The situation surrounding the NXT Women’s Championship has gotten intense. Former champion Rhea Ripley would come to the aid of Io Shirai after she was unable to defeat Charlotte Flair. This has lead to the match would be the main event for this weeks episode of NXT, as for the first time ever Ripley & Shirai would go one on one. Who would walk away as a likely number one contender?
Rhea Ripley Is Too Strong For Io Shirai
As the bell rang, Shirai would already have hit a dropkick, sending Ripley into the ropes. She would quickly follow up with some hard forearms, with Ripley fighting back. After telegraphing a back body drop, Ripley would be kicked in the face, and though she was able to catch her opponent out of the sky, Shirai would slink out and scratch the back with her long nails. This only served to piss Ripley off, who would grab the arm of Shirai before hitting a series of a lariats following it up with a huge dropkick. Having sent Shirai to the apron, she called her to come back for more, driving her boot into the stomach before slamming her face first into the mat.
The power advantage of Ripley would be overwhelming early in this match, as she scooped up Shirai off the mat only to slam her right back down. An attempt at a German Suplex would see the crafty Shirai counter, rolling Ripley forward and stomping her with both feet for a one count. With her newfound control the match, Shirai would use her athletic ability and speed to try to keep it. However a Hurricarana attempt would be caught and she would almost be power-bombed, before rolling Ripley up into a Sunset Flip for another near fall. The kickout would be used to get Ripley into a crossface, but the powerful Aussie would fight her way out.
Enter The Queen
Shirai would climb to the top rope, but would be stunned with strikes and hit with a huge superplex, which would get a close two count. A series of strikes from Shirai would do little more than annoy Ripley, who would swat her away with a lariat. Not giving up, Shirai would be right back up and use her quickness to lock in another crossface in the middle of the ring. Ripley would desperately crawl to the bottom rope to break the hold, but as she caught her breath on the middle rope she would be hit with the Tiger Feint Kick from Shirai, who followed up with a springboard dropkick which sent Ripley out of the ring.
A tope would wipe out both women on the outside, as the music of Charlotte Flair would hit. She would watch as the battled at ringside, before Shirai would sent Ripley crashing into the champion with a headscissor takedown. Back in the ring, Shirai hit a running double knee in the corner for a near fall. A DDT would bring another near fall, but Ripley would not surrender. However, as Shirai got up, Charlotte would run her down with a big boot ending the match in a DQ.
Ripley would eat a spear from The Queen, and she would pose over her two challengers with the NXT Women’s Championship. With things as they stand, we can expect a Triple Threat for the title at NXT Takeover: In Your House. Will that be the end of the reign of Charlotte Flair? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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