landing on his feet,
maybe even tweaking his back a bit
but the springboard
unbelievable acrobatics here
across the neck of Gibson.
[Wade] How do you defend against that-- Oh, that's how you
defend against it.
[Beth] Get out of the way.
[Vic] Vanquished off and nasty landing for Lee.
Gibson the veteran
sees an opening and will always take it.
[Wade] Gibson was in trouble,
ever got by with a little help
from his friend James Drake
and this is your opportunity.
Gibson put it away.
[Vic] Gibson looking for a powerbomb instead
and shot face-first by Lee. [crowd cheering]
Who will win
the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic?
-Earn that opportunity at Tag Team Gold. -[Lee grunting]
-And finally we're seeing MSK
-[loud smack] -Able to work together as a team.
[Beth] Across the jaw of Gibson. And--
[Vic] Oh! Across the jaw of Drake.
[crowd thumping]
[Vic] You can feel and see Nash Carter.
Nash Carter trying to block out
some of that pain and Carter fired up.
-[Wade] What-- -[Vic] And guys
[audience thumping]
We've never seen--
[Carter sputtering] [unintelligible]
You hurt my neck!
Get up! Put your hands up!
-[smacking] -Fucking ready!
[Vic] We've never seen this side of MSK.
[Gibson feet stumping]
[Wade] This guy's out of his mind!
[Beth] He is fired up!
[Wade] Doesn't just do the place stuff,
apparently, ground and pound!
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Gibson able to get separation
for a moment, looking for a chop.
Carter able to duck out,
Carter now, off the top
all the way down with a cutter!
[crowd cheering]
-[Wade] Flying, twisted, got off there. -[Vic] Cover!
-[referee smacking] -[Vic] Hook of the leg.
Etch your name in history!
-And Gibson, -[crowd cheering]
[Vic] …at the last moment,
almost instinctively
able to kick-out.
[Wade] Oh, my word. What a sighting for NXT
these two have been.
MSK are blowing the roof off this place
but hats off to Gibson having just enough
in him to kick-out though.
[Beth] There is no quit in Carter.
-[loud smack] -[Vic] Oh!
And there's no quit in Lee.
There's no quit in MSK.
[crowd cheering]
From unknown…
to the biggest stage we have in NXT
in a very short period of time
trying to silence the doubters,
but now, Gibson somehow with a little
-[loud smack] -…flurry of offense.
-[loud smack] -[Vic] Oh!
[Wade] No one loves
a little rough and tumble like Zack Gibson
getting the best of Wes Lee here.
-[loud kick] -[Wade] So fast once again
from every single angle
no way of blocking them.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Wes Lee again going up and--
Oh! That time,
a running knee to the jaw,
-to the nose of Wes Lee. -[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Tag's made.
-James Drake's legal. -[Beth] Lee's hurt.
[Vic] And going to the top rope.
-Helter skelter-- -[loud thud]
[Vic] …connects from Gibson.
Four-fifty connects from James Drake.
[Wade] Picture perfect.
-[Vic] Grizzled Young Veterans-- -[crowd] One!
-…to win -[crowd] Two!
…the Dusty Cup-- And a kick-out.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd thumping excitedly]
[panting]
[Beth] Both teams
venturing out of their normal wheelhouses.
We're seeing high-flying maneuvers from GYV.
Aggression from MSK.
That's how much the Dusty Cup means to these two teams.
[referee] Zack! Zack get out of the ring.
You're not legal.
[Vic] This indeed is awesome.
It's all about the Dusty Cup.
Gibson and Drake
trying to figure out
maybe a new game plan for Wes Lee.
Looking around. I don't necessarily know
where Nash Carter went.
Carter got dropped early on from Gibson.
Lee might be by himself.
[referee] All right, let's go!
[Beth] This doesn't look good.
[referee] One!
[Vic] It certainly does not. Lee though able to roll through,
shoulders down, Gibson is legal!
and Drake just saved things for the Grizzled Young Veterans.
[Wade] Doomsday deVice
attempted there by GYV.
But now, nice and basic
punches to the mouth.
That is what Zack Gibson
does best.
Slow, methodical,
physical, human dissection
is what the Grizzled Young Veterans
love to do their opponents.
Divide and conquer.
And again, Wes Lee
is all by himself.
[grunting]
Goes up and finally there's Nash Carter.
Carter saving things for his team.
-Oh! -[crowd surprised] Oh!
Meeting of the minds so to speak.
-[crowd chatter] -[referee] One.
-[Wade] Whoa. -[Beth] Oh, my god!
[Vic] Over James Drake went Carter.
-Poison-rana lays out Drake. -[crowd cheering excitedly]
[Wade] Always jaw-dropping.
What a team.
[Vic] Jaw-dropping to jaw-jacking.
MSK to the top rope is Nash Carter.
Wes Lee's now legal.
-[crowd cheering] -[loud thud]
[Vic] Off the top goes Carter,
Lee trying to follow up now.
[Wade] Zack Gibson down and out.
This is it, MSK.
-[loud thud] -[Vic] Oh!
Human highlight reel!
[crowd screaming]
It's Wes Lee. Lee into the cover.
[Wade] This has to be it.
-[Vic] Count! -[crowd] One! Two!
[Vic] Oh, man!
[crowd clapping]
Jaws are dropping to the floor
here in the Capitol Wrestling Center.
[Wade] What else do MSK have in their playbook?
-[crowd thumping] -What on earth is it gonna take
to win this match?
[Beth] You see them making eye contact
and you hear the Capitol Wrestling Center
is stunned silence over what we've just witnessed.
[Carter] Come on!
[Vic] Can MSK
put the finishing touches
on what would be an improbable start
to their NXT careers?
Lee just got taken out!
[Wade] Perfect timing from Zack Gibson.
-[loud thud] -[Vic] And again, Carter all alone.
Gibson right here in front of us hoisting up Lee.
-[Beth] Whoa. -[Wade] Whoa.
[crowd chatter]
[Wade] Oh, no.
[Vic] What is going on?
-[Wade] Oh! It's over! Doomsday deVice! -[Vic] Incoming! Oh my God!
[Crowd cheering and thumping]
[Gibson panting]
[crowd chanting] NXT! NXT!
[Beth] Oh, my god.
Drake just folded Lee in half with that dive.
[crowd chatter]
[Wade] The Grizzled Young Veterans
bringing out the heaviest artillery of all.
they only bring that one out
-[referee] Four! -[Wade] in the biggest moments.
This is how they won the NXT UK Tag Championships.
[referee] Six!
[Vic] And this is how they've won
because they've divided and conquered.
And Nash Carter is all alone.
He has to fight by himself
and Drake from behind.
[Wade] Now, it's just a mugging in there.
[Vic] Tag was made.
Zack Gibson now legal.
[Vic] You're watching Carter
clutching at that injured neck,
the strained muscles,
in pain, barely able to stand.
[Vic] Oh, and Carter
trying his best.
Carter unleashing everything he's got left
right now in this moment for his dad,
for his family, for his dream.
And again,
gets cut off at the pass.
And one more time Grizzled Young Veterans
going deep into the playbook.
[Drake] Go, go, go!
[crowd] Oh!
-[Vic] Cover, -[crowd] One!
-[Vic] count, -[crowd] Two!
[Vic] Whoa!
[audience cheering and thumping]
Our official just showed us
how close that three was.
You could've slid a piece of paper
in between the official's hands.
[crowd thumping]
[Wade] Well, if the stakes can raise
your pain tolerance,
then the Dusty Cup
and the prospect of winning
is the only reason why MSK
are still in this one.
[Gibson shouting] You went in over your head,
-over your head, beyond your belief. -[crowd booing]
-[loud smack] -[Beth] Oh!
How disgusting?
-[Vic] Tag. -[Wade] Just slapping the taste
out of the mouth of Nash Carter.
-[crowd booing] -[Wade] Utter disrespect.
[Beth] What a poor sport.
[Vic] And now looking for
ticket to mayhem.
And where did Lee come from?
Caught Carter.
MSK double superkicks!
[Wade] Wes Lee saving the day there from Nash Carter.
Is this their moment?
[Beth] One thing is certain MSK's always got each other's backs.
[Vic] How is Wes Lee standing?
-Carter turning around. -[crowd cheering]
[Vic] And take a look at Wes Lee
[excitedly] jumping through the air!
Wes Lee's legal.
-[Wade] This is it. -[crowd] One!
[Vic] Into the cover. -[crowd] Two!
[crowd] Three! -[Vic excitedly] MSK!
[bell ringing]
Dusty Cup champions!
[female announcer] Here are your winners!
MSK!
Let the emotions go, boys!
You just made history.
[music]
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Everything Lee and Carter had gone through in life to this moment,
Beth, they said it was their destiny to win.
They went from the unknown to the improbable winners,
to the unbelievable effort to what we just saw tonight.
Congratulations MSK!
[Beth] Man, I can barely process what we just saw here.
GYV throwing absolutely everything at MSK.
You see this, going outside of their wheelhouse,
a 450 from James Drake still could not put away Lee.
[Vic] We saw everything in this matchup and even the unusual,
unorthodox, absolutely insane offense that MSK brings every time
they step into the ring.
[Beth] MSK defying physics at every turn, but it was the teamwork,
the teamwork that brought them to the pinnacle of this matchup,
the pinnacle of the Dusty Cup.
You see this, I can't even count those spins.
[Vic] Beth, a Hall of Famer, is speechless.
But also, give credit to Grizzled Young Veterans,
who, as Wade pointed out, pulled out all the stops in this matchup,
pulled out, as Wade said, the heavy artillery.
[Beth] And in this moment here, paying tribute to their icons,
their heroes.
And you could just see the emotion pouring out of Lee in that pitfall,
both of them.
[announcer] Here are your winners!
The winners of the 2021 Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic,
MSK!
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Nash Carter has a tattoo for his dad.
It says "legacy lives on."
MSK's legacy just starting to be built, as the son of a plumber
looks on proudly at the winners of this year's Dusty Classic.
[music]
Darkness cannot drive out darkness.
Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate.
Only love can do that.
[music ends]
[music]
It's like you guys weren't expecting me.
[music]
[indistinct]
[music]
[indistinct]
[music]
[indistinct]
[Vic] You're listening to Obey, "Bring me the Horizon" with Yungblud,
from the album Post Human: Survival Horror,
an NXT loud theme song for NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day,
available now on Apple Music and Spotify.
And I look around, guys, what a night it's been.
Oh my word. It has been off the chains so far.
And we've got more to come. It's crazy!
And we wanna welcome the WWE Universe in China
for joining us tonight at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day
and live on Tencent video.
We wanna wish you all a very happy Spring Festival.
More importantly though,
as happy as it is to talk about our NXT Universe in China,
we got to talk about a superstar who really is never happy.
[Wade] Well, I'd say nerves and tension are reaching a climax
at the Capitol Wrestling Center as Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch
get some last minute prep to their man Pete Dunne
ahead of tonight's main event.
[Beth] And, you know, Finn Balor's title defenses
in the past have been highly physical affairs.
He's well aware of what Dunne brings to the table
and is mentally prepared to enter that hazardous headspace
that he's gonna need in tonight's main event.
[Vic] But how about what we got coming up next?
Three women, one goal: to be the best.
But the question tonight is, who walks out NXT Women's Champion?
[music]
[Vic] Io Shirai continues to show there is no doubt
the NXT Women's Division belongs to her.
[man] The overall competitor of the year,
the winner is Io Shirai.
[music]
Io Shirai is considered one of the greatest talents
around the world.
Congratulations, Io Shirai!
Yay, champion!
Genius of the sky, Io Shirai!
[speaking in foreign language]
[cheering] Io! Io! Io!
Thank you to all of you for voting me the best of the best.
[speaking in Japanese] Thank you!
[Storm] Hey, Io!
As of right now, Toni Storm is back in NXT.
[Wade] And the Women's Division has been put on notice.
Toni, I don't have problem with you.
I just don't like you!
I am the one woman on this roster that she simply can't beat.
[Vic] That's Mercedes Martinez.
It feels real good to be back.
Io, you are on my radar!
[music]
[Wade] NXT Women's Champion, Io Shirai defends her championship
in a triple threat matchup against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
This is why I came back.
You ladies don't have the ammo to keep me down.
After this Sunday, get back in line because it's Toni time.
[speaking in Japanese] This Sunday at NXT Vengeance Day,
Io Shirai, and still… NXT Women's Champion.
[music]
[music stops]
[crowd booing]
[music]
[Vic] Beth, you know Mercedes Martinez better than us.
[Beth] Martinez, I've known her since the beginning of her career
and here at this moment in NXT,
she has done so much since coming on the scene.
Made it to the semifinals of the Mae Young Classic,
competed in the 2020 Royal Rumble,
headlined NXT TV in a steel cage match against Rhea Ripley.
Twenty years of an education in wrestling.
It can't be recreated by anyone
because Martinez made her way during an era
that had fewer opportunities for female competitors.
She weathered the storm then and I know she can weather the storm tonight.
[Vic] And she always been on herself and you brought up
the word "opportunity".
Really, Mercedes Martinez created this opportunity for herself.
[music]
[Vic] Well, we talked about Mercedes Martinez.
Is tonight though Toni's time?
[Beth] Well, Toni brought up the fact that, time and time again,
Io Shirai says "I don't like Toni Storm.
I don't like you, I don't like you." What does that mean?
Toni says that Io doesn't like her because she knows that
Toni Storm beat Io Shirai in the finals of the Mae Young Classic.
She says every time she gets in the ring with Shirai,
she comes out the winner.
[Vic] And again, this is a triple threat matchup.
Io Shirai does not need to be factored in the decision
to lose her title here tonight.
[music]
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] So to that point, Wade,
is this the greatest threat to Shirai's reign as champion?
[Wade] Well, I always count Shirai out and I always live to eat my words.
but tonight may well be different.
I am speaking from the perspective of a man
who has lost an Intercontinental Championship
through a triple threat matchup.
The problem with these matchups is there are so many variables
you cannot control. It's impossible to strategize.
It cost me back in 2013 and it may well cost Io Shirai
her championship tonight.
[Beth] Wade, I've been in a high stakes triple threat matchup as well
and I know the sting of not being pinned or submitted
and still walking away the loser.
Io Shirai could find herself in that situation.
[Vic] And of course, Shirai won the title in a triple threat match
beating Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.
And on that night, Shirai did not pin the champion.
[bell ringing]
[announcer] The following contest is a triple--
[Vic] Oh, and right off, Mercedes Martinez
drops the champion but in comes Toni Storm.
[Wade] Yeah.
Not waiting for the ring announcements or the bell.
These ladies wanna do battle immediately, get any kind of start they can.
[Vic] Martinez taking out Storm.
Mercedes Martinez coming in with a game plan as you mentioned,
20 years waiting for this moment.
[Beth] Yeah. And Mercedes Martinez didn't--
-[Vic] Oh, cover by Shirai. -[Beth] Whoa.
She didn't walk into NXT to not be a threat.
She came here to get the job done.
She's sick of waiting and she's putting in her time
and she believes her time is right now.
[Vic] Shirai trying to stay one step ahead of Martinez,
but right away, Toni Storm from behind.
And Mercedes Martinez has said it's Toni Storm
who continues to live in the past.
[Beth] And Toni Storm looking toward the future in this moment,
wanting to change the trajectory of her career
by changing her attitude and the way she--
[Vic] Whoa.
-[Beth] Approaches her career. -[Vic] Go-behind.
Io Shirai taking out Storm.
Storm comes back right in. Toni dropped face first.
And there's no doubt, Wade,
Io Shirai has made this women's division hers.
[Wade] Of course. She has been so dominant since winning that championship
and what a statement it will be to beat two of the hottest contenders
here in NXT in one fell swoop.
[Vic] Shirai won the title in June and in July beat Sasha Banks
at the great American Bash.
Part of the reason why Io Shirai was the overall competitor of the year
in NXT in 2020.
And now gets caught by Storm, Storm walking
Io Shirai to the middle of the ring. Shirai able to land on her feet.
And a boot right to the jaw of Shirai.
Storm now charging right in on the champion.
And there's Martinez.
And Mercedes Martinez, the wily veteran,
picking her spots accordingly but take a look at this offense.
Oh!
[Beth] There's no substitute for experience, Vic.
Martinez laying back and looking for that opening.
If she could decimate Storm in this moment,
she could focus her attention on Io Shirai.
[Wade] Perhaps the smartest thing you can do is play possum on the outside
and let your two opponents tear each other to shreds.
[Vic] Martinez not realizing
and there goes the Moonsault by Shirai. No one there.
[Beth] And Martinez had suffered a black eye from the Moonsault
on the last episode of NXT TV.
And she wasn't about to let that happen again.
[Vic] Absolutely not. She saw that movie before
and did not wanna see the sequel,
as Martinez, Wade, to what you said earlier,
focused now on one superstar.
[Wade] Learning from former mistakes and this is your best chance at winning,
hoping one superstar, Io Shirai takes herself out…
[Vic] Championship on the line. Storm.
[Wade] …and turn this into a simple one-on-one matchup.
Although Toni Storm as an opponent is never simple.
[Vic] Remember when it was Martinez who said she returned for the title.
I mean, Wade, we were sitting right here.
Martinez, who falls into the cover, hooks the leg once again
and another kick-out by Storm.
We witnessed Martinez leave Io Shirai at our feet.
[Wade] It was right before our very eyes, smashed her,
jumped her from behind and through our announce table,
causing absolute chaos here at the CWC
and shaking up the women's division in the process.
Well, look at her now at work.
[Vic] Big suplex and now, Martinez with a quick swing of the hips,
rotating through.
[Beth] Some beautiful three amigos, shades of Eddie Guerrero.
[Vic] Storm though with a counter, able to go from behind.
Shirai, the genius of the sky, launching through the air.
[Wade] Just when you least expect it, here is the third member of this matchup.
[Vic] Shirai charging in, double knees right to Martinez.
Picking up some more momentum.
Charging in, gets caught and planted.
[Wade] Big boss man slam there from Toni Storm,
beautifully executed.
And now it's Storm charging in on the champion,
turns around, gets caught and spine buster by Martinez.
Martinez into the cover for the title and again,
Storm able to kick out at two.
[Beth] And these are perfect examples of the challenge
of being in a triple threat matchup.
You have your focus, your attention, your eyes on one opponent
and meanwhile the other one is just waiting to level you.
Take a look at this right here.
Mercedes Martinez did not lie in wait for Toni Storm
and this match was almost over in a blink.
[Vic] But we just witnessed MSK make their TakeOver debuts and win.
Could the same be said for Mercedes Martinez here tonight,
as Martinez looking to bend, stretch, and make Storm tap.
And if Toni Storm taps, Mercedes Martinez will become the new champion.
[Wade] Center of the ring right here.
Oh my word! And here is Io Shirai to break that one.
She realized if there was a tap, obviously she loses her title.
[Vic] Absolutely.
And Storm now getting right back in.
Another submission, this time a crossface, a crossface by Io Shirai.
[Beth] Trying to take advantage of the damage
done by Mercedes Martinez. Smart move by Shirai.
[Vic] And Martinez from behind, looking for almost a dragon sleeper
locking it on Io Shirai.
[Wade] Three-person hold. Who taps first?
[Vic] Who gets the win?
All three women tied up.
Mercedes Martinez on top of everyone.
Shirai releases the crossface
and Martinez now wearing down the champion.
Martinez trying to hoist up Io Shirai. Oh!
And Mercedes Martinez has been in control of this matchup,
has been doing everything, Beth, you stated she would.
[Beth] Martinez, methodical in her offense.
So versatile.
-[Vic] Oh! -[Beth] Quick movement there by Shirai.
A 619!
Shirai taking over here, shades [indistinct] mysterio
from the genius of the sky.
She has Mercedes Martinez rocking and rolling here.
[Vic] Missile dropkick by Shirai.
Martinez rolled all the way to the outside.
And much like we said earlier, Io Shirai now with Toni Storm one-on-one
but Storm back to her feet.
And for Toni Storm tonight, looking to become just the second woman
to hold both the NXT
and the NXT United Kingdom Women's Championships,
as Storm all the way to top rope perched high
and Martinez back to her feet and drops Storm.
[Wade] Superplex attempt there from Storm
but the big ol' lady in the matchup, Mercedes Martinez,
breaking it up, coming up with a game plan of her own here.
[Beth] And you could see the mind working of Mercedes Martinez,
always putting the puzzle pieces together.
[Wade] German suplex off the top rope release from Mercedes Martinez.
[Vic] But look at Shirai.
[Wade] Martinez is stuck in a tree of woe.
[Beth] I don't think Martinez knew Shirai was there.
[Vic] Shirai.
chop right to the neck.
Martinez hanging on. What's on Shirai's mind?
Double stomp.
[Wade] From the hanging and prone Mercedes Martinez,
caving in her chest cavity.
[Beth] Look at the angle of that German suplex
high on the shoulders of Toni Storm,
but Shirai, the double stomp across the sternum. Boom!
You see Martinez caved in. All the wind knocked out of her.
[Wade] All three ladies down at this point.
The question is: who can get to her feet first and capitalize?
[crowd cheering]
[Beth] A highly physical matchup from the start.
Something that we had been expecting has certainly delivered.
[Vic] Well, Io Shirai.
[man] You can't win out there, Io.
[Wade] Action once again spilling to the outside here,
right in front of our desk.
Io Shirai apparently in control for now.
Toni Storm gingerly trying to pick herself up
as the action continues here. Slap to the face there of Io Shirai.
[Vic] I think that was a closed fist by Martinez who hoists up Shirai.
And the champion in trouble, into some of that plexiglass barricade,
as gets caught and dropped.
All three women now to the outside.
And again, there's no count out, there's no disqualification,
triple threat rules.
[Wade] Oh my word, this looks bleak. What on earth?
[Beth] Storm's tearing apart our desk.
[Vic] Literally and figuratively.
[Wade] This place has been trashed.
The punk rocker apparently didn't like the look of your desk, Vic.
I'm getting back here.
[Vic] Certainly did not.
And now, I mean, what's going through the sick mind--
[Wade] I felt this thing wobbling when MSK hit it earlier.
[Vic] Right now, bad intentions running through the mind of Toni Storm.
Is Storm thinking of the Storm zero on the--oh!
DDT by Martinez.
What the heck is Io doing?
Io Shirai high in the air.
[Wade] She is out of her mind here.
-[Vic] Oh my. -[Wade] Get down--oh.
[Vic] Again!
It's all legal.
[crowd chanting]
[Wade] Toni Storm caught that one high and hard on the top of her head.
Clearly Mercedes Martinez catches but all three ladies.
I don't even know how Io Shirai is feeling right now
holding that arm gingerly.
[Vic] Again, Beth, take a look at this one more time.
[Beth] The height from which Io Shirai, throwing caution to the wind
and leveling the other two women.
Mercedes the first to stir, but what kind of condition is she in?
[Vic] Again, after what we witnessed in our opening matchup,
the crowning of the first ever Women's Dusty Cup Champions,
one more look at the best women in wrestling.
[Beth] And one last look there.
At an angle, you can see just how high the genius of the sky was.
[Vic] Oh!
Well, we just saw Io Shirai bounce off the steel steps spine first.
And the champion has been taken care of.
Are we on the verge of witnessing a new champion
crowned here tonight?
[Wade] The championship is up for grabs now
after the damage these women have already taken.
It really is not gonna take much to put this one away.
[Beth] Martinez quickening the pace here.
[Vic] Big knee under the jaw and Martinez, 20 years, her whole career,
her whole life has come to this moment here tonight.
Another knee under the jaw of Storm.
[Wade] Precision strikes.
Toni Storm cannot defend herself. Her hands were being held.
[Vic] Storm could be out.
Martinez with Io Shirai still on the outside,
could be closing in on calling herself champion.
-[Beth] Martinez maybe going for that-- -[Wade] That fisherman buster.
[Vic] Up and down.
Martinez into the cover. Title on the line.
Storm kicking out.
Storm not only keeping her own championship dreams alive,
also keeping the championship reign of Io Shirai intact.
[Wade] That fisherman buster has put everyone away, Beth.
[Beth] You can see the emotion pouring out of Mercedes Martinez.
Everything that she's been through throughout her career.
[Vic] Up goes Storm.
And again, Martinez looking to plant Storm.
Storm from behind, trying to roll through.
Oh! Huge headbutt.
Martinez rocked.
Storm looking for Storm zero.
This is how she's won the United Kingdom title.
Does she do it again?
Martinez kicks out, just kicked out.
Storm is shocked. Storm is shook.
Storm now trying to figure out-- Beth, what do you do at this point?
[Beth] Storm's got to follow up quickly, keep hitting hard, pin her again.
[Wade] There's utter devastation everywhere you look
in the Capitol Wrestling Center. I guarantee you,
there's devastation in the mind of Toni Storm
knowing that Storm Zero somehow did not win this match.
[Vic] Off the top rope, flying head butt to the stomach of Martinez.
Storm now crawling into the cover.
Do we have a new champion tonight?
[Wade] Oh! Moonsault from the top rope. Out of nowhere.
Io Shirai, the knee.
[Vic] Cover, count.
Io Shirai's reign continues in the women's division.
[announcer] Here is your winner and still the NXT Women's Champion,
Io Shirai!
[Vic] Beth, Io Shirai, again, proved she's the best in the world.
[Beth] We saw this spectacular action during the Women's Dusty Cup finals.
And I didn't think there was any way we could top it
but tonight's Women's Championship match, incredible from beginning to end.
Io Shirai, as always,
TakeOver is where it happens for her.
[Vic] You certainly can say that because Io Shirai,
much like we saw her in July, jumping off houses,
jumps off the trussing to our left.
But how about Mercedes Martinez, who was so close
to having that 20-year journey finally come to a championship reign.
Toni Storm just able to kick-out.
[Beth] Fractions of a second away.
We could've seen a new champion twice with Io Shirai nowhere to be seen.
Toni Storm almost doing the impossible.
[Vic] And while Storm was shocked, she would deliver this flying head butt.
And we don't see Toni Storm fly often, but when she does,
she was looking to make an impact.
But someone who's always flying through the air,
the genius of the sky as Io Shirai would hit
that patented beautiful Moon over Moonsault
to continue her reign of dominance in the Women's Division.
[music]
[distorted voice] It's ominous.
Intimidating.
Unforgiving.
The most dangerous stop on the road to WrestleMania.
-What the hell? -Are you kidding me?
-That is absolutely brutal. -Oh my god!
[music]
[Vic] Well, there's always news on the road to WrestleMania
and how about this news we learned earlier today?
LA Knight, the hottest free agent in all of wrestling signed pen to paper.
He waited for the ink to dry and then wasted no time
introducing himself to the NXT universe.
[Wade] Yeah, absolutely. What a huge pickup that is.
That is LA Knight here, unbelievable, signing here at NXT.
So thrilled to see him!
Welcome to NXT. It's time.
Yeah.
Oh, wait a minute.
Look at this awkward idiot standing here.
-Bar stool sports. -That's right.
Hey, I've got the scoop for you. Sports scoop.
-Tell all your friends. -Well, give it to me.
Make me go viral. It's right here. It's NXT.
It's LA. It's LA Knight.
Yeah. And what that means is right here, they talk about NXT.
They talk about NXT being the premier,
the greatest talent running around the world
is right here in NXT, right? Yeah.
And what that means is a stacked deck.
But while you guys are back there playing cards,
I just walked in rolling dice. Just like that.
Changed the game.
So what that means is every single one of you back there,
you talk about the North American title,
you talk about the NXT title,
Anybody walking around with those titles right now,
make sure you got your eyes open because I'm coming for you.
[Vic] Well, LA Knight will have his eyes on our main event
because the time is now.
Will the Prince's empire crumble
or will the champion again prove the world watches Finn Balor?
The Prince continues to reign in his kingdom of NXT.
[Finn] I put this red X on my chest
because I know I am the target.
So a little piece of adVice to whoever wants to come at Finn next,
remember one thing:
they stopped manufacturing the cloth that I'm cut from.
So whoever wants to step up--
[Vic] That's Pete Dunne.
Are you really gonna stand there, and question what's next?
You know full well what's next.
[Dunne] You told me.
A lot of people wanna face the champ.
Get in line!
Do you think I care?
When it comes to Finn Balor, I have no respect.
Well, I'm not waiting anymore.
[Vic] Three-on-one.
[Beth] Like a pack of hyenas.
[Wade] Oh!
Everyone in Europe wanted to follow in Finn Balor's footsteps.
Not me.
They see the poster boy, the European wrestling.
I see a geezer with a glass jaw.
[Dunne] You better hold on to that championship title
because the first chance I get--
[Vic] Oh, no. No, no, no, no!
--It's mine.
[Vic] Oh.
With a snap of the fingers, Pete Dunne has put himself
in the sights of the NXT champion.
I hear what Pete Dunne has been saying.
He doesn't respect Finn Balor.
But don't worry. The feeling's mutual.
But I'd be a fool to not respect Pete's abilities.
He's proven championship material.
But not against me.
Edge said it best.
I'm operating on an entirely different level.
I said it was inevitable.
[announcer] TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
Pete Dunne versus Finn Balor for the NXT championship.
That is intriguing.
[Finn] This isn't gonna be a passing of the torch.
This is gonna be a burning of the Bridges.
And I'm gonna smash your jaw back into a million pieces,
and I'm gonna break your fingers all over again.
At Vengeance Day--
you're gonna be in deep water.
I'm the threat to your entire legacy.
And you're gonna find out the hard way--
The Prince's kingdom--
[bell ringing]
that you can't swim.
falls.
[music]
You are the champ. You've got this, mate!
And he knows that. Just like that.
There's so many big fight main events.
You've got this, mate.
[indistinct] Come join us, mate.
World champs. Come join us.
You got this, mate. All night long, son.
As champion. All night long, bring it home, son.
Let's do it. Go on, mate.
[crowd booing]
[Vic] Well, here's a defiant challenger who has no respect for the champion,
and Wade, it was Triple H who told Pete Dunne four years ago,
"Make a name for yourself."
[Wade] Yeah. And let's face it, he has done exactly that.
Winning the United Kingdom tournament, building a brand over there,
becoming the NXT UK champion,
and then, meandering his way over the Atlantic,
and finding himself right here in the Capitol Wrestling Center.
Just a three-count or a submission away
from becoming the new NXT Champion. What a man!
[Beth] And to your point, Wade, I just wanna point out,
Pete Dunne is 27 years old.
You are looking at one of the best athletes in the world
in his absolute prime.
He accomplished all of that in such a short amount of time.
[Wade] He's done so much at the age of 27.
I really, really want to hate him, but I think he'd beat me up
if I said that out loud.
So, Pete Dunne, I'm backing you tonight.
-[Beth] You made a safe choice, Wade. -[Wade] Absolutely.
[Vic] The Bruiserweight said when he stares across the ring tonight,
he'll see a geezer with a glass jaw.
He may regret those words in just a matter of moments.
[music]
[crowd cheering]
[music]
[Vic] We know somewhere, Edge watching very closely
with a WrestleMania decision looming,
but it was the Rated-R Superstar who said Finn Balor operating,
Wade, on a whole other level.
[Wade] Yeah. And let's face it, Edge knows a thing or two
about operating on a different level.
Multiple-time world champion.
I'm sure he's watching this one very closely.
But it's true, the Prince Finn Balor has been on a different level.
The simple fact that he managed to defeat Kyle O'Reilly
after his jaw was broken at NXT TakeOver blows my mind.
What on earth will it take to beat someone like Finn Balor
when he's capable of that?
[Beth] That is when two superstars are in the conversation
for the greatest at their craft.
I mean, it sets them on a course that's inevitable.
And the athleticism of Dunne and Balor would definitely take the craftsmanship
of wrestling to the next level, and we get to enjoy it all tonight.
[Vic] This is Finn Balor's fifth TakeOver main event.
He's has the most wins in TakeOver history.
He has six straight wins.
But to make it seven, to make it a successful title defense tonight,
he must go through The Bruiserweight.
[music]
[bell ringing]
[announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the NXT Championship.
Introducing the challenger from Birmingham, England,
weighing in at 205 pounds, "The Bruiserweight" Pete Dunne!
[crowd booing]
His opponent from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland,
he is the NXT champion, Finn Balor.
[crowd cheering]
Back it up, Pete. Wait for the bell, guys.
[Vic] For the first time ever, Balor, Dunne, here tonight
in your main event of NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
And it's all about one thing, the NXT championship.
I just looked up from the announce table.
Balor and Dunne have not taken their eyes off of one another.
[bell ringing]
[Vic] And here we go. And you mentioned Finn Balor's last match,
[crowd chanting]
[Vic] And the crow geared up at a hundred.
And Balor and Dunne locking up.
But you mentioned Balor's last match, and he even stated,
he was so focused on protecting his jaw,
that he still feels numbness in,
that it opened him up further injuries, such as the injury to the arm.
[Wade] Yeah. And I could tell from my own experience,
injuries are magnets for more injuries.
You overcompensate, overprotect what is hurting,
and that throws you off balance, and causes other issues,
so hopefully Finn can ride that out tonight.
[Vic] Not gonna be able to make a mistake against someone one like Dunne,
and Dunne right away focusing on the left arm of Finn Balor.
And there's no way a 100% is Finn Balor coming into tonight.
[Beth] You guys are speaking about Finn Balor's injuries,
but let's bring up the point that he also was Victorious
in those matches that he was injured in.
I mean, Balor is able to weather the storm in every scenario,
and I think he's gonna pull it off tonight.
[Vic] But to that point, Beth, Finn Balor and his career in NXT
has just one loss on the TakeOver stage.
[Beth] When it comes to these big matches,
where all eyes are on him, that is when Balor is at his best,
but Dunne doing what he's best at, which is that joint manipulation.
[Vic] And quickly sensing it, Finn Balor just shot Dunne a smirk.
And Finn Balor, ever confident, does do his homework,
has scouted Pete Dunne.
[Wade] I told you, he's had his eye on this guy for 10 years.
Europe has been clamoring for this matchup to take place for a decade
when no one outside of Europe knew who Pete Dunne was.
Well, the world knows about him now, and now the world is getting this
on the biggest stage of all right here at TakeOver.
[Vic] I've had the opportunity to call most of Pete Dunne's NXT UK career.
I was there for the title defenses, his NXT UK TakeOver main event.
This is a different Pete Dunne.
[Wade] Absolutely is. Pete Dunne is someone who will trample over anybody
to get to the top, and tonight, my prediction is that he's gonna trample
all over the face of Finn Balor.
[Beth] Yeah. And adding to that, how serious he's taking this moment.
Pete Dunne is in the best shape of his life.
He is lean, that gas tank is full,
and he is ready to go the distance with Finn Balor.
[Vic] You know, Wade, you mentioned the world clamoring for this matchup
because we've heard Pete Dunne say that Finn Balor
has been running from Pete Dunne.
They never crossed in Europe. They never crossed in Japan.
Finally, it took right now tonight at this moment.
[Wade] Well, somehow, someway, Finn Balor moves house every time
Pete Dunne moves into a different global territory,
and this is the one occasion it hasn't happened,
so perhaps there's something to it.
[Vic] With the monkey flip, Balor though, hanging on to the wrist.
[Wade] Let me tell you, Balor is a very smart man.
He can size up the opposition very astutely,
and he realizes that perhaps the biggest threat on the planet
to his status as the number one in-ring competitor on the planet
is this man, Pete Dunne.
Because in my eyes, that's what this match is.
Whoever wins this has every right to say
they are the number one in-ring competitor on planet Earth.
[Vic] Speaking of the world watching, Roman reigns,
his special counsel, Paul Heyman, tweeting,
he, along with the universal champion, watching this match,
and at the eyes of the world right now on the black and gold brand,
as the best that do it in the main event.
Champion Finn Balor, the challenger Pete Dunne.
And Dunne now almost with the wrist. Balor quickly able to get away.
[Beth] I hope all of them got notepads and pens,
and are taking notes because we're about to see a clinic.
[Vic] And we have had a stalemate thus far.
[crowd chanting] Let's go Finn!
[Vic] You can hear the "Let's go Finn" chants raining out
from the Capitol Wrestling Center,
no doubt who the NXT universe is behind here in this matchup tonight.
[Wade] Slow feeling out process in this one so far.
Both men realize, of course, that one injury puts to bed
your opportunity to win this championship here, or retain it.
And I have to say, England versus Ireland is a sporting story
as old as time, and this is as spicy as they come.
[Vic] Right now, it's Balor just cranking on the neck of Dunne.
[Beth] Wade, you'll certainly show no bias tonight, I'm sure.
[Wade] Of course not. I'm an American now, Beth.
-[Beth] I forgot. I'm sorry. -[Wade] I'm still representing England.
[Vic] Balor running over Dunne, and right back into the headlock,
taking down the challenger.
And Finn Balor has done a nice job of staying away from the grasp
of Pete Dunne early on.
[Wade] Finn Balor done a great job of staying on top here.
He's got the early advantage for sure, and how much damage
he's actually doing to Pete Dunne at the moment?
Perhaps mainly frustrating him,
but Pete Dunne just needs one small window to turn this one around.
[Beth] And I'm gonna correct you, Vic.
You said "grasp", but let's say what it is.
The ultra-dangerous grasp of Pete Dunne, proficient at snapping bones.
[Vic] Off the tackle, into the cover. Hook of the leg, and look at Dunne,
trying to rip away at the face. Balor relinquishes.
Into the headlock, and Dunne now, countering Balor.
[Wade] And this is just old school mat grappling at its absolute best.
These two are like encyclopedias of holds.
And take a look at Dunne grabbing his own foot
to cinch the hold even tighter. Those--
[Wade] It's just superb technique, Beth.
[Beth] Beautiful, closing off the carotid arteries,
trying to put Finn Balor to sleep.
[Vic] And now, Dunne trying to continue to negotiate that free arm
to try to keep up the pressure, as Balor tries to take his fingers,
and again, that pressure now amped up to 10.
And you can see the face of Finn Balor starting to turn red.
[Wade] Let's not forget, he's applying that pressure
to the damaged jaw of Finn Balor, which clearly isn't 100%,
even though he's cleared for competition.
[Beth] Dunne very aware of what weaknesses
Balor is bringing into this matchup, as he has laid on them heavily.
[Vic] Right back. And again, focusing on that jaw,
and Balor with a little bit of a smirk.
[Wade] Yeah, begrudging respect.
That's what it is. It's "Hey, I knew you were good.
I didn't realize you were quite that good."
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Feel the energy again for this main event matchup.
And Finn Balor's jaw already being tested upfront by Pete Dunne.
[Wade] It's just smart strategy. Why wouldn't you go for that weak spot?
You know it's there.
You know it's already in the head of Finn Balor.
He's had issues there previously. He can't get it out of his mind.
He has numbness in there. Nerve damage. Go straight for it.
Shoulder shots right to the jaw of Finn Balor.
[Vic] And those shoulder shots, quickly, much like Conor McGregor,
recently in a UFC fight, trying to shimmy off Balor.
And look, those shoulder strikes, they're gonna leave a mark.
[Beth] They're intended to leave a Mark, and also drive the air out of Finn Balor.
Slow him down, so--
[Vic] Whoa, the fingers. The fingers being bent right now.
And the digits being bent back, and also, that left arm being focused on.
Pete Dunne finally has a grasp of the champion,
and the joint manipulation.
[Wade] Snapping those small joints of Finn Balor.
Finn Balor wisely attempting to get out of there.
And straight back into the hold.
[Vic] Right back into another hold, looking for a submission,
and again, it's Pete Dunne now who has found a way to get a hold
and bring the champion into his base, bring him down to his level,
as Balor able to find his way free, and right back on top of the challenger.
[Wade] Yeah, get a little rest by there.
He knows the second he lets go of Pete Dunne,
Pete Dunne is immediately gonna flip it around and take control.
[Beth] As the referee's position here, Finn Balor,
as he's looking to entangle the right arm of Dunne.
[Vic] And look at Dunne, trying to lock his fingers.
[Beth] Perhaps looking for that gable grip.
[Vic] And now it's Finn Balor, trying to turn over Balor,
and look at Dunne, able to roll through, looking for an arm bar,
and one more time, Balor able to hold his hands.
And now it's Balor that's playing defense.
[Beth] And you can see how Dunne--
-[Vic] Oh, the jaw! -[Beth] Simultaneously locking the jaw,
squeezing with his leg while going for the injured arm.
Dunne attacking both injured areas.
[Vic] And now it's Finn Balor trying to battle back.
Balor trying to find his way free.
His hands are grasped, but that bottom knee under the jaw,
and a little bit of respite for Finn Balor.
[Wade] Just brilliant defense there from Finn Balor,
keeping those hands locked,
but that knee drop on top can change things in a hurry.
And what on Earth is Pete Dunne attempting here?
[Vic] Dunne able to counter that arm, holding on to it, and Dunne now,
grabbing over to the right arm of Finn Balor,
trying to bend back the right hand, the wrist,
the surgically repaired shoulder.
Oh, Finn Balor! Is Balor gonna tap? We're in the center of the ring.
Balor has nowhere to go.
The fingers being bent.
[Wade] The fingers being bent,
shoulder labrum is being torn before our eyes.
What a torturous position Finn Balor finds himself in here.
[Vic] You can see the strain on Balor.
His face turning red, and the champion able to roll free.
[Wade] That one's left its mark, believe me.
Finn Balor knows he's in trouble at this point.
[Beth] The first moment of retreat from Finn Balor, as he grasps that arm,
and Dunne is not letting up with this relentless attack.
[Vic] Dunne rolled right back through, and again,
applying the pressure to that left arm,
and Balor trying to keep his shoulders up, but that opens up his jaw.
That opens up his neck.
[Wade] Every time you move in there, Pete Dunne sees himself in the--
-[Beth] The fingers! -[Vic] The fingers again.
Remember them getting snapped several weeks ago.
Dunne is focused in on his game plan.
The fingers are being bent.
Pain shooting through the body of the champion.
Balor trying to wiggle free, but there's nowhere for Balor to go.
[Wade] Limbs are just not meant to bend in that angle.
[Vic] Balor trying anything right now,
anything he can to relieve pressure somewhere,
but as soon as he does, Pete Dunne has an answer for it.
[Beth] Balor doing the right thing, trying to change the angle,
and roll into the way Dunne was bending the arm.
[Vic] Foot right on the neck of the champion, and now the elbow,
the point of the elbow, driving--
-[Wade] Standing on the jaw of Finn Balor. -[Vic] Into the ribs.
[Wade] Let's not miss that.
[Vic] And now trying to bend the arm back one more time of that shoulder,
the right shoulder, and trying to bend it all the way back is Dunne.
Dunne with his knuckles now.
[Wade] Yeah, this is the most physically dominated I have seen
Finn Balor in a long time.
[Vic] Dunne jumping up, and right into the ribs.
And you see Finn Balor, gasping for air, but if you're Finn Balor right now,
how do you answer back Pete Dunne?
[Wade] Well, that's the problem. You're constantly trying to play defense.
And when you're playing defense nonstop,
eventually you're gonna open up another opportunity.
-[Vic] Nice stomp by Finn. -[Wade] That could be the changing point.
-[Vic] That could be the opening. -[Wade] Nice and simple.
Stomp on the toe. We all learned that as three-year-olds.
[Vic] And now, into the leg for Finn Balor.
[Beth] Balor choosing a nice hold here where Dunne can't get a grip
of that arm or jaw.
Smothering Dunne's face down into the mat.
It's gonna protect those injured areas.
What do you say, Pete?
[Vic] And now it's Finn Balor on the offense,
looking for the submission, trying to bend now Pete Dunne.
And we asked what would be the best counter.
Maybe you fight power with power, so to speak,
and now it's Balor trying to beat Dunne at his own game.
And now it's Dunne center of the ring, screaming in pain.
[Vic] Wow! Look at Finn Balor, just trying to hyper extend,
maybe a knee, put pressure on an ankle as well,
because, Wade, as you just pointed out,
Balor is able to stomp on the foot and the ankle of Pete Dunne.
[Wade] This does two things. It damages the knee of Pete Dunne,
but perhaps more importantly at this point,
it buys Finn Balor a lot of respite from that offense he was sustaining.
[Vic] But if you're trying to break the hold,
you go right back to what got you to the dance.
And back to the left arm and the wrist that Pete Dunne got,
but wisely, Beth, Finn Balor closed that door.
[Beth] Yeah, and now, the momentum that Pete Dunne had built
has all but faded away, as Balor is starting to sink in,
and deliver the damage.
Balor has found his bullseye on Pete Dunne,
trying to turn Balor over into the single crab.
Right now, it's Dunne doing a nice job
of keeping his body in position, not to get turned over all the way.
And now Finn Balor switching strategies.
And this is what has made Finn Balor a champion.
[grunting]
[Vic] The ability to switch in a moment's notice.
[Beth] Now Balor targeting that foot like you mentioned, guys,
I mean, the delicate bones of the foot
could've been fractured by that stomp earlier.
[Vic] And Dunne punching Balor right in the ear,
going across the jaw. And again, it's Dunne holding on to the jaw of Balor.
Balor continuing to fight through, and how hard is it right now, Wade,
for Finn Balor to block out some of this pain?
[Wade] Well, here's the deal.
This has really been a match so far, that's been a slow burn.
It's been about incremental progress for both men.
I would say that getting the best of it so far has been Pete Dunne.
And if Finn Balor cannot turn this around quickly,
he's gonna run the risk of losing that NXT championship.
[Vic] And that forearm across the jaw of Balor, as again,
Dunne trying to grab the left wrist of Finn.
And it's a front face lock now.
And Wade, you've pointed out early on in this matchup
that the human game of chess that we're witnessing
is now deep in that guillotine, deep in the guillotine goes Dunne.
[Wade] Yeah. These are not neutral moves.
They're slowly softening up Finn Balor,
but that was nothing slow about that one. This could do it.
[Vic] Into the cover goes the challenger, and a kick out by Balor.
And I don't know if Pete Dunne's knee gave out
when he tried to execute that suplex or not.
Take a look one more time, Beth.
[Beth] Yeah, it looks like Finn Balor slipped a little bit out of his hand,
but Dunne came down hard on that left knee,
as you can see, he clutched at it.
Balor able to kick out, but again, Dunne going straight back to that knee.
[Wade] Dunne is struggling to put any weight on that knee.
We need to keep an eye on that. I think it's the left knee.
But now we're going toe to toe, smash mouth wrestling.
-Nothing technical about this. -[Vic] Here we go.
And this is Balor able to weather the storm of the submission onslaught,
now trying to get an ankle lock in, and put the ankle into the turnbuckle.
What's on Balor's mind? Down across that knee once again.
[Wade] Yeah, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Attack my jaw, I'm gonna attack your knee.
[Vic] The prince's gone from defense to offense,
and he has set his sights now on Pete Dunne.
Balor, another take down, and again, Pete Dunne though getting both feet up,
shoulders down, and Balor, almost with a pinning predicament.
Dunne realizing it, h as to get his shoulder up.
And now it's Dunne, just that quick,
able to take Finn Balor over into a cover, and a kick out.
[Beth] Dunne a little slow to get up.
[Vic] Enzuigiri rocking the champion.
And the champion came right back. Big clothesline.
Into the cover to retain. Dunne able to kick out at two.
[Wade] Pete Dunne is having a ton of problems with that left knee.
He's having difficulty finding a base, getting any balance
when he's on his feet, and that is why Finn Balor,
when they're on their feet, is a step quicker now.
[Vic] NXT Universe inside the Capitol Wrestling Center,
our main event for NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day for the NXT championship.
It's Finn Balor, trying to beat down Pete Dunne.
[crowd cheering] Let's go, Finn
[Vic] And you hear, "Let's go, Finn," raining out.
And now Finn Balor, just feeding off that energy,
and that was a knee to the back of the neck.
[Beth] And Finn Balor now, his counter wrestling
might be the best in the business.
Balor playing the long game.
[Vic] And focusing right back in on the knee.
And now, crossing over is Balor.
Balor raining right back into the back of the neck of Dunne.
[Wade] Just pure punishment at this point,
while maintaining the grasp on that left knee.
[Vic] One more time.
And now, it's Finn Balor applying the submission,
trying to stretch, and Dunne's fading. Wade, Pete Dunne is fading.
[Wade] Yes, center of the ring. STF locked in,
stretching the knee, stretching the neck of Pete Dunne.
[Vic] Dunne in the center. Is Pete Dunne gonna tap out?
And Dunne again able to grasp the fingers. Can he break the hold?
Maybe he'll break the finger of Finn Balor.
[Wade] Wow.
[Vic] You hear Balor, you hear Balor yelling "no".
Dunne able to break the hold, and just stomped the fingers into the mat.
[Wade] That was horrific.
[Vic] The STF was a very calculated risk by Finn Balor,
who literally put his fingers in front of Dunne.
[Wade] I'm astounded if the fingers of Finn Balor are not broken off that one.
[Vic] Balor though has to block out the pain.
Finn Balor, whose welts starting to form on his chest,
continuing to bring it to Dunne.
And Pete Dunne has talked a lot into this matchup.
Finn Balor's heard enough.
Finn Balor wants to prove himself, even more to the world tonight.
[Beth] Well, it's the reason Finn Balor came back to NXT.
He loves wrestling, and wants to wrestle the best.
He wants to beat the best, and that puts Pete Dunne
at the top of the list.
[Vic] And Wade, to your point, moments ago,
about the left knee of Pete Dunne,
Dunne almost couldn't even get across the ring.
[Wade] Well, that's clearly made this match do a complete 180.
The early goings, Dunne was in control.
Now, if you're a betting, if you're putting your money
on that guy, Finn Balor.
[Vic] And look, look at the eyes of Pete Dunne.
Dunne knows he's in for a war.
Oh! And Dunne fighting back.
Dunne now answering right back.
[Beth] That lit up Pete Dunne.
[Vic] Bruiserweight gets reversed. Bruiserweight running up.
But again, the knee, the knee giving out.
And a dropkick quickly, taking out the left knee.
And Finn Balor keeping his foot on the gas,
trying to hook up Dunne.
Dropping Dunne with a counter. Able to roll through on Balor.
Champion and challenger going toe to toe.
And literally, the toe gets caught, and now stomping away.
[Wade] Stomp to the face, and then, hitting the jaw with it.
[Vic] Balor could be out. Gets right back up.
that headbutt certainly hit the bottom of the jaw,
and turning around up, and powerbomb, sit down style.
Cover. Title on the line. New champion.
And no, again, Balor just kicks out.
[crowd cheering]
[Beth] That frenzied offense culminated with this huge powerbomb.
Pete Dunne almost had Finn Balor in the moment.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] This indeed is awesome.
This is the main event of NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
And Pete Dunne said all he needed was one opportunity
to call himself champion.
And now it's Dunne, trying to kick off Finn Balor,
but also, continuing to apply pressure and damage to the left arm.
What a technical masterpiece this has turned into.
[Wade] Both men just going hold for hold here,
the pendulum swinging.
[Vic] Oh, no, no, no, no.
Finn Balor's face just lit a bright red,
as Dunne right back, and a German suplex snap version.
Balor with his fingers out. Stomped by Dunne.
Bruiserweight, prince in his sights. Swing and a miss.
And back to the knee goes Balor.
Balor is chopping down Pete Dunne.
Balor keeping up the offense, goes a backstabber.
[Beth] But how effective is the grip of Finn Balor?
[Vic] No wasted motion by Finn Balor.
[Wade] A volley of moves from Balor here. He sees the end in sight. This is it.
Picking up this head of steam.
[Vic] Dunne, dropkick, into the corner.
Grip be damned right now, Beth.
Finn Balor is hitting out on all cylinders.
And look where Dunne's at. Look where Dunne's laying.
Balor, all the way to the top. Looking down.
[Wade] Coup de grace.
[Vic] Countered by Dunne.
Dunne into the triangle, trying to put the champion to sleep.
[Wade] The arm and the jaw of Finn Balor being squeezed,
middle of the ring.
NXT championship within touching distance of Pete Dunne.
[Vic] And Dunne swinging away on the champion.
[Beth] Desperation pounding at the head of Finn Balor
in that jaw and arm in an awkward position.
[Vic] Balor, last try, sees the bottom rope.
Sees his championship slipping away.
[Wade] Turns him away.
Beautiful. Back to the middle of the ring.
Can Pete Dunne exert enough pressure with that damaged knee of his?
[Vic] There's nowhere for the champion to go. And look at Dunne,
right to the forehead, right in between the eyes.
[Wade] The champ is fading.
[Vic] Continuing to apply pressure, and into that injured jaw again.
How much does Balor have left?
Balor with the sense of a veteran, reaching out.
[Wade] Inching his way to the ropes.
[Vic] Balor is out, but his foot is on the bottom rope.
[Wade] He's as soft as putty right now though.
[Vic] Dunne telling the official.
[Wade] He's out cold.
[Vic] Dunne sensing it.
Dunne trying to drag Balor back into the ring.
It's gonna be Pete Dunne's moment. Are we gonna crown a new champion?
Dunne trying to get the champion up, but--
[Wade] Dunne just remorseless, as the referee trying to get in there,
and check the champ over.
Oh!
[Beth] Balor saying he can continue.
[Vic] Balor, after that kick, getting hoisted up.
Dunne now, looking for the bitter end.
Countered. Countered.
Waiting for the 1916 is Balor.
But the hands, the fingers being bent. Knee to the stomach.
Balor now, trying to turn into--
[Wade] Abdominal stretch, middle of the ring.
[Vic] Trying to drop the challenger, and does.
And now it's Pete Dunne who's in a world of hurt.
Pete Dunne who's in a world of trouble.
Pete Dunne who could be tapping out.
[Wade] That left leg of Dunne hooked, grapevined, fingers caught.
[Vic] Grip those breaking-- the grip of Balor sliding away.
And now the fingers-- oh, no. Beth.
[Beth] The fragile bones of the fingers. Dunne has them--no.
[Vic] Oh!
[Wade] Nothing Finn Balor can do about it.
[Vic] Nothing fancy but effective for the Bruiserweight,
Balor almost out.
Nothing left in Balor, who's just swinging.
[Wade] He's got one good hand. Use it to full effect.
[Vic] One good arm dropping the challenger.
Now it's Balor, trying anything he's got left.
[Wade] But Dunne won't let go of that hand.
[Beth] Dunne clamped on it like a pit bull.
[Vic] A third time. And now Dunne through.
Balor with an elbow. Oh!
Dunne trying to hook up for the bitter end.
And is it the end? Is the Prince's kingdom down?
[Wade] We've got a new champion.
[Vic] Was that a three?
Referee saying a two.
Wow, whoa.
[Beth] Pete Dunne almost brought to tears.
You see here, always paying attention to the fingers.
Snapping the grip of Finn Balor,
and then, right here, boom, the bitter end.
Pete Dunne thinking that that was his moment.
[Vic] But it was not. Finn Balor continuing to fight.
[crowd chanting]
[Vic] Balor again,
getting stomped on.
Dunne looking defiant again into the face of the champion.
[Wade] Dunne utterly remorseless.
[Vic] Second powerbomb doesn't pay off--oh.
DDT by Balor.
Balor now with Dunne rocked.
Balor somehow is standing, somehow is continuing to move forward.
Sights are set. Dropkick enzuigiri.
Oh.
[Wade] Straight to the jaw of Finn Balor.
Perfect timing. The back of the neck.
[Vic] You got to be kidding me. There's no way.
Another bitter end. This has to be it.
Up and--no. Countered.
Up and-- down.
Balor into the cover to retain. Oh, my--
Somehow again, Dunne kicks out.
[Wade] But Dunne somehow clinging on to the fingers of Finn Balor.
Nothing he can do to get away.
[Beth] Dunne has destroyed the mangled fingers of Finn Balor,
and will not let up.
[Vic] How is Dunne holding on?
The wherewithal to continue to hold, and again,
stomp to the injured ankle by Balor. Oh, and again, the fingers bent.
Dunne, two feet to the back by Balor.
Almost instinctive again by the champion.
Balor pulling the Bruiserweight up.
[Beth] Balor using what's left of those fingers.
[Vic] Oh, wait a minute.
Balor just ripped the mouthpiece, the guard from Dunne.
[Beth] Removing all protection.
[Wade] Oh!
-[Vic] Double dropkick into the face. -[Wade] That could be a KO by itself.
[Vic] And now it's Balor to the top rope.
Coup de grace.
Balor got every inch of that coup de grace.
But Balor now, realizing, that may not be enough,
trying to hook in.
A 1916.
[Wade] Cover him, Finn.
[Vic] Champion into the cover. Hooks the leg to retain his championship.
This remains Balor's kingdom.
[announcer] Here is your winner,
and still the NXT champion, Finn Balor.
[Wade] If you wanna claim that you are the best in-ring competitor
on the planet, try and step up to either of these two men.
Pete Dunne was in it until the very end, but somehow that man,
big fight Finn, does it once again, retaining the NXT championship.
[Vic] Finn Balor, to put into words what he just went through,
couldn't even grip or hold on to his title,
as we take a look back at some of the action in this matchup.
[Beth] Balor essentially needing to use what was left,
the hooks forehands, and you see how it happened.
Pete Dunne here, snapping, snapping the phalanges of Finn Balor
throughout this matchup, the focus of his onslaught.
[Vic] It's absolutely hard to watch.
But Balor, the champion that he is, blocking out the pain,
going to places most men don't have,
that intestinal fortitude that makes you a champion,
hit the coup de grace.
And then, it would add in to his two favorite numbers
here on Valentine's day. 1916.
[Beth] You can call these two men, Rembrandt and Michelangelo,
because they just painted a masterpiece.
[bell ringing]
[music]
[Wade] That was one of the grittiest battles I have ever seen.
And Ireland may well have beaten England on this occasion,
but the real winners were the entirety of the NXT universe.
That was insane!
[Vic] What an absolute main event we just witnessed.
Finn Balor again, answers the challenge,
steps up to the plate, and retains his crown.
Wait a minute.
[Wade] Here comes the cavalry.
[Vic] Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, the NXT Tag Team champions.
Finn Balor has just been through a war.
[Beth] Finn Balor could be injured. His hands broken and swollen, and--
[Wade] Even I don't wanna see this.
[Beth] This isn't right.
[Wade] We need security out here ASAP.
[crowd booing]
[Vic] This is an absolute mugging.
[Wade] This is a travesty.
[Vic] It is, after a magnificent main event,
-and another masterpiece by-- -[Wade] Referee getting battered now.
[Vic] Pete Dunne, who just hit an official. I mean, come on.
When the hell is enough enough?
[Beth] Disrespect. Unbelievable.
[Wade] There's that shot to jaw, shot to the jaw.
Yeah, this is just cowardly now.
[Beth] Balor is absolutely helpless.
[music]
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Wait a minute. The cavalry's arrived.
Undisputed era.
Come on, let's go. Fight me, come on, let's go.
Save the big talk, guys. Let's do it. Come on in, and fight.
Come on, Danny.
All day, we got all day. Let's go.
We're tired of you guys doing this.
You're cowards. Come on.
Come on.
Come on!
Don't be a sore loser, Pete.
Let's go. They have no respect for you, man.
Let's go.
They have no respect.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] Plenty of respect being shown tonight.
-I respect you, man. -I respect you, dude.
You got this, all right?
Yeah.
You're a real champion, man.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] Undisputed era, standing--oh.
Hey, what the?
[indistinct]
Hey, hey, hey!
What the hell was that?
[crowd booing]
I understand that.
[Vic] No!
That's it, let's go, man.
[crowd booing]
Subtitles: Santiago de Pedro & Joice Buttenbender and fight.