With TakeOver: Portland only a couple of weeks away, NXT continues to bring the action. In addition to a celebration held by the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners, Charlotte Flair will make a rare appearance on the black and gold brand. What will she have to say to NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley following her surprise appearance on RAW? This, and more, will be covered in the Inquisition!
The show begins with the aforementioned celebration as Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle make their entrance. Not short on style, they make their entrance in a custom ride, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy resting on the roof. In the ring, Riddle takes the mic, saying their celebration continues tonight. He refers to their ride as the “BroserWeight Mobile.” Dunne says the last thing he expected was to be in a team with Riddle. “It was meant to be, bro,” Riddle responds. Dunne says that, at TakeOver: Portland, they will become the NXT Tag Team Champions.
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The Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish interrupt. O’Reilly says that they have disrespected the legacy of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. He says they won’t take until Portland, until Strong comes to diffuse the situation. Fish says they are bigger fish to fry than them. Riddle says, “Bobby Fish just said ‘fish.’ Pete, that’s hilarious,” the laughs continuing. “How many fish could Bobby Fish fry if Bobby Fish could fry fish?” Dunne says that The BroserWeights will smoke The Undisputed Era.
Match 1: Angel Garza vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Both men exchange quick strikes and holds, evading and countering. Garza catches Scott with a kick and attacks him in the corner. Scott takes control with a springboard hurricanrana. Garza reverses a dive, only to be hit with a kick to the face. Scott goes for a plancha, but Garza catches him with a kick to the head before we go to commercial. NXT returns to Garza taking control of the match before tearing his pants. Garza follows up with a superkick, but it’s only good for a two-count.
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Scott avoids a slingshot reverse DDT and hits Garza with a German suplex followed by a flatliner! 1… 2… Garza kicks out! Scott starts to take control, but Garza catches him between the ropes with a kick. From there, Garza and Scott exchange strikes. Scott plants Garza with a devastating slam for a near-fall! Scott goes to the top, but Garza catches him with another kick. From there, Garza flips off the top rope and throws his pants at Scott. In response, Scott hits the House Call! 1… 2… Garza kicks out!
The match when Garza hits the Wing-Clipper for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Angel Garza
After his victory, Garza takes the mic, saying he took out his cousin Humberto Carrillo and Rey Mysterio this past Monday on RAW. Garza declares he wants his NXT Cruiserweight Championship. He tells the current champion, Jordan Devlin, that he’ll be watching.
From there, The Undisputed Era throw their weight around backstage, bullying backstage hands while trying to find Tommaso Ciampa. Strong even takes to shaving the head of someone simply getting his haircut.
The show cuts to a video package highlighting Mercedes Martinez. “The Latina sensation is here!”
Match 2: Dominik Dijakovic vs. Killian Dain
Dain tackles Dijakovic into the corner, following up with shoulder blocks. Dijakovic avoids a running corner splash and hits a standing elbow from the middle rope. Dain clotheslines Dijakovic out of the ring, following after. Dijakovic hits a cannonball off the steps on Dain. While Dijakovic attempts a discus clothesline in the ring, Dain cuts him off with a running splash! NXT returns to Dijakovic fighting back against Dain, hitting a big suplex.
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Dijakovic hits a chokeslam bomb for a two-count. Dain catches Dijakovic on the top rope and lands a superplex! They exchange kicks, Dijakovic covering Dain for a two-count. Dijakovic misses a top rope moonsault and Dain follows up with a shotgun dropkick. After hitting a senton, Dain goes for the Vader Bomb. Dijakovic counters with Feast Your Eyes! 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Dominik Dijakovic
Post-match, Dijakovic is approached by North American Champion Keith Lee on the stage. They will meet at NXT TakeOver: Portland with the title up for grabs. The show cuts to the backstage area, where The Undisputed Era approaches KUSHIDA. They ask him where Ciampa is before matters get violent. The four-man group beat down KUSHIDA, Cole laying him out. They’re confronted by Bronson Reed, who Strong knocks out with a jumping knee. The Undisputed Era continue along their way.
NXT returns to a video interview cut with Johnny Gargano and Finn Balor, the latter saying he’s been waiting 4 years to get his hands on the former. Gargano says he’s not the next Finn Balor, but the first Johnny Gargano. Nonetheless, Gargano says he needs to beat the longest-reigning NXT Champion, Balor. Gargano says Balor needs this match and demands his aggression, not the guy who lost to Bobby Lashley weeks in a row on RAW. Balor says he will have Gargano’s last match of his life. Gargano retorts, saying he will drive the NXT flag straight through his heart. The interview ends with Balor saying he doesn’t have a heart.
Match 3: Mercedes Martinez vs. Kacy Catanzaro
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Martinez plants Catanzaro with a spinebuster for an early cover. The veteran proceeds to chop Catanzaro in the corner and follows up with a stalling suplex attempt. Catanzaro reverses, hitting a basement dropkick followed by a headscissors takeover. Martinez launches Catanzaro in the air. Catanzaro rolls through with a headscissors pin attempt for a two-count. Martinez catches Catanzaro off the apron with a forearm, sending her to the outside. Martinez follows, throwing Catanzaro about.
Back in the ring, Martinez hits Catanzaro with a fisherman buster for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Mercedes Martinez
NXT cuts to a backstage interview with Rhea Ripley, who challenged Charlotte Flair to a match at WrestleMania. The NXT Women’s Champion says her focus is on Bianca Belair, but “it’s nice of the Queen to show up.”
The Undisputed Era continue to walk through the backstage area. Finally, Ciampa jumps them, using the environment to his advantage. Ciampa stalks Cole to the ringside area, brawling all the while. Ciampa even takes to slamming Cole’s head against the announce desk repeatedly. The rest of The Undisputed Era blindside Ciampa, the numbers game too strong. The BroserWeights rush to Ciampa’s aid as several officials attempt to restore order. Ciampa, Riddle, and Dunne stand tall as The Undisputed Era back up the ramp. William Regal appears, the NXT General Manager telling all wrestlers they will face each other in tag team action later.
The brawl continues once more as everyone fights at ringside, on the ramp, and even through the crowd.
Match 4: NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Breeze
While Breeze makes his entrance, Devlin blindsides him with a dropkick off the apron. Devlin rolls back in the ring as the official checks on Breeze. NXT goes to commercial, returning to Devlin controlling Breeze in the match proper. Breeze starts to build momentum with a set of kicks. Devlin regains control, slowing the pace of the match. Breeze starts to work on Devlin’s leg, slamming it against the ring post. Back in the ring, Breeze continues to focus on the leg, Devlin reaching the bottom rope to free himself.
Devlin hits an elevator backbreaker for a two-count. Afterward, Devlin taunts Breeze, slapping him across the face. In return, Breeze lays into Devlin with several chops before nailing a dropkick. Breeze wrenches on Devlin’s neck. Breeze clotheslines Devlin out of the ring and follows after. Devlin leaps onto the ring apron and hits a running kick followed by a moonsault! Both competitors reenter the ring. They exchange strikes before Devlin catches Breeze with an ura nage followed by a standing moonsault for a near-fall.
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Following another commercial break, NXT returns to Devlin firmly in control of Breeze. Countering the Devlin Side, Breeze hits a series of quick strikes. Devlin nails Breeze with a flying crossbody, Breeze rolling through with a near-fall. Devlin hits a standing Spanish fly for a two-count of his own. Breeze counters a flying moonsault attempt and cinches in a single leg Boston crab. Devlin catches Breeze with an inside cradle. Breeze escapes and hits the Supermodel Kick! 1… 2… Devlin kicks out!
Devlin avoids the Unprettier but eats a jumping knee for his troubles. Following a slingshot cutter, Devlin covers Breeze for a two-count. They exchange strikes once more, Devlin catching Breeze with a headbutt. Devlin finishes with the Devlin Side for the pinfall victory!
Winner: Jordan Devlin
NXT shows Charlotte Flair emerging from a vehicle before making her way into the venue.
Bianca Belair makes her entrance. She takes the mic, confident she will become the NXT Women’s Champion. However, she takes umbrage with Ripley going to RAW to confront Flair. She calls out Ripley, but instead gets Flair, The Queen making her entrance. Flair grabs a mic as the NXT Universe chants, “Welcome Home.” She gives an “NXT woo” before addressing Belair, saying she’s an amazing athlete, but she isn’t Flair. She says that Ripley overlooked Belair, who made the situation all about herself.
Cue Ripley, who makes her entrance. Bianca stands between Ripley and Flair, the latter pushing “The EST” out of the way. Ripley says she will drop Flair at WrestleMania, Belair looking on with disgust all the while. Belair interrupts, saying Flair “doesn’t even go here.” She says that they will face each other at WrestleMania, Belair confident that Flair can’t whoop her. Flair says this conversation is for champions, so Belair should stand aside and fix her braid.
Ripley takes umbrage, telling Flair not to disrespect them. “We are NXT,” Ripley declares before Belair blindsides Flair. The NXT stars drop Flair before they stand off with one another. Belair and Flair back up the ramp, Ripley standing tall as the NXT Women’s Championship.
Match 5: The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, and Adam Cole) (w/Roderick Strong) vs. The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle) and Tommaso Ciampa
As The Undisputed Era make their way to the ring, Dunne, Riddle, and Ciampa jump them! They fight toward the ring. After laying out the others, Dunne, Riddle, and Ciampa attack Strong, stomping away on him. In the ring, O’Reilly attacks Ciampa from behind. After the bell sounds, O’Reilly continues his attack on Ciampa. Fighting back, Ciampa lays out O’Reilly with a lariat before tagging Riddle. O’Reilly escapes a flurry of kicks and tags Fish. Riddle and Fish exchange strikes until the former cinches in a cross armbreaker. Fish tags Cole, who walks into a kick by Riddle.
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Dunne is tagged in as he and Riddle hit tandem offense on Cole. Dunne attacks Cole in the corner. Cole escapes the Bitter End. Fish distracts Dunne on the apron, eating a moonsault for his troubles. Strong slams Dunne on the apron, giving his team the advantage. Cole stays on Dunne and tags Fish, who hits a senton atomico. Fish tags O’Reilly, who lays into Dunne in their corner. O’Reilly tags Fish, moving to another corner to attack. Dunne starts to fight back, hitting a dropkick to O’Reilly’s legs. Fish cuts off Dunne’s attempt to make a tag at first, but ultimately, Dunne tags Riddle.
Off the hot tag, Riddle hits a series of kicks and exploder suplexes. Riddle follows up with Bro-Tons and German suplexes galore. Following commercial, NXT returns to Fish in control of Riddle. They exchange forearms before Fish drop toe holds Riddle. Cole is tagged in and the NXT Champion cinches in a headlock. Cole tags O’Reilly, laying out Riddle with tandem offense for a two-count. Riddle starts to fight back against O’Reilly, who locks in a guillotine hold. They exchange German suplexes and strikes, Riddle capping off the exchange with a penalty kick.
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The Undisputed Era knock Riddle’s partners off the apron. However, Dunne tags himself in, attacking everyone in sight. Dunne stomps on Cole’s hands and hits a kick to the head. He then X-Plexes O’Reilly on Cole, who Dunne hits with another kick to the head for a two-count. Cole blasts Dunne with a running knee. Dunne catches Cole with a forearm. Cole counters with a ushigoroshi for another two-count. Cole tags Fish as he and O’Reilly focus on Dunne. Rolling to his corner, Dunne makes the hot tag to Ciampa.
Cleaning house, Ciampa even lays out Roderick Strong with a DDT from the middle rope. He then hits O’Reilly with Project Ciampa, Fish rushing in to break the pin. Riddle spears Fish, who rolls out of the ring. Ciampa allows O’Reilly to tag Cole, who slowly enters the ring. They begin to exchange strikes until the other participants get involved. Cole fires off a series of superkicks until Ciampa takes control. Strong rushes in to hit a leaping knee on Ciampa, the official calling for the bell!
Winners by disqualification: Pete Dunne, Matt Riddle, and Tommaso Ciampa
Despite the loss, The Undisputed Era continue their attack. O’Reilly and Fish lay out Dunne on the outside with Chasing the Dragon. They hit the high-low combination on Riddle. Back in the ring, Strong lays out Ciampa, The Undisputed Era taunting him. Cole retrieves a can of yellow spray paint as the other restrain Ciampa. Cole spraypaints a yellow “X” across Ciampa’s back before the others resume attacking him. “You are a joke, you are a nobody, and you are finished,” Cole trash talks Ciampa before lowering his kneepad.
Suddenly, the lights go out. Velveteen Dream appears on the top rope! The returning Dream attacks The Undisputed Era with a flurry of offense as the NXT Universe is firmly behind him. Dream superkicks Cole and performs the Dream Valley Driver on Strong! Dream rips off his tights to reveal another set underneath. These have the image of Dream with Marina Shafir and her and Strong’s child! On the back, the trunks read, “Call Me Marina.” Dream stands tall as NXT comes to a close.
