When Karrion Kross was faced with four potential challengers for his NXT Championship, he chose everyone. He will face the first Grand Slam winner in NXT history with Johnny Gargano, the greatest NXT Champion of all time in Adam Cole, the former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne, and a very hungry Kyle O’Reilly. It’s a Fatal Five Way, and Kross doesn’t even need to be pinned or submitted to lose his Championship.
This will be a car crash style of main event, where anything could happen. Throughout the night, William Regal would lose control of these five men, with Gargano & O’Reilly brawling in the parking lot and Dunne & Kross getting at it in the Performance Center. Adam Cole kept his head down throughout the night, not wasting his energy before he hit the ring.
Everyone Sets Their Eyes On Karrion Kross
The bell would ring, and Adam Cole got kicked in the face by Kyle O’Reilly as they brawled outside. Gargano was sent out of the ring, and Dunne would match up with Kross in the ring and look for a Guillotine Choke before being thrown to the outside. O’Reilly hopped into the ring next and tried strikes with Kross, before rolling into a kneebar. Kross broke the hold and sent him to the outside, and Gargano was next in.
Gargano would cut down Kross with a chop block before being thrown across the ring with an exploder suplex. He’d slip outside and it was Cole next, but before he could do much with Kross, Dunne would yank him outside and attack him after trapping him behind the ring apron. Kross would continue to control the ring even as all four men entered, hitting a double suplex on Dunne & Gargano before a Burning Lariat on O’Reilly.
O’Reilly kicked out and would trip up Kross with a leg sweep, before he’d get his hands on Adam Cole. Gargano would get involved and get O’Reilly in the Gargano Escape. Dunne got into the mix with an armbar, but Kross picked him off and powerbombed him onto Dunne & O’Reilly.
Cole would call Kross down to the ramp, where Gargano & Dunne ambushed him and shoved him through the door of the In Your House set. Back in the ring, Cole had O’Reilly alone and would nail the Ushigoroshi for a two count. He’d look for Panama Sunrise as Gargano got back into the mix. He’d trap O’Reilly & Cole in the corner, but Dunne came out of nowhere with a roll up and Bitter End attempt.
Enter Johnny Takeover
Gargano countered into a DDT and hit the lawn dart on Dunne, right into the back of Cole who crashed into O’Reilly. Dunne was able to kick out at two, but Gargano was in control until we’d see a series of knockout blows from all four men in the ring. Cole would be first up, but ended up in an ankle lock from O’Reilly. He’d kick him off, and Kross was back to catch O’Reilly by the ropes.
O’Reilly was thrown over the barricade, Cole was thrown onto the floor, then Gargano, and Dunne was thrown onto O’Reilly. He’d take Gargano into the ring, and hit a Tornado F5 for a two count. Gargano would hit a tornado DDT on Kross as he kicked off Cole, before hitting dives to the outside including a suicide DDT. He was tapping into a Johnny Takeover state of mind, before meeting Cole in the ring and getting a near fall off a Bastard Driver.
He’d get a roll through kick on O’Reilly as Dunne went for a mid kick, before Cole assisted the poison rana with a pump kick. Ending this combo was an enziguri as O’Reilly got Cole with a RegalPlex. Kross was back in the ring, and would take lariats from everyone and take a knee. O’Reilly took out Gargano & Dunne with a double lariat.
Kross would hit a big German Suplex on Cole after yelling “ADAM COLE BAYBAY” as he retook full control in this match for a moment. He’d take a series of kicks from everyone before O’Reilly and Cole worked together to try and powerbomb him through the announce table. With Kross out once again, the other four men would brawl in the ring, with Dunne & O’Reilly getting submissions on Gargano & Cole before going at each other.
Karrion Kross Pulls O’Reilly Into Defeat
Dunne countered a suplex into a guillotine choke, before they’d trade holds in the middle of the ring until Gargano hit a slingshot spear. Cole threw Gargano out of the ring and hit the OG Last Shot on O’Reilly for a two count. Dunne would take a double superkick from Cole & Gargano, but kicked out of a pinfall from Cole who ended up right in a One Final Beat DDT.
Gargano got the Gargano Escape on both Cole & Dunne, before O’Reilly broke it up. A jumping knee and a PK set up a brainbuster from O’Reilly. He’d try to go to the top for the knee drop, but Cole shoved him off without a second thought. Cole hit Panama Sunrise on Gargano, but Dunne pulled him out and hit a brainbuster.
Kross was back to his feet, and Dunne called him into the ring for a fight. Dunne unleashed some wild blows before taking a German Suplex and hitting one of his own before Bitter End in the middle of the ring, but Kross kicked out. He’d go right into the Triangle Choke, but the other three broke the submission up.
Dunne would stomp on some hands and break some fingers, but Kross hit a double Doomsday Saito and the elbow to the back of Coles neck. He’d look for the Kross Jacket on Dunne, but Dunne would break the fingers. Dunne was hit with One Final Beat, and Gargano countered the Kross Jacket into a two count before the hold was locked in.
Cole hit the Last Shot, O’Reilly hit the diving knee, and Cole cleaned house with superkicks. O’Reilly dodged and got the heel hook, but got too close to Kross who pulled O’Reilly into the Kross Jacket. Kross would choke O’Reilly out, and it was over.
This was an all star game of a match, with everyone playing their role perfectly. It was nonstop action from bell to bell, with the biggest star of the match being Gargano who was fully back in Johnny Takeover mode. It was complete madness from bell to bell, which is exactly what a match like this needs to be. Kross was able to hang with the best in NXT, and continues to win over fans. Match Rating: 4.75/5 (**** 3/4)
Who will be next to challenge Karrion Kross? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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