– The WWE NXT “Takeover: WarGames 2020” Pre-show opens up from the Capitol Wrestling Center with Wade Barrett welcoming us. He’s joined by Sam Roberts. They hype tonight’s show. Sam sends us to McKenzie Mitchell in the back. She talks about tonight’s WarGames match and reveals that the women’s match will open the show. We get a video that shows how the two teams formed for the women’s WarGames match. We go back to Barrett and Roberts. Barrett believes Raquel Gonzalez may be the standout Superstar from the women’s match. They preview Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher next.
We get a video of various NXT Superstars impersonating General Manager William Regal and how he does the “WarGames!” announcement. We see Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae arriving to the Capitol Wrestling Center earlier today. We also see Damian Priest and NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff arriving. Barrett leads us to a video package showing recent happenings in the chase for the NXT North American Title. We go to The Bump’s Matt Camp and Ryan Pappolla next for their Takeover predictions. We get a promo for tonight’s Strap Match next. Cameron Grimes is backstage with McKenzie Mitchell now. He’s not happy with the video package we just saw. He goes on about how he’s not afraid of anything and never has been. Grimes says tonight Dexter Lumis will be strapped to him and he’s going straight to the moon. We get a video package for the men’s WarGames match next. We come back and ESPN’s Ariel Helwani joins Roberts and Barrett via video. He talks about the history of WarGames and says WWE asked him if he wanted to be on the Survivor Series or Royal Rumble Kickoff, but he said he wanted to be on the WarGames Pre-show because to him this is the biggest night of the year for pro wrestling. They go on about tonight’s main event but the discussion is cut short as we hear the WarGames sirens go off in the Capitol Wrestling Center. That’s it for the WarGames Pre-show.
– The WWE NXT “Takeover: WarGames 2020” event opens up with a quick video. We’re live from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida as Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” plays and the pyro goes off while the two-cage WarGames structure is lowered around the two-ring set up. We get more video hype for tonight’s big matches.
– We come back to the crowd chanting “NXT!” as Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett are at ringside. Joseph sends us to Alicia Taylor in the cage. She goes over the WarGames rules while the sirens blare in the background.
WarGames: Team Blackheart (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) vs. Team LeRae (Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez)
Out first comes Toni Storm for Team LeRae to the stage. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are next. They also stand on the stage, in front of the shark cages that are set up. The Team Captain is out next, Candice LeRae. They talk things over and Kai heads into the cage to start. Ember Moon is out first for Team Blackheart. Rhea Ripley is out next. She stares over at the rest of Team LeRae, who are all in the first shark cage on the stage. Out next comes NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai. The Team Captain is out next – Shotzi Blackheart. Blackheart drives her new tank to the stage and shows it off. The others stand on the tank with her, staring down Kai in the ring. Blackheart makes the tank gun fire a projectile at the cage, taking Kai back a step. Team Blackheart talks it over and Shotzi goes towards the ring. Moon stops her and she’s going in first.
The cage door is locked and the bell hits. Kai tries to bait Moon in to start. They go at it and Kai jumps on Moon’s back with a hold. Moon slams Kai to the mat to break it. Moon avoids kicks but misses a strike. They trade more counters and Moon gets the upperhand. Moon with a running knee in the corner. Kai with a big kick in the corner. Moon comes right back with a running shot of her own into the corner. Moon with a kick to the jaw and a leg sweep. Moon with a senton in the middle of the ring. Kai tries to crawl into the other ring but Moon stops her. Moon gets dropped with a Scorpion kick. Kai mounts Moon with right hands now.
Kai drags Moon over and smashes her face in the steel of the cage. Kai misses a pump kick and hits the ropes. Kai misses again in the corner. Moon comes back and levels Kai with a right hand. Moon with a suplex into the side of the cage. Moon charges and launches herself at Kai, who is trapped between the ropes and the cage. Moon goes to the top but Kai cuts her off. Moon counters coming out of the corner. Moon with a big kick to the face. Kai retreats to the space between the two rings. Kai with a kick as Moon charges. Kai with several kicks to the head. Kai goes to the top and hits a modified Sunset Bomb from the corner.
The clock counts down and here comes Shotzi to the ring for a pop. Shotzi goes under the cage and grabs a red tool box, and a crowbar. She tosses them in the cage and the door is closed behind her. Shotzi grabs Kai and dropkicks her into the corner, then splashes her. Shotzi slams Kai with a bulldog face-first. Shotzi with more kicks and right hands to daze Kai. Shotzi with a leaping splash to the back of Kai against the ropes. Kai fights back but Shotzi tosses her back to the middle of the setup. Shotzi with a running dropkick to the face. Shotzi misses a running kick in between the two rings. Kai turns it around but Moon makes the save. Kai fights her off. Kai has control of both opponents now.
Shotzi makes the save and ends up launching Kai back into the corner. Shotzi climbs up but Kai kicks her. Kai climbs up but here comes Moon from behind. Moon has Kai on her shoulders now. Shotzi hits a big missile dropkick to knock Kai off Moon’s shoulders. Fans chant “NXT!” now. The clock counts down and the next Superstar to hit the ring is Raquel. Moon and Shotzi meet her at the cage door and double team her. Raquel faces off with them but they attack her from both sides again. Raquel powers out and sends them both down. Raquel unloads on Moon and Blackheart now. Raquel with a big powerslam to Moon. Raquel counters Shotzi and powerbombs her into the side of the cage. Raquel helps Kai up and scoops her. Raquel uses Kai as a weapon, knocking down both opponents.
Raquel stomps on Shotzi in the corner now. Kai and Gonzalez dominate now, taking it to the other ring. Kai goes to the top and Gonzalez helps launch her from the top rope of one ring to the other ring, taking down both opponents. The timer starts up and the next Superstar in the match is Ripley. She enters the ring and Gonzalez is waiting. They face off and talk trash. Kai comes from behind but Ripley rocks her. Gonzalez manhandles Ripley but Ripley kicks Kai again. Moon and Blackheart come over and Ripley takes out Gonzalez. Ripley with big knees to Kai now. Ripley and Kai tangle. Ripley with a dropkick. Ripley keeps control and launches Kai to the mat for a big pop. Moon and Shotzi take turns on Gonzalez now.
WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix is on commentary with Joseph and Barrett by the way. Ripley grabs a mallet from Shotzi’s toolbox. She goes to work on Kai and rag-dolls her into the cage wall. Gonzalez is doing damage in the other ring. Ripley and Gonzalez stop and stare each other down. They meet in the space between the two rings and unload on each other as fans chant “NXT!” now. The timer counts down and in comes Storm. She goes under the ring and grabs a bunch of kendo sticks as fans boo. She comes in and drops Ripley from behind. Storm exposes a top turnbuckle and then grabs a kendo stick. Storm unloads on Ripley with the stick as Gonzalez holds her.
Shotzi tries to make the save but she gets hit. Storm exposes more turnbuckles now. Moon charges but Storm takes her out as well. Storm whips Ripley spine-first into the exposed steel in the corner. Storm with a suplex to Moon. Gonzalez stomps away on Shotzi in the corner. Storm stands on Moon in the corner. Ripley goes for Kai in the other ring. Storm with kendo stick shots to Moon. Gonzalez with kendo stick shots to Shotzi. Kai kicks Ripley into the steel cage wall in the other ring. Shotzi climbs up as does Kai. Storm hits Shotzi from behind. This leads to two big three-woman tower moves out of one corner in each ring. All six Superstars are laid out now as fans chant “NXT!” again. The timer goes off and here comes NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai. Shirai grabs a ladder and brings it into the ring. Shirai goes for a kendo stick but Gonzalez shuts the door on her, locking her out of the cage. Shirai fights from the outside with kendo stick but she gets dropped. Shotzi and Gonzalez go at it now. Gonzalez with a clothesline. Shirai slides another ladder in but Gonzalez shuts the door on her once again, sending her back into the barrier.
Gonzalez decks Shotzi with a kendo stick, then puts a boot to her in the corner. Storm has control of Moon. Shirai has the door open again. She starts tossing steel chairs in the ring. Raquel grabs a chair but Shotzi kicks it into her face. Shirai is once again stopped from entering the cage by Gonzalez as she’s knocked back and the door is closed. Storm uses her belt to keep the door closed now. Shirai tries to climb the cage but Gonzalez knocks her off the side. Storm goes back to work on Moon in the middle of the cage. The timer counts down and in comes Candice as the final entrant. Fans boo her.
Candice stops as Shirai confronts her at ringside. Indi Hartwell, still wearing her neck brace, attacks from behind and drops Shirai. Indi launches Shirai into the barrier and laughs. Candice and Indi start throwing more weapons into the ring. Indi chains the door shut from the outside. Shirai is still locked out and WarGames can’t officially begin until she’s in. The referees yell but Hartwell has the key, placing it in her shirt. Candice with big kendo stick shots to Shotzi now. Raquel goes the same to Ripley. Kai and Storm double team Moon in the corner.
The boos are still going and getting louder. Team Candice yells at a referee who is trying to check on Shotzi inside the cage. We see Shirai on top of the cages now. She has a trash can as fans cheer her on. Shirai places the trash can over her body and then leaps down below, taking down the other 7 Superstars to a big pop. Fans chant “this is awesome!” at Shirai’s human bomb. WarGames has officially started now that all 8 Superstars are in.
Shirai unloads on her various opponents. Shirai and Ripley double team Gonzalez. Shirai with double knees to Kai and a 619 to Storm. Shotzi with a big suplex to Candice. Ripley takes out Storm. Moon takes out Kai. Ripley and Moon launch Shirai into Gonzalez as fans cheer them on. Shirai with a big moonsault on Gonzalez. Her partners try to prevent the others from breaking the pin up but they all jump on Shirai for a 2 count. Moon confronts Storm with a wrench but Candice comes from behind. Candice uses the wrench to tighten the GargaNoEscape. Shotzi has a submission on Storm at the same time but they’re both broken. Shotzi ends up hitting chair shots on Candice, then kendo shots to Storm. Kai drops Shotzi from behind with a chair. Shirai dropkicks Kai.
Shirai charges Kai in the corner but Kai sends her into the turnbuckles. Kai nails a huge double stomp from the top, stomping Shirai while the trash can is over her body. Shirai is stuck in the trash can now. The carnage continues with everyone using weapons. Moon with a big chair to Kai’s back. Moon slams Kai’s face into a chair several times. Moon goes to the top and hits a huge Eclipse into two chairs, face-first. Moon pins Kai but Storm breaks it up with a trash can shot. Storm ends up hitting Storm Zero on Moon into a trash can but Shirai breaks the pin up at 2. More big offense and close calls. Ripley and Shirai bridge a ladder over the space between the two rings. They’re taken out by Candice and friends before they can use it. Candice takes Shotzi out in the corner and hits her with a ladder. Candice stands that ladder up but Shotzi unloads on her with strikes, dropping her. Shotzi climbs the ladder but Candice meets her up top. Shotzi knocks Candice off on top of a pile of chairs. Shotzi stands on the very top of the ladder and hits her senton. She lands hard on Candice and the referee checks on her. Shotzi was also hurt and can’t make the pin.
Ripley scoops Kai and slams her to the mat. Shirai goes to the top and hits a moonsault on Kai. Shirai covers but Storm spears Ripley into the pin to break it up. Storm gets dropped by Ripley. Shirai goes for a moonsault on Storm but Raquel sends Ripley into the steel, which knocks Shirai off. Raquel tries to powerbomb Shirai from the top onto the ladder bridge in between the two rings. Shirai resists but Raquel hits the one-arm powerbomb to send Shirai crashing through the ladder bridge, breaking it. Gonzalez covers Shirai on the space in between the two rings for the pin to win.
Winners: Team LeRae (Raquel Gonzalez, Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai)
– After the match, the winners struggle to stand tall as the music hits and fans boo. Indi comes back down and unlocks the cage, joining Team LeRae as we go to replays. Team LeRae stands tall once again with their arms raised as we see Shirai laid out on the debris in the middle of the rings.
– Back from a break and we get a pre-recorded message from NXT Champion Finn Balor. He wants everyone to enjoy tonight’s show and all the carnage because when the cage raises and it’s all over, we get back to what matters. Balor goes on and says this Wednesday all eyes will be back on The Prince.
– We go back to the announcers for more talk on the opener. They praise Raquel Gonzalez. We get a look at The Undisputed era and The Kings of NXT arriving earlier today.
Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa
We go back to the ring and out first comes Tommaso Ciampa in his battle mask. Timothy Thatcher is out next to boos.
The bell rings and they go at it. Fans are smacking the Plexiglas barrier to rally early on. They trade holds and counters, to the mat and back to their feet. Thatcher works on the leg and knee, but Ciampa turns it around and mounts him from behind. Thatcher turns it around with strikes of his own from behind. Thatcher works Ciampa around from his feet but Ciampa takes him down and clubs away for a pop. Ciampa catches a kick and drops down on the knee. Ciampa slaps Thatcher in the face and keeps control, working on the knee and any other limb he can catch.
Ciampa focuses on the leg now. The referee checks on Thatcher. Thatcher gets up with a forearm. Ciampa tosses Thatcher to the floor. Thatcher turns it around with a big uppercut to the jaw as they come back in. Ciampa tries to turn it around but Thatcher drops Ciampa on his head for a 2 count. Thatcher grounds Ciampa again. Ciampa gets his feet on the bottom rope to break it. Thatcher decks Ciampa before getting back up. Thatcher with a knee to the gut. Thatcher slams Ciampa’s face into the edge of the apron and he falls to the floor. Thatcher smiles.
Thatcher with an elbow to the throat over the edge of the apron Thatcher. brings it back in for a 2 count. More back and forth but Thatcher keeps control. Ciampa finally drops Thatcher with a suplex. Ciampa mounts more offense. Thatcher fights back and they trade hold. Thatcher with a big strike to the head. Thatcher shuts Ciampa down now. Ciampa tangles and drops Thatcher and he’s hurting, clutching his ribs. They trade big strikes and fight up from their knees now.
Ciampa unloads with strikes as they get to their feet. They collide head-first and both go back down to the mat. Ciampa gets up first and clotheslines Thatcher. Ciampa runs wild in the ring and keeps leveling Thatcher with big clotheslines. Ciampa nails a flying clothesline and is fired up now as the crowd cheers him on. Ciampa splashes Thatcher in the corner. Ciampa takes Thatcher to the top and connects with a huge superplex. Ciampa rolls Thatcher over for a pin but he kicks out. Thatcher fights off the Fairy Tale Ending with a shot to the throat.
Thatcher applies his guillotine submission and tries to make Ciampa fade. Ciampa powers up and rams Thatcher to the ropes. They both go tumbling out to the floor through the ropes. The referee starts to count. Thatcher rolls in at the 7 count. Ciampa makes it back in at the 9 count as fans cheer him on. They go at it and Ciampa nails a big knee to drop Thatcher against the ropes. Ciampa with a running knee to the head. Ciampa applies a tight submission now, pulling back and giving Thatcher some of his own. Thatcher fights up but Ciampa pushes off the middle rope with his boot, putting Thatcher right back down on the mat with the hold tightening. Thatcher finally makes it to the rope to break it but his ear was ripped open and is bleeding.
Thatcher breaks the hold with the rope but immediately nails a big German suplex, dropping Ciampa on his head. A bloody Thatcher grabs Ciampa by his beard now, talking trash. Thatcher with another German suplex. We get a close-up of the nasty cut to his ear, which came from the tightening of Ciampa’s submission.
They end up trading big shots on the apron. Thatcher yanks Ciampa into the ropes and he hits hard, falling to the floor. They bring it back into the middle of the ring as Thatcher keeps control. Ciampa with a back-slide but Thatcher hangs on. More back and forth now. Ciampa with big chops while Thatcher is on the apron now but stuck in the ropes. Ciampa with a punt kick. Ciampa with a Guillotine, dropping Thatcher right into Willow’s Bell out of nowhere. Ciampa manages to cover for the pin to win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
– After the match, both competitors are down on the apron, slow to get up. Ciampa’s music hits as fans cheer him on. Thatcher stands up on the floor while Ciampa is sitting up in the corner. They intensely stare each other down as we go to replays. We come back to Ciampa raising his arm in the air while Thatcher looks on from the stage, still staring each other down.
– We get separate shots of Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano and Leon Ruff warming up backstage.
– Vic sends us to a video package for tonight’s Strap Match.
Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes
We go back to the ring for tonight’s Strap Match as Dexter Lumis makes his way out first. Cameron Grimes is out next and he has the leather straps over his shoulders.
The referee is ready to strap them together but Grimes says he brought his own. This strap or no strap, says Grimes. The referee asks Lumis if he has a problem with Grimes’ straps and he just looks ahead. The referee is ready to proceed but Grimes ends up attacking Lumis with a cheap shot. Grimes drops Lumis and unloads while he’s down as fans boo. Grimes follows Lumis to the floor and keeps the attack going, launching him into the barrier and then the apron, and the barrier again. Grimes chokes Lumis with the strap and slams his face into the barrier again. Grimes pulls the leather over Lumis’ eyes as the referee watches, then pulls back over his mouth after more offense. Grimes follows Lumis back in the ring and keeps punishing him while he’s down.
Lumis finally fights back with strikes as fans cheer him on. Lumis with a Thesz Press and several right hands. The match has not officially started yet. Lumis grabs the strap and puts it over his wrist. The referee calls for the bell and the match is now official.
Grimes tries to retreat but Lumis yanks him back with the strap. Lumis gets the upperhand and sends Grimes to the corner, then down with a clothesline. Lumis goes to whip Grimes but he slides to the floor. Lumis follows and Grimes decks him. Grimes pulls the leather around Lumis’ eyes again. Grimes gets sent into the barrier but he jumps up and tries to climb into the crowd. Lumis stops him. Grimes jumps down but Lumis nails an uppercut to the throat on the way down.
Lumis keeps control at ringside in front of the announcers and launches Grimes hard into the barrier. Lumis with another big launch into the barrier. Lumis mounts Grimes from behind and clubs him. Grimes counters and sends Lumis into the barrier. Grimes slams Lumis over the other side of the barrier, then takes time to regroup. Lumis comes crawling back and Grimes can’t believe it. Grimes ends up dumping Lumis back over the barrier. Grimes yanks Lumis back over the barrier and the ringside brawl continues. Grimes controls Lumis with the strap and drops him with a big boot.
Grimes sends Lumis into the timekeeper’s area once again. Grimes grabs the black sack from earlier and puts it over Lumis’ head, blinding him. Grimes unloads on Lumis while he’s blinded. Grimes brings it back in the ring and keeps Lumis down, using the strap to whip him. Grimes poses and raises his arms in the air but fans boo him. Lumis nails a big Spinebuster out of nowhere for a pop. They tangle into the corner and Grimes ends up pulling Lumis face-first into the steel structure for WarGames. Grimes keeps control from the apron now while Lumis is on the floor. Grimes pulls Lumis into big kicks. Lumis blocks the third attempt. Lumis ends up pulling Grimes off the apron and he lands hard on the floor.
Lumis brings it back in the ring and whips Grimes over his back with the strap. Lumis unloads with leather strap shots in the middle of the ring now as fans cheer him on. Lumis with a running clothesline in the corner. Grimes counters and nails a big German suplex, sending Lumis flying back into the turnbuckles. Grimes brings a steel chair into the ring now. Fans boo as he delivers several chair shots over Lumis’ back. Grimes takes a seat in the chair now, catching his breath and showing off for the crowd as they boo some more.
Grimes charges in but gets caught with a big fall-away slam for a pop. They trade big lefts and rights. Lumis gets the upperhand. Grimes sends Lumis to the apron but Lumis drops him with a right. Lumis goes to the top but Grimes yanks him to the mat and he lands hard. Grimes charges again and they collide with Grimes hitting the crossbody for a close 2 count. Grimes can’t believe it and is frustrated now. Grimes whips Lumis a few times now as fans boo. Grimes goes for the Cave In into a chair but it’s blocked. They tangle with counters again. Grimes blocks The Silence twice. The strap is wrapped around Grimes’ ankles. Lumis yanks it and trips him, causing Grimes to fall face-first into the chair that was set up. Lumis follows up with The Silence submission. Grimes hangs on but Lumis wraps the strap around him, keeping the hold locked and the strap tightened until Grimes taps.
Winner: Dexter Lumis
– After the match, Lumis recovers and gets up as his music hits. Fans cheer Lumis on as we go to replays.
– We get a preview for the new WWE 24 documentary on Keith Lee, available now on the WWE Network.
– They show separate shots of the teams warming up in the back for tonight’s main event.
– Barrett and Joseph show us the new WarGames toy set from Mattel at ringside. The lights flicker and we cut to a cryptic vignette for the upcoming return of Karrion Kross.
– We get a video package for tonight’s NXT North American Title match.
Triple Threat for the NXT North American Title: Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Leon Ruff
We go to the ring for tonight’s Triple Threat as Damian Priest makes his way out first. Out next is Johnny Gargano. NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff is out next to the biggest pop of the three, making his Takeover debut. We get formal ring introductions from Taylor.
Gargano superkicks Priest to start. Gargano tries for quick pin attempts early on. Gargano slams Ruff for a 2 count. Priest comes to the apron but Gargano kicks him back to the floor. Ruff fights Gargano off and uses his speed to avoid him. Ruff with a big kick into the corner. Ruff lands big offense to Gargano for a pop. Ruff kicks away in the corner but Priest shoves him to the side and takes over, working Gargano over and beating him down. Ruff takes back over but Priest tosses Ruff to the floor.
Ruff comes back in and takes them both down with a missile dropkick from the top. Priest and Ruff face off. Priest issues a warning but Ruff kicks him as he tries to walk away. Priest and Ruff go at it. Ruff lands a kick but Priest goes for a huge chokeslam. Gargano comes in and makes the save sort of. Priest ends up fighting them both off. They team up and send him to the floor. Gargano with a suicide dive, sending Priest into the barrier. Gargano tells Ruff to hit a dive now but Gargano cuts him off with a slingshot back into the ring. Gargano covers Ruff for 2.
Gargano gets sent to the floor and Priest works him over, sending him into the barrier and uppercutting him. Ruff leaps off the stage but Priest catches him. Priest sets him back and down and tells him to stay out of his way. Ruff strikes so Priest launches him into the barrier with a Razor’s Edge, knocking the barrier down and destroying it. Fans boo Priest. Ruff ends up helped to the back by an official, apparently injured. Priest and Gargano go at it to continue the match.
Priest blocks One Final Beat on the stage. Gargano blocks The Reckoning as they bring it back in the ring. Priest drops Gargano for a 2 count. Gargano blocks a Razor’s Edge and hits Sliced Bread for a close 2 count in the middle of the ring. Priest and Gargano with more back and forth now. Priest levels with a big clothesline and they both go down. Fans chant “NXT!” now.
Ruff comes flying down the ramp out of nowhere, unloading on both challengers. Fans pop as Ruff sends Priest out and works on Gargano, sending him to the floor. Ruff leaps from the top and takes them both down at ringside. Ruff brings it back in and ends up hitting a big Cutter in mid-air to Gargano for a 2 count. Gargano yanks Ruff off the top to the mat, then work him around the ring. Ruff drops Gargano with a clothesline for 2. Priest comes back in and attacks both competitors. Priest hits a double Flatliner to both competitors at the same time. Priest goes on and hits a Broken Arrow on Gargano. Gargano avoids the Razor’s Edge and sends Priest into the steel ring post. Ruff gets launched into Priest in the corner. Gargano is in control now as he ties Priest up in the ropes of the second ring. Gargano goes back into the first ring but Ruff counters. They tangle and Ruff nails a Crucifix Bomb for a close 2 count. Ruff mises a big Frogsplash on Gargano. Gargano applies the GargaNoEscape to Ruff right in front of Priest. Priest uses his size to help break it.
Priest gets up and drops Gargano with a kick to the head. Priest flies off the top with a heel kick to Gargano. Ruff and Priest go at it now. Gargano’s One Final Beat is blocked by Priest. Priest drops Gargano. A masked man in the Scream mask appears on the ramp. Two more masked men in Scream masks hit the ring and beat Priest down. Fans boo but he fights them off, all three. Priest clears the ring but another three masked men attack. Priest clears them and leaps to the floor, taking them down on the outside. Priest comes back in the ring and leaps back to the floor on the other masked men.
Gargano flies out but Priest chokeslams him on the side of the apron. Ruff flies with a big splash to Gargano but Priest breaks it up at 2. Ruff and Priest go at it again. Priest levels Ruff with a huge spinning knee. Gargano and Priest trade big offense now but Gargano gets dropped. Another masked man appears on the apron, dropping Priest with a pipe shot. Fans boo as the referee yells for Gargano to get the man out of here. Ruff comes from behind and hits Gargano but Gargano superkicks him. Gargano hits One Final Beat on Ruff for the pin to win the title.
Winner and New NXT North American Champion: Johnny Gargano
– After the match, fans boo Gargano as we go to replays. We come back to Gargano on the ramp with the masked man who used the pipe on Priest. He reveals himself to be Austin Theory. Gargano and Theory celebrate as fans boo.
– Back from the break and we see the WarGames cage being lowered as the pyro goes off. We get a video package for tonight’s main event.
WarGames: The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish) vs. The Kings of NXT (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch)
We go to the ring for tonight’s main event as the pyro goes off. Out first comes The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish) to a huge pop. O’Reilly air guitars his way to the cage. The others enter the shark cage on the stage. Out next comes The Kings of NXT (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch). Dunne heads to the ring to start. His team has the advantage tonight.
The crowd is super hot as they start off, trading counters and back & forth. They keep it even for the first few minutes. Dunne drops O’Reilly and starts bending his fingers as fans boo. Dunne kicks O’Reilly and looks up at his teammates in the shark cage. They trade shots in and out of the corner now. Dunne works on the hand some more, using the cage wall to inflict more damage. O’Reilly fights free with right hands. More back and forth between the two. The timer counts down and here comes Lorcan.
Lorcan hits the ring to boos. He trade strikes with O’Reilly. Dunne saves him and drops O’Reilly. They double team O’Reilly now. Dunne holds O’Reilly in a submission now while Lorcan chops away. Dunne looks to make a comeback but it’s cut off. Dunne goes to the top and hits a big dropkick to O’Reilly’s knee, taking him back down. Fans boo louder as Dunne and Lorcan have O’Reilly trapped in a double submission now. The timer counts down and Fish is the next man let out.
Fish hits the ring with kicks and knees. Fish with a big Spinebuster to Lorcan. Lorcan gets hit with a series of double team moves now. Fish saves O’Reilly from a Dunne submission, applying a Sleeper. Dunne gets double teamed now and Fish stands tall with O’Reilly. Fish with a Dragonscrew leg whip to Lorcan. Dunne gets double teamed with strikes again.
The timer counts down and McAfee looks to leave the shark cage but Burch stops him and heads down. Burch brings goes under the ring and brings a bag into the ring. He drops Fish. Burch brings a cricket bat from the bag and tries to use it but meets O’Reilly. Burch gets the upperhand and hits a suplex, dropping O’Reilly on his head. Burch brings out a second cricket bat. Dunne has the other. Fans boo as they work their opponents around the rings with the cricket bats. O’Reilly drops Burch into a heel hook and he’s tapping out but the match hasn’t officially started. Dunne goes to the second rope and breaks the submission with a flying stomp to O’Reilly’s arm. Burch levels O’Reilly with the cricket bat. The Kings keep Fish and O’Reilly down in a corner. The timer counts down and here comes Strong. Strong hits the ring but the NXT Tag Team Champions double team him. Strong comes back and drops both at once.
Strong goes on and hits a backbreaker to Dunne, then an Olympic Slam to Burch. Strong runs wild on all three opponents in the space in the middle of the ring now. Strong ends up getting launched into the steel by Lorcan. The fight goes on with The Undisputed Era getting beat down. Dunne snaps Fish’s back arm back. The timer counts down and here comes McAfee for his second match ever. McAfee goes under the ring and pulls a table out as fans boo. This table has the UE logo on it with Fish’s name. The second table has the UE logo with O’Reilly’s name on it. The third table is brought out. McAfee throws a few chairs in the ring now. McAfee brings another table out and it has Strong’s name on it. The last table has Cole’s name on it. McAfee enters the cage as his teammates start standing tables up.
McAfee sits on the top turnbuckle and watches as the chaos continues. Strong is placed on the table with his name and held there. McAfee puts Strong through it with a moonsault as the crowd continues booing loudly. The timer counts down and here comes Cole to a huge pop. Cole goes under the ring and pulls out a fire extinguisher and a chair. Cole sprays his opponents waiting at the cage door. He then comes in with the chair and starts unloading on everyone. Cole with a Backstabber to Dunne. Cole with an enziguri to Lorcan. Cole with the Ushigoroshi to Burch. Cole and McAfee stare each other down. They charge and start brawling.
Dunne ends up going for a Bitter End to Cole but it’s blocked with a DDT. McAfee ends up dropping Cole from behind as he deals with Dunne. McAfee orders Dunne to bend Cole’s fingers back but O’Reilly drops Dunne with a chair shot to the back. O’Reilly yells at McAfee about how he said he wanted to be a wrestler, well here he is in WarGames. O’Reilly continues loudly yelling at McAfee, who slowly approaches. Cole drops McAfee from behind with a chair shot. Dunne makes the save as Cole mounts McAfee. The chaos has been really turned up as everyone brawls away in the cages and fans chant “NXT!” again.
O’Reilly and Strong get shots in on McAfee. Fish works on Lorcan in the corner until Dunne drops him from behind. Fish blocks a suplex and applies a Sleeper to Dunne until Lorcan flies out of nowhere with a Blockbuster for the save. Strong droops Dunne with a big knee and O’Reilly covers for 2. Lorcan launches Strong into the other ring. The champs with a big double team to O’Reilly for a 2 count as Fish makes the save. Cole takes out both of the champs with big boots. McAfee drops Cole with a chop block. Fans boo as McAfee stomps on Cole. McAfee impersonates WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and applies the Figure Four on Cole in the middle of the second ring. The other competitors are fighting it out in the other ring. Cole turns the Figure Four and now McAfee screams out. Dunne tries to make the save but O’Reilly has him in an ankle lock. Dunne finally saves McAfee from the Figure Four by breaking it up.
The tag champs fight Fish off. They bring the table with Cole’s name on it to the other ring. Strong fights with McAfee. Fish and Strong fight the tag champs now but all four Superstars go down. Dunne blocks a Cole superkick and takes him down into the armbar for a 2 count. Dunne drops Cole again but Cole counters with the Ushigoroshi for a close 2 count. Cole stands up the table with O’Reilly’s name on it. He takes Dunne to the top for a superplex through the table it looks like. Dunne fights back up top. Fish and Strong also get involved. Lorcan is laid out on top of the table with Cole’s name. Strong and Fish slam Dunne from the top onto Lorcan on the table but it doesn’t break. Strong climbs up and flies, putting them both through the table now.
McAfee quickly climbs to the top where Cole is but Cole resists. Cole knocks McAfee through the table that had O’Reilly’s name on it. Cole yells down at McAfee as a “this is awesome!” chant breaks out. Dunne, Lorcan and Burch are all tossed between the ropes and the cage wall now. Cole says let’s finish them. O’Reilly, Fish and Strong all take turns with big shots while their opponents are trapped against the steel. The crowd goes wild and chants “NXT!” as The Undisputed Era poses together. They point back at McAfee in the other ring now. He sees them spot him while standing in the space between the two rings. McAfee runs and tries to climb the cage but they pull him back down and surround hi They all take turns and beat him down now. All four UE members pound on McAfee in a circle. McAfee is launched into the steel of the cage next, and again.
They launch McAfee face-first into the steel again as Cole taunts him. Strong slaps McAfee around. They hold McAfee for a Cole punt but Dunne makes the save. Lorcan and Burch are also back in the fight. Dunne unloads on Cole with stomps. The match has lasted over 35 minutes now. O’Reilly ends up on Burch’s shoulders. Lorcan hits a big flying clothesline to bring him down. Fish takes out Burch. Dunne and Cole trade shots on the top rope now. Cole with a huge top rope neckbreaker to the mat. Strong with a big superplex to McAfee from the top. Fans chant “NXT!” again as all 8 Superstars are down.
Dunne, Lorcan and Burch start brawling with Strong, Fish and O’Reilly. We see McAfee on the very top of the cage. McAfee leaps with a huge Swanton Bomb, taking everyone down, including Cole. Everyone is slow to get back up. Dunne and O’Reilly slowly pull themselves up and start trading strike as we approach the 45 minute mark. Dunne and O’Reilly unload with big stiff strikes, alone in the second ring. Dunne bends the fingers back but O’Reilly counters and snaps his arm back. The fight continues and Dunne snaps the fingers back, then hits the Bitter End for the close 2 count, just in time, as close as you can get. O’Reilly ends up dropping Dunne on the steel space in between the two rings but he still kicks out at 2. O’Reilly sits a chair up and grabs Dunne, putting him face-down in the seat of the chair. O’Reilly goes to the top but McAfee knocks him down with a chair shot.
Cole crawls over now. McAfee swings the chair and Cole ducks it. Cole unloads on McAfee with strikes. Cole grabs the chair but McAfee stops him with a low blow. McAfee goes for the running knee but Cole dodges it and drops him with a pump kick. Cole goes to the second rope but Burch pulls him of. Cole superkicks Burch. Fish then charges and spears Burch through the table in the middle of the two rings, the one that had Fish’s name on it. McAfee superkicks Cole. McAfee comes off the second rope for Cole’s Panama Sunrise but Cole superkicks him on the way down. Cole goes back to the second rope and hits the Panama Sunrise for the pin but McAfee actually kicks out. Cole can’t believe it.
Cole exposes his knee and goes for Last Shot on McAfee but Lorcan sacrifices himself for McAfee. Dunne rocks Cole with an enziguri. Dunne drops Cole with a Bitter End into the edge of the chair. Strong breaks the pin with a big knee to Dunne. Strong with backbreaker to Dunne. Strong and Fish take out Lorcan and Dunne as a chair comes into play. Lorcan ends up on his back with a chair laying half over his face. O’Reilly walks the top rope and leaps with a knee to the chair that’s on Lorcan’s face. O’Reilly rolls over and covers Lorcan for the pin to win.
Winners: The Undisputed Era
– After the match, The Undisputed Era begins to recover as the music hits and fans cheer them on. We go to replays. We come back to Cole, Fish, O’Reilly and Strong standing together in front of the camera. We see McAfee and his crew down on the mat, struggling to recover. NXT “Takeover: WarGames 2020” goes off the air with The Undisputed Era posing and yelling to the camera.
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