A change could be on the horizon as two new No. 1 contender’s for gold were crowned on Wednesday night. NXT held a Battle Royal and brand new Gauntlet Eliminator match to name opponents for the NXT and NXT Women’s Champions at NXT TakeOver. Kyle O’Reilly and Candice LeRae walked out as the winners, marking a fresh new batch of challengers for NXT moving forward. Here’s how it all went down.
Kyle O’Reilly submits Cameron Grimes to win Gauntlet Eliminator, will face Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver
KOOL KYLE DID IT!!!! 💥 @KORcombat pins @CGrimesWWE to win the #GauntletEliminator and challenge @FinnBalor for the #NXTTitle! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/QmJwkQm7ln
— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2020
Kyle O’Reilly shocked everyone on Wednesday night when he ran the gauntlet, eventually submitting Cameron Grimes via Heel Hook to win the first-ever Gauntlet Eliminator. O’Reilly has long been someone who fans wanted to see in a singles position in his NXT run, considering his time before signing included a run with the ROH World Championship. His upcoming match with Finn Balor instantly enters must-see territory as “Kool Kyle” has his first singles TakeOver match.
Candice LeRae eliminates Shotzi Blackheart to win Battle Royal, will face Io Shirai at NXT TakeOver
CAN IT BE TAKEOVER TODAY?!@shirai_io will defend the #WWENXT #WomensTitle against @CandiceLeRae at #NXTTakeOver! #BattleRoyal pic.twitter.com/315W8F7dof
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) September 24, 2020
While O’Reilly’s win was stunning and exciting, Candice LeRae’s win guaranteed that everyone will see another classic between her and Io Shirai. For those who may not remember, Shirai and LeRae already have a TakeOver classic between them from 2019. A match that some had as NXT’s match of the year. Roles are reversed this time, as the “Poison Pixie” brings more of an edge against the “Joshi Judas.” LeRae got this opportunity by eliminating Shotzi Blackheart, but what may be more important is her attack on Tegan Nox prior to the match that left her rival sidelined. Now, LeRae will aim to win the championship she has yet to win.
NXT was bound for change with Karrion Kross as NXT Champion but were forced to crown a former champion as their new NXT Champion to help bring the brand forward. The new No. 1 contender’s brought that feeling of change back, making the upcoming NXT TakeOver one of the more highly ancitpated in a long time.
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