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On June 8 from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, NXT - which arguably out Wrestlemania-ed Wrestlemania in Dallas - promises to make history once again with their latest NXT TakeOver special. Fittingly titled "The End", it promises to be the conclusion to one of the most bitter feuds in NXT history, and will perhaps see the end of an era for WWE's developmental juggernaut, live, exclusively on the WWE Network.
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Tye Dillinger
Known as "The Perfect 10", Tye Dillinger has gained a cult following due to his wrestling skill and belief in his abilities, which has grown into an almost fanatical devotion for the digits 1 and 0, in that order. Looking for an opportunity to prove himself, Dillinger reached out to NXT General Manager William Regal on Twitter for a match at TakeOver: The End, to which Regal was happy to oblige, as Dillinger will be the first opponent for NXT's newest star, Andrade "Cien" Almas.
Formerly a massive draw for CMLL in Mexico as the masked luchador La Sombra, Almas won numerous championships and headlined numerous huge events, and is a co-founder of the famed Los Ingobernables stable, of which New Japan's current IWGP Heavyweight champion, Tetsuya Naito, is a member. Almas was unmasked late last year, and signed with WWE as their latest international acquisition. While little is known about how Almas will be presented in NXT, he promises to prove his nickname and show why 100 is greater than even the Perfect 10.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries
While there were many reasons NXT took the spotlight away from the WWE's signature event this past April, most of the buzz was pointed squarely at the epic debut match of Shinsuke Nakamura, as "The King of Strong Style" and Sami Zayn, in their first-ever meeting, had an instant classic of a match that was arguably the best of the weekend, and showed to the world what fans of New Japan had known for years - that Nakamura is one of the best wrestlers in the world. However, all of the attention did not sit well with another man who made his televised debut that evening, namely "The Greatest Man that Ever Lived."
Austin Aries, a world-traveled star of TNA and Ring of Honor, defeated Baron Corbin in Dallas, a victory that was quickly overshadowed by Nakamura and Zayn's epic encounter. Things would continue to grow dicey between the two men in a tag team match against Blake and Murphy, where Nakamura refused to tag in Aries and took the win for his team. A week later, William Regal saw the opportunity in front of him, and signed a battle between "A Double" and "Swagsuke" for TakeOver: The End, a match that will be their first against one another. And with both men's accolades outside of WWE very well-known, we could be in for another match of the year candidate when these two do battle in this epic dream match.
NXT Tag Team Championship
American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) (c) vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson)
Despite being generic to the point where fans can't tell them apart, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson are one of the most feared teams in NXT history, with a nearly six month reign as NXT Tag Team champions. That reign, however, came to an end at TakeOver: Dallas, as they faced one of the most physically gifted teams in NXT history, former amateur wrestling standouts Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, collectively known as American Alpha.
Now, The Revival, known for their old school brawling and underhanded tactics reminiscent of teams gone by, have invoked their rematch clause and are prepared for an epic rematch of their classic encounter with Gable and Jordan. Will American Alpha's pure wrestling skill allow them to retain their titles? Or will it be a true revival at TakeOver: The End, as Dash and Dawson get back what they believe is rightfully theirs?
NXT Women's Championship
Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax
Since her debut late last year, Asuka has proven to be one of the most dominant newcomers, male or female, in the history of NXT. And at TakeOver: Dallas, she rode that momentum to an epic victory over the beloved NXT Women's champion Bayley, as she made her pass out in the dreaded Asuka Lock to win the title and keep her undefeated streak intact. While a rematch with Bayley was expected for this event, a
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Now, Asuka faces her toughest test yet as she faces the mighty Amazonian-like Jax, whose sheer power and strength makes her among the most feared NXT competitors regardless of gender. And if Asuka wants to keep both her title reign and unblemished record intact, she will have to have the fight of her life.
NXT Championship - Steel Cage Match
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Finn Bálor
Since winning the NXT championship nearly one year ago, Finn Bálor was seemingly unstoppable, readily defending his title against all comers and proving his worth as one of the best wrestlers in the world. However, he would soon come to meet his greatest challenge after Samoa Joe, who teamed with Bálor to win the 2015 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, turned on his partner and challenged him at NXT TakeOver: London, falling short in his attempt to win the championship. The two would meet again in another epic encounter at TakeOver: Dallas, where Bálor would again be victorious in a battle marred by a cut Joe suffered which caused numerous interruptions to stop the bleeding. It seemed like their rivalry had come to an end - that is, until a seemingly nondescript NXT house show in Lowell, Massachusetts, where Joe would end Bálor's record-setting 292 day-long NXT championship reign in front of a shocked crowd.
Now, in order to bring a concise conclusion to one of NXT's greatest rivalries, NXT GM William Regal has ordered the first-ever steel cage match in NXT history between these two men, where there will be no one to stop the bleeding, no way to interfere with the action, and most importantly, no rules. And while Joe feels that Bálor will have no way to win when he is locked inside of a cage with a monster, Joe forgets that he himself will be locked in a cage with the Demon. And no matter who walks out of TakeOver with the championship, it will truly be The End.
