WWE NXT TakeOver: Rival
Two months to the day of his NXT debut, Kevin Owens made the biggest statement of his short time between the yellow ropes at TakeOver: Rival, absolutely demolishing his longtime friend Sami Zayn. Owens devastated Zayn with multiple powerbombs, leaving the official with no choice but to stop the bout and award the NXT Championship to Owens. The Divas of NXT found themselves with a new Boss, after Sasha Banks emerged from a Fatal 4-Way Match as the new NXT Women’s Champion. Finn Bálor defeated Neville in the finals of the NXT Title No. 1 Contenders’ Tournament, while Baron Corbin vanquished the brutish Bull Dempsey in a hard-hitting No Disqualification Match.
WWE NXT Results : Quick Hits
WWE NXT Results : Full Details
WWE NXT TakeOver: Rival results
Hideo Itami def. Tyler Breeze
ORLANDO, Fla. — After Tyler Breeze attacked Hideo Itami from behind backstage last week, NXT General Manager William Regal made this match to kick off NXT TakeOver: Rival. Itami was all business, while Breeze somehow managed to look even more vain than usual, upping his self-photography game with a fur-covered selfie stick. Prince Pretty was also briefly distracted by a beautiful blonde who, apparently, couldn’t resist Breeze’s good looks and ran out from the crowd, jumping on Breeze’s shoulders before being escorted away by security.
TakeOver photos | Video highlights | Watch the replay on WWE Network
Prince Pretty spent the early parts of the match trying to avoid Itami’s lightning-quick kicks, but finally got caught with one and was sent to the arena floor. Back in the ring, Breeze took back control and worked over the legs of Itami, applying a vicious Figure-Four Leglock around the ring post. Breeze wore down his rival’s leg, but Itami, possessing great fighting spirit, refused to give in. A fired up Itami fought through the pain and unleashed a series of devastating blows, capped off with a huge running dropkick to pick up the victory!
Baron Corbin def. Bull Dempsey in a No Disqualification Match
The action was hard-hitting in this brawl from the opening bell. The normally stoic Baron Corbin charged into the ring, clobbering Bull Dempsey throughout the arena. The New York Nightmare stunned his big rival with a suplex onto the steel ramp and followed up by running Corbin into the ringpost.
Exclusive interview: Corbin reflects on his victory
Though Corbin showed off his strength by hoisting the 300-pound Dempsey up for a spinebuster, Dempsey remained in control. Dempsey was shocked and frustrated when The Lone Wolf kicked out of his top rope headbutt. Seemingly left with no other choice, Dempsey grabbed a steel chair and charged at Corbin, only to run straight into the End of Days. After winning the bout, Corbin took the chair and sat in it, basking in his huge victory over his longtime rival.
NXT Tag Team Champions Blake & Murphy def. The Lucha Dragons
New NXT Tag Team Champions Blake & Murphy set out to prove their title victory wasn’t a fluke, defending against the former champions, The Lucha Dragons. The bout broke down into chaos quickly, with Kalisto & Sin Cara trying to use their speed and high-flying moves to counter the power of the champions.
Blake & Murphy showed off their unique double team offense while utilizing quick tags to keep a fresh man in the ring. The Dragons took control when Kalisto spiked Murphy on his head with a hurricanrana. But while Sin Cara was in the middle of a breathtaking lucha-libre-style move, Murphy knocked Kalisto off the apron. That left Sin Cara alone in the ring with the champions. Murphy hit a brainbuster and Blake followed with a high-altitude frog splash to retain the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Exclusive: Blake & Murphy ready for any challenge
Finn Bálor def. Adrian Neville (NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Finals
The stakes were high for Adrian Neville and Finn Bálor, with an NXT Championship opportunity on the line. That meant the mind games were on for Bálor, who donned his unsettling war paint into battle. Neville seemed unfazed by his opponent’s theatrics as he stepped into the ring, just as ready for a fight. The two friends seemed to be on even ground, trading hold for hold until Neville gained the upper hand.
Though his battle paint began to wear off as the grueling battle wore on, Bálor refused to give in. Seemingly inspired by the demonic wings on his back, the Irish Superstar took flight, taking Neville out with a daring dive over the ropes. Bálor then stalked The Man That Gravity Forgot around ringside, dropkicking him through the ringside barricade. The two Superstars battled back and forth, trading big kicks before Neville muscled his foe over with a pair of German suplexes.
With the NXT Universe on the edge of their seats, Neville climbed to the middle ropes and executed a graceful, yet devastating phoenix splash, only for Bálor to kick out. A frustrated Neville charged at Bálor and right into the Sling Blade lariat. The painted warrior countered Neville’s Red Arrow and sent the Englishman crashing into the turnbuckle, giving Bálor the opening to hit the Coup de Grace and become the No. 1 Contender to the NXT Championship!
Sasha Banks def. Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch in a Fatal 4-Way Match to become NXT Women’s Champion
Charlotte was fighting at a disadvantage from the get-go. All three of her opponents seemed determined to take her out of the match. Showing their partnership may not have been as fractured as thought before, Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch teamed up to slam Charlotte back first into the LED board on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Sasha & Becky’s friendship crumbled, with the Irish Diva hurling The Boss across the ring with a suplex.
Becky tried to target Bayley’s injured leg with the Four Leg Clover and take the title, but Sasha stopped her. Charlotte recovered enough to get back in the battle and bring the fight to her three challengers. All four Divas formed accidental alliances, unwillingly assisting each other with double-team maneuvers.
The Boss took control, leaving Charlotte and Becky reeling after huge knees in the corner. Bayley got back into the match, tightened her ponytail and charged right after the champion, flooring Charlotte with the Bayley-to-Belly Suplex. A dive through the ropes to the floor by Sasha left Charlotte alone in the ring to recover, but the champion took flight with a leap of her own.
Back in the ring, Bayley connected with a Bayley-to-Belly on Charlotte from the top rope. Right after, Sasha Banks threw Bayley out of the ring and locked a crossface on the champion. After a long struggle in the hold, Sasha released it and immediately rolled Charlotte up for the three-count. Now, Sasha Banks is not only The Boss, but the NXT Women’s Champion!
Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn by referee stoppage to become NXT Champion
The tension in the air was palpable as these two former best friends stared each other down. Owens stood cold and calculated in the corner, while Zayn looked somewhat conflicted as he stared down one of his first big tests as champion. The staredown continued beyond the bell, the two “brothers” sharing a quick smile before Owens bailed from the ring. The bruiser continued to stall out, frustrating the eager champion into diving over the referee and the ropes onto Owens.
Zayn unleashed his fury, pummeling Owens in the corner until he was dropped face first on the turnbuckle and clobbered by two huge Owens clotheslines. Every time it looked like the NXT Champion was about to battle back, either in the ring or on the floor, Owens pounded him back into the canvas with a sadistic smile.
The champion finally showed signs of life, hitting Owens with a clothesline of his own and sending him to the floor. Zayn gave Owens a taste of his own medicine, slamming him into the steel ring steps before hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb back in the ring. Owens stopped Zayn in his tracks with a superkick and hurling his full body weight at Zayn for a cannonball in the corner.
Owens surprised the NXT Universe when he climbed the ropes and went for a top rope senton, but he landed across the knees of the champion. Zayn attempted the Helluva Kick, but the challenger scrambled to ringside, where Zayn met him with a springboard moonsault. However, Zayn hit his head on the steel ramp, dazing the champion.
Zayn had trouble keeping his footing back in the ring and walked into Owens’ pop-up powerbomb, though he had the wherewithal to kick out. Owens saw red and pounced on his longtime friend, punching him repeatedly until the referee pulled him off. With WWE medical staff watching closely, Owens viciously powerbombed Zayn into the canvas four more times. At the urging of the doctors, the official finally put a stop to the carnage and the match, declaring Owens the victor and awarding him the NXT Championship in shocking fashion.
Post-match exclusives: Zayn helped from ringside | Owens basks in his victory | Zayn injury update
