Date: 09/23	7:00 PM
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Here are the latest results from the September 23 episode of NXT. Tonight we will get not one but two #1 contender matches. First, the women of NXT vye for a future title match in a battle royal! The men will compete in a brand new match called the Gauntlet Eliminator Match. Who will be the new challengers for NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai and NXT Champion Finn Bálor? Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates!

Several women are already in the ring as NXT comes on the air. Candice LeRae makes her entrance as Tom Phillips and Beth Phoenix welcome us to the show. We get a cllip from earlier where Candice LeRae attacked Tegan Nox's knee with a lead pipe, then shoves a steel box into her knee against a door. Rhea Ripley is next out to make an entrance on TV, and Raquel Gonzalez is staring her down in the middle of the ring.

* Battle Royal #1 Contender's Match for NXT Women's Title

The bell dings so now the ring-filled chaos ensues! Rhea Ripley chokes up a blonde and we learn her name is Gia as she's shoved over the ropes. (GIA is eliminated.) The battles goes on as a redhead is dumped out by Raquel Gonzalez and her name is Ravin (sp?). (RAVIN is eliminated.) A lot of new faces are involved in this match including another blonde tossed out by Ripley, and her face hit the railing on the landing. (Allie is eliminated.) A lot of names I'm just going off of what Tom Phillips and Beth Phoenix call them. Robert Stone is watching cautiously at ringside. Ripley has Shafir wobbly on the apron, they mention her being in Raw Underground, and now she's out via headbutt. (MARINA SHAFIR is eliminated.) Ripley has three eliminations, and Gonzalez now has her second. (AVERY is eliminated.) Gonzalez  suplexes her next victim onto the apron then kicks her in the gut to send her packing for her third elimination. (?? is eliminated.) And then forth elimination. (RITA is eliminated.) Ripley matches her competition with her own fourth elimination. (EMILY is eliminated.)

All the women left now are all familiar faces and established names. Gonzalez boots Catalina in the face knocking her off the ropes for her fifth. (CATALINA is eliminated.) Ripley grabs Aliyah, backs her into a corner, Robert Stone gives her advice to stay off of the ropes, Aliyah breaks free of her grasp, tosses Kacy onto the apron and sweeps her legs. Kacy falls to the floor, but her FEET DON'T TOUCH as she landed on her back only, so she scoots and rolls back into a handstand, walks on her hands, hooks her legs and pulls herself up and back into the ring!

Onto picture-in-picture to continue the action. Raquel takes Shotzi and dumps her over the ropes but the green-haired rocker lands on the apron and rolls back in. Aliyah gets cocky with Ripley and tries for a sleeper, but she gets tossed onto the apron, pulls off a fake eyelash, and punches her down onto Robert Stone. (ALIYAH is eliminated.) The women continue to battle, Kayden Carter catches her legs on Xia Li and makes her tumble to the floor. (XIA LI is eliminated.) Blackheart fights off her Raquel and Dakota, gets dumped on the apron, and double teamed but she holds on. Raquel saves Dakota Kai from Ripley by throwing her off and across the ring.

Back from break to get back audio, Indi Hartwell puts Kacy onto the apron and knocks her off, but she lands on the railing without touching the floor. Kacy stands on the apron, Indi watches her from the apron, Kacy jumps onto the steel steps, Indi kicks her off, but Kacy lands right back on the railing saving herself again. Raquel pts Kayden on the apron, Kacy reaches for her friend for help, but Raquel pushes Carter off the apron. (KAYDEN CARTER is eliminated.) This however makes it easier for Kayden to help her friend as Kacy is able to stand on Carter's shoulders as she walks her back to the ring. Rhea Ripley has finally had enough and SLAPS Raquel on the back! The two women finally duke it out, Raquel puts her in the electric chair, they fall over the ropes, and BOTH WOMEN eliminate each other! (RAQUEL GONZALEZ and RHEA RIPLEY are eliminated.) Dakota is terrified that her biggest asset is gone. Candice dangles on the apron, Indi again tries to toss out Kacy, but Kacy swings around the ringpost, Indi catches her, but Kacy finally dumps Indi out! (INDI HARTWELL is eliminated.)

We're down to four! Dakota attacks Kacy, Candice helps her, Kacy gets tossed onto the apron, and Dakota hits the coast to coast kick. (KACY CATANZARO is eliminated.) Shotzi has no help as she fights off Candice and Dakota, dumping the latter out the ring! (DAKOTA KAI is eliminated.) Shotzi throws Candice into the ropes, kicks her arm, hits a reverse sling blade, lifts her up and over, Candice catches the apron, gets back in, Shotzi hits a step-up enzuigiri, Candice falls onto the ropes but moves out of an incoming Blackheart and hits a neckbreaker off the middle rope. Candice tosses her up and over, Shotzi kicks her in the head, gets on the middles ropes, Candice cuts her off, Shotzi fights her off, dumps her onto the apron, Candice knocks her onto the other side of the turnbuckle, both women are on the apron, they keep fighting each other, Shotzi pulls her into the turnbuckles, Candice lands on the steps, Shotzi tries to push her off, Candice pushes Blackheart's leg into the ringpost, and gives her a monkey flip from the apron to the floor! SHOTZI is the final woman eliminated! WINNER and #1 Contender for the NXT Women's Title: CANDICE LeRAE!

Johnny Gargano joins his wife in celebration as we're told that he goes one-on-one with Damien Priest for the NXT North American Title at NXT TakeOver. Could husband and wife both win the gold? We get an interview with Priest backstage and he says that this match is huge because it's Johnny TakeOver. "As long as I'm champion, this championship will continue to slide through his fingers, just like at TakeOver Thirty in our ladder match." He also says that his opponent tonight Austin Theiry won't be so lucky either.

Earlier today, we see a bunch of superstars yelling at Fandango, probably for misspelling their names. William Regal steps in to find out what's going on, Fandango mentions four men representing their teams (Danny Burch, Roderick Strong, Raul Mendoza and Fabian Aichner) will compete tonight in a tag match and the winning team will face each other and the winners of that will go on to face the NXT Tag Team Champions Breezango. As confused as Regal is, Danny Burch explains it to him in Cockney English slang, Regal understands that, and accepts it.

* Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jake Atlas

They lock up, Ciampa backs him to a corner, Atlas chops and punches him, Ciampa with a forearm, tosses him onto the apron, Atlas avoids Willow's Bell, pulls him out the ring, punches and kicks him down, lifts the ring skirt to expose the steel beams, Ciampa kicks him off, both men back in the ring, and Ciampa clotheslines him. Ciampa wears him down, stomps on the back of his head, shouts that he's the main event, ships him to a corner, Atlas strikes back with punches, inverted atomic drop, dropkicks him, takedown, stomps and punches, waistlock, and hits a pump kick in a corner. Atlas goes up top, Ciampa ducks out the ring, Atlas kicks him from the apron, lands a moonsault from the second rope to the floor, throws him back in, goes up top, hits a blockbuster, and covers for 2.5! Atlas goes back up again, Ciampa kicks his arm, tosses him onto the apron, hits Willow's Bell, and covers for 1... and releaes the cover. Ciampa gets in his face to test his gumption, continues to taunt him, hits a modified Fairytale Ending, and covers for 3. WINNER: TOMMASO CIAMPA.

We get another video package to hype up Ridge Holland including footage of him playing rugby. Breaktime.

We get the announce from William Regal last week for the Gauntlet Eliminator, and we get comments from all the competitors in the match, all to the music of Corey Taylor and his song as the theme for NXT TakeOver.

* Raul Mendoza & Fabian Aichner vs. Roderick Strong & Danny Burch

Aichner and Strong lock up, they block each other's moves, and Aichner body slams him. Mendoza tags in, snapmare, running kick, bottom rope springboard moonsault, and gets a 2-count. Burch tags in, uppercuts him, snapmare, chinlock, Mendoza counters, both men  trade holds, Burch trips him off a leapfrog, schoolboy rollup for 2, kicks him in the head, Mendoza yanks him off the ropes, and we take a commercial break.

When we come back, Aichner has Burch in a rear chinlock, Burch fights out, Aichner delivers a back suplex, and does the Imperium pose. Mendoza gets the tag, stomps him down, chokes him on the ropes, kicks him in the ribs, snapmare, 1-count, then puts him in a double wristlock. Burch battles out, does a sunset flip, Aichner tags in, kicks Burch in the back and also kicks Strong off the apron. Burch reaches for the tag but Strong is still down, he kicks Aichner in the head, Strong makes the blind tag, and Aichner clotheslines Burch. Strong clotheslines Aichner, knocks Mendoza off the apron, calf kick to Aichner, knee strike to Mendoza, turnbuckle backbreaker to Aichner, hits the Olympic Slam, covers, and Mendoza breaks the count. Aichner blocks a suplex, his back gives out trying for one, Mendoza knees Strong in the back, Aichner hits a spinebuster, and covers for a near-fall. Aichner picks him up, tags out, Strong  tosses him out, Mendoza dropkicks Strong, Irish whip to a corner, gets tossed onto the apron, kicks Burch in the head, forearm to Strong, goes up top, and Strong cuts him off with a knee strike. Burch tags in, Strong hits Aichner with the Sick Kick, Burch hits the Tower of London, and covers for 3! WINNERS: DANNY BURCH and RODERICK STRONG!

That was a really good fast-paced match! This now means that Burch and Lorcan will face Undisputed Era and the winners will take on Breezango for the titles. Strong fakes out a handshake staying true to his roots.

Backstage, Austin Theory gets interviewed about his match with Damian Priest tonight, Johnny Gargano shows up, gives him advice, hopes Theory will soften up Priest in his match, and Theory laughs off the idea of luck. Breaktime.

* Austin Theory vs. Damian Priest {NXT North Amercian Champion}
  [non-title match]

They lock up, Priest takes control early on with the arm, Theory flips around to reverse, Priest foes an armdrag, and Theory takes a break. Theory goes for a waistlock, Priest puts him in a side headlock, Theory hits a back elbow, Priest hits a jumping back elbow, Theory tosses him onto the apron, Priest grabs his arm, walks the top rope and hits a leaping crossbody, and does another armdrag. Theory stomps on his foot, Priest does another armdrag, Theory trips him into the turnbuckles, hits a back suplex, and covers for 1.Theory lands a clothesline, standing moonsault, 2-count, beats him down, picks him up, Priest slips down, hits a bell clap, ripcord flatliner, jumps the ropes and Theory pushes him out the ring before a commercial break.

When we come back Theory hits a rolling dropkick, covers for 2, and puts him in an arm-trap chinlock. Priest eats a chop, fights back with kicks, roaring elbow, clothesline, jumping back elbow in a corner, toss falcon arrow, and covers for 2. Theory ducks a roundhouse, Priest hits a back elbow, Theory side-steps him in a corner, hits a blue thunder bomb, and gets a near-fall. Theory follows him to the floor, Priest grabs him by the throat, Theory avoids the choke slam with an elbow, Priest hits the cyclone kick, powerbombs him with the Razor's Edge onto the apron, gets back in the ring, hits The Reckoning, and gets the 3-count! WINNER: DAMIAN PRIEST.

Johnny Gargano SUPERKICKS Priest during his post-match celebration! Gargano stands over the champion and mocks his bow and arrow. We get a promo from someone breaking into NXT to take the NXT Title, and the date reads "10.04.20" for my birthday! I mean, for NXT TakeOver!

We come back with a video promo from Isaiah "Swerve" Scott reminding us that he pinned Santos Escobar twice. Swerve proposes a challenge: no Legado Del Fantasma, no manipulated Lucha masks, and the championship on the line.

* Ridge Holland vs. Antonio De Luca

De Luca attacks at the bell, Holland shoves him back, punches him between the eyes, De Luca kicks him, Holland pounces him high in the air, delivers an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, another belly-to-belly suplex, De Luca with a forearm, Holland headbutts him repeatedly in a corner, slams him with Northern Grit, and covers for 3. WINNER: RIDGE HOLLAND.

Io Shirai gets interviewed about Candice LeRae winning the battle royal, she says she doesn't like Candice, but then gets cut off by The Garganos. Candice calls her scared, Io responds in Japanese, Gargano chimes in, Damian Priest walks through a door saying "Oh, here's Johnny" and clocks him. The champs and The Garganos get separated by several referees, and the main event is next! Next week, Shotzi Blackheart goes one-on-one with Dakota Kai.

* Gauntlet Eliminator #1 Contender's Match for NXT Title

Kyle O'Reilly and Kushida will start off this first-ever match for NXT. Both men grapple on the mat to start and in 4 minutes the next man will come out. Kushida picks a leg, O'Reilly counters with a kamura lock, Kushida counters with a short-arm scissors, O'Reilly counters with a leglock, and both men get to the ropes. Reset, lock up, O'Reilly with a side headlock, hits a shoulder block, kicks him in the head, Kushida with a hiptoss, cartwheel, basement dropkick, hammerlock, and bends the other arm back. Kushida takes him down to an armbar, O'Reilly counters, kicks his legs, Kushida with an upkick and forearms, O'Reilly kicks him in the leg, and we've got 20 seconds until the next man enters. Both men trade punches for the next 15 seconds.

Bronson Reed is the next men out, Kushida and O'Reilly stop what they're doing and go after Reed, but Reed just clocks both of them. Reed press slams Kushida into O'Reilly, squashes them both in a corner, puts Kushida on the top, picks up O'Reilly AND Kushida, but the latter slips off and kicks him, allowing O'Reilly to drop as well. Kushida ends up hitting a double handspring back elbow to both, kicks Reed in the head, kicks O'Reilly in the leg, sunset flip attempt countered into an armbar, Reed stomps on O'Reilly, but O'Reilly counters with a heel hook! Kushida hits a standing moonsault onto O'Reilly and locks in the Hoverboard Lock! Reed suplexes Kushida, senton onto O'Reilly, headbutts him, shoulders to Kushida's midsection, fights off O'Reilly, then body slams him. Reed climbs the ropes, O'Reilly hits a jumping forearm, goes up to Reed, Kushida joins in, Reed headbutts him knocking him down, Kushida hits both with a handspring kick and O'Reilly falls to the floor. The ref asks O'Reilly if he can continue, and suddenly VELVETEEN DREAM HITS KUSHIDA WITH THE DREAM VALLEY DRIVER! Dream slithers out the ring before anybody else can see him, Reed recovers on the top rope, hits the TSUNAMI diving splash and covers Kushida for 3! (KUSHIDA is eliminated.) We've only got 10 seconds until the next competitor...

Timothy Thatcher storms to the ring, Reed punches him off the apron, and we take a commercial break. Thatcher, Reed and O'Reilly are all battling it out when we come back and we are 20 senonds away from the final man to enter. O'Reilly can't get a double German, Thatcher can't get a double German, and Reed can't get a double German, but Reed does manage to deliver a German suplex to Thatcher.

Cameron Grimes is the final man to come out, he punches Reed, goes up top, lands a diving crossbady onto Reed, secures his hat, boots Thatcher, hits a diving moonsault, and kicks O'Reilly from the apron. Thatcher blocks a kick, goes for the armbar, Grimes rolls through, superkicks him, Reed runs over Grimes, spinning forearm to O'Reilly, Thatcher punches Reed, O'Reilly comes off the ropes with a lariat to Thatcher, Grimes boots O'Reilly in the face, O'Reilly bounces off the ropes again, Grimes hits a swinging sideslam slam, and Reed clotheslines Grimes! All four men try to recover, Thatcher punches O'Reilly, both men on the apron trading shots, Thatcher looks for a submission on Reed, but Grimes superkicks Thatcher. O'Reilly hits Thatcher with a running knee strike from the apron, Reed tosses Grimes out onto both men, fights off all three men, Thatcher slaps him on the chest, pushes him into the ring, Reed hits a death valley driver and covers for 2.9! O'Reilly and Reed battle it out, O'Reilly grabs a leg, Reed powerbombs him, and gets a 2-count. Grimes drops Reed's neck on the ropes, forearms, kick to the head, covers for 2, and Reed hits a big hiptoss. Reed hits a COLASSAL SUICDE DIVE onto all three men!

Onto our final picture-in-picture for tonight. Thatcher knees Reed in the back, puts him in a chinlock, and also a hammerlock with more knees to the back. O'Reilly and Grimes get back in the ring, Grimes kicks him in the chest, does a hard Irish whip into the turnbuckles, Thatcher gets in the ring to attack O'Reilly, Grimes fights Reed on the floor, Thatcher puts O'Reilly in a single leg crab, and all four men are back in the ring. Thatcher uppercuts O'Reilly, Grimes kicks Reed, and O'Reilly gets tossed out the ring.

We come back where we left off with Thatcher and Grimes attacking Reed in the ring, but Reed fights them off with punches and elbows, inverted atomic drop and a bionic elbow to Grimes. O'Reilly hits Reed with knee strikes, Reed powerslams him, avalances him in a corner, then plants Thatcher with a Urinage slam onto Grimes! Reed covers Thatcher for 2, goes up top, Grimes grabs his leg, Reed knocks him off, Thatcher cuts off Reed with forearms, Reed blocks a suplex, and Thatcher avoids the Tsunami. O'Reilly connects to Reed however with a diving kneedrop and covers for 3! (BRONSON REED is eliminated.)

Thatcher immediately puts O'Reilly in the ankle lock! O'Reilly counters with his own ankle lock, Thatcher counters for the armbar, O'Reilly counters with a front facelock, Thatcher uppercuts him, O'Reilly hits a discus elbow, Thatcher knees him in the face, and Grimes hits a German suplex to O'Reilly. Thatcher grabs Grimes's leg, Grimes kicks him off, Thatcher delivers a belly-to-belly suplex, and all three men are down. Thatcher puts O'Reilly in a double underhook, O'Reilly counters with a knee strike, Thatcher with forearms, O'Reilly strikes back, Thatcher grabs his leg, O'Reilly slaps him and hits an enzuigiri to Grimes, Thatcher counters an armbreaker by O'Reilly for the sleeper hold, O'Reilly grabs Grimes's leg and goes for an ankle lock while trapped in the sleeper hold! O'Reilly fades, kicks off Grimes to roll over Thatcher, 1-2-NO, tosses Grimes out the ring, then proceeds to kick and knee and sweep the legs of Thatcher. O'Reilly hits a forearm smash, Thatcher uppercuts him, O'Reilly with knee strikes, Thatcher slaps him on the ear, O'Reilly catches him with a backslide for 2, Thatcher picks the leg, but O'Reilly counters with a schoolboy for 3! (TIMOTHY THATCHER is eliminated.)

CAVE IN! Grimes drops O'Reilly and gets the 1-2-NO! O'Reilly got his foot on the bottom rope but Grimes thinks that he won! Grimes is in shock that he didn't win, and then he gets mad with rage kicking O'Reilly in the head while yelling at him. "You're nothing like Adam; he was the man of the group!" That last line struck a nerve in O'Reilly as he strikes with fury. Grimes catches him with a flipping slam for 2.5, and he still can't believe he didn't win. They trade shots, O'Reilly with the axe kick, Grimes hits a forearm, O'Reilly hits a knee strike to the midsection, Grimes blocks a German suplex, O'Reilly with a reverse dragon screw, Grimes kicks him in the head, O'Reilly ducks the Cave In this time, Grimes hurt his legs on the landing, O'Reilly picks the leg for the heel hook and Grimes taps out!! WINNER and #1 Contender for the NXT Title: KYLE O'REILLY!

We get the match highlights for all of the eliminations. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong are in the ring congratulating Kyle O'Reilly on his victory. The NXT Champion Finn Bálor walks out onto the stage to look into the eyes of his new #1 contender. This is gonna be good!