WWE NXT TakeOver: Respect: October 7, 2015

NXT Champion Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe def. Dash & Dawson (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final)

Tension was running high in the NXT Arena as the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final got going. The mega team of NXT Champion Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe was out to continue their tear through the tournament, while the roughneck duo of Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder were out to pull the biggest upset of the tournament.

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Despite Dawson & Wilder’s best efforts to control the pace of the bout, Bálor & Joe bulldozed them at the start. The NXT Champion nearly had the victory wrapped up in minutes, with Dawson in position for the Coup de Grace, but Wilder distracted Bálor, allowing his partner to take out the enigmatic champion’s knee.

Dawson & Wilder trapped Bálor in their corner, relentlessly working over the NXT Champion’s knee, as he screamed in agony. Things looked bleak for the mega team as Bálor struggled to stand up, let alone fight back to his corner. But somehow, the demonic champion slipped out of Wilder’s grasp and tagged in the submission master. Joe went on a rampage, until Bálor demanded to tag back in. Joe relented, hitting Wilder with the Muscle Buster, while Bálor came crashing down with the Coup de Grace after to cement their place in the tournament final. However, that Coup de Grace appeared to do further damage to Bálor’s left knee, leaving the NXT Universe to wonder if he would be able to compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic at all.

EXCLUSIVE: Dash & Dawson look to the future

Baron Corbin & Rhyno def. Jason Jordan & Chad Gable (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final)

The mat masters of Jason Jordan & Chad Gable looked to have the massive duo of Baron Corbin & Rhyno off their game, using their speed and pure wrestling ability to stay one step ahead of their monstrous foes. The Man Beast was baffled early as Jordan & Gable took him down to the canvas repeatedly.

After Gable trapped him in the ropes with an armbar, Rhyno finally had enough, sending Gable crashing to the floor with a big knee. The Lone Wolf smelled blood and pounced on Gable, hurling him into the LED boards on the ring apron. That gave the team of titans the opening they needed to take control of the match. Corbin & Rhyno worked over the former Olympian, with Gable trying to slip out of their clutches, only for a dirty trick to keep him away from Jordan.

But after Rhyno whiffed on a splash from the top rope, Gable finally reached his partner. Jordan came into the bout on fire, taking on The Man Beast and The Lone Wolf himself. The bout broke down into a brawl as all four men went at each other. Gable looked to have the victory in sight, after pulling off a stunning German suplex on the massive Corbin. However, Gable tried to spin around Corbin, only to meet the End of Days, as The Lone Wolf sent himself and Rhyno to the finals.

Asuka def. Dana Brooke

The debuting Asuka attempted to offer a show of sportsmanship at the start of the bout, offering to shake Brooke’s hand, only for The Total Diva to slap it away. The NXT newcomer showed her experience, keeping a hammerlock on tight as Brooke rolled through on several occasions attempting to escape.

Brooke tried to get inside Asuka’s head by slapping her across the face. That only incensed Asuka, who unleashed a flurry of devastating strikes on her rival. Unfortunately, Asuka also had to deal with Emma, who tried to interject herself into the bout at every opportunity. Brooke tried to take control of the bout, but ended up in an Asuka submission hold more often than not.

Asuka finally put a stop to Emma’s interference with a hard spinning back fist, before trapping Brooke in the Asuka Lock to earn her first WWE victory! The newcomer didn’t hesitate to get a measure of payback for Dana ruining her contract signing after the bell, flooring The Total Diva with one last devastating roundhouse kick.

EXCLUSIVE: Asuka checks up on Dana Brooke

Apollo Crews def. Tyler Breeze

Tyler Breeze’s quest to regain respect in NXT continued at TakeOver, as he battled undefeated newcomer Apollo Crews. There was no slowing down the red-hot Crews, who clobbered Prince Pretty with a dropkick, then followed Breeze out to the floor to hit him with a big shoulder tackle.

Breeze had trouble overpowering Crews, having to rely on trickery to gain control. He grabbed at Crews’ boot, then kicked him to the arena floor. Prince Pretty’s ruthless side came out as he stomped his foe into the canvas and whipped him hard into the turnbuckles. Breeze stayed on the attack, even locking on a Sharpshooter, only for Crews to get to the ropes.

Crews’ determination only frustrated Breeze, who lashed out at the official, allowing the newcomer to get back in the bout. Prince Pretty looked to have Crews’ back hurt, but was staggered by a jumping kick that echoed throughout Full Sail University. Breeze came back and nearly stole the victory after countering Crews’ standing moonsault, but was caught by the newcomer, who muscled Prince Pretty up and tossed him into a powerbomb to remain undefeated.

EXCLUSIVE: Apollo Crews is here to stay

NXT Champion Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe def. Baron Corbin & Rhyno (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final)

The stage was set for the historic Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final as The American Dream’s voice boomed through the arena, leading into the ring introductions by Eden, the wife of his son Cody.

Bálor looked pained as he gingerly walked to the ring and tested his injured knee up to the opening bell. Many were stunned when the NXT Champion opted to start the bout against Rhyno. Bálor fared well against the two monsters before tagging Joe in to rekindle his rivalry with The Lone Wolf. Corbin & Rhyno eventually trapped the submission specialist in their side of the ring, taking Joe to the mat. Though he is a heavy hitter in his own right, Joe was stunned by the team of titans’ unrelenting offense. The Lone Wolf & The Man Beast brought the bout to a crawl as they stayed on Samoa Joe, mercilessly wearing him down.

Finally, he tagged into Bálor, who went right after his much larger opponents. The NXT Champion winced in pain every time he landed on the mat, giving his animalistic opponents a target to stop him in his tracks. Corbin & Rhyno went straight after Bálor’s knee, almost toying with the enigmatic champion. Bálor hit a Sling Blade out of desperation and finally reached his partner, tagging Joe in to even the odds. Joe survived a Gore from The Man Beast and countered a second one before hitting a Muscle Buster on Rhyno. Bálor followed up with the Coup de Grace to win the first-ever Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

The Rhodes Family, including his sons Cody and Dustin, joined Bálor & Joe in the ring to award them the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Cody brought the tournament to a close, giving an impassioned speech to the Florida crowd and the worldwide audience on WWE Network, saying that on this night, we were all members of the Rhodes family. 

EXCLUSIVE: Bálor & Joe celebrate their victory

Bayley def. Sasha Banks, 3-2, in a 30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match for the NXT Women’s Championship

The NXT Universe was on the edge of its collective seat before the competitors even made their way to the ring for the historic half-hour main event, the tenth WWE Iron Man Match in WWE history. The Diva Revolution was out in full force to watch the bout, as Charlotte and Becky Lynch joined WWE Principal Owner Stephanie McMahon at ringside.

Bayley and Sasha Banks took their time sizing each other up, letting precious seconds tick away. The two women circled the ring and locked up, neither able to get a clear advantage. Each tried to take an early lead by going for quick pins, but came up unsuccessful. The two were at a stalemate seven minutes in, each attempting to hit their finishing move and failing. Sasha finally took the lead, taking advantage of the referee’s obstructed vision to poke the champion in the eyes and pin her to go up 1-0.

Watch a highlight from the WWE Iron Man Match

The lead energized The Boss, who took control of the bout. However, Banks was pulled off the ropes and into a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex, allowing the NXT Women’s Champion to tie the score. Banks’ vicious side then came out, as she repeatedly slammed Bayley into the unforgiving steel ring steps, then hurled her into the entrance set. Banks made her way back to the ring, stopping to mock one of the champion’s biggest fans, Izzy, and earned a decision by count-out to go up 2-1 as the match crept past the halfway mark.

The Boss took her time in picking Bayley apart, stomping on the champion and locking on a devastating Boston Crab, working over Bayley’s back. However, the NXT Women’s Champion fought through the pain and caught Banks with a roll-up to even the score at 2. Bayley battled through Sasha’s malicious offense as time continued to escape them. She gained an upper hand when she evaded the charging challenger in the corner, sending Sasha shoulder first into the ring post.

Bayley soon turned her attention towards Sasha’s hand, getting retribution for the damage The Boss inflicted on her hand at TakeOver: Brooklyn. The champion soon countered a dive from Banks into a Bayley-to-Belly on the arena floor, then soon hit another off the ropes, but Banks somehow got her foot on the ropes to stop the pin.

Out of desperation, Bayley went for the reverse hurricanrana off the ropes that helped win her the title in Brooklyn, but Banks landed on her feet and hit the champion with her own finisher, then locked on the Bank Statement with 90 seconds left in the bout. However, Banks could not get a full grip with her injured hand. Bayley slammed Banks’ hand into the mat, then locked on a submission hold of her own. Banks verbally gave up as the final seconds ticked away, giving Bayley the 3-2 victory, in this epic battle.

After the bout, WWE COO Triple H, NXT General Manager William Regal and the entire NXT roster entered the arena to celebrate this historic occasion with two of the most valiant competitors in NXT history.

Reactions to the WWE Iron Man Match: Charlotte | Stephanie McMahon | Becky Lynch