It’s not often that you see multiple Championships on the line in a single match. Tonight, Legado Del Fantasma looks to take Bronson Reeds NXT North American Championship and MSK NXT Tag Team Championships all in one winner takes all match. Santos Escobar would get the NXT North American Championship, and Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza want the NXT Tag Team Championships. This one could single handedly change the landscape of NXT if Legado can pull it off. Add in that Legado have been teaming for over a year and this is the first time for Reed & MSK? It’s easy to root for Legado in this one.
Legado Del Fantasma Need To Press Their Teamwork Advantage
Wes Lee started with Mendoza, the two fastest men in the match who are equals in just about every aspect leading to a stalemate. They’d both counter running hurricanrana attempts, before Nash Carter got a blind tag. Mendoza tagged in Wilde, who dodged a kick into a rollup for a one count. Carter named a dropkick, and Escobar entered the match and demanded Carter not tag Reed.
Reed was rocking the Green & Black of Mitsuharu Misawa, and Escobar wanted nothing to do with him. Mendoza got a tag and Reed shrugged off his strikes with ease before running him through with a single left arm lariat. Reed countered a Sunset Flip from Mendoza, but missed a tag to Escobar and took a kick to the head. Escobar tried to lift Reed up and got flattened, and Wilde tagged in.
Wilde was thrown across the ring and MSK got back into the match with some short springboard dives. MSK would hold Wilde up for Reed to flatten him with a senton. Reed would help set up another trio move with MSK in the corner, a combo of Poetry In Motion and the finisher of Team Angle, but it got a two count. Carter slowed the pace down with a headlock but Wilde broke free and tagged in Escobar.
Escobar sent Carter outside, but couldn’t complete the dive. Carter hit a springboard moonsault, before Wilde dove onto him. Lee dove onto him, Mendoza got in, and then the big man Reed soared onto friend and foe alike and got the fans on their feet. Back in the ring, MSK looked to isolate Escobar but Carter was pulled away and Escobar picked away at Wes Lee.
Bronson Reed Uses His Crushing Power
Escobar would put Lee up on the top rope before taking him down with a frankensteiner. A stretch in the middle of the ring punished Lee, before Legado isolated him in their corner and nailed a quick series of running strikes and tags. Escobar nailed a brainbuster, and alongside Mendoza set up a Running 450 Splash from Wilde for a two count.
Lee would put the brakes on when thrown to the ropes, and was close to a tag to Reed. Wilde briefly stopped him, but Reed would get in and run wild on Wilde & Mendoza. He’d get a two for one special Samoan Drop before focusing on Wilde with a brainbuster. Reed let Wilde make a tag, and Mendoza would be hit with a kick to the back of the knee.
Escobar would take advantage with a Michinoku Driver for a two count, Carter making the save. Reed got a tag to Carter, and recovered on the outside. Wilde & Mendoza nailed their finisher on Carter, but Lee broke up the pinfall at two. On the outside, Escobar had designs to use the North American Championship as a weapon. Reed crushed him through the barricade with a body block. MSK took out Wilde outside, and in the ring hit their finisher on Mendoza. Reed would hit the tsunami splash, and this was over. MSK & Reed retain.
This match delivered on being a high energy spotfest. Legado Del Fantasma would show superior teamwork, but lacked an answer on how to take down Reed. The moment Escobar fell, it was over. It was a great effort from everyone involved, and they got the crowd going for this show in a big way. Match Rating: 4/5 (****)
Would Santos Escobar have had a better chance to win the North American Championship in a singles match? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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