Io Shirai

‘WWE CLASH AT THE CASTLE 2022’ Results & Notes – Roman vs. Drew, Gunther vs. Sheamus

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DATE: September 3, 2022
VENUE: Principality Stadium (Cardiff, Wales)
COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, & Byron Saxton
VIEWING METHOD: Peacock (Live)

WWE Clash at the Castle 2022 is the company’s first big UK stadium show since SummerSlam 1992 and they roll in with a big main event as Roman Reigns tries to overcome home country advantage and successfully defend the Undisputed Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre.

CHAMPIONS

  • WWE UNDISPUTED UNIVERSAL CHAMPION: Roman Reigns
  • RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Bianca Belair
  • SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Liv Morgan
  • WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: “The Ring General” Gunther
  • WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPION: “The All Mighty” Bobby Lashley
  • WWE UNDISPUTED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
  • WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah

LINEUP

  • Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, & Asuka vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai, & Io Sky
  • Gunther [c] vs. Sheamus for the WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
  • Liv Morgan [c] vs. Shayna Baszler for the SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
  • Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. The Judgment Day
  • Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins
  • Roman Reigns [c] vs. Drew McIntyre for the UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

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‘NXT STAND & DELIVER 2022’ Recap + Review – Ziggler vs. Breakker, Ciampa’s Goodbye

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DATE: April 2, 2022
VENUE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
COMMENTATORS: Vic Joseph & Wade Barrett
VIEWING METHOD: Peacock

NXT Stand and Deliver 2022 brings NXT 2.0 to its largest arena to date hours before Night 1 of WrestleMania. What’s the brand bringing to the table? How’s about every championship on the line (including the Kickoff), and a Steinerized main event as Bron Breakker challenges Dolph Ziggler for the NXT Championship? Eh? Ehhhh?

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‘NXT TAKEOVER: STAND & DELIVER NIGHT 1’ Recap + Review – Shirai vs. Gonzalez, WALTER vs. Ciampa

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DATE: April 7, 2021
VENUE: Capitol Wrestling Center (Orlando, FL)
COMMENTATORS: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, & Beth Phoenix
VIEWING METHOD: Peacock (Livestream)

Night 1 of NXT TakeOver features the Women’s Championship in the main event as Io Shirai defends against Raquel Gonzalez. Also on the show WALTER defends his NXT UK Championship against Tommaso Ciampa, new Tag Team Champions are crowned, and a #1 contender to the North American Championship is decided for tomorrow night. If they can’t win their final Wednesday Night “War” with this lineup I am going to be SHOCKED.

CHAMPIONS

  • NXT CHAMPION: Finn Balor
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Io Shirai
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: Johnny Gargano
  • NXT CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION: Santos Escobar
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Vacant
  • NXT WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart

LINEUP

  • KUSHIDA vs. Pete Dunne (***1/4)
  • #1 Contender’s Eliminator Gauntlet (***1/2)
  • WALTER [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT UK CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/2)
  • MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma for the vacant NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (****)
  • Io Shirai [c] vs. Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)

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[TV Review] ‘NXT’ 10.07.2020 – Ember Moon’s In-Ring Return, KUSHIDA vs. Ciampa

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COMMENTATORS: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, & Beth Phoenix

The first NXT post-TakeOver 31 features Ember Moon’s first match in 14 months as she teams with Rhea Ripley against Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. Also on the show Tommaso Ciampa takes on KUSHIDA, Austin Theory wrestles twice, and Drake Maverick tries to get Killian Dain to get on board with their tag team.

CHAMPIONS

  • NXT CHAMPION: Finn Balor
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Io Shirai
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: Damian Priest
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Breezango (Fandango & Tyler Breeze)

LINEUP

  • KUSHIDA vs. Tommaso Ciampa (***)
  • Drake Maverick & Killian Dain vs. EverRise (*3/4)
  • Leon Ruff vs. Austin Theory (NR)
  • Dexter Lumis vs. Austin Theory (*3/4)
  • Danny Burch vs. Ridge Holland (**)
  • Shotzi Blackheart vs. Xia Li (NR)
  • Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez (**)

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[PPV Recap] ‘NXT TakeOver: In Your House’ – Flair vs. Ripley vs. Shirai, Backlot Brawl

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DATE: June 7, 2020
VENUE: Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)
COMMENTATORS: Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, & Beth Phoenix 

NXT TakeOver: In Your House plays dirty by going right for the nostalgia, resurrecting one of the WWE’s old PPV themes. I’ve been ignoring most empty arena wrestling in 2020 but goddammit they got me and I’m here for it. This PPV features a Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship as Adam Cole defends against The Velveteen Dream, Keith Lee defending the North American Championship against Johnny Gargano, and Charlotte Flair defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai. 

CHAMPIONS 

  • NXT CHAMPION: Adam Cole 
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Charlotte Flair 
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: Keith Lee 
  • NXT CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION: El Hijo del Fantasma 
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) 

LINEUP 

  • Shotzi Blackheart, Tegan Nox, & Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, & Candice LeRae (****) 
  • Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest (***1/4) 
  • Keith Lee [c] vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP (***) 
  • BACKLOT BRAWL: Adam Cole [c] vs. The Velveteen Dream for the NXT CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2) 
  • Tommaso Ciampa vs. Karrion Kross (***) 
  • Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/4) 

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[TV Recap] ‘NXT’ 12.18.19 – Baszler vs. Ripley, Cole vs. Balor

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COMMENTATORS: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, & Beth Phoenix

It’s the penultimate NXT of 2019 and they’ve brought the big guns with TWO big title matches: Adam Cole defending the NXT Championship against Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley challenging Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Championship. This sounds tremendous on paper, let’s see how it goes in execution.

CHAMPIONS

  • NXT CHAMPION: Adam Cole
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Shayna Baszler
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: Roderick Strong
  • NXT CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION: Angel Garza
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, & Adam Cole)

LINEUP

  • Adam Cole [c] vs. Finn Balor for the NXT CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
  • Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain (***)
  • KUSHIDA vs. Cameron Grimes (***3/4)
  • Santana Garrett vs. Io Shirai (**3/4)
  • Pete Dunne vs. Travis Banks (***3/4)
  • Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Rhea Ripley for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/4)

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[PPV Recap] ‘NXT TakeOver: Toronto II’ – Gargano/Cole III, Baszler/Yim

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Date:  August 10, 2019
Venue: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, & Beth Phoenix

NXT TakeOver: Toronto II features The Undisputed Era’s quest to end the night draped in gold, as Adam Cole fights to keep the NXT Championship while Roderick Strong challenges for the North American Title and the team of Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish attempt to reclaim the Tag Team Championship. Also on the show Shayna Baszler puts her Women’s Championship on the line against Mia Yim, Candice LeRae takes on former best friend Io Shirai, and much more!

CHAMPIONS

  • NXT CHAMPION: Adam Cole
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: The Velveteen Dream
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Shayna Baszler
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)

LINEUP

  • The Street Profits [c] vs. The Undisputed Era for the NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
  • Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai (****1/2)
  • The Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne for the NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)
  • Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Mia Yim for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (***)
  • 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS: Adam Cole [c] vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)

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[Event Recap] ‘NXT TakeOver XXV’ – Gargano/Cole II, Baszler vs. Shirai

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Date: June 1, 2019
Venue: Webster Arena (Bridgeport, CT)
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, & Beth Phoenix

NXT abandons its usual piggybacking of WWE PPVs with NXT TakeOver XXV featuring Johnny Gargano defending his NXT Championship against Adam Cole, Tyler Breeze making his return to challenge Velveteen Dream for the North American Championship, and much more!

CHAMPION ROLL-CALL

  • NXT CHAMPION: Johnny Gargano
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: The Velveteen Dream
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Shayna Baszler
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: VACANT

THE LINEUP

  • Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong (****)
  • LADDER MATCH: The Street Profits vs. The Undisputed Era vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. The Forgotten Sons for the vacant NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
  • The Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Tyler Breeze for the NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)
  • Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Io Shirai for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/4)
  • Johnny Gargano [c] vs. Adam Cole for the NXT CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/4)

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[PPV Review] ‘NXT TakeOver: New York’ – Gargano vs. Cole, Dream vs. Riddle, Dunne vs. WALTER

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Date: April 5, 2019
Venue: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, & Percy Watson

It’s WrestleMania 35 weekend, which means it’s time for NXT to throw down with the latest edition of TakeOver. This one is for all the marbles too as FIVE championships on the line, including the United Kingdom Championship which yes is still a thing how dare you. Did NXT once again lay it all on the line and potentially outshine the main roster? Read on to find out (but I mean it’s pretty obvious).

CHAMPIONS

  • NXT CHAMPION: VACANT
  • NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: The Velveteen Dream
  • NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Shayna Baszler
  • NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe)

LINEUP

  • The War Raiders [c] vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black for the NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/2)
  • The Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Matt Riddle for the NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
  • Pete Dunne [c] vs. WALTER for the WWE UNITED KINGDOM CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/2)
  • Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Kairi Sane for the NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)

  • 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS: Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole for the vacant NXT CHAMPIONSHIP

    (****)

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