Last week, while stopping Robert Stone from damaging her tank, Shotzi Blackheart ended up in a brawl with Aliyah. This brawl would interrupt the NXT Women’s Champions photoshoot, and Io Shirai was pulled into this brawl. It would end with Stone & Aliyah being dropped in the ring, with Blackheart and Shirai left standing. After Blackheart got her hands on the NXT Women’s Championship and Shirai saw that glimmer in her eye, a non-title match was made to see if Blackheart is ready to hold that championship yet.
Io Shirai Isn’t Taking Shotzi Blackheart Lightly
Blackheart would extend a hand early as a sign of respect, and Shirai slapped it aside before they locked up. The erratic offense of Blackheart caught Shirai off guard, but Shirai wasn’t phased for long. They would trade quick pinfalls, before a kick to the gut and a short powerbomb from Blackheart would move into a jackknife cover.
Shirai would counter his pinfall into a submission, but Blackheart isn’t scared to play this game and would tie up Shirai. An arm submission would nearly get her, but she was too close to the ropes, though the damage was likely done.
Shirai tried to get moving but would be stunned after going to the apron. Blackheart tried to dive out onto her, but missed and took a springboard moonsault from the genius of the sky, getting a nearfall after sending her opponent back into the ring. A commercial break would come, and throughout we would see the action in picture & picture.
Shirai pressed her advantage, choking her on the ropes, hitting big strikes and punishing her with submissions. Blackheart would fight out of a camel clutch, only to end up in an abdominal stretch. The champion had her opponent on the ropes, showing the gap in their skill levels.
Shotzi Blackheart Shows Her Guts
Coming back from the break, Blackheart would finally get free and hit a shotgun dropkick into the corner. A big flurry of offense would come from Blackheart with a reverse slingblade dropping her opponent on her face. They’d slug it out in the middle of the ring with hard strikes, seeming to be evenly matched.
Shirai would go for a enzuguri, but Blackheart turned it around into a Tiger Suplex attempt. A stomp to the foot would stun Blackheart, who’d be taken to the mat and put in a crossface in the middle of the ring. She’d get to the ropes to break the hold, but Shirai attempted a 619.
This would be dodged, and Blackheart had her final wind in this match. She’d hit a kick to the head and a running senton on the ropes, and nail the bridging Tiger Supelx for a two count, before seemlessly moving into Cattle Mutalation. Shirai would have an answer for his, moving to get on top for a pinfall.
Shirai would make the comeback, hitting a flapjack, a 619 into a big missle dropkick for a two count, She’d look for her moonsault, but Blackheart cut her off on the top rope for a top rope hurricarana, getting a near fall. The time was here for her to hit her diving senton, but a palm strike stunned Blackheart, and a superplex attempt would follow.
Io Shirai Gains A New Rival
Shirai would be sent onto the apron, and Blackheart looked for a yoshi-tonic on the apron. This would be countered, and Shirai would dump Blackheart on the apron head first with a German Suplex. It would take a bit to get her in the ring, meaning this was only a two count.
The Bullet Train running knees would leave Blackheart out, and one moonsault would end this one. This was an incredible match, one that showed just how good Blackheart already is, giving her best performance yet. Shirai was taken to her limits, and knows that Blackheart very well could be a threat to her reign, but would help her too her feet all the same.
Do you see Shotzi Blackheart as a future NXT Women’s Champion? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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