NXT Takeover XXX Results: Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai [NXT Women’s Championship Match]

Sometimes the easiest part of being a champion is winning the belt, as afterwards you have a target on your back. In the case of this feud, the target was on the head as Dakota Kai would rush Io Shirai down with a huge kick to the back of her head following a title defense against Tegan Nox. Kai would make this official when she beat Rhea Ripley in a #1 contenders match, and on the latest episode of NXT her insurance policy of Raquel Gonzalez returned.

The deck is stacked against The Genius of the Sky, but Io Shirai isn’t scared. Infact, she knows Kai as a scared girl who fled from Shayna Baszler, who betrayed her team at WarGames, and who can’t win anything without help. Would Shirai be able to make a second successful defense of the NXT Women’s Championship?

Dakota Kai Came In With A Gameplan

Things would start fast with Shirai jumping into Kai, with Kai turning things around soon. Shirai would use her speed to rattle Kai enough to send her outside, where Gonzalez would already come into play with the distraction. Kai would attack from behind, and once back in the ring she’d work over the arm.

Shirai would break out and try for the 619, but miss and be kicked in the face. Kai has planned this match perfectly, and it’s working. She’d get a near fall in the ring after another kick to the face, before going back to the arm, stretching it in the corner as she choked Shirai with her boot.

Shirai would start to stir, wanting to get off her back in this match, but kept getting stomped back down. She’d get this opening when she got a quick rollup, but would be run down with a lariat soon after. The left arm was giving Shirai a lot of issues, the assault working perfectly.

Kai would release the arm and try for a pump kick, but would miss and Shirai nailed a shotei. She was back in this match.

Io Shirai Makes The Comeback

Shirai would start to string together some offense, hitting some shoulder tackles, a flapjack, the 619 and a springboard dropkick. The arm is hurt, but she’s still in this one, and would go for a German Suplex. A standing switch would see Kai behind Shirai, who rolled through and stomped the gut of Kai.

Shirai would be whipped into the ropes, and Kai followed and tried for German Suplex off the apron, before trying for a powerbomb instead. This would be countered into a double stomp to the face. Kai would go back to the hurt arm, and shut this flurry down.

Shirai would be kicked in the face a few times and this would just fire her up, but would take a scorpion kick. This sent her into the corner, and Kai would go for the running boot, missing and ending up in the corner. Three or four running double knee strikes later and Kai would be down, with Shirai looking for the moonsault, with Kai desperate to stop this. Kai would battle Shirai up top for a superplex, but be beat down and be hit with another double stomp, getting a near fall.

Shirai would try for a double underhook suplex, but Kai countered out and hit the Kairopractor, then applied a cross armbar on the left arm. This would have ended the match, but Shirai has no quit and would get her foot on the bottom rope before her arm snapped.

Never Doubt The Genius Of The Sky

Shirai went to the top rope after kicking Kai in the head, but got tripped up and hit with Go To Kick! This would have gotten the win, but Shirai was too close to the ropes. The referee would be kicked in the face by error, and Shirai wouldn’t realize as she hit a German Suplex and Moonsault, getting a visual pinfall. Raquel Gonzalez would powerbomb Shirai and drag Kai onto her, but Shirai kicked out at 2.9! This was their best shot, and the plan was falling apart, with Kai now playing this one by ear.

She’d try for Go To Kick, but Shirai would counter into a crossface. Kai would roll through but take a knee to the face, and roll the outside. Shirai would go high and hit a moonsault, taking out both Kai and Gozalez. Kai would be rolled back into the ring, hit another moonsault and win the match.

This was a fantastic match, Dakota Kai’s best yet in NXT. An easy 3.75/5 (*** ¾) performance from both ladies. Shirai would be attacked by Gonzalez after the match, but Rhea Ripley would make the save, staring down Gonzalez confidently, and this would lead to a retreat, and she’d stare down Shirai next.

Do you think Ripley or Gonzalez will get the next NXT Women’s Championship shot? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.

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