NXT Takeover New Orleans kicks off four straight days off WWE with another stacked card. Both the NXT Title and NXT Women’s Titles are being defended, while Adam Cole is pulling double duty in the two other title matches. Cole and five other superstars are vying for the newly minted North American title in a six man title match and the Cole must defend the NXT Tag Team title in a triple threat match. Most importantly, though, Johnny Gargano’s career is on the line as he finally gets his hands on his former best friend, Tommaso Ciampa. On to the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Match #1 – Adam Cole vs. Killian Dane vs. Velveteen Dream vs. Lars Sullivan vs. EC3 vs. Ricochet – NXT North American Championship Ladder Match
EC3 slides out of the ring at the sound of the bell and then he tries to goad Sullivan and Dane into fighting each other. All six men fight on the floor. Ricochet takes out the group with a springboard shooting star press. Adam Cole beats Dream in the corner and knocks Dane off the apron with an enziguri. Dane sends Sullivan to the floor and follows with a suicide dive. Sullivan throws a ladder into the ring, taking out all five competitors. He drops Velveteen Dream on a ladder with a gorilla press slam. Ricochet meets Lars atop the ladder and it takes him along with EC3 and Dream to deliver a sunset flip power bomb.
Cole and EC3 slam Dane into a ladder that was bridged between ring and announce table. In the ring, Cole dishes out super kicks to everyone. Cole makes his way up a ladder to the title, but Sullivan shoves the ladder over. Dream drops elbows from the top turnbuckle onto everyone. Sullivan catches Dream with a ladder, pinning him in the corner. Dream fights out and climbs the ladder to deliver a Purple Rain Elbow onto Sullivan. Dream goes for the belt, only to get caught by EC3 and power bombed into another ladder.
Adam Cole and EC3 fight on the ladder with EC3 delivering the TKO. A bicycle kick from Dane takes down EC3. Dane climbs the turnbuckle, who delivers a Vader Bomb to EC3 with Cole on his back. Dane and Sullivan play a game of toss with Ricochet. Sullivan catches Dane on a cross body and slams him to the mat. Sullivan tries to dump Ricochet off a ladder, but he instead moonsaults onto Dane on the floor. Ricochet follows with a shooting star press to EC3 under a ladder. Dream hits Ricochet with a rolling Death Valley driver on an elevated ladder. Sullivan slams EC3 off the apron and through Dream on a ladder, snapping the ladder in half. Killian Dane then drop a leaf on Ricochet through a ladder.
Dane and Sullivan faith atop a ladder, as EC3 and Adam Cole climb a ladder next to them. Dream sets up a third ladder and starts to climb, but can’t grab the title. Cole and EC3 hit the floor. Ricochet with an avalanche neck breaker to Dream. Sullivan slams Dane off the ladder and all six men are down. Ricochet leaps from the ropes to knock Lars off the ladder. Ricochet sets up the ladder, but is dumped by Adam Cole, who climbs the ladder and is able to grab the belt.
Winner and the first North American Champion: Adam Cole
Match #2 – Ember Moon (champion) vs. Shayna Baszler (challenger) – NXT Women’s Championship Match
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Shayna Baszler is the new NXT Women’s champ.
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Moon misses a drop kick at the bell and is knocked from the ring. Baszler is driven into the ring step. Back in the ring, Moon drives doubled knees into Shayna and goes for a quick cover. Baszler kicks out and is able to lock Moon in a bow and arrow hold. Moon escapes, but catches a knee. Baszler ducks a diving cross body, but Moon dodges the elbow stomp. Moon turns the tables and stomps on the elbow of Shayna, possibly separating her shoulder. Moon gets cut down on the top turnbuckle and Baszler connects with a drop kick. Baszler takes the time to pop her shoulder back in herself. Moon hits the Eclipse on the outside. Both women beat the ten count to get back in the ring. Baszler locks in the clutch, but Moon is able to escape. Baszler locks in the triangle hold. Moon counters with a power bomb. Moon goes up top again for the Eclipse, but Baszler counters into the Kirifuda Clutch. Moon struggles, rolling around the ring, but cannot escape. Moon passes out and the ref calls for the bell.
Winner and new NXT Women’s champion via submission: Shayna Baszler
Adam Cole is getting treated in the trainer’s room and admits he might not be able to go in the tag team title match.
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Roderick Strong, middle, joins The Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly.
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Match #3 – The Authors of Pain (challengers) w/Paul Ellering vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne (challengers) vs. The Undisputed Era (champions) – NXT Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match
Cole comes to the ring with taped up ribs, showing the beating he took earlier in the night in the ladder match. AoP attacks Cole at the sound of the bell and clear the ring. The drop Kyle O’Reilly with a combination neck breaker and Cole has to break up the pin. For his effort, Cole is slammed through the Spanish announce table. In the ring, O’Reilly and Dunne trade holds. O’Reilly locks in a triangle choke on Strong and then gets Akam in an ankle lock. Razar breaks the hold by power bombing Dunne onto everyone.
Akam and Razar work over Strong. An enzuguri allows Dunne to ge the hot tag. Dunne lands on his feet after a German suplex from O’Reilly. The two trade strikes in the middle of the ring, only to get clotheslined by Akam. O’Reilly is saved by Strong after getting hit with the Last Chapter. Strong. A Dunner double team Razar, but Akam is able to come in a break the pin. Dunne hits O’Reilly with the Bitter End, but Roderick Strong kicks his partner in the back of head. He hits Dunne with the End of Heartache and drags O’Reilly onto Dunne. The ref makes the three count and O’Reilly gets the pin.
Winners via pinfall and still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Undisputed Era
Match #4 – Aleister Black (challenger) vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (champion) w/Zelina Vega – NXT Championship Match
Black explodes out of the corner, taking the fight to Almas. Andrade slips out of the ring. Black takes him down with a moonsault. Black tosses Almas back into the ring, but this allows Vega to drive Black into the ring steps with a head scissors. Almas with a back breaker in the corner and locks in a draping arm bar over the ropes. Almas springboards off the ropes, right into a kick. The two trade blows in the middle of the ring. Black goes up top, but Almas cuts him off. Almas lands on his feet out of a sunset flip, but then misses the double knees in the corner. A German suplex takes down Black. Almas goes for a moonsault and lands on his feet. The two connect on simultaneous kicks and both go down. Almas hip tosses Black into the corner, but Black catches the kick. Almas dumps Black to the floor.
Almas follows with a corkscrew plancha. Vega grabs the title belt and Almas tries to bring it into the ring. The ref distraction allows Vega to hit Black with a spike hurricanrana. Black kicks out of the pin. Almas goes for the hammerlock DDT, but Black counters and nails the Black Mass kick. Black covers, but Zega is able to get Almas’ foot on the rope.
Vega interferes with Black again, allowing ALmas to nail a double stomp on the apron. The champ follows with a double knee strike in the corner, but still can’t get the pin. Black fights out of the hammerlock, but gets blasted with a drop kick. The two roll to the apron, where Almas crushes Black with double knees against the ring post. Black counters another hammerlock DDT with a back body drop. Almas hits the hammerlock DDT, but Black kicks out and Andrade is beside himself. Vega tries to get involved again, but Black dodges her flying cross body. Almas catches her and Black connects with a Black Mass kick. He covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall and new NXT Champion: Aleister Black
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Aleister Black is the new NXT champion.
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Match #5 – Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – Unsanctioned Match
The two men stare each other down before unleashing on each other. Ciampa tries to toss Gargano, who counters with a slingshot spear. Johnny Wrestling follows with a suicide dive. Ciampa is whipped over the security barrier, into the NXT crowd. Ciampa drops Gargano on the barricade and hammers away at him. He follows with a back breaker. Ciampa rips up the floor mats, exposing the concrete. Gargano floats over a suplex and delivers a kick from the apron. He tosses Tommaso over the announce table. Ciampa suplexes Gargano off the table to the floor and then slams him through a piece of the announce table.
Ciampa works over Johnny in the ring, tossing him into the corner. Gargano gets to his feet, landing punches, only to get suplexed. Ciampa looks to lock in a cloverleaf. Gargano gets to the rope, but there is no rope break. Ciampa taunts the crowd before delivering a running knee left. Ciampa takes crutches from a fan in the crowd. Johnny ducks the strike and unloads on Ciampa. He takes down Tommaso and lands a kick to the side of the head. Ciampa blocks a slingshot DDT, but Gargano slips down and power bombs Ciampa onto the exposed concrete.
Back in the ring, both men go for the crutch. Gargano wins that battle and drills Ciampa with it, focusing on the surgically repaired knee. Johnny lands a head shot and follows with a slingshot DDT, but can’t get the pin. Gargano exposes the middle turnbuckle, but Ciampa slips out of the lawn dart. Ciampa hits a spin out powerbomb, but Gargano kicks out. Ciampa lands a knee to the back of the head, but still can’t get the pin. Gargano unleashes clotheslines and a series of slaps. Gargano shoots off the ropes and is able to lock in the Gargano escape. Ciampa tries to get to the ropes and breaks the hold with an eye rake.
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Johnny Gargano backkicks Tommaso Ciampa.
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Ciampa unrolls his wrist tape and tries to choke Gargano. The two trade blows again in the middle of the ring. A low blow stops Gargano in his tracks. Tommaso follows with a shot from the crutch and hits a back breaker. Gargano kicks out. Ciampa turns into a super kick. Gargano picks Ciampa up and tosses him into the exposed turnbuckle. With Ciampa on his knees, Johnny nails a super kick and covers. Ciampa kicks out. Gargano drags himself up to the top turnbuckle. Ciampa heads butts him. Gargano fights out, but Ciampa is still able to hit a powerbomb. Somehow, Johnny Wrestling kicks out.
Ciampa removes his knee brace, exposing his knee. Gargano counters by drilling him with his own knee brace. He stops short of hitting Ciampa with the crutch. He goes to one knee, but Ciampa tries to sucker punch him. Johnny locks in an STF with the brace in Ciampa’s face. Tommaso taps. Johnny Gargano is back in NXT.
Winner via pinfall: Johnny Gargano
Candice LaRae runs to the ring to celebrate with her husband as the show goes off the air.