NXT Takeover London marks the first time that NXT has gone oversees and thanks to the WWE Network we can see it live. All three NXT titles are on the line today, with former friends Finn Balor and Samoa Joe facing off for the NXT Title. The most popular NXT tag team, Enzo and Cass, try to avenge the beating they took at the hands of NXT Tag Team Champs Dash and Dawson, while Bayley will defend her women’s title against the powerhouse Nia Jax.
Triple H kicks off the show, and he is looking pretty good after taking a beating from Roman Reigns on Sunday. Hunter says that wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last he takes a beating like that, but there was no way he was going to miss this.
Match #1 – Asuka vs. Emma w/ Dana Brooke
Asuka gets into the crowd chanting, “Asuka’s gonna kill you!” and nearly ends the match when she just misses a kick to the head to Emma. The two women trade arm wrenches and Emma hold herself on the ropes, which cause Asuka to crash and burn on a drop kick. Asuka and Emma trade hammerlocks, until Emma elbows her in the face. Asuka shoots off the ropes and nearly locks in the arm bar until Emma gets a foot on the ropes.
Emma rolls to the floor, but Asuka hits her with a hip flying off the apron. Asuka backs off Dan Brook, allowing Emma to regain herself in the ring. A drop kick send Asuka off the apron. Emma stomps Asuka into the corner and follows with a low drop kick. Emma covers, but can’t get the pin. Emma locks in an arm stretch. Asuka kicks out of another pin, but Emma clubs her over the back and then snaps her over. Emma kicks her in the back and takes control with a full nelson. Asuka powers out, only to get drilled in the back. Asuka is shot off the ropes and nearly gets a pin with a backslide. A short arm clothsline sends Asuka to the mat, but Emma still can’t get the pin. Asuka is whipped into the corner, but she springboards off the ropes and catches Emma with a missile drop kick. The two women trade blows on their knees, but Emma gets to her feet only to run into a drop kick. Asuka goes off with strikes and kicks and knocks Emma down with another hip attack. Emma catches a kick and then ducks a spinning back fist. Emma with a jackknife pin that Asuka kicks out of.
Emma sidesteps a charge and is able to lock in a tarantula. Emma breaks the hold and immediately follows with a butterfly suplex into the turnbuckle. Emma hits a low cross body, but still can’t get the pin. Asuka applies an ankle lock, but Emma tries to bridge out. Asuka counters that with a German suplex and then kicks Emma in the jaw. She covers, but Emma kicks out. Asuka applies the Asuka lock, but Emma won’t allow her to get it locked in. The two crush the ref in the corner and he goes down. Emma gets a foreign object from Dana. Asuka sees it and rips it out of her hands. The ref comes to and berates Asuka for the weapon. Emma rolls up Asuka from behind, but she kicks out. Asuka applies the Asuka lock, but Dana jumps on the apron and the ref doesn’t see Emma tap. The ref ejects Dana from ringside, as Asuka breaks the hold. Emma spins Asuka around, but Asuka is ready for her and nails her with a roundhouse kick. Asuka covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Asuka
Match #2 – Dash and Dawson (Champions) vs. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady w/Carmella (Challengers) – NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Before the match, Enzo cuts another promo on Dash and Dawson.
Enzo and Dawson face off to start. They tie up into the corner and break. Dawson gathers himself and the two lock up again. Dawson locks in a head lock. Enzo breaks the hold, but Scott shoots off the ropes and takes him down with a shoulder block. Wilder gets the tag, and Enzo plants him face firsts into the mat. Big Cass gets the tag and beats Dash into the corner. Enzo takes over and whips Wilder into the ropes. Dash is taken down with an arm wrench and then slammed into the turnbuckle. Cass tags back in, and clubs Wilder over the back of the neck. Wilder dodges a splash. Dawson distracts Cass, allowing Wilder to beat him into the heel corner. Cass comes off the ropes and catches Dash and Dason with lariats. He then picks Wilder and tosses him onto Dawson. Enzo goes up top, but Dash pulls his partner out of the ring. Instead, Cass just throws Enzo over the top rope to take out the champs on the floor. Enzo then slingshot over the top rope, but doesn’t realize that Dawson made the tag. Wilder tosses Enzo out of the ring and he barely makes it back before the ten count. Dawson works over Enzo, focusing on the shoulder. Dawson with a northern lights suplex, but Enzo kicks out. Wilder tags in and continues to focus on the shoulder. Enzo takes down Dash, but once again doesn’t realize he made a tag and Dawson comes in and kicks him in the head. Dawon follows with a slingshot suplex.
Enzo hits a knee lift and both men are down. Dawson makes the tag and is able to prevent Enzo from making the tag by knocking Cass off the apron. Dash and Dawson hit Enzo with a gourd buster, but still can’t get the pin. Wilder sets up Enzo on the top turnbuckle, but Enzo counters with a DDT. Big Cass gets the hot tag, and unloads on Dawson. He misses with a big boot, but connects with the swinging side slam. Wilder breaks up the pin and Dawson hits Cass with a chop block, injuring his knee. Wilder locks in a reverse figure four. Enzo runs in, but gets leveled by Dawson. Cass gets to the ropes to break the hold. Wilder grabs Cass and Dawson goes up top. Enzo knocks Dawson off the turnbuckle and Cass nearly gets a roll up pin. Cass slams Wilder to the mat as Enzo goes up top. Cass launches Air Enzo and covers, but at the last minute Dawson pulls his partner out of the ring.
Dawson tries to hide behind Carmella, but she elbows him in the face. Cass attacks, but is slammed into the ring post. Enzo goes up top again, but is double teamed. Dawson tosses him off the top turnbuckle, allowing Dash to slam him into the mat. Wilder covers and gets the win.
Winners via pinfall … and still NXT Tag Team Champs: Dash and Dawson
Match #3 – Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews
Apollo and Corbin lock up and force each other into the corner. Crews takes Corbin down and he rolls to the outside. They lock up again and Crws reverses in the corner. He drives his shoulder into Baron. Apollo is thrown into the corner and ducks a clothesline. Corbin catches him with a knee. Apollo goes up and over and catches Corbin with a drop kick. He charges Baron in the corner, but Corbin ducks and launches him over the ropes. Apollo crashes into the ring steps on the landing and is down on the floor. Corbin tosses him back into the ring and beats Crews down in the corner. Apollo is flattened by a big boot in the middle of the ring, but Corbin can’t get the pin. Corbin lands a series of head butts. Apollo lands a kick is caught coming off the ropes. He counters into a small package and Baron kicks out. Corbin locks in a back cracker. Crews tries to breaks free with knees to the head. Crews pounds away at Corbin, who scrambles out of the ring. Crews takes him out on the floor. Crews is whipped toward the ring, but he leaps to he apron and answers with a moonsault.
Back in the ring, Crews hits a running clothesline and splash, but Baron answers back with the Deep 6. Crews kicks out. Corbin goes for the end of days, but Crews counters with a kick and hits a standing moonsault. Corbin play. Apollo lands a big right and goes for the power bomb. Corbin grabs the ropes and breaks free. He hits the Ends of Days out of nowhere and covers. Corbin gets the three count and the win.
Winner via pinfall: Baron Corbin
Match #4 – Bayley (Champion) vs. Nia Jax (Challenger) – NXT Women’s Championship Match
You have to love the European crowds. They are full on serenading Bayley with song. Bayley takes to Nia in the corner withe kicks and elbows, but Jax catches her on a splash and tosses her across the ring. Bayley tries a forearm shot, but Nia picks her up and drop her with a shoulder breaker. Bayley fights out of a sleeper, but Jax is able to keep it locked in. Bayley ducks a short arm clothesline and locks in a sleeper of her own. Nia breaks the hold by backing her into the corner. Bayley hits three running back elbows, but then has to fight out of a Samoan drop. Bayley targets the legs with a drop kick and then goes up top to hit another back elbow. She tries again, and Jax is still on her feet. Nia swats Bayley out of the air. When she goes to pick her up, Bayley locks in an arm bar. Jax is able to pick her up and perches her on the top turnbuckle. The champ knocks Nia to the mat and connects on a moonsault. Jax kicks out and sends Bayley out of the ring.
Bayley slides back into the ring, but gets planted with a Samoan drop. Jax still can’t get the pin. Bayley eats another Samoan drop and Jax picks her up, shoots her off the ropes and hits another one. Nia drops the leg and covers. Bayley kicks out, again. Nia splashes her in the corner and tosses her across the ring by her head. Nia drops a leg over Bayley’s shoulder and then hit three leg drops in a row. Bayley still kicks out. The champ pulls herself up in the corner, only to get crushed by another splash. Nia sets Bayley up on the top rope. The champ locks in a sleeper hold and Nia can’t break free. Jax staggers in the middle of the ring, but then slams Bayley to the mat. Nia bends over and Bayley locks in the sleeper again. And Jax breaks the hold by slamming her to the mat. Nia doesn’t learn her lesson, allowing Bayley to lock in the sleeper. Nia drops to one knee and falls to her back. Nia sits up, but Bayley has the hold locked in tight. Jax fights, but eventually taps out.
Winner via submission … and still NXT Women’s Champion: Bayley
Match #5 – Finn Balor (Champion) vs. Samao Joe (Challenger) – NXT Championship Match
Joe and Finn size each other up, circling each other in the ring. Balor lands a kick that sends Joe across the ring. Balor follows with a drop kick that sends Joe to the floor. Finn then flies through the ropes to land another kick. Joe tries to regroup, but Balor chases him down the walkway and drop kicks him into the ring steps. Finn misses on the foot stomp from the apron and Joe answers with by slamming the champ to the floor.
Balor gets rolled back into the ring and Joe elbow him in the head. He then goes to work with fists in the corner. Joe crushes Balor in the corner and quickly kicks him in the head. Balor answer back by trading forearm shots, but is sent to the mat again with a clothesline. Joe drops a knee and covers. Balor kicks out. Joe beats Finn in the corner again. The two trade blows again, until Joe kicks Finn in the face. The champ rolls away from a senton, but gets chopped out of the air trying to come over the top rope. Joe takes out Balor with a suicide dive through the ropes.
Joe makes a cover in the ring and Balor kicks out again. Joe hits a powerbomb and makes the pin but then locks a cross face. Balor counters into a pin, but Joe flips back over into the hold. The champ finally gets a foot on the ropes to break the hold. Finn ducks a short armed clothesline and counters with a DDT. Balor gets a foot up in the corner and then takes him down with a flying forearm. The champ hits chops corner to corner, but runs into a back elbow. Joe goes up top, where Balor catches him with a enziguri. Joe falls to the floor. The champ flies over the top rope and connects with a swanton. Joe is rolled back into the ring and Balor hits the Coup de Grace onto the back. He covers and Joe kicks out.
Balor kicks Hoe in the head and hits the sling blade. Joe blocks the drop kick and hits a senton. Joe sets up the Muscle Buster, but Finn slides out and nearly gets a pin. Balor with a Pele kick and both men are down. Hoe quick jabs, but Finn answers back with forearm shots. Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch. Balor breaks the hold by running to the corner. Joe locks it in again. Balor counters by rolling through and hit a double foot stomp. Balor hits the sling blade and follows with a running drop kick. Joe stays on his feet. The champ ducks a clothesline and Balor drop kicks him in the back into the corner and Joe goes down. Balor climbs the turnbuckle and Joe catches him with an enziguri. Joe looks for the Muscle Buster, but Balor knocks him to the mat and hits the Coup de Grace. Finn covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall … and still NXT Champion: Finn Balor
After the match, Balor stands in the ring victorious.
Dale Plummer has been writing for SLAM! Wrestling since 2003. Follow Dale on Twitter @DPlummer627.
