Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for NXT Takeover XXXI headlined by an NXT Championship match between Finn Bälor and Kyle O'Reilly!
- We open the show with a video package for the Capitol Wrestling Center.
North American Championship Match
Damian Priest (c) vs Johnny Gargano
Johnny goes right after Damian before Damian drops him with a spinning heel kick before hitting Johnny with punches to the midsection in the corner. Damian whips Johnny across the ring before Priest counters a Gargano Escape and Johnny counters The Reckoning. Priest grounds Johnny with a Greco-Roman knuckle lock before slipping up on an old school and Johnny traps him in the ropes. Johnny sends Damian over top rope and crashing down onto the floor before sending him into the barricade with a suicide dive. Johnny sends Priest into the barricade before hanging him between the second and bottom rope and hitting a diving knee for two.
Priest counters a tornado DDT and stomps Johnny down before kicking Johnny and hitting a jumping flat liner. Priest hits several jumping back elbows in the corner before hitting the Broken Arrow for two. Johnny counters a Razor's Edge into a sunset flip for two before focusing on the leg of Priest before they exchange strikes. Johnny ducks a whirlwind kick and sends Priest into the post before sending him out of the ring. Johnny counters South of Heaven before Priest kicks his legs out and he crashes off of the apron and down onto the floor.
Priest hits a Razor's Edge onto the edge of the apron for two before Johnny ducks another kick and chop blocks him. Priest clotheslines Johnny and calls for The Reckoning before Johnny goes for the Gargano Escape. Johnny hits a shiranui into a sliding forearm to the back of the neck before mocking Priest and countering South of Heaven into a pin attempt for a near fall. Priest counters One Final Beat into South of Heaven for a near fall before Johnny rolls across the ring and out of it to avoid a dive by Priest. Priest hits a flipping senton over the post, Johnny grabbing security and using them to avoid the dive.
Johnny low blows Priest and rolls him back inside for a near fall before Johnny locks in the Gargano Escape. Priest nearly taps before crawling to the bottom rope for the break before Johnny repeatedly knees him in the shoulder. Johnny and Damian try to send each other out of the ring and on top of the steps at ringside until Johnny repeatedly superkicks Priest. Priest then counters One Final Beat into The Reckoning for the pin and the win.
Winner: Damian Priest retains his North American Championship by defeating Johnny Gargano via pinfall.
- We see Undisputed Era arriving at the arena earlier today.
- We get a video package for KUSHIDA and Velveteen Dream ahead of their match up next.
KUSHIDA vs Velveteen Dream
KUSHIDA attacks Dream out of nowhere when he makes his entrance before KUSHIDA nearly throws a chair at him. The match starts and KUSHIDA takes Dream down to the mat before sending Dream out of the ring. KUSHIDA hits a rolling kick before hitting a running arm breaker before Dream stops a drop toe hold. KUSHIDA takes Dream down by his arm before snapping his arm into the mat. Dream comes back and sends KUSHIDA out of the ring before hitting a diving ax handle off of the top.
Dream tosses KUSHIDA back into the ring and drops him with an uppercut for one before hitting a bronco buster in the corner. KUSHIDA comes back with forearms and Dream counters a hand spring back elbow into a sleeper. Dream gets free before KUSHIDA locks in a belly down arm bar before Dream hits a Dream Valley Driver. Dream hits the Purple Rainmaker for two before nearly turning KUSHIDA inside out with a wrist lock clothesline. Dream goes back up top before KUSHIDA meets him and hits a flying Hoverboard Lock.
Dream then nearly taps before getting to the ropes and hitting a second DVD, but KUSHIDA holds on and locks in the Hoverboard Lock for the tap and the win.
Winner: KUSHIDA defeats Velveteen Dream via submission.
- KUSHIDA locks in an arm bar after the match before he's made to stop by officials before immediately locking in the Hoverboard Lock once more. KUSHIDA then finally releases the hold and leaves to the back as we go to commercial.
- We get a video package for the return of Halloween Havoc as an NXT television special on the 28th.
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match
Santos Escobar (c) vs Isaiah Scott
They lock up before exchanging arm drags and head scissors before Santos gets two off of a roll up. Scott kicks Santos in the midsection before Santos hits a forearm and gets sent over the top rope and down onto the floor. Scott hits a dive and tosses Santos back into the ring only for Santos to get back out and Scott hits a Fosbury flop. Back in the ring Scott gets two before Escobar goes back out and Scott focuses on joint manipulation. Back in the ring Scott slams the arm of Santos into the mat before hitting a flying arm bar.
Santos scrambles to the bottom rope for the break before sending Scott out of the ring and hitting a suicide dive. Back in the ring Santos clotheslines Scott before setting him on the top turnbuckle and hitting a frankensteiner into an elbow drop for two. Santos mocks and slaps Scott before Scott comes back with a flurry of punches and a clothesline. Santos rolls out of the ring before Scott boots him from the apron and tosses him back inside before hitting a rolling flat liner for two. Scott traps Santos in the corner into an implant DDT for two before Joaquin Wilde distracts the referee.
Santos hits a shoulder breaker for a near fall off of the distraction before Scott crotches Santos on the top rope. Scott hits a frankensteiner with Santos onto Raul and Joaquin at ringside before Ashante Adonis comes out and fights Mendoza and Wilde to the back. Back in the ring Santos hits the Phantom Driver for a near fall before hitting a three amigos. Scott avoids a dive by Santos and snaps his arm before hitting the House Call into a 450 for a near fall. They spill out of the ring and onto the floor before Scott falls backwards into the post.
Back in the ring Escobar then hits a double underhook face buster for the pin and the win.
Winner: Santos Escobar retains his Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Isaiah Scott via pinfall.
NXT Women's Championship Match
Io Shirai (c) vs Candice LeRae
They run the ropes before Io drops Candice repeatedly and sends her out of the ring before hitting an arm drag once Candice is back inside. Io lands on her feet when Candice goes for a monkey flip before Candice counters a powerbomb off of the apron. Io hits an asai moonsault and tosses Candice back inside for two before stomping her in the corner. Candice hits a back stabber for two and follows up with a rear chin lock before snapping Io's neck. Candice hits a neck breaker for two before mocking Io and beating her down and smashing her face into the top turnbuckle.
Io comes back with forearms and a 619 into a springboard dropkick for two before Candice misses a springboard moonsault. Candice powerbombs Io off of the top for a near fall. Io hits a Shotei into a German suplex before Candice hits a snap German suplex into a back stabber and a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Io locks in a cross face that Candice counters into a pin attempt for two before locking in the Gargano Escape. Io gets to the bottom rope for the break before Candice inadvertently hits the referee and Io hits an air raid crash.
Candice gets her knees up when Io goes for a moonsault which launches Io into the referee who falls out of the ring. Candice gets a near fall off of a fast count when Johnny Gargano comes out in a referee shirt and the referee recovers. The referee makes Johnny leave and Candice hits Io with the title belt for a very close near fall. Io then hits a Spanish fly off of the top into a moonsault for the pin and the win.
Winner: Io Shirai retains her NXT Women's Championship by defeating Candice LeRae via pinfall.
- After the match Toni Storm shows up on the big screen and congratulates Io before telling her that she's back and intends to turn the NXT Women's division upside down.
- We then get a video package for the mysterious motorcyclist with Io still in the ring before the person comes out into the stage. The motorcyclist then takes off her helmet and reveals herself to be Ember Moon as we go to commercial.
- Backstage Ashante Adonis explains why he helped Isaiah Scott before cuts a rapping promo before we get a graphic for our main event up next.
NXT Championship Match
Finn Bälor (c) vs Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle kicks Finn in the leg before they exchange standing switches and Finn takes Kyle down. They grapple on the mat before Finn locks in a standing side headlock before grounding Kyle with it. Kyle hits a belly to back suplex, but Finn keeps the headlock on before Kyle counters a sunset flip into an arm bar. Finn gets to the ropes for two before Kyle focuses on his left arm and Kyle drives Finn shoulder first into the mat. Kyle grounds Finn with a hammer lock before Finn gets to the ropes for the break and hits a basement dropkick.
Finn locks in a straight arm bar and grounds Kyle with a hammer lock before Kyle gets to his feet. Finn elbows Kyle and chops him in the corner before Kyle comes back with a running forearm in the corner into several suplexes and a DDT for two. Kyle and Finn exchange until Finn drops Kyle and stomps him against the ropes. The referee backs Finn off before Finn drives his shoulder into the midsection of Kyle and whips him sternum first into the corner. Finn traps Kyle in the ropes and kicks him in the ribs before driving him down onto the mat.
Finn locks in a variation of a camel clutch before locking in an abdominal stretch that Kyle gets free of and hits Finn with a bridging suplex for two. Kyle catches Finn coming in and kicks him in the knee when Finn goes for a shotgun dropkick. Finn locks in another abdominal stretch before Kyle locks in a heel hook that Finn counters into a sharpshooter. Kyle gets to the bottom rope for the break before Finn stomps and kicks him against the ropes. Finn stomps a bloodied Kyle in the corner before Kyle comes back with a rebound lariat before they get to their feet and Kyle counters 1916.
Kyle locks in a standing guillotine before transitioning into an arm bar before Finn stomps his way free when he rolls Kyle up. Finn hits the 1916 for a near fall before going up top and Kyle kicks his legs out before Kyle hits a pair of dragon screw leg whips. Kyle hits a diving knee to Finn tangled in the ropes before hitting a diving knee drop to Finn's knee and locking in an Achilles lock. Kyle transitions into a heel hook before locking in a double heel hook and Finn gets to the bottom rope right before tapping. Finn then comes back with a pair of jumping stomps into the Coup De Grace for the pin and the win.
Winner: Finn Bälor retains his NXT Championship by defeating Kyle O'Reilly via pinfall.
- After the match FInn helps Kyle up and Kyle raises his arm before Ridge Holland shows up at ringside and dumps an unconscious Adam Cole over the barricade and onto the floor at ringside before leaving. Kyle and the rest of UE, Finn and officials then rush to Adam's side as we go off the air.