The long wait for Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott to become NXT Cruiserweight Champion might be over. He’s been chasing Santos Escobar for months now, and is still the only man to have pinned him, having done so twice. However, Escobar has more tricks up his sleeves, and Legado Del Fantasma backs him up. Will Swerve finally become champion, or fall once again in the first NXT Cruiserweight Championship match in NXT Takeover history?
Swerve Doing The Cruiserweight Championship Proud
These are the best two men the Cruiserweight division has, and they’d look to raise the prestige of the championship with a big match. Some arm drag and hurricanrana attempts would favor Swerve, who’d also trip Escobar up and go for a deadlift German Suplex before Escobar countered into a pinfall. Some heavy strikes would follow, before Escobar was monkey flipped over the top rope and hit with a moonsault off the arpon. Swerve would get back in the ring and dive onto Escobar again, and then a third time for good measure as Escobar didn’t want to stay in the ring.
Changing the pace, Swerve would attack the arm of Escobar with the ring post after exposing some steel, showing he’s not just a high flyer. Instead, Swerve is pulling from the lucha libre playbook, emulating a past life as Killshot. The submissions would punish Escobar, who has not gotten started in this one. A quick strike to the face and Arrow From The Depths of Hell would crush Swerve, but back in the ring this only got a one count. Escobar pressed this advantage with a clothesline and some running knees, before being set on top of the ring for a frankensteiner before Escobar dropped an elbow on him. After surviving that initial assault, Escobar came back with a fury.
What Else Can Santos Escobar Do?
After some cocky shots from Escobar and some trash talk, Swerve found his inner fire as well and would pummel Escobar with a clothesline. He’d hit the european uppercut to the back of the neck, and the pump kick off the apron once Escobar slipped to the outside again. A second pump kick dropped him, he’d be thrown into the ring and nailed with a Rolling Thunder Flatliner. Going up top for another high risk move, Escobar would join him and get DDT’d off the middle rope after Swerve slipped out, getting a two count.
At this time, Legado Del Fantasma would come to ringside and trip Swerve up, letting Escobar hit a shoulder breaker, only getting a two count, but his backup is here. They’d both go to the apron, but Swerve would crotch Escobar on the rope and send him onto his allies, before Ashante Adonis would come to ward them off.
Back in the ring, Swerve would roll right into a kick to the jaw, and be hit with the Phantom Driver. This move has never been kicked out of until now, but Swerve isn’t going home without the gold. He’d go for the three amigos, pulling from lucha libre royalty, and setting up the Frog Splash. Swerve got out of the way at the last moment, and set up a big armbreaker on Escobar, and nailed the House Call kick. This wasn’t enough, and Swerve would hit a 450 Splash, getting a 2.9 count! All Swerve had left was the JML Driver, but both men spilled to the outside when he attempted it.
A brawl on the arpon would see Swerve be bumped into the corner headfirst, and a double underhook lift before dropping Swerve face first on his knee would end this incredible match.
Finally Giving The Spotlight To This Brand
This is what the spotlight the Cruiserweight division has needed for years, and they truly gave their all. While Legado Del Fantasma would get involved, it was Swerve exposing the steel of the turnbuckle early in the match to attack the arm that cost him in the end. Even still this match is a sign of what this division is here for in NXT, and won’t be the last time we see this belt on NXT Takeover. Match Rating: 4.25/5 (**** 1/4)
Who will get the next shot at Santos Escobar? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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