History has been made and “The Queen” has been dethroned. In the main event of the first-ever NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Io Shirai defeated Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair to become the new NXT Women’s Champion.
#WWENXT is @shirai_io's house now. #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/QlEqRw6Azs
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 8, 2020
The finish came when Flair locked in the Figure Eight submission on Ripley. That gave Shirai the opportunity to climb to the top rope and hit the signature moonsault onto the head of Ripley. With Flair’s legs intertwined in Ripley’s, she was helpless and it allowed Shirai to get the three count and become the new champion.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON IO SHIRAI.
Sorry, keep your eyes on our NEW #WWENXT #WomensChampion @shirai_io!!!!! #NXTTakeOver #AndNew @MsCharlotteWWE @RheaRipley_WWE pic.twitter.com/f0dMDLrnBq
— WWE (@WWE) June 8, 2020
The win marks Io Shirai’s first title victory since signing with the WWE in 2018. However, it is not even slightly her first taste of gold, as she held the Wonder of Stardom and World of Stardom Championships twice while she competed for Stardom. Gold has always been apart of Shirai’s identity, making this an inevitable end one way or another.
For the two other competitors, it will be interesting to see what is next for them. Charlotte will more than likely head back to Monday nights with the absence of Becky Lynch forcing her return. Ripley, on the other hand, will have a lot of questions to her character with nothing set in stone as of right now. She could keep chasing the NXT Women’s Championship, but with two tough losses, something new may be needed for “The Nightmare.”
Congratulations are in order for Io Shirai, who will have a plethora of opponents at her disposal as she begins her reign as champion. Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, and her old foe Candice LeRae are among the names that rise to the occasion. The win for the “Joshi Judas” will be a spark that NXT has been needing for some time.
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