CHICAGO — Despite turning in one of the grittiest efforts of their careers, Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan came just shy of capturing the NXT Tag Team Championship at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, as Undisputed ERA’s Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly maintained court and defeated the hard-hitting duo in a blistering opening contest.
With tensions between the two duos boiling over during the past several weeks, the physicality was off the charts from the get go. Burch & Lorcan kept Strong & O’Reilly at bay in the early goings, using a mix of ground-and-pound, aggressive strikes and straight-up aggression to take control of the bout. However, when Strong hit Burch flush in the face with a dropkick and then smashed him across one of the LED boards below the ring apron, Undisputed ERA took control.
Strong and O’Reilly kept Burch down with hard-hitting offense and a swarming of submission holds. It wasn’t until the battered Burch connected with a brutal headbutt that he was able to tag in Lorcan, who absolutely exploded, downing his opposition instantly with a barrage of offense. Oney and the refurbished Burch kept Undisputed ERA reeling until O’Reilly was applied a cross armbreaker that evened the playing field.
NXT North American Champion Adam Cole made a pivotal save for his cohorts when he pulled O’Reilly out of the ring after it appeared he would be down for a definite three-count following an unbelievable flying European uppercut. Cole was caught by the referee and promptly ejected from ringside as Lorcan & Burch continued to rally.
In the pivotal moment, O’Reilly & Strong temporarily eliminated Burch, leaving the legal Lorcan alone with both NXT Tag Team Champions. After a succession of strikes, a more-than-dazed Lorcan was struck with a high-low combination from Undisputed ERA that kept him down for three.
The champions walked away victorious, but as the battered challengers rose to their feet in the ring, the NXT Universe paid respect with a stirring standing ovation. They may not have earned the titles, but Oney & Lorcan definitely earned respect.