There’s two men who would love to be next in line for a shot at the NXT Championship. Apollo Crews has been aiming to get to the belt since returning to NXT, but got his attention taken by Grayson Waller – who he defeated in a casket match at Halloween Havoc. JD McDonagh has fallen to Breakker twice now, yet remains determined – and injuring Ilja Dragunov & Axiom got him noticed. Tonight, Crews & McDonagh clash – with the winner hopeful to get a title shot at NXT Deadline next month.
Apollo Crews Comes Out On Top
McDonagh would take Crews to the mat as the match began, but was unable to keep him there. An arm drag would be avoided, but McDonagh would catch Crews with an elbow drop. Crews would find his feet and toss McDonagh with a back body drop before knocking him from the ring with a shoulder tackle. Following behind, Crews would toss McDonagh right onto the announce table.
McDonagh would apply a sleeper hold in the ring, with Crews climbing the ropes to try and take him down. The hold would remain, but Crews was able to wrestle free. McDonagh was sent to the floor again – with Crews hitting a moonsault off the apron. Back in the ring, Crews kept the pressure on, hitting a Tiger Driver into a sitout powerbomb for a near fall.
McDonagh would hit a series of forearm smashes in the corner, before stomping the back of Crew. On the floor again, McDonagh would be the one to hit the moonsault this time, before rolling Crews into the ring. Going to the top rope – McDonagh was a step slow, and Crews caught him with an angle slam.
Both men would trade blows in the middle of the ring after finding their feet. Crews looked for a suplex, and it was blocked into an Inside Cradle. They’d rock back and forth through pins, before McDonagh got his feet for the Spanish Fly. A headbutt was meant to set up Devil Inside, but Crews blocked – before McDonagh got a two count off a Sunset Flip.
McDonagh would go for a moonsault, but missed before being planted with the spinebuster for the finish. Bron Breakker knows who is next – with NXT Deadline not far away. He’d come out after the bell, and the match is all but confirmed.
Wes Lee Will Risk It All To Remain Champion
Carmelo Hayes is a naked man without the NXT North American Championship around his waist. You can’t call yourself the A-Champion, if you don’t have the gold to back it up. This has made him laser focused on Wes Lee – who didn’t pin Hayes to win the belt, instead claiming it in a ladder match. Tonight, they will sign the contract for a title match next week. Lee has to prove he belongs as champion, and Hayes needs to prove he’s still A-Champion.
Booker T would preside over this contract signing, say he’s a big fan of both men. Hayes is blessed to be in the Fave Five – but Lee would ask if that’s still the case now that Hayes is the ex-champion. Booker T would say that he hopes to see a three time champion next week, rooting against the champion. Carmelo Hayes would say that Lee’s fifteen minutes of fame is coming to an end – as he’s a great athlete but there’s no ladder to climb this time.
Lee is ready for his first singles title defense all the same. He would have never guessed he’d be in this spot a year ago, and took a bad hand from the universe and turned it into a championship reign. Lee worked his ass off to win the belt, and will risk it all to retain it.
Who will leave NXT next week as North American Champion? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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