Welcome to Blackpool, where tonight Tommaso Ciampa faces the monumental task of finding a way to defeat WALTER. Plus, Jack Gallagher challenges Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship, Io Shirai vs Dakota Kai, Matt Riddle vs Drew Gulak and an exciting collision between Moustache Mountain and the Grizzled Young Veterans for the NXT Tag Team Championships!
Universe Mode
NXT Takeover: Blackpool
June 9th, 2019
Location: Blackpool, ENG
Moustache Mountain(c) vs Grizzled Young Veterans- NXT Tag Team Championship Match
James Drake and Zach Gibson did not appeal themselves to the crowd early on, using a lot of strikes and rest holds to wear down the champions. Gibson was particularly dominant early on, as his size advantage proved to be a huge obstacle for Tyler Bate and Trent Seven to overcome. After Bate took a lot of offense, he was eventually able to tag in Seven, who upped the tempo. Seven got close to ending Drake's night with a big rolling elbow, but Gibson made the save. Both teams were now in the ring, and brawled to the outside, as the official began to lose control of the match. On the outside, Bate hit Gibson with the Tyler Driver '97! Seven then got Drake back in the ring, and hit him with the Seven Stars Lariat! As Bate began to celebrate on the apron, James Drake kicked out at two! It was a phenomenal show of resiliency from "Mr. Mayhem", one that earned him a ton of support from the Blackpool crowd. But Seven wasn't letting Drake back into this match. He lifted Drake up, and planted him with a Burning Hammer! That, at long last, was that, as the champions retained in a classic.
Winners and still NXT Tag Team Champions: Moustache Mountain
Drew Gulak vs Matt Riddle
Two guys that knew each other well on the independent scene gave us a high octane match with wall to wall action. Early on, it was Gulak who wore down Riddle after Riddle missed on a diving knee to the outside. Gulak was able to hit Riddle with the Southern Lights Suplex and apply the Gu-Lock, but Riddle quickly fought to the ropes. The "OG Bro" responded with a flurry of strikes, finishing off his rally with a top rope senton for a near fall. Riddle planted Gulak with a Fisherman Buster, before applying the Bromission, but Gulak was quick to fight his way free using his exceptional technical acumen. For a second time, the Gu-Lock was applied, but Riddle flipped his way free, before delivering a stiff kick to the back of Gulak. Riddle got Gulak up, and hit the BroDerek! As Blackpool got behind him, Riddle lifted Gulak back up, before connecting with the Bro To Sleep, ending another great contest.
Winner: Matt Riddle
Io Shirai(c) vs Dakota Kai- NXT Women's Championship Match
Dakota Kai had all the confidence of a champion tonight, and put on a great performance. At every turn, Kai had the champion scouted, countering so much of Shirai's offense. Kai's kicks gave her every opportunity to win this match, and she used everything she had in her arsenal. A new champion came close to being crowned after Kai connected with a bicycle knee strike, and then hit the Kairopractor, but Shirai just kicked out at two. Sensing just how much danger she was in, Shirai began to get desperate. The champion looked for every possible pinfall to just get the win, even putting her feet on the ropes during a roll-up, but none of it was enough. Kai dropped Shirai with a roundhouse kick, and went for it all, leaping off the top rope with a Frog Splash! But Shirai got her knees up, and Kai crashed into them, before Shirai turned the challenger's lights out with a superkick. With one move left, Shirai got all the hangtime she could on the moonsault, and it was enough to put Dakota Kai away.
Winner and still NXT Women's Champion: Io Shirai
Cedric Alexander(c) vs Gentleman Jack Gallagher- Cruiserweight Championship Match
Gentleman Jack was fighting for everything here tonight, perhaps his only chance at the title. Gallagher would take most of the biggest risks, including an incredible rolling senton to the outside and a top rope dropkick. Alexander was the more focused of the two, staying off the ground and using strikes to keep his distance. In the closing stretch, Gallagher went to his bag of tricks, hitting Alexander a set of brass knuckles with the official wasn't looking. That wasn't enough to get the three, and Alexander came to his senses just in time to avoid the Gentleman's Dropkick. Alexander drilled Gallagher with a discus lariat, and then hit the Lumbar Check to retain his title.
Winner and still Cruiserweight Champion: Cedric Alexander
Post-Match
After the match, a bitterly disappointed Gallagher made his way up the ramp, only to be ambushed by a hooded assailant! This mystery figure knocked Gallagher out by slamming his face on the floor, before charging the ring! Alexander, caught off guard, threw the first strike, but the mystery man dodged it, before hitting the Cruiserweight Champion with the End of Heartache! It's Roderick Strong! As Triple H rushed out from the back, trying to regain control, Strong ran for it and escaped into the crowd, taunting the NXT General Manager as he left the building.
Tommaso Ciampa(c) vs WALTER- NXT Championship Match
If Tommaso Ciampa wanted to keep Goldie on his shoulder after tonight, he was going to have to survive the toughest test of his life. For over 20 painful minutes, WALTER took apart the NXT Champion, using a combination of power, technique and brutality. WALTER would apply multiple armbars, multiple triangle chokes and many different head locks, all used to drain the life out of the champion. WALTER would even hit Ciampa with a superplex to the floor, an absolutely insane spot that had Blackpool going wild. But throughout all the punishment, Ciampa never gave up and never surrendered, desperate to leave champion. Ciampa used his taped right fist to draw blood from the challenger, a cut which got a lot worse that more the match went on. Ciampa would score a few near falls with a spike DDT and his sliding knee strike, but it would take more to put WALTER away. After escaping yet another armbar, Ciampa hit another sliding knee strike, and looked to do the impossible, trying to hit WALTER with Project Ciampa! But WALTER was simply too big, powering his way free. With both men completely exhausted, one big move was going to decide this match. WALTER went for the powerbomb, but Ciampa countered! The champion climbed up top, measuring for a big chance..................and hit WALTER with a diving DDT! A new move out of the arsenal, and WALTER was now in a bad state gushing blood. Ciampa signaled for the end, slowly lifted WALTER up into the air, and brought him back down to hit Project Ciampa! 1..................2.....................3!
Winner and still NXT Champion: Tommaso Ciampa
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