NXT TakeOver WarGames live from Chicago, kicks-off with a video package hyping the matches for tonight’s show.
We go live to the arena and alarms go off, smoke blazes, lasers fire, and the WarGames cage lowers around the rings.
Team Ripley is out first; consisting of Rhea herself, Tegan Nox, Candice LeRa, and the last-minute addition, Dakota Kai. Team Baszler is out second, and the NXT Women’s Champion has Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray, and Bianca Belair. The match will begin with Io and Candice LeRae – all other competitors are in cages on the ramp, with Team Baszler getting a release first because Shirai won a ladder match on NXT.
Women’s WarGames Match
Team Ripley Vs. Team Baszler
The bell rings and both women start throwing wild hands – there’s a lot of bad blood between these two. LeRae hits a headscissors but Shirai lands on her feet. Candice catches Io and slams her, with Shirai then crawling into the other ring. LeRae runs and looks to suicide dive through both sets of ropes but Io hits her with a forearm.
Shirai then hits LeRae with a 619 in between the rings, then hits another from the other ring. In between the rings, Shirai hits running knees to LeRae as she lies against the two ring posts. Shirai then jumps on one top rope, steps to the other, and leaps off for a dropkick to Candice. Shirai hits a dropkick in the corner, then takes her to the steel apron and hits a drop toe-hold.
Shirai presses Candice’s face against the cage wall with her knee. The clock ticks down but then disappears and the fans chant “where’s the clock?” Io continues to beat LeRae around the ring until the timer elapses and out comes Bianca Belair. When Belair gets to the ring, Candice leaps over her from the top rope but gets dropped with a shoulder.
Belair hits a running shooting star press, then lifts Candice up but gets hit with a hurricanrana. LeRae forces Biance and Shira into the same corner and throws wild hands at them both. Biance dodges a splash that hits Io, then hits LeRae with two powerbombs and a third that launches her into the steel cage! Belair holds Candice in something akin to a camel clutch and Io runs off the ropes six times before delivering a dropkick to the face!
It’s time for Team Ripley and it’s the captain herself that’s free! Rhea immediately grabs a steel trash can from under the ring and tosses it inside. Bianca Belair tries to prevent her from entering the ring but Ripley slams the cage door in her face. Ripley then goes back under the ring and tosses in another trash can, kendo sticks, and a few chairs.
Ripley lifts Belair and hits a sit-out facebuster onto a trash can! Rhea enlists Candice to set-up four chairs in the ring, facing each other, then looks to suplex Belair onto them but Io prevents it and all four women brawl. The clock ticks down again and this time it’s Kay Lee Ray of Team Baszler. Ray also goes under the ring and she brings two more chairs into the ring. She then teases bringing a table in – which the fans have been chanting for – but slides it back under.
Ray hits Ripley with a tornado DDT onto a chair! Bianca Belair heads to the top rope but Candice joins her and they brawl. Kay Lee Ray unfolds all the chairs sitting in the ring, to the boos of the fans. Rhea hits a tower of doom to Candice, Io, and Ray, but Bianca holds onto the cage. Belair hits Ripley with a 450 splash and the clock ticks down to release Dakota Kai.
Kai walks out of her cage and stops on the ramp. She then turns and kicks Tegan Nox!! Kai gets into the cage and throws Nox off of the cage walls over and over. She goes to the outside of the cage and pulls Nox’s arm to slam her against the cage, then drags her previously-injured knee and slams the cafe door on it over and over again! Nox lies crying in pain until William Regal comes out and stops her but Dakota shoves him! Dakota screams something that was bleeped out before William Regal takes her to the back. The camera sits on Nox, still crying, when Suddenly Dakota comes back out and applies a kneebar to her! Regal rips her off again and Dakota screams at Ripley in the ring.
So Team Ripley is just two people, and will remain that way as the match officially starts. Kay Lee Ray and Bianca Belair beat on Ripley until Shayna Baszler is released. Baszler comes out and saunters down the ramp, relaxed as can be. Baszler gets into the ring and Ripley fights off Ray and Belair to throw hands with the Champion. The numbers catch up to Ripley again and she’s taken down.
Meanwhile, in the other ring, Candice counters Io and Ray to DDT them both. Shayna puts one handcuff on Rhea and put her and Candice between the two rings. The two babyfaces fire back with Candice using a trash can lid on Ray and Shirai, while Ripley unloads ground and pound on Baszler. Ripley slams Bianca into a trash can, before catching a tornado DDT from Ray and hitting a release suplex into the cage wall!
Shirai is on the top rope but Rhea climbs up, stomps her, then applies her hanging cloverleaf from the top rope. On the opposite rope, Shayna gets Candice in the Kirifuda Clutch. Ray stops Ripley, while LeRae throws Baszler off. LeRae hits Baszler with a moonsault and goes for the cover but Bianca hits her with a trash can. Belair then lifts Candice with a military press and tosses her onto Ripley in the other ring. Kay Lee Ray hits LeRae with a gory bomb, followed by a moonsault from Shirai…but Ripley breaks up the pin.
Rhea slams Ray into the cage wall, then takes a few shots from Bianca’s hair whip. Candice gives her a taste of her own medicine with a Kendo stick. Shirai kicks LeRae and hits a backbreaker, before heading up to the top of the cage. Candice starts climbing as well but Ray stops her. Candice hits Kay Lee Ray with a avalanche reverse hurricanrana but Belair breaks the pin attempt!
Shirai stands on top of the cage and hits a massive moonsault to Lerae and Belair below! Loud “NXT” chants from the crowd, followed by “Mama Mia” chants. In the other ring, Rhea Ripley beats on Baszler and sets-up two chairs in the ring. Ray jumps off the top rope but Rhea throws a trash can in her face. Baszler then grabs Rhea from behind and applies the Kirifuda Clutch! Rhea tries to break the grip but can’t. She’s about to pass out…but Ripley handcuffs herself to Baszler and gets free! Ripley kicks Baszler repeatedly, then Shayna swings for her but Rhea ducks and hits her with the Riptide onto the two chairs and pins her!
Winners: Team Ripley
Rhea and Candice celebrate their massive underdog win after the bell. We see replays of Dakota Kai’s shocking turn on Tegan Nox, as well as some highlights of the match.
