For the first time in two decades, War Games saw the light once more at NXT TakeOver: War Games. Photo from WWE.com
NXT enters a new era — an undisputed era.
Bursting to the scene last August, the trio of Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish, collectively known as the Undisputed Era, backed up their hype as they ruled the main event of NXT TakeOver: War Games Saturday (Sunday Manila time) in Houston.
Standouts from the independent scene, the three showed that they are here to stay in the developmental ranks, outlasting the NXT Tag Team Champions SaNitY and the team of Roderick Strong and the Authors of Pain inside War Games, a match that hasn’t been seen in almost two decades.
It was a hellacious match between the three groups, but Cole had the last laugh for his squad as he hit the flying knee and drove a steel chair right into Eric Young to score the pinfall and truly shock the system.
It was the same case for the NXT Championship, as Andrade “Cien” Almas beat Drew McIntyre to win the title and trigger the changing of the guards.
The brash El Idolo was about to fumble his chance for the title after getting hit with the Scot champion’s Claymore, but his manager Zelina Vega put Almas’ foot on the bottom rope to break the count.
McIntyre attempted one more Claymore, but Almas evaded the attempt and trapped the Celtic Colossus on the top rope, allowing him to nail the La Sombra and the three-count.
Ember Moon also captured the vacant NXT Women’s Championship, beating Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Kairi Sane in their fatal-4-way match.
The War Goddess finally ascended to the top of the women’s division after nailing Royce and Cross with her Eclipse, pinning Cross for the win.
After the match, former champion Asuka took the title and awarded it to Moon in a show of respect between the former rivals.
In the night’s other matches, Aleister Black scored a huge victory over The Velveteen Dream after hitting his sultry foe with the Black Mass.
Lars Sullivan also showed that he’s the new force to be reckoned with, beating Kassius Ohno with the Freak Accident.