It’s main event time and Aleister Black is out first, followed by the Champion. We get ring introductions for both men.
NXT Championship Match
(C) Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Aleister Black
The bell rings and the two lock-up. They struggle with the lock-up and fall out of the ring. They both get back in and Black takes the Champion down with a slam. They separate, before locking-up again. This time Ciampa takes him down with a wristlock.
They continue to trade reversals and holds for the first few minutes of the match. Black flips Ciampa onto his back and takes control with a side headlock. They trade shots in the corner, then Black rolls through a back body drop before kicking Ciampa in the chest. Black then springboards off the ropes, faking a dive to the outside. He kicks Ciampa in the chest again and then sits down beside him. Ciampa kicks him in the face. Black reverses a whip before throwing Ciampa out of the ring and hitting a tope!
Back inside the ring, Ciampa begs for mercy, but Black sweeps him off his feet, before connecting with a springboard moonsault. Black knocks Ciampa from the ring and kicks him again. Ciampa blocks a kick from Black and slams his leg into the steel steps, followed by throwing him right into them. Ciampa grabs holds of Black and suplexes him, leg-first, into the steel steps.
Ciampa gets the challenger back into the ring and attacks the knee. Ciampa applies a submission to the knee, almost like a heel hook. Ciampa gets Black in the corner and kicks the leg, before draping it over the ropes and hitting a leaping knee onto it. The Champion continues the attack, wrapping it around the ringpost, and driving his knee into it.
Ciampa gets Black out of the ring and drops him knee-first onto the announce table. Ciampa sits down on the table and begins drinking a bottle of water, but then Black kicks him and the bottle of water. Both men get back into the ring and Ciampa sucker kicks the knee. Ciampa takes him Aleister down with an STO before setting him on the top rope. He hands Black in the tree of woe and continues the attack. Black swings his leg and manages to kick Tommaso in the face as he’s standing on the middle rope. Black took the opportunity to run up the ropes and connect with a kick that knocks both men to the floor.
Champion and challenger get back into the ring near the end of the referee’s count and trade shots in the middle of the ring. Black connects with huge superkick, followed by multiple clotheslines and another kick to the chest for a near-fall. Ciampa looks for Fairytale Ending but Black dodges and swings for Black Mass and Ciampa dodges. Ciampa tries for Fairytale Ending again but Black flips him over and sits down for a failed pin attempt. Two roundhouse kicks from Aleister, followed by a snap German suplex for a near-fall.
Black tries to lift Ciampa using his boot but his knee won’t allow it. Ciampa takes advantage and hit a dragonscrew. Ciampa applies a deep single leg Boston crab but Black kicks him off. Black tips Ciampa over and applies a single leg Boston crab of his own, but his knee quickly gives out. Black looks to flip over the ropes to the apron, then moonsault to the floor, but Ciampa isn’t there. Ciampa runs around the other side and grabs Black, draping from the top rope, and hits a cutter on the apron!
Black rolls into the ring and rest on the ropes, but Ciampa runs and connects with a running knee to the back of the head for a near-fall. Ciampa begins to lift Black using his foot, but the challenger connects with a jumping knee. Ciampa responds with a jumping knee of his own that drops Black.
They meet each other in the middle of the ring and trade wild punches. Ciampa hits a nice roll-up on Black, after being clocked with a big kick. They trade pin attempts before Ciampa hits a clotheslines. Black trips the leg of Ciampa, then hits a nice double stomp to the chest. Black hits a running knee to the back of the head, followed by a brainbuster for a near-fall. Ciampa rolls from the ring and Black hits a springboard moonsault to him.
Black sends him back into the ring but then slips on the spilled water at ringside from earlier. The momentary slip allows Ciampa to land the Fairtyale Ending inside the ring, but Black kicks out! Ciampa leaves the ring and rips up the floor padding, just like Gargano did earlier tonight. He’s wandering around ringside when Aleister Black comes from nowhere with a flying knee on the floor. Black sends him back inside, and hits a surprise Black Mass. As Black crawls to make the pin, Ciampa rolls onto his side to avoid being pinned. Both men climb to their feet but Black looks in control, he looks for Black Mass but Ciampa grabs the referee and pulls him between. He tosses Black through the ropes onto the apron, and hits the draping DDT, followed by the Fairtale Ending… but Black kicks out!
Ciampa gets frustrated and lifts Black, looking for the Fairytale Ending again and lands it. Rather than pin however, he lifts Black up and looks to hit it again, but Black pulls out and looks for Black Mass but his knee gave out, allowing Ciampa to hit another Fairytale Ending and score the pinfall.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
The Champion retains! Ciampa leaves the ring very slowly after the match, and we see highlights. When Ciampa gets to the top of the ramp, he holds the belt high, then Johnny Gargano comes out and the two Champions stare at each other. Then Gargano holds his title up and Ciampa stands beside him, doing the same. Is this a formal reunion?!
That’s it for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix! Let us know what you thought of the show, and be sure to come back tomorrow night for the Royal Rumble!
