- Welcome everyone to NXT TakeOver: Armageddon!
Tonight we are in for a treat, with several high stakes matches and exciting
debuts! One of Japan’s biggest stars will finally make his big debut in NXT
when the “King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura faces a returning Shelton
Benjamin! But that’s not all! The Ascension will have their hands full this
evening when they defend their NXT Tag Team Championships against The
Vaudevillains and the newest team on the scene, The Lucha Dragons! In probably
the most important match of Christian’s career, “Captain Charisma” will be
fighting for his own survival in a Career Match against the vicious Baron
Corbin, with “The Cowboy” James Storm serving as the Special Guest Referee!
Will this be Christian’s last night in NXT? Coming up next, two enemies go to
war when Corey Graves faces off against “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa
Joe!
Match 1 – 
VS 
VS 
- After coming close to winning the NXT
Championship from Finn Balor at Extreme Rules, "The Savior of
Misbehavior" Corey Graves had another chance to get right back into the
mix when he faced Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn in an incredible Triple Threat to
determine the new Nº Contender for Balor’s title. All seemed to be going
according to Graves plan but in the end it was Sami Zayn who managed to secure
the win and the title opportunity after a very controversial ending that saw
Graves getting outraged with the referee for apparently not counting the
pinfall over Joe, which led to Zayn picking up Graves with the Blue Thunder
Bomb and ending the contest. The decision didn’t sit well with Graves who
blamed everyone he could set his eyes upon, from referees to General Managed
William Regal but most importantly, to Samoa Joe. The obsessed Corey Graves
blamed Joe above all, insisting that he was in cahoots with Regal the whole
time to prevent Graves from getting another shot at the title. Samoa Joe didn’t
took all of this kindly and gave an interview on the WWE Network saying that
Graves has no idea who’s he messing with and that he will show him that there’s
no conspiracy, just a broken man trying to make excuses for himself. Joe ended
his interview by stating that he has his sights on the NXT Championship and
will send a message to everyone in the locker room when he sets foot on the
ring. Who will emerge as the winner? Will it be the out of control Corey
Graves, who is eager to show the corruption inside NXT? Or will it be the submission
specialist Samoa Joe, a man who’s been a champion all over the world and wants
to continue the trend on NXT? Let’s find out! "The Savior of Misbehavior" Corey
Graves vs “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe!
Highlights
Winner by Referee Stoppage: Corey Graves
- We return to the broadcast where Byron Saxton
informs us that Samoa Joe is being treated by NXT doctors backstage and there’s
some concern about a potential ACL torn on his knee, something that would
put Joe on the shelf for quite a while. Meanwhile, General Manager William
Regal tried to get a hold of Graves but he was nowhere to be seen, leading to
speculation that Graves already left the building. We’ll keep you updated on
this matter. Moving on, some exciting news! Next Wednesday on NXT, Enzo Amore
& Big Cass will return! The over-the-top team will make their awaited
return and most definitely bring some electricity to the brand! Speaking of
which, there’s been some rumous about 3 free agents getting closer to some
deals with NXT but their names are still unknown at this time. This once more
proves that NXT is quite possibly the most exciting and fast-growing brand in
all of pro-wrestling! Coming up next, the NXT Tag Team Championships are on the
line when The Ascension faces the teams of The Vaudevillains and The Lucha
Dragons!
Match 2
VS 
VS 
- The Ascension has been a major force in NXT’s
tag team division. The obscure duo has defeated everyone that has come in their
way, from young teams to veterans such as Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio. Viktor
& Konnor seemed unstoppable until new fresh blood came to the brand. First,
The Vaudevillains, who couldn’t have possibly wished for a better way to start
their NXT run, by defeating the now disbanded Rose Express and more
importantly, The Ascension in a non-title match! The shocking results made
William Regal book the newcomers against the champions but that wasn’t enough.
There was another new team eager to make an impression and end The Ascension’s
reign of terror on NXT; The Lucha Dragons! The lucha libre superstars made a
surprise debut on NXT’s last episode and informed that they were on the hunt
for the titles, something that didn’t pleased The Vaudevillains and especially
The Ascension. With the odds clearly against them, will the dominating
champions be able to keep their momentum going and prove their supremacy or
will the hungry new teams of The Vaudevillains and The Lucha Dragons earn their
place by securing a major win and quite possibly, change the direction of the
whole tag team division? Let the battle begin!
Highlights
- As soon as the match started it was chaos and fast-paced action, with Sin Cara hitting a beautiful Over the Top Rope dive on Konnor!
- Kalisto displayed his areal offense, connecting with a hurricanrana on Simon Gotch!
- The Vaudevillains get the upper-hand and almost secure the win when they hit their finisher Whirling Dervish on Viktor!
- While Aiden English was thrown outside, The Ascension hit a brutal The Fall of Men on Simon Gotch!
- In the mix of all the action, Kalisto managed to caught Viktor with a tremendous Salida del Sol and win the NXT Tag Team Championships for The Lucha Dragons!
Winners and NEW NXT Tag Team Champions: The Lucha Dragons
- The crowd goes wild with The Lucha Dragons and their upset win! Kalisto & Sin Cara managed to create an impact in their NXT debut match by winning not only the NXT Tag Team Championships but also putting a stop on The Ascensions long reign! The tag team division is red-hot right now!
- Backstage we see Kurt Angle with Jack Swagger
and Shelton Benjamin, the newly re-formed Team Angle. Kurt tells both Swagger
and Benjamin that he trusts them to get the job done against that foreign trash
called Nakamura. He goes on to tell Shelton that they need to send a message to
the nation, showing that they won’t let others take what is rightfully theirs.
He says after tonight, Team Angle will show the world that America is the
greatest country in the world and those who aren’t worthy of it, are getting
thrown out. Shelton tells Angle not to worry, he has it cover, mentioning that
he has crossed paths with Nakamura in Japan a couple of times and knows what he’s
capable of and knows how to stop him. Shelton says Angle should just focus on
winning the NXT Intercontinental Championship and make an example out of that Japanese
midget Hideo. Kurt Angle warns Shelton that they might be pesky outsiders but
shouldn’t be taken lightly or it could cost them everything they fight for.
Jack Swagger then tells both Angle & Benjamin to place their hands on their
hearts and join him in a “WE THE PEOPLE” shout, which leads to a mixed reaction
from the NXT fans.
- Back to the broadcast, Byron Saxton shows a
recap of The Lucha Dragons winning the NXT Tag Team Championships moments ago!
He says it’s a major upset considering how dominant The Ascension has been and
how The Vaudevillains were gaining from momentum but in the end, it was Kalisto
& Sin Cara who got the gold around their waists! Moving to another subject,
Saxton reminds us of our big Main Event between NXT Champion Finn Balor and
Sami Zayn, two fan favourites who will most likely bring the house down! Balor
has been a great champion, showing that he’s the top man on the brand but Zayn
is a former NXT Champion himself and definitely wants to make history in becoming
the first two-time champion! Can these two friends keep this championship match
professional or will it enter the personal realm? Stay tuned and find out later on! Coming up
next, the moment everyone has been waiting for: the debut of “The King of
Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura!
Match 3 – 
VS 
VS 
- The NXT brand has been on a growing path and it
seems there’s no ending in sight. After establishing the developmental brand,
Triple H decided it was time to take one step further and gathered some well-known
names to take that jump and what a jump it was. From that moment on, several
superstars from all over the world took notice of the hottest brand in
wrestling and wanted to be part of it. It was the case of one of Japan’s most
famous superstars; Shinsuke Nakamura. The self-proclaimed “King of Strong Style”
made his surprise debut to an outstanding ovation, helping fellow Japanese star
Hideo Itami fight off the recently reformed Team Angle, beating down Jack
Swagger without mercy and showing the American audience the reason for his
nickname. But Shinsuke was not the only arrival from New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Former WWE superstar Shelton Benjamin also made his surprise return and joined
his former leader Kurt Angle in their mission to erase those unworthy of being
in American soil and those who want to, in their minds, disgrace the American style.
For that end, Shelton Benjamin was chosen to put a stop to this Nakamura hype
and send a message to the world; Team Angle is here to save the country from
the invaders! Will Benjamin indeed put a stop to Nakamura’s arrival or will the
flamboyant Nakamura bring his strong style to NXT and change the landscape
forever? "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin vs “The King of Strong
Style” Shinsuke Nakamura!
Highlights
- The bout was extremely stiff, with "The Gold Standard" hitting a devastating Super Kick!
- Shelton Benjamin quickly followed with his signature T-Bone Suplex, almost putting an early stop to Nakamura's hype!
- Shinsuke Nakamura managed to avoid a Paydirt attempt and amazingly reversed into a Cross Armbreaker!
- As Shelton Benjamin was close to giving up, Jack Swagger went on the apron and interfered but "The King of Strong Style" wouldn't take it, hitting a brutal Kinshasa on "The Real American" outside!
- Right after Nakamura re-entered the ring, he was welcomed with a big Paydirt from Benjamin but wasn't enough to secure the win just yet!
- "The Gold Standard" got frustrated and went for a Springboard jump but got caught mid-air with a vicious knee to the face!
- Shinsuke Nakamura then set-up his famous Kinshasa knee strike and hits Shelton Benjamin with full force, emerging victorious in his debut match!
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
- The crowd goes wild on Nakamura's victory, chanting the Japanese name several times! It seems the Strong Style is here to stay!
- We return to TakeOver and backstage we see Christian
getting ready for his important match against Baron Corbin. Suddenly James
Storm appears to a big pop from the crowd. “The Cowboy” says it’s good to see
Christian again and he’s very honoured to have the opportunity to be a part of
NXT, even if it’s just to referee a match. Christian says Regal couldn’t have
picked a better person for the job and he knows Storm will do well in keeping
everything in check. Storm tells Christian that he saw what has been happening
between him and Corbin, warning Christian that Corbin is a very dangerous guy,
who doesn’t seem to care much for rules. Christian jumps in and says that’s why
Storm is here; to keep Corbin in line once and for all. James Storm agrees but
says he will be doing that for both of them, mentioning how he isn’t naïve and
knows damn well that Christian is an experienced guy and he knows how to take
advantage of situations. Storm ends by saying that he’s eager to see him in
action, even if it’s for the last time ever. He leaves, with Christian looking
a bit confused by his last words.
- We return to ringside where Saxton talks about
the NXT Intercontinental Championship! Hideo Itami and Kurt Angle will be
battling once more for the recently created championship but so far no decisive
winner has been named, with several outside situations preventing that from
happening. But according to General Managed William Regal, tonight we won’t be
leaving NXT TakeOver without a true definitive champion with Hideo & Angle
meeting inside the first-ever NXT Steel Cage Match! The odds seem to benefit the
veteran Kurt Angle but one must not overestimate the amazing talent from Hideo
Itami! But that is later on because right now it’s time for a high stakes match!
Christian and Baron Corbin will fight for their NXT careers right here right
now!
Special Guest Referee
Match 4 – 
VS 
VS 
- A heated rivalry that started when several
miscommunications interfered in their tag team matches against the former Rose
Express. An accidental Spear from Christian on Baron Corbin costed the match,
with “Captain Charisma” later apologizing for it and mentioning how it was a misunderstanding,
noting else. He seemly meant what he said and continued helping Corbin, which
lead to Christian being on “The Lone Wolfs” corner in his match against
one-half of the NXT Tag Team Champions Konnor. Unfortunately the communication
between the two didn’t improved as Christian went to help Corbin during a
double team from The Ascension but got hit with a huge Clothesline from Hell
from Corbin, which basically distracted Corbin from the match in hand and lead
to his defeat after Viktor & Konnor hit The Fall of Men. Christian began
arguing with Corbin, which lead to their first real heated confrontation. With
no apparent way to reconcile, William Regal booked a singles match between the
two rivals in order to put all issues aside once and for all. The match was
exciting but not as Corbin probably wished. After having Christian beat, the
veteran managed to put his foot on the ropes and breaking the pin, something
that pissed Corbin off beyond words. Perhaps lacking some years in the
business, the young superstar let emotions get the better out of him and
apparently lost some focus, something that has a great cost in these type of
competitions. Christian took the chance and pinned Corbin with a sunset flip,
leaving “The Lone Wolf” shocked and berserk. That was the breaking point for
Corbin, who began changing his attitude and calling out William Regal for his
bad management on NXT and how he protects some superstars and leaves others to
dry. After Regal disregarded his rant, Corbin went to destroy Regal’s personal
car and started demanding Christian one more time, as he wanted to prove he
could beat him. With William Regal getting enough of his attitude, the GM
decided against suspending him and granted his wish; a match with Christian at
TakeOver. But Corbin still wasn’t happy and argued that he wanted Christian’s
career on line while gladly putting his own as well. Regal accepted the request
but to secure that everything would be according to the rules, a surprising
decision was made: “The Cowboy” James Storm was chosen to be the Special Guest
Referee! The stage is set for a very emotional match! Will this be Christian’s
last match in NXT or will the veteran keep showing that he’s still one step ahead
of the young Baron Corbin, sending him out of NXT so early in his career? Let’s
find out! “Captain Charisma” Christian vs “The Lone Wolf” Baron Corbin!
Highlights
- A very intense match that the veteran Christian controlled early on, hitting a Diving European Uppercut on Corbin!
- "Captain Charisma" kept on the offense and went for the Spear!
- In impressive fashion, Baron Corbin counters Christian's Spear and hits a devastating Deep Six Side Slam!
- "The Instant Classic" Christian managed to make a comeback and hit a picture-perfect Diving Elbow Drop!
- The ending almost came when Christian got Corbin on The Killswitch but........
- In a shocking event, "The Cowboy" James Storm hits The Last Call out of nowhere to the crowds awe!
- Without questioning what happened, "The Lone Wolf" took advantage of the situation and hit the brutal End of Days as Storm taunted! That's it; Christian is officially OUT of NXT!
Winner: Baron Corbin
- James Storm raises Corbin's arm up in the air as "The Lone Wolf" still seems confused about what just happened. Meanwhile, the crowd boos James Storm without mercy, while he smirks to the camera....
- Backstage we see a heartbroken Christian
packing his things up. General Manager William Regal appears and quickly
apologizes for what just happened, mentioning he had no idea that Storm would
do that and if he did, he would have never chosen him for the job. Christian
keeps packing and doesn’t look at Regal, who keeps apologizing and saying he
will put things right. Regal says he will bring those two to his office and
deal with the situation and perhaps bring back Christian. “Captain Charisma”
stops and looks at Regal, simply saying “Don’t bother I’m done” before leaving
the room, leaving Regal extremely sad and confused.
- We return to our broadcast and Saxton mentions
how the crowd is still shocked about what just happened with Storm, Christian
and Corbin. The word is that no one had any idea of Storm’s true goals and he
caught everyone by surprise, including Baron Corbin. One must wonder what went
through James Storm’s mind and if those actions have affected his potential
inclusion on NXT. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. In other news, the latest reports
about Samoa Joe’s condition say that the Samoan does not have a torn ACL,
apparently being free from any type of long term injury. This is good news for
the fans and probably bad news for Corey Graves, who hoped to end the threat of
Samoa Joe in NXT. Coming up next, a final decision will made regarding the uncrowned
NXT Intercontinental Champion! Hideo Itami and Kurt Angle will battle one last
time inside the first-ever NXT Steel Cage Match! It’s next!
Steel Cage Match
Match 5 – 
VS 
VS 
- From the moment that NXT became a focal point
in today’s wrestling, it was just a matter of time before big names wanted to
be part of it. Kurt Angle was no exception and after finally reaching an
agreement with Triple H, “The Olympic Gold Medalist” decided to make his
presence felt on NXT in the most aggressive way possible; by attacking Hideo
Itami after a gruelling match against Sami Zayn. Kurt Angle stormed the ring
and quickly hit Itami with explosive German Suplexes and a vicious Angle Slam.
General Managed William Regal took action and went on to protect on of his most
precious superstars on the roster, quickly arguing with Angle and ordering him
to stop the vicious assault. The reply? A headbutt and a brutal Ankle Lock on
NXT’s General Manager! These actions established Angle as the most dangerous
man on the roster and lead to his first match since returning against…..
William Regal. “The Wrestling Machine” made quick work of Regal, disrespecting
him and setting his sights once more on Hideo Itami. To make things even more
exciting, Regal decided to create NXT’s own version of the Intercontinental
Championship and booked Angle and Hideo in a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme
Rules. After an incredible bout, the ending came when Angle caught a flying
Itami with an Angle Slam on the announcers table, leaving both men unable to answer
the 10 count and thus ending without a clear winner and champion. With such a
controversial and indecisive finish, a rematch was made official for NXT but
this time was Jack Swagger, apparently aiding Kurt Angle, who prevented Hideo
Itami from emerging victorious. With Angle gaining supporters in his mission to
erase outsiders and their foreign styles from USA, Hideo seemed outnumbered
until fellow countrymen Shinsuke Nakamura came to the rescue and even things
out. In the mix of all the confusion, it was decided that this would be the
decisive match to crown a new NXT Intercontinental Champion and to prevent
outside shenaningans, it would be contested inside a Steel Cage, the first ever
in NXT history. Who will be the first NXT Intercontinental Champion? The
talented Hideo Itami, proving that the Japanese style has a say in America or
will it be Kurt Angle, who wants nothing more than to win gold in WWE once
again and prove that American style is indeed the best and only way to go? “The
Japanese Sensation” Hideo Itami vs “The Olympic Gold Medalist” Kurt Angle for the NXT
Intercontinental Championship!
Highlights
- The vicious Kurt Angle went all-out on Hideo and sent the Japanese superstar against the steel cage with a fierce German Suplex!
- "The Wrestling Machine" tried to escape the cage early on but Hideo Itami prevented it by pulling Angle to the mat!
- After some back and forth, "The Japanese Sensation" got Kurt Angle for a GTS!
- In a fantastic way, Kurt Angle reversed the GTS into the Ankle Lock!
- After breaking free of the Ankle Lock, Hideo connected with his Shotgun Kick but Kurt Angle was still able to kick out!
- This time it was Kurt Angle who was able to hit the Angle Slam and almost get the win!
- Frustration got the best of Angle, with "The Olympic Gold Medalist" doing the unthinkable and climbing to the top of the cage! Instead of leaving and winning the match, Kurt Angle went for a Diving Moonsault!!
- In a big turn of events, Hideo managed to move away from the Moonsault, with Angle crashing down the mat! Hideo Itami took the opportunity and ended it with a brutal kick to the face to win the NXT Intercontinental Championship!
Winner and NEW NXT Intercontinental Champion: Hideo Itami
- An extremely emotional Hideo can't believe that he finally did it! He finally defeated Kurt Angle and won his first championship in NXT! The crowd shows their appreciation for the amazing match as they chant "NXT! NXT! several times! Incredible battle!
- Backstage we see Sami Zayn getting ready for
the Main Event when NXT Champion Finn Balor shows up. Balor begins by saying
that he hopes there’s no hard feelings about what happened last week during
their tag team match. The champion says he got a bit carried away and wanted to end the match himself, which was wrong. Zayn tells Balor that he definitely
shouldn’t have done that and says it was completely uncalled for but decides to
accept Balor’s apology. Zayn says he can’t let those things affect him ahead of
such an important battle and he wants to simply focus on becoming the first
ever two-time NXT Champion. Finn lets Sami know that he respects his commitment
and his goals but warns him that he is in for a rude awakening, telling him
that he has no plans to let go the NXT Championship and despite their
friendship, he won’t be pulling out any punches tonight, not when the title is
on the line. Sami Zayn says he wouldn’t want it in any other way and tells
Balor to get ready for the hardest battle of his career, mentioning how he has
reached the top once and liked how it looked so he wants it again. Balor says
Sami didn’t quite get what he meant, mentioning how he shouldn’t be worried
about him…… He should be worried about the other “him”, who has no remorse’s or
friends. Balor ends by saying that tonight is indeed Armageddon as The Demon
will be unleashed, leaving Sami somewhat preoccupied.
- We return to ringside where Baron Saxton is
showing replays of Hideo Itami winning the NXT Intercontinental Champion in an
outstanding match! Saxton mention how Hideo showed the world and Kurt Angle
that he is here to make a mark and what a better what to do that than defeating
a former world champion and winning some gold! Moving on to another subject,
Saxton informs the audience that next week on NXT, William Regal will call out
James Storm about his actions tonight, costing Christian his NXT career in
ruthless fashion. What will “The Cowboy” say about his despicable actions? Is
Baron Corbin behind this? Were they together or was this a solo decision from
Storm? That’s what we’ll find out next week! Coming up, it’s time for our Main
Event as Finn Balor defends the NXT Championship against Sami Zayn!
Main Event – 
VS 
VS 
- Ever since winning the NXT Championship, Finn
Balor has been a true fighting champion. He welcomed any challenger and managed
to retain his title against the likes of Baron Corbin and Tyler Breeze but his
real hard fought contest came when Corey Graves returned to active competition
and was named the Nº 1 Contender. At Extreme Rules, Balor barely retained the
NXT Championship after a brutal match, which Balor won after hitting the Coup
de Grâce on the announcers table. The champion himself later admitted that he
almost thought he couldn’t do it, giving props to Grave’s resolve and ambition.
Nevertheless, Finn Balor retained the championship and it was time to name a
new opponent, which was decided in the mix of a very controversial Triple
Threat Match involving Corey Graves, Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn. “The Underdog
from the Underground" Sami Zayn came out the winner of the bout and earned
a shot at the NXT Championship, which apparently made Balor happy to see his
friend get the opportunity. But soon that same friendship began showing signs
of not being above the championship itself, as both men started throwing jabs
at each other but the decisive moment came when during a tag team contest,
Balor tagged himself in and won the match himself, leaving Zayn clearly
confused and upset. The situation was apparently explained by Balor but one
thing is for certain, friendship is taking a back seat on this one as both men
have their total focus on the championship. Will Balor call out his inner Demon
to help him retain the NXT Championship or will the always fan favourite Sami
Zayn make history here tonight by becoming the first ever two-time NXT
Champion? Let’s find out! "The Demon" Finn Balor vs “The Underdog
from the Underground" Sami Zayn!
Highlights
- The always exciting Sami Zayn wasn't playing around and went for an Over the top dive on Balor!
- Sami Zayn quickly went for the top rope but this time the champion Balor gets him with a high kick right in the chin!
- The roles inverted and this time it was Finn who connected with an amazing outside dive!
- As soon as "The Demon" began taking control of the match, the unpredicatable Zayn nails a beautiful Blue Thunder Bomb for the close call!
- The opportunity was there for the taking and Sami Zayn went for the Helluva Kick but missed! He then gets a Pele Kick in return!
- Finn Balor then nailed his signature Sling Blade!
- The NXT Champion Balor climbed to the top rope and attempted his finishing move Coup de Grace!
- The Coupe de Grace misses and Zayn does an incredible reversal into a Koji Clutch in the middle of the ring!
- With great effort, Finn managed to break free from the Koji Clutch and hit a brutal Bloody Sunday! To everyone's shock, Sami Zayn kicked out at the last second!
- In another incredible moment, Zayn throws caution into the wind and does an insane Torpedo DDT on the outside!
- The time was up and Zayn knew it; he set up the Helluva Kick for the finish but suddenly Balor comes crushing down, apparently with an arm injury to the concern of both the referee and even Zayn.
- Out of nowhere, Balor rolls an unsuspecting Sami Zayn for the 3 count! Balor retains in a very controversial way!
Winner and Still NXT Champion: Finn Balor
- The crowd looks confused and responds with mixed reactions, while Finn Balor celebrates with his NXT Championship and apparently not showing signs of any arm injury. On the outside, Sami Zayn looks disappointed and stares at Balor with disapproving look in his face, perhaps indicating that Balor pulled a fast one on him and quite possibly, on everyone in the arena! Thank you all for watching and join us next Wednesday! Goodnight!
