WWE NXT live results: TakeOver 31 go-home show

A face-to-face segment with Finn Balor and his TakeOver challenger is set for tonight’s episode of NXT.

Ahead of their NXT Championship match at TakeOver 31 this Sunday, Balor and Kyle O’Reilly will go face-to-face. The segment will be hosted by Shawn Michaels.

O’Reilly became the number one contender to Balor’s title by winning the gauntlet eliminator match in the main event of last week’s NXT. The gauntlet eliminator also featured Cameron Grimes, Timothy Thatcher, Bronson Reed, and Kushida.

Candice LeRae won a number one contender’s battle royal on last week’s NXT and will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver. LeRae’s husband Johnny Gargano is also challenging Damian Priest for the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver. Tonight, LeRae & Gargano will team up against Shirai & Priest in a mixed tag match.

Shotzi Blackheart eliminated Dakota Kai in last week’s battle royal and made it to the final two before being eliminated by LeRae. A match between Blackheart and Kai has been announced for tonight’s show.

Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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Shotzi Blackheart defeated Dakota Kai (with Raquel Gonzalez)

Blackheart pinned Kai with a schoolgirl. They went to the finish after a scary bump on the apron. Rhea Ripley ran down at one point to confront Gonzalez. 

Blackheart with shine at the outset. She grounded Kai and tied her up in holds. Kai cut off Blackheart, and she began to work her over. Blackheart sidestepped Kai, and Kai got caught on the ropes. Blackheart was going for her signature senton into the ropes when Gonzalez jumped on the apron for a distraction. That allowed Kai to deliver a backbreaker for a two count.

The show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break as Kai got heat on Blackheart. After the break, Blackheart made a comeback in which she finally delivered the senton she was going for earlier. From there she executed a Tiger Driver for a two count. 

Kai with double knees halted Blackheart’s momentum. Blackheart escaped Kai’s finisher, and the fighting spilled onto the apron. They traded kicks, and then came a crazy spot. Blackheart was going for some sort of bulldog, and she flipped backwards giving herself a reverse suplex taking a scary bump on the apron. Not sure what they were going for, but did not look safe. The announcers gasp. I gasp. Time stood still for a moment.

They went right into the finish. Blackheart hit the ropes, and Gonzalez tripped her. That brought out Ripley to shove Gonzalez. Referees poured out to separate them at ringside. Kai missed a kick in a corner, and Blackheart rolled her up for a three count. 

Next was a split screen segment hyping the Cruiserweight Championship match at TakeOver. Santos Escobar and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott cut promos on each other debate style. After the debate debacle last night, that is the last thing we need on US televsion, but here it was. The segment was okay for what it was.

Reminding me of old school “Face-to-Face” segments on WWF Superstars of Wrestling, they build up their title match on Sunday.

A vignette showed a mysterious character riding around on a motorcycle. He or she is coming on 10.4.20, which is the date of TakeOver. 

Next was a tremendous mini-doc profiling Kyle O’Reilly ahead of his match on Sunday challenging for the NXT Championship against Finn Balor. This was great! 

Sarah Schreiber interviewed Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano ahead of their mixed tag team match later tonight. They want to be the first married couple to both hold championships at the same time. They both have title matches on Sunday. They said it starts tonight and contiues on Sunday. Gargano was great here making snide remarks. 

Cameron Grimes Invitational

Cameron Grimes came to the ring and cut a promo. He was mad about missing his chance to challenge for a title because of the gauntlet eliminator. He panned the idea of that match. He can cheer up, though, because he building stepping stone back to the top. He said he had a series of handpicked matches, and then introduced his first opponent. Out came some small guy that Grimes announced as from the 85 pound division.

The poor guy got in the ring, and Grimes hit him with a Cave In. A referee counted three, and Grimes was the winner without even taking his vest off. Grimes then introduced his next opponent he called Joey Strong. Enter stage left was some other small guy being thrown onto the stage by Ridge Holland. Looks like Grimes has a new and different opponent. Holland threw the small guy off the stage.

Grimes said it was nice to meet Holland, and he would shake his hand. However, Grimes told Holland he was not part of the Cameron Grimes Invitiational. Holland headbutted him, and a match was on regardless of Grimes’ thoughts on the matter.

Cameron Grimes defeated Ridge Holland via disqualification

Holland pummeled Grimes until the referee called for a DQ when Holland would not break for a five count. It was Vinny V’s least favorite finish, Holland was DQ’d for kicking too much ass. That was it. Grimes was near the ropes, but not in them. Holland had ahold of the top rope, but is that illegal? Kind of I guess, but it’s an old rule that is hardly enforced. Good segment overall, but a bad finish.

Austin Theory cut a promo saying he was more of the future than Kyle O’Reilly because Theory is younger. He said, “Kyle O’Reilly should try to catch up with Austin Theory.” What, bruh? You’ve done nothing but lose matches for weeks.

A vignette hyped Kushida before the next match.

Kushida defeated Tony Nese

Kushida submitted Nese with a Hoverboard Lock in a quick match.

Nese snapped Kushida on the top rope early on, and they went outside. Nese was posted shoulder first, and Kushida gave him no quarter. Displaying his new fiery side, Kushida targeted the shoulder and arm. He locked in the Hoverboard Lock, and Nese tapped out. This was all about making Kushida look like a killer.

The lights in the arena turned purple, and Dream appeared on the video screen. He said he looked best under the brightest lights, and he would see Kushida on Sunday at TakeOver.

Cameron Grimes was walking around backstage selling his face. He had a towel held to his face, and he was looking for William Regal. Grimes ran in to Dexter Lumis, who just stared a hole through him. Grimes said “you’re a freak, man”, and then he stormed off. 

After a commercial break, Adam Cole was in the ring for a promo. For three years Undisputed Era has dominated NXT. They’ve done what they want, when they want, and nobody has been able to stop them. They had a prophecy saying they would win every championship, and they did. The locker room knew not to cross them. Then the prophecy ended, and they lost those championships. People then felt they changed, but Cole said nothing has changed. They are the same UE that won War Games, and dominated the brand. Cole then called out Austin Theory for running his mouth about Kyle O’Reilly.

Theory entered stage left, but he would not get in the ring. Cole gave him two option. The first was to get in the ring and fight him, or stay there and don’t move. UE would then beat him down and make him pray he would have taken the first option. Theory got in the ring, and a match was on.

Adam Cole defeated Austin Theory

Cole pinned Theory after hitting The Last Shot.

Cole took the fight to Theory, who tried to powder. Cole followed him outside and gave him a pump kick on the floor. He went on to send him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Cole gave him a neckbreaker for a two count.

Theory took a suplex, and moments later he got his leg caught in a rope. Cole locked in a headlock, but Theory was still talking trash. “Undispute crap,” Theory said. Cole made him eat a back elbow, but Theory cut him off rolling through and springing up into a dropkick. The show cut to commercial, and Theory was working over Cole when the show returned from break.

Cole soon made a comeback, and he got a two count after a backstabber. A pump kick and an ushigoroshi led to another near fall. Cole was smirking before he climbed the ropes. He went for Panama Sunrise, but Theory blocked it with a backdrop. He superkicked Cole, and Theory gave Cole a Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

They exchanged strikes, and Cole superkicked Theory. A moment later, Theory went for his springing dropkick again, but he ran into a superkick instead. Another ushigoroshi, and Cole delivered The Last Shot to score the pinfall.

Cole after the match looked into the camera and cut a promo putting over O’Reilly. He said he is going to shock the world on Sunday, but it won’t shock Cole. He knows how great he is. Hmm, this all smells like a turn or split brewing. This reminds me of when they turned on each other in ROH. Not the storyline necessarily, just something behind the eyes.

Kayden Carter (with Kacy Catanzaro) defeated Xia Li

Li was very aggressive, and had Carter reeling early on in the match. Li hit her with several kicks, and went for succession of covers. Carter kept kicking out, and Li grew frustrated. 

Carter created separation and started a comeback. They traded near falls until Carter cradled Li to score a pinfall. 

Li was angry. Carter offered her a handshake, and she helped her up. Li shoved down Carter, and she stormed away.

Balor & O’Reilly Face-to-Face

Shawn Michaels moderated a face-to-face segment with Kyle O’Reilly and Finn Balor ahead of their NXT Championship bout on Sunday.

They agreed to shake hands before sitting down. Balor congratulated O’Reilly on winning the gauntlet qualifier, and Balor said he respected him as a competitor. Balor said he was looking forward to their match at TakeOver. O’Reilly said the feeling was mutual. Nothing but respect. 

Michaels steered the conversation in a different direction. He asked Balor how he planned to prepare for O’Reilly, and Balor answered he knew how good O’Reilly really is as a wrestler. O’Reilly responded by saying Balor likes to stroke his own ego because Balor thinks he can beat him. O’Reilly went on to say Balor’s defeat was absolute certain. 

Balor asked if Unidsputed Era would get involved in their match. O’Reilly said this Sunday is not about Undisputed Era, this is his moment. Micahels asked about any conflict between UE if O’Reilly were to win the title. O’Reilly dismissed it. 

They started mocking each other before getting more serious. They moved in closer and glared in each other’s eyes as they kept jawing with each other. O’Reilly said him being an underdog was “bull****”, and he vowed to win the title. 

Balor got the last word by saying O’Reilly had everything it takes to be NXT Champion, and he would be if the title was on anybody else except for Finn Balor.

Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano defeated NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai & NXT North American Champion Damian Priest in a non-title match

The two champions rushed into the ring to start a brawl before the bell. The champs cleared the ring, and then the match began. Garagno tried to stick-and-move, but Priest mowed him down instead. He gave him a sidewalk slam, and Gargano crawled over to tag out.

Shirai and LeRae squared off, and they started a slugfest. They countered and reversed the other until LeRae with a roll-up for two. Shirai gave LeRae a flapjack, and Garagano jumped into the match to make a save. He got in Shirai’s face. Priest then stepped in to rock Gargano with a kick. Shirai delivered running knees, and the Garganos rolle outside.

Jumping off Priest’s shoulders, Shirai dived on to Gargano and LeRae. The show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial. LeRae cut off Shirai when Gargano sacrificed himself to take a Tiger Feint Kick, and the heels gained the advantage. LeRea had Shirai in a neck vice as the show returned from the commercial break. 

Shirai fired up to give LeRae a German suplex. Priest in off a hot tag, and he cleaned house on Gargano. Priest with a Broken Arrow for a near fall. Gargano escaped a Razor’s Edge, and he springboarded into a tornado flatliner on Priest.

Shirai tagged in, and she hit Gargano with a springboard missile dropkick. LeRae bumped and fed, and Shirai applied a crossface. Gargano broke the hold by dragging Shirai away. Priest came around the ring to grap Gargano by the throat. Gargano blocked a chokeslam, and he hopped onto the apron. Shirai kicked him off, but she had turned her back on LeRae. Shirai turned around into an small package, and LeRae got a two count. 

LeRae after a senton missed a lionsault. Shirai with a double underhook backbreaker, and she climbed the turnbuckles. As she set up for her moonsault press, Gargano got in the ring to roll his wife out of the way. Gargano was talking trash to Shirai as Priest gave him a bell clap. Priest with a cyclone kick on Gargano, and Shirai followed with a moonsault on Gargano. LeRae came into the ring to give Priest a low blow behind the ref’s back. Gargano caught Priest with a slingshot DDT, and covered him for the pinfall.

LeRae after the match gave Shirai a backstabber, and the married couple stood over the champions. Gargano fetched the title belts, and the heel couple held them overhead as the show closed.