Ever since WWE bought out WCW people have been clamoring for some of the pay-per-view concepts from the former promotion. While something like Starrcade will never happen (does it count if it’s house show?) Fans have really wanted to see the multi-ring steal cage match, known as War Games. And tonight, NXT delivers in Houston, Texas.
Match #1 – Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan
These two are ready to go at it before the bell. When the ref finally gives the go, Sullivan drives Ohno into the corner. Lars shrugs off an elbow shot and dumps Kassius out of the ring. And if anyone was wonder, both rings for War Games will be set up all night. Sullivan hits a clothesline in the ring after a kip up by Ohno. Lars whips Kassius over the top rope, but Ohno lands on the apron. He fights off Sullivan, but runs into a pop up power slam. Ohno kicks out. Lars goes up to the top turnbuckle. Ohno rolls away from the diving head butt and takes advantage with a big elbow shot. Ohno with another elbow shot to the back of the neck. He follows with the cyclone kick, but can’t get the three count. Sullivan just gets fired up, so Ohno stomps away at him and drops a senton on him. Sullivan kicks out at one.
The two trade shots in the middle of the ring. Ohno catches Lars with a discuss elbow. Sullivan blocks the second attempt and counters with a waist-lock side slam . He puts Ohno down and covers to get the three count.
Winner via pinfall: Lars Sullivan
Match Rating: 6/10
 |
Velveteen Dream collides with Aleister Black. |
Match #2 – Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream
The mind games continue for the Velveteen Dream, as he takes his chaps off in the ring to reveal leggings with Aleister’s face plastered all over them. The two lock up and dance around the ring. The Dream swipes at Black across the face. Dream with a snap mare take over but Black counters into a hammerlock. Black with a snap mare into a front face lock and Dream can’t free himself, until he gets to the ropes. Black locks in a modified octopus hold which black drops into a pin. Dream kicks out and starts to land blows. Black is whipped into the ropes and holds himself up. He sends Dream to the floor. Black looks for a suicide dive, but when Dream gets up, Black back flips off the ropes and lands in a cross legged sitting position. Dream also takes a seat, continuing the mind games. Black mimics Dream. Black gets hung up on the ropes, allowing Dream to stomp away at him. Black is beaten into the corner and spills to the floor. Dream looks to take flight, but instead lands on the apron and rolls back into the ring.
Black fights out of Death Valley driver, but can’t avoid the super kick from dream. Velveteen follows up the Rude Awakening neck breaker and locks in a front face lock. Dream yells for Black to say his name. Aleister gets to his feet and the two trade blows. Black gets tied up in the ropes and Dream wants Black to say his name. Aleister answers with a kick to the face and follows with a springboard flip. Dream kicks out of the pin. Black with a big kick, but Dream is still able to hit a Death Valley driver. Black kicks out.
Dream drags Blakc to the corner and lifts him up. Black slips out and sends Dream crashing down to the canvas. Black delivers a knee strike. Dream kicks out to deliver a bug DDT. Black kicks out. Dream climbs to the top with Black on the mat. He looks for the purple rainmaker, but Black gets a foot up. Dream hits the ropes and gets tied up. Black kicks him in the face. Black is able to then deliver the Black Mass kick. He covers and Dream can’t kick out. Black picks up the win.
Winner via pinfall: Aleister Black
Match Rating: 8.5/10
After the match, Aleister finally says his name, telling Velveteen Dream to enjoy infamy.
Match #3 – Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ember Moon – NXT Women’s Title Fatal Four Way Match
Peyton goes after Ember Moon, while Nikki jumps Kairi. Moon connects with a single leg drop kick on Cross and then takes down Royce with a head scissors. Cross jumps on Moon, only to have both women hit the mat after a spin kick from Royce. Moon launches herself over the ropes to take out Cross and Royce. Sane then nails a flying forearm to Peyton. Moon wipes out Sane and Royce with a suicide dive, only to get clubbed by Cross. Moon fights back and nails Nikki with a power bomb on the floor.
Sane and Moon square off in the ring. Moon gets chopped down in the corner and Kairi follows with a spear. Royce catches Kairi on the ropes and locks in a modified tarantula hold. Moon frees Sane with a kick to Royce. Moon leap frogs Sane, who spears Royce. Kairi goes up top, but Moon cuts off the pirate princess. Royce takes advantage by slamming both of them to the mat. Cross storms back into the ring to prevent a pin. She puts the boots to Sane and dumps Royce out of the ring. Cross hits Kairi with a neck breaker and Moon has to make the save. She kicks Cross in the face, but then slingshots herself into a forearm from Nikki. Royce hits Cross with a fisherman’s suplex and bridges into a pin. Sane breaks the pin and hits Peyton with an Alabama slam. Royce rolls on top of Cross, as Sane hits the insane elbow on both of them. Moon runs in to break the pin.
Peyton catches Moon on the top turnbuckle, but she doesn’t fall off. Ember is able to hit the Eclipse on Royce and Cross. She covers Nikki to get the pin.
Winner via pinfall and new NXT Women’s Champion: Ember Moon
 |
Ember Moon is presented the NXT Women’s title by William Regal and former champion Asuka. |
Match Rating: 7.5/10
Match #4 – Andrade “Cien” Almas (challenger) w/ Zelina Vega vs. Drew McIntyre (champion) – NXT Title Match
Before the bell, Zelina gives Andrade his marching orders. He doesn’t engage with McIntyre initially, hiding in the ropes. He then gets the champ in a head lock and strikes at the legs of McIntyre. Almas with a jawbreaker and McIntyre tosses him into the ropes. Almas catches himself and taunts Drew, only to get kicked to the floor. Zelina tries to hit McIntyre with a head scissors, but the champ shrugs it off and sets her back on the apron. Almas tries to take advantage, but McIntyre blocks the suicide dive.
Back in the ring, McIntyre gets driven into the ring post. Cien with a hanging arm bar. He breaks the hold before the five count. McIntyre catches Almas trying to float over. The champ just tosses him across the ring. McIntyre with a an over head release belly to belly throw. The champs drives Almas to the mat with a shot from the top turnbuckle. McIntyre follows with a Celtic Cross, but can’t get the pin.
The champ warms up the band, but Almas stops him with a drop kick. He follows with an inverted tornado DDT, but can’t get the pin. McIntyre eats a boot in the corner, but catches Almas on his shoulders. The champ drops him with an Alabama Slam. Drew climbs the turnbuckle and Andrade sends him to the floor with a springboard drop kick. McIntyre catches Almas coming off the apron, but a head scissors sends Drew into the ring post. Almas climbs to the turnbuckle and nails a moonsault on McIntyre to the floor. He rolls the champ into the ring, but can’t get the pin.
McIntyre gets crotched in the corner and hung in a tree of woe. Almas hits the drive thru double knees, but still can’t get the pin. McIntyre bats away and enziguri attempt and delivers a powerbomb. Andrade barely kicks out at two. The champ hits the Future Shock DDT, but only gets a two count. McIntyre looks for the avalanche, but Almas breaks free. McIntyre hits the turnbuckle and Almas knees him in the back of the head. The champ kicks out again. A frustrated Almas goes out and grabs the NXT title. The distraction allows Vega to spike McIntyre into the mat with a head scissors. Almas runs into the ring and hits the hammerlock DDT. The champ still kicks out.
McIntyre with a Claymore kick and covers. Vega gets Almas’ foot on the ropes to break the pin. McIntyre goes for another Claymore, but Andrade ducks and the champ crashes and burns in the ropes. He sets the champ up on the top turnbuckle and drops him with an elevated DDT. Almas covers and gets the three count. Andrade “Cien” Almas is your new NXT champion.
Winner via pinfall and new NXT Champion: Andrade “Cien” Almas
Match Rating: 9/10
Mauro Renallo filled us in on the War Games rules earlier in the night. All three teams will be locked in shark cages to start with one member starting out the match. After five minutes one team will enter the match; three minutes later two more participants will enter. Finally, three minutes after that everyone can enter and that’s when the fun begins. No one can win, until all nine men are in the ring. And if anyone escapes the cage, they forfeit their team’s chance of winning.
Match #5 – The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong w/Paul Ellering vs. Sanity vs. The Undisputed Era – War Games Match
Eric Young, Adam Cole and Roderick Strong, who is sporting the same ring gear as the AoP, start things off. A shot from Strong sends Cole to the mat. Young tries to get a shot it, but Roddy pulls him off. All three men stop and a standoff ensues. Young takes a shot at Roddy, which allows Cole to toss Young into the cage. Cole gets slingshotted onto the cage and all three men fight on the top rope. Cole puts the boots to Young and Strong, tossing strong into the adjacent ring. Cole with a neck breaker to Young. He sets his sights on Strong, beating him into the corner. A snap suplex takes Roddy down and Cole follows with a swing neck breaker. Eric Young gets one for good measure too. Strong levels Coles with a lariat as he shoots off the ropes. Roderick goes corner to corner with chops to Cole and Young as the countdown starts to which team gets to hit the ring.
Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly get the call. They immediately jump Strong and Young and all three men put the boots to their opponents. Young gets beaten into the cage on the apron. Strong tries to fight back, but gets hits with a wheelbarrow suplex. Fish and Cole focus on Young, as O’Reilly handles Strong, who is repeatedly slammed into the cage.
The Authors of Pain are released and they can’t get into the ring fast enough. The Undisputed Era try their best to keep the cage door shut, but Akam and Rezar are able to enter. The pickup their own teammate, Strong, and tosses him over the center ropes into everyone else. The Undisputed Era get tossed around the ring like rag dolls. Akam and Razor pick up Cole and O’Reilly slamming them into Young and Fish hanging in the corners.
Killian Dane and Alexander Wolf hit the ring and War Games has started. Wolf pulls out a night stick, as Dane tosses chairs, trash cans and anything else he can find into the ring before he enters. The crowd wants tables and Dane gives them what they want. Wolf sidesteps a chair shot and O’Reilly bounces the shot off the ropes and into his own face. Wolf hits a release suplex. Dane finally enters the cage and chains the door behind it. He locks it up and swallows the key. Dane crushes Akam and Rezar in the corner and follows with a drop kick. Dane wipes out the field with a diving cross body from up top. Fish breaks the pin. Cole has a kendo stick, but Dane blocks the shot. He picks up Cole by the throat, but Fish saves his partner, momentarily. Dane knocks Fish to the mat and hits Cole with a Michinoku driver onto Fish. O’Reilly breaks the pin. Dane follows with a fall away slam/Samoan drop combo on Cole and Strong.
Rezar with a big boot to Dane, who answers with a bigger kick. Akam takes down Dane. Cole with an enzuguri to Cole. The Undisputed Era “chase the dragon” with Akam, but don’t go for the pin. O’Reilly and Fish double team Dane with kicks. O’Reilly hits Wolf with a fist and picks up the steel chair. he wraps it around the face and arms of Wolf and looks for Armageddon. Eric Young makes the save with an elbow drop from the top turnbuckle. Fish hits a moonsault from the top rope to break another pin and all nine men are down.
Akam and Rezar sandwich Dane with a super collider, but they can’t get a pin fall. Young picks up Rezar off the turnbuckle and hits him with a Death Valley driver. Young covers, but the pin is broken up. Cole and Strong trade blows in the middle of the ring. Cole is shoved into Young and then hits both men with back breakers. Wolf takes one and then Dane gets picked up for an Olympic slam. Strong covers, but Cole breaks it up with a super kick.
Cole gees up top, but gets caught by Young. Strong gets in on the action. Akam and Rezar slam everyone down from the corners, as Adam Cole is left sitting unscathed. The AoP chase Cole up the cage and crotch him on the top rope. The table get set up. Wolf attacks, saving Cole. A super German suplex sends Akam through the table. Young then hits Rezar with a jumping neck breaker. All the while, Adam Cole has climbed to the top of the cage. Killian Dane turns O’Reilly inside out with a clothesline. Dane goes coast to coast with a drop kick, smashing a trash can into Kyle O’Reilly.
Adam Cole is still on top of the cage, so Roderick Strong goes up to get him. The two meet atop the cage. Strong superplexes Cole onto everyone in the middle of the ring. Strong somehow makes a cover and somehow Cole gets a shoulder up. Dane and Akam fight between the rings. Rezar hits a clothesline on Dane as Akam hits a side Russian leg sweep. O’Reilly locks in a sleeper on Rezar and Fish strikes him. Wolf and Young drop O’Reilly. Strong and Cole face off in the middle of the ring trading blows. Cole gets tossed into the cage. Young suplexes Roderick into the cage. Cole strikes Young with the kendo stick. Young grabs a chair trying to get to his feet, so Cole delivers a shining wizard into the chair into the face of Eric Young. Cole covers and finally gets a pin.
Winners via pinfall: The Undisputed Era
Match Rating: 9.5/10
Event Rating: 9/10
