WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House continues and quite fittingly, the main event sees Charlotte Flair defend her title against Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai!
NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai
Tense stand off… Charlotte powders and tells them to go ahead and fight. “You Don’t Go Here” chant, Flair takes exception, says she made here! Rhea and Io lock-up, Charlotte rushes in and hair trips Ripley, bails again, Io with a roll-up for 1, Flair comes in to attack them both. Drives Ripley to the buckle, stomps her against the corner. Kick to the gut of Io, but Shirai escapes out the back of a body slam for an Edge-O-Matic! Ripley with a boot up off a charge, but Charlotte knocks her down, catches a Shirai crossbody for a Fallaway Slam and a kip up! Charlotte with knife edge chops to them both! One after another! She grabs each of them by the hair, but they fight back and double team her, stomping her into the corner!
Ripley with a headbutt to Io, clobbers Charlotte. Whips her to the corner, Flair escapes to the apron, forearm to Ripley, shoulder thrust to Io, Ripley trips her facefirst onto the apron! Tries a cannonball off the apron but Charlotte avoids it and she crashes to the floor, Charlotte throws Ripley right into the penalty box! Io with a flying rana from the apron to Charlotte, but then Flair reverses a whip to post her! Throws Io into Ripley! Flair takes Shirai into the ring. “Io” chant as Flair gets her with clubbering blows. Whips her, Io flies at her but Charlotte catches her, Io escapes, Charlotte avoids a handspring, trips her into a Boston Crab! Shirai spins out of it slowly, up kicks to break the hold! Ripley with a series of clotheslines, knee lifts to the face!
Hits the ropes, running big boot! Hits the ropes again, basement dropkick! Shirai rushes up, Standing Shining Wizard of sorts there, Tiger Feint Kick to Charlotte Flair! Casadora into a Double Footstomp! Hits the ropes, dropkick right to the crown of the head! Nearfall! Io charges, Ripley catches her, wants an O’Connor Roll, Shirai rolls out of it, they collide with a simultaneous headbutt and they each fall! As they fight up, Charlotte gets them with a double spear! Tries covers on both, to no avail! Exchange of attempted finishers, ends with Ripley countering Natural Selection into a Side Slam only to eat a Springboard Dropkick from Shirai!
Crowd behind Io, Meteora to Ripley! But Charlotte surprises her with the Natural Selection!!! Nearfall!! That was a fantastic one. Shirai with a crucifix for a 2 count, Charlotte cinches her into the Figure Four and wants Figure Eight, but Ripley pulls her out to the floor! They brawl, exchanging shots as they near the ramp, Shirai with a plancha taking out Ripley! Charlotte attacks her from behind. Flair sends Shirai through the set window! Ripley tosses a flower pot Charlotte’s way, Flair spears her to the stage, the brawl continues! Vicious slap from Charlotte, pounds her face against the plexiglass! Charlotte stalks… Shirai is up top the IYH set!!! They don’t see her… SUPER CROSSBODY TAKES THE BOTH OF THEM OUT! “Holy Shit” chant!
Io takes Flair into the ring, she goes up, Ripley blocks the moonsault! Side steps the spear and posts Charlotte, sends her to the floor! Ripley with a few chops to Shirai, pursues her to the top rope! Hooks for a superplex, trying to get her over, Shirai blocking it… slips between her legs, crotches her! Now she pursues her up there, looking for a Super Rana! Ripley blocks it, Charlotte with a big boot to her as she’s hung upside down! Charlotte with a series of chops to Ripley who’s still up top… Charlotte climbing. Ripley with a headbutt stuns her, AVALANCHE RIPTIDE! Shirai baaaarely breaks it up! Io ducks a big boot, series of palm strikes, hits the ropes, wants the Casadora but RIpley blocks it and there’s the Prism Trap!! Charlotte grabs the kendo stick though, takes it to Ripley’s back to break the hold! And cracks Io with it as well, she’s battering them both! Tosses the stick to the floor! Charges, spear to Ripley! And now she wants the Figure Four, into the Figure Eight! But Shirai up top with a Moonsault to Ripley!!!! SHE PINS HER AND THAT’S THAT!
Winner: Io Shirai
Wow!! That’s what I was hoping for but I never in a million years thought the title would change hands here! Admittedly this being the main event did give me pause but… wow, what a shock there! Quite the finish too and quite the match! Very impressive show. Io gets the full Japanese streamer treatment and is absolutely drowned in confetti!
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