Alpha Academy’s Akira Tozawa took his shot at Noam Dar’s Heritage Cup on tonight’s WWE NXT, and Dar had his work cut out for him. In their previous 7 meetings, Dar had never defeated Tozawa, and now Dar’s vaunted Heritage Cup was on the line. In a rare occurrence, Meta-Four did not have the numbers advantage, as Alpha Academy was also at ringside, and that would come into play later. Dar got the first pin but Tozawa would make Dar tap for the second. The third was thanks to Meta-Four, as Lash Legend pulled Dar out of harm’s way, and that would give Dar the win. Oro Mensah would taunt Tozawa, and Chad Gable, Maxxine Duper, and Otis would not let that pass, delivering a beatdown to Mensah to close out the match.
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Tozawa and Dar locked up in Round 1 and exchanged holds. Dar and Tozawa then continued to exchange holds, with Tozawa focusing on Dar’s leg. Tozawa dodged an elbow shot from Dar and lit up the Champ with strikes and kicks, and the challenger continued to dodge Dar’s offense. Dar kicked out Tozawa’s leg out from under him to take back control, but that didn’t last long, as Tozawa hit a suplex.
Tozawa kicked Dar in the head and then went up top, but stopped moving up the turnbuckle and went to look at the Cup. Dar came out to stop him but Tozawa kicked him and got Dar back in the ring, but there wasn’t enough time to get a point for either side before the round expired.
Round 2 started and Tozawa knocked Dar down and the two stars countered early, but then Dark got the roll up on Tozawa and scored the first point. Then he added insult to injury by getting a cheap shot in after the bell without the referee seeing it. Dar looked to stay in command but Tozawa stayed in the fight, though he took some damage when Dar kicked the ropes and knocked him off the turnbuckle.
Dar tried to cover Tozawa after a kick to the chest but Tozawa kicked out. Dar scored a big uppercut but Tozawa fired right back with two huge kicks to the head, causing Dar to punch Tozawa after the bell out of frustration. The round ended without a pin. Dar came right out charging forward when the next round started, and a quick suplex and forearm looked to get the pin, but Tozawa kicked out. Dar had the Ankle Lock cinched in but Tozawa got away and threw Dar out to the floor, setting him up for a dive. Then Tozawa did the same to Mensah, and once back in the ring, Tozawa had the Ankle Lock on Dar in the middle of the ring. That caused Dar to have to tap, and it gave Tozawa his first point, tying the match up.
Tozawa then hit two big kicks in the corner and a slam on Dar before going for a pin, but Dar kicked out. Dar connected with a back elbow and went for the pin, but Tozawa kicked out. Tozawa got Dar down on the mat for a pin, but Dar kicked out. Then Tozawa hit the German Suplex into a bridge, but Dar managed to kick out again. Dar then tried to lock in a knee bar, but Tozawa shifted the weight and suplexed him. Tozawa hit a roundhouse and then went up top, but Mensah tried to interfere. Tozawa knocked him away but then Legend dragged Dar out of the ring. Dar then capitalized when Tozawa got back in the ring and hit the finisher, and that gave him the final pin and the win. Dar retains his heritage cup.
Maxine Duper then got in Mensah’s face after he taunted Tozawa, and then Gable hit him with a German Suplex, setting up Otis for a splash.
What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!
