This week’s NXT provided a huge matchup between NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and a rising star in that of Shotzi Blackheart. Although Shirai is the current champion, this match was not for the title and was a way for Blackheart to show what she could do against the top of the brand. She delivered.
In the latter part of the match, Shirai is in control as she applies a crossface that has Blackheart reaching for the ropes. Blackheart is able to break up the submission by getting to the ropes before hitting a drop toe hold into a cannonball. She then gets a near fall on the Joshi Judas with a bridging dragon suplex. Shirai comes back with near fall of her own after a Tiger Feint Kick and a missile dropkick.
Shotzi has the champion on the top rope and after a Super Hurricarana, she gets another near fall. Blackheart then goes up top again but Shirai has her in a predicament now. Possibly going for a suplex, but this instead gets dumped on the ring apron.
Shirai puts away Blackheart after a moonsault to get the pin. The two show great respect and sportsmanship after the match.
That match may have been a non-title match, however, we still need a number one contender to face Shirai next. It is announced that next week there will be a Battle Royal to determine this.
There are 11-women at this time announced for that Battle Royal and Blackheart is indeed one of them. Two other women who are on the list are Candice LeRae and Tegan Nox. Both women who have had their shots at the title in the past. Nox against Shirai more recently.
Below are both women saying they will be the next number one contender and thus the next NXT Women’s Champion.
The second women’s match of the night was tag team action. It was Team Ninja of Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter vs. the makeshift team of Xia Li & Jessi Kamea.
After beautiful tag teamwork from Catanzaro and Carter, they pick up a win. With Li on the back of Carter, Catanzaro delivers a punt kick and then rolls through herself to get the pin on Li. Team Ninja is in the win column!
Let’s get into the Winners & Losers of the week:
WINNERS: Team Ninja
A big win for Kacy & Kayden this week. I have been impressed with them since they have been performing as a team. Their athleticism is out of this world and if anyone should eventually be tag champs it is these two.
They are just a perfect example of two great friends who gel well together, which also could mean they would do great against each other as well. I look forward to seeing more from the both of them!
WINNER: Shotzi Blackheart
She may have lost the match, but she showed out. There is nothing better than when someone loses a match and it was so good that it doesn’t matter that they lost. I have a feeling that she may win the Battle Royal next week to earn a title shot, but there are a few other names I think that could snag it as well…so we’ll see.
LOSERS: Xia Li & Jessi Kamea
They really are only the losers this week because I am not sure if I buy them as a tag team just yet. They could prove me wrong if this will be a thing going forward. I do enjoy them both individually and would love to see them get some more time on my television screen. At this point though, they would have to drop on the loser side of things.
What did you think of this week’s NXT? Who were your Winners & Losers? Leave your comments in the section below for such things!
