12/26/18 WWE NXT Recap: Who’s Challenging Baszler?; Ryker in Action; NXT Tag Title Main Event

NXT opens with a preview of tonight’s matches, which are The Undisputed ERA defending the NXT Tag Team Championship against Heavy Machinery and a Fatal Four-Way Match featuring Mia Yim, Lacey Evans, Io Shirai, and Bianca Belair where the winner will challenge Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. The opening credits then roll, and Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show and we immediately see Heavy Machinery warming up for their match backstage.

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Match #1 – #1 Contender’s (NXT Women’s Championship) Fatal Four-Way Match: Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Lacey Evans vs. Mia Yim
Evans leaves the ring and Shirai tries to get a quick pin on Belair, but Belair kicks out. Yim and Shirai send Belair to the floor and Yim takes her out with a suicide dive. Evans gets back into the ring and throws Shirai out onto Belair. Yim helps Shirai up and they double-team Evans in the ring. They deliver a double dropkick and then Yim splashes Evans in the corner. Evans comes back and causes Yim to kick Shirai and then takes advantage of Yim. Evans delivers a slingshot elbow drop and goes for the cover, but Yim kicks out at two. Shirai comes back, but Evans slams her to the mat again. Evans goes for the cover, but Shirai kicks out at two. Evans throws Shirai across the ring and Belair drops Shirai with a shoulder tackle. Belair takes Evans out, but Shirai sends Belair to the floor. Evans comes back and slams Shirai’s head into the turnbuckle and goes for the cover, but Yim breaks it up.
Evans tosses Yim to the floor and Shirai catches her with a roll-up for two. Evans comes back with a leg sweep and goes for the cover, but Shirai kicks out at two. Evans pounds away on Shirai and goes for the cover, but Belair breaks it up this time. Belair puts Shirai in the Torture Rack and then Evans breaks it up. Evans and Belair argue, but then double-team Yim. They go for a double suplex, but Shirai stops it and goes for a double pin on Belair and Evans. They send her to the floor and then both go for covers on Yim. They start arguing again and Yim drops Belair with a suplex. She goes for the cover, but Evans breaks it up. Shirai dropkicks Evans and Belair spears Shirai and all four women are down.
Belair goes for covers on Yim and Evans, but they both kick out. Belair goes for a face-buster, but Shirai rolls through and stomps on her midsection. Shirai goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick to Belair. Shirai goes for the cover, but Evans breaks it up. Yim delivers a few chops and kicks to Evans, but Evans counters with the Woman’s Right. Evans goes for the cover, but Shirai breaks it up. Shirai delivers a right hand and a scoop slam. Shirai goes up top and hits the moonsault on Evans. Shirai goes for the cover, but Belair breaks it up and slaps Shirai with her hair. Belair tosses Shirai onto Yim on the floor and then drops Evans with the K-O-D and gets the pin fall.
Winner and number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair

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We see that Jaxson Ryker will be in action later tonight as we head to a break.

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We see that “Holding My Breath” by Alien Weaponry will be one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix.

Match #2 – Singles Match: Jaxson Ryker (w/Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake) vs. Mick Taverna
They lock up and Ryker backs Taverna into the corner and delivers body shots. Taverna tries to come back with chops, but Ryker slams him down to the mat. Ryker delivers an uppercut and then grinds Taverna’s face into the mat. Ryker applies a rear chin-lock and then clubs him down to the mat again. Ryker power bombs Taverna and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Jaxson Ryker

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We see a vignette for The Velveteen Dream. He says 2019 will be even better for The Dream than 2018 was.

We are reminded that Tommaso Ciampa will defend the NXT Championship against Aleister Black at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. We then take a look back to last week’s show when Johnny Gargano defeated Black, with Ciampa’s help, in a Steel Cage Match.

We see a promo video from Ciampa. He says he is a man of his word and delivers on all of his promises. He says he feels like a broken record and feels like he is talking to a wall. He says last week was his vindication and proved that somebody has been listening to him this entire time. He says Gargano listened and followed his lead. Ciampa says Gargano cannot have a shot at the title because that is already taken, but maybe Gargano should have a shot at the NXT North American title. Ciampa says TakeOver: Phoenix will be their takeover.

We see The Undisputed ERA gearing up for their title defense backstage as we head to a break.

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We see that the 2018 NXT Awards will be handed out on next week’s show, as well as Kassius Ohno going one-on-one with Matt Riddle.

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Match #3 – NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Undisputed ERA (Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong) (c) vs. Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight)
Strong and Knight start the match and Knight drops Strong to the mat. O’Reilly tags in as Knight delivers a hip toss to Strong. Knight takes Strong and O’Reilly down and tags in Dozovic. Dozovic smashes Strong in the corner and runs over O’Reilly. Dozovic tosses Strong across the ring and then delivers a scoop slam. Dozovic tosses Strong into the corner and tags in Knight. Knight smashes Strong into the corner and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. O’Reilly and Dozovic get into the ring, but Knight and Dozovic suplex Strong and O’Reilly to the mat. Knight takes O’Reilly and Strong to the floor and lay them out. Knight tosses O’Reilly back into the ring, but O’Reilly catches him with a kick. Strong gets involved and delivers a back-breaker to Knight on the apron.
O’Reilly goes to the floor and brawls with Knight and tosses him back into the ring. Knight fights back with body shots, but O’Reilly connects with a knee strike. Strong tags in and stomps Knight down into the corner. Strong works over Knight’s leg, but Knight fights back with a few kicks. Strong keeps control with a forearm and tags in O’Reilly. Knight comes back and sends Strong to the floor, but O’Reilly drops Knight with a leg whip. O’Reilly goes for the cover, but Knight kicks out at two. Strong tags back in and he and O’Reilly double team Knight in the corner. Strong drops Knight with an Olympic Slam and goes for the cover, but Knight kicks out at two. Strong works over Knight’s legs, but Knight fights back an drops Strong with a clothesline. Dozovic and O’Reilly tag in and Dozovic runs over O’Reilly and Strong.
Dozovic tosses O’Reilly across the ring and smashes he and Strong in the corner. Dozovic connects with the Caterpillar elbow drop on Strong and tags in Knight. Knight decks Strong and then O’Reilly. Dozovic and Knight drop O’Reilly with the Hoss Toss and Knight goes for the cover, but Strong breaks it up. Knight goes up top and goes for a moonsault, but O’Reilly moves out of the way and tags in Strong. Dozovic tags back in and Strong catches him with an elbow. Dozovic comes off the ropes and drops Strong with a shoulder block. Strong connects with a knee strike, but Dozovic comes back with a clothesline. Dozovic goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Dozovic goes up top, but Strong counters with an enzuiguri.
Strong climbs as well and then O’Reilly helps and they suplex Dozovic to the mat. Strong goes for the cover, but Dozovic kicks out at two. O’Reilly tags in and kicks Knight to the floor. Dozovic fights back, but O’Reilly and Strong double team him with kicks and knee strikes. O’Reilly goes for the cover, but Dozovic kicks out at two. Strong tags back in and kicks Knight back to the floor and then he and O’Reilly take Dozovic down with the High-Low and Strong gets the pin fall.
Winners and still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Undisputed ERA