Good evening Fight Fans and welcome to our coverage of NXT Takeover: Phoenix! If you want you can comment below and if you'd like to keep the conversation going after the show you should head over to our forums, and if you're interested in exclusive content check out Fightful Select for exclusive podcasts and more!
-We open show with a video package for all of the respective matches on tonight's event, headlined by the NXT Championship match between the champion Tommaso Ciampa and the challenger Aleister Black.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Undisputed Era (c) vs War Raiders
UE attack WR as soon as the bell rings to start the match and send Hanson out of the ring before Rowe drops them with a double clothesline and sends them out of the ring. Rowe slams Hanson onto Kyle before Rowe tosses Strong into the ring and hit Strong with a double team move for an early near fall. UE send Rowe into Hanson and send them out of the ring before they get back in the ring and beat on Hanson before Kyle hits a jumping knee. Strong tags in and they try to suplex each other before UE hit Hanson with running moves in the corner. Kyle locks in a front choke and locks in a guillotine before Rowe breaks it up and everyone ends up out of the ring.
Hanson misses a suicide dive before Rowe tries to take on both Strong and O'Reilly, but Kyle chop blocks him before Strong hits a backbreaker for a two count. Kyle and Roderick hang Rowe on the top rope and Kyle goes for an armbar, but Hanson counters before Kyle transitions into a triangle, but Rowe breaks free before Strong tags himself in. Strong hits another backbreaker to Rowe before Kyle comes in and locks in a standing arm triangle, Hanson arguing with the referee while UE beat on Rowe in their corner. Rowe suplexes Kyle into Roderick and knocks him off of the apron before Strong runs in and takes out Hanson before dropkicking Rowe for a two count. Rowe and Kyle boot each other before they hit each other at the same time and collapse to the mat.
Strong and Hanson come in, Hanson hitting a high angle back body drop and a side slam into a jumping splash before turning Kyle inside out with a lariat. Hanson hits his signature endless clotheslines in the corner until Kyle accidentally boots Roderick and Hanson hits Kyle with a bronco buster for a near fall. Strong drops Hanson with a clothesline and tags in Kyle as Rowe gets the tag in the other side and everyone hits a move until Rowe and Hanson hit a pop-up powerslam for a near fall after Hanson hits a suicide dive to the outside. Rowe slams Kyle before Hanson hits a diving splash for a near fall that Roderick breaks up before UE dispatch of Rowe and Roderick hits a superplex before Kyle hits a diving knee drop for a near fall. Strong drops Rowe across the apron and gets the tag to become the legal man before hitting Hanson with an Olympic slam for a near fall.
Strong hits a jumping knee strike before UE hit the High Low for a very close near fall before Hanson counters another High Low and drops UE with a hand spring back elbow. War Raiders then hit Kyle with Fallout for the pin and the win to become the new champions.
Winner: War Raiders defeat Undisputed Era via pinfall to become the new NXT Tag Team champions when they pin Kyle with Fallout.
-We see the NXT UK champion and NXT UK Women's champion Pete Dunne and Toni Storm at ringside.
-We get a video package for the heated rivalry between Matt Riddle and Kassius Ohno
Matt Riddle vs Kassius Ohno
Matt rushes Ohno who quickly gets out of the ring, but Matt goes after him and sends him back into the ring before hitting a senton and a gut wrench suplex. Ohno catches Matt with a boot before he goes for a sunset flip and Ohno traps Matt's face in the apron before getting a quick two count and locking in a cravat. Ohno drops Matt with an elbow that nearly knocks him out for a two count before Ohno brutalizes Matt in the corner and sends him out of the ring with a boot. Ohno sends Matt into the ring post and the steps before Matt gets back into the ring and locks in a rear naked choke before Ohno gets to the ropes for the break. Ohno stomps the foot of Matt before Matt hits a dead lift bridging German suplex for a near fall.
Matt kicks Ohno repeatedly before Ohno bites Matt's toes and hits a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Ohno hits a moonsault for a near fall and drops Matt with a boot before hitting a senton, Matt catching him in a rear naked choke before Ohno rolls to the ropes for the break. Matt then hits a sleeper suplex before beating on Ohno in back mount until he taps for the referee stoppage and the win.
Winner: Matt Riddle defeats Kassius Ohno via referee stoppage when Ohno taps out to strikes.
North American Championship Match
Ricochet (c) vs Johnny Gargano
They lock up and rather than starting off with high paced moves they opt to grapple until Ricochet fights out of a side headlock and Johnny gets a one count off of a crucifix. They counter each other before Ricochet offers to shake the hand of Johnny and Johnny hits him before Ricochet hire a huricanrrana into a dropkick. Ricochet hits an Asai moonsault in the corner, akin to a sliced bread when he kicks off of the ring post and flips. They get back in the ring and Ricochet rocks Johnny when he's on the top turnbuckle before Johnny slips out and sends Ricochet face first into the top turnbuckle. Johnny beats on Ricochet in mount before hitting a snapmare into a dropkick for a quick two count.
Ricochet sweeps Johnny before Johnny kicks him out of the air when he goes for a standing moonsault. Johnny drops Ricochet with a chop to the throat before Ricochet side steps a slingshot spear and hits a standing moonsault to Johnny on his knees. Johnny and Ricochet exchange forearm shots and right hands before Ricochet hits a flying head scissor and a springboard European uppercut. Ricochet hits a northern lights suplex into a brainbuster for a two count before Johnny hits a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall, Johnny immediately locking in a cross face after. Ricochet gets to the ropes before Johnny goes for a slingshot DDT, but Ricochet catches him before sending him over the top rope and onto the apron before he crashes onto the floor.
Back in the ring Ricochet rocks Johnny with a European uppercut before Ricochet hits a standing shooting star press into a moonsault off of the second turnbuckle for a near fall. Ricochet counters a frankensteiner once before Johnny goes for it again and Ricochet lands on his feet before Johnny hits an enzuigiri and a superkick. Ricochet hits a Pele kick before Johnny catches Ricochet when he goes for a springboard back elbow and locks in the Gargano Escape before Ricochet gets to his feet and suplexes Johnny into the corner. Johnny rolls out of the ring before Ricochet hits a senton over the top turnbuckle before tossing Johnny back into the ring and hitting a 450 for a near fall. Ricochet goes for a shooting star press, but Johnny gets his knees up and gets a near fall off of a cradle before Johnny superkicks Ricochet out of the ring.
Ricochet catches Johnny when he goes for a suicide dive before Johnny hits a reverse huricanrrana into a slingshot DDT for a near fall. Johnny gets out of the ring and pulls up the padding on the floor before he teases hitting a draping DDT into the concrete. Ricochet rolls Johnny up for a near fall before clotheslining him and Johnny turns him inside out with a superkick after he lands on his feet when he goes for a corkscrew senton. Ricochet locks in the Gargano Escape on Johnny who gets to the bottom rope for the break before they end up on the apron and Johnny sends Ricochet into the ring post. Johnny then hits a brainbuster onto the exposed concrete floor and rolls him back into the ring before hitting a slingshot DDT for the pin and the win.
Winner: Johnny Gargano defeats Ricochet via pinfall with a slingshot DDT to become the new NXT North American champion.
NXT Women's Championship Match
Shayna Baszler (c) vs Bianca Belair
Shayna and Bianca lock up before Bianca backs Shayna into the corner for a clean break before they shove each other and Shayna locks in a side headlock. Bianca drops Shayna with a shoulder block before Shayna rolls out of the ring and Shayna uses her ponytail to send Bianca into the ring post shoulder first. Bianca gets back into the ring at the count of nine before Shayna gets a quick two count and bends her shoulder to the mat before stomping on it. Shayna locks in a spinning armbar and slams her arm into the mat before locking in a variation of a double wrist lock. Shayna goes for a sleeper, but Bianca drives Shayna into the corner to break it before Shayna drops her with a knee for a near fall.
Bianca slaps Shayna and drives her into the corner before dropkicking and spearing her. Shayna goes for an armbar, but Bianca stomps her before Shayna gets her knees up when Bianca goes for a splash and drops Bianca with a bicycle knee for a near fall. Shayna drops Bianca with a flurry of strikes before Bianca whips her with her ponytail and goes for a move before Shayna sends Bianca into the referee. Bianca hits the KOD, but the referee isn't up to count the pin before she panics and Marina and Jessamyn rush the ring. Bianca takes out Duke and Shafir before Shayna locks in a rear naked choke until Bianca gets to her feet and turns it into a suplex.
Marina then distracts Bianca before she misses a 450 and Shayna locks the choke back in until she gets to her feet, but collapses before passing out for the referee stoppage.
Winner: Shayna Baszler retains her NXT Women's Championship by defeating Bianca Belair via submission.
NXT Championship Match
Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs Aleister Black
They tie up before spilling out of the ring and they rush back into the ring before Aleister takes Tommaso down. Ciampa gets to his feet and wrings the arm of Black before taking him down with a single leg and Aleister takes him down with a side headlock takeover. Ciampa gets to his feet and backs Black into the corner before Black sends Ciampa out of the ring, but he runs back in before they sit down on the mat. Ciampa boots Black before Black drops him with a flurry of kicks and trips him before hitting a springboard moonsault for a two count. Ciampa rolls out of the ring and drags Black out before Black drops him with a kick and Ciampa sends Black's leg into the steps before tossing him into them.
Ciampa suplexes Aleister into the steps and tosses him back into the ring before he locks in a submission and tries to hyper extend the knee of Black. Ciampa wraps the knee of Black around the ring post repeatedly before dropping him knee first onto the Spanish announce table. Black comes back with a stiff kick before getting back into the ring and Ciampa kicks his knee out. Ciampa puts Black in the tree of woe before he frees himself and Black sends him off of the top rope and down onto the floor with a jumping roundhouse kick. They get back into the ring at the count of eight and Black rocks Ciampa with a bicycle knee before dropping him with a kick for a two count.
Ciampa gets a near fall off of an inside cradle before dropping Black with a back elbow. Black get a near fall off of a sunset flip and another near fall off of a bridging German suplex. Ciampa hits a dragon screw leg whip and locks in a single leg Boston crab before Black gets to the ropes for the break. Ciampa catches Aleister up top and hits a tower of London for a near fall before hitting a running knee for another near fall. Black rocks Ciampa with a bicycle knee before Ciampa drops Black with one and they exchange strike until they exchange newt falls off of a sunset flips.
They counter each other before Black hits a bicycle knee into a brainbuster for a near fall before Ciampa rolls out of the ring. Aleister hits a moonsault to the outside before Ciampa catches him when he gets back in the ring and Ciampa hits the Fairytale Ending for a near fall. Ciampa pulls the padding up at ringside like Johnny did earlier in the night before Black hits a meteora off of the apron and tosses him back into the ring before hitting Ciampa with the Black Mass, Ciampa rolling over when Black goes for the cover. Ciampa then hits a draping DDT into the Fairytale Ending for a very close near fall before Ciampa hits it again for the pin and the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa retains his NXT Championship by defeating Aleister Black via pinfall with the Fairytale Ending.
-After the match Johnny meets Tommaso on the ramp and they stand side by side with their belts up high as we go off the air.
