Tonight could be one of the biggest night for NXT before TakeOver: Brooklyn. Former NXT Women’s Champion Bayley will face Alexa Bliss, who only gets better and better. Also, The Revival will defend their NXT Tag Team Championships against the former champions, American Alpha, in a 2-out-of-3 falls match. Will there be a new #1 Contender to Asuka’s NXT Women’s Championship, and what will the state of the tag team division be after tonight?
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
As said above, Alexa Bliss is only getting better in her time in NXT. Bliss competed in the triple threat match that Nia Jax won to become the #1 Contender for the NXT Women’s Championship. Bliss lost the match, but it was Carmella who was pinned. Bliss then challenged Carmella to a match that she won to prove that she is the superior Superster (at least for now). Bliss’s current run in NXT would benefit greatly from a victory tonight over the former NXT Women’s Champion.
Bayley was only medically cleared to compete two weeks ago, when she defeated Deonna Purrazzo in her return match. Bayley has a rematch clause to cash in on Asuka, and a win over Bliss is needed for Bayley to prove herself in the ring and build much needed momentum.
Alexa Bliss takes a little too much time in trying to put Bayley away, and Bayley takes advantage. Bayley hits Bliss with the Bayley-to-Belly for the victory. Winner: Bayley
After the match, Bayley says that she is ready to pursue the Women’s Championship again when she is interrupted by the woman who put her out of action, Nia Jax. Neither of them pick up a microphone to speak, but it seems that a match between the two will be in the near future.
Blake & Murphy vs. Hype Bros
Blake and Murphy have had no success since losing the NXT Tag Team Championships. They lost the titles, Alexa Bliss, and just about every match they have been in.
Before anything really gets going, Rhyno returns to NXT out of nowhere and hits everyone but Murphy with a Gore. Result: No Contest
The Revival (c) vs. American Alpha – 2-out-of-3 Falls Match (NXT Tag Team Championship)
The Revival is the only team in NXT history to hold the Tag Team Championships twice. American Alpha looks to change that tonight by becoming the second team to hold the belts in two different reigns. This match is a culmination of a feud that has lasted since before NXT TakeOver: Dallas. The Revival won the titles from American Alpha at TakeOver: The End (of the Beginning), and plan to secure their spot as the top tag team in NXT.
In a 2-out-of-3 falls match, the team to score two falls first wins. This includes pinfall, submission, disqualification, and count-out. With two falls in mind, there are multiple ways to go about it. American Alpha will probably take the clean route and just try and get two standard falls on the champions. The Revival, however, can use a similar strategy that Brock Lesnar used in his classic Iron Man match against Kurt Angle. Lesnar gave up a fall by purposely getting disqualified, but it worked out in the long run since Angle was never close to 100% for the rest of the match.
Jason Jordan locks in the Ankle Lock on Dash Wilder while Gable keeps Dawson out of the ring to pick up the first fall. First Fall Winner: American Alpha (AA: 1, Revival: 0)
Very briefly after the first fall, the NXT Tag Team Champions lock in a submission of their own to even things up. Second Fall Winner: The Revival (AA: 1, Revival: 1)
The Revival knock out Jordan at ringside, giving them the ability to double team on Gable. After they hit Shatter Machine on Gable on the apron (which shouldn’t change the move’s impact at all), Dawson covers Chad Gable to pick up the victory and retain the NXT Tag Team Championships. Winners, and STILL NXT Tag Team Champions: The Revival
