NXT’s Team LeRae Puts Io Shirai Through a Ladder to Win Women’s TakeOver WarGames Match

Tonight’s NXT hit the ground running with the Women’s WarGames match, and after both Team LeRae and Team Shotzi made their way into the arena, the first people in the ring were Dakota Kai from Team LeRae and Ember Moon from Team Shotzi. Kai was the immediate aggressor, though Moon was able to show off that patented offense soon after. Moon stayed towards the center of the ring as opposed to the top ropes and turnbuckles, opting to knock Kai’s feet out from under her and keep her from getting off the ground. Kai would get a few hits in eventually and then managed to run Moon’s head against the chain-link fence. She then shoved Moon’s head into the fence with both of her feet and that couldn’t have felt great.

Moon would recover as the timer ticked down, and Moon would slam Kai over the ropes and into the fence, and she slid down painfully, though things got worse when Moon dropkicked her into the fence again. They would trade more blows but then the time was up, and since they earned. the advantage Team Shotzi sent the captain into the fray.

Blackheart threw in a toolbox and then started attacking Kai, and the wear and tear was showing, even before Blackheart flipped and landed on Kai’s back, shoving her into the ropes. Blackheart used the ropes again, dropkicking Kai through them and then setting her up for a knee but Kai evaded. Kai then caught Moon and sent her headfirst into the fence.

Blackheart regained control though, slamming Kai’s head into the mat, and the two battled it out on the top turnbuckle. Moon intervened, and team Shotzi combined to deliver a dropkick to Kai while perched on Moon’s shoulders.

It was then Team LeRae’s turn, and Gonzalez charged in despite being met by both Blackheart and Moon. They would try and go after the legs of Gonzalez, but Gonzalez powered through and would deliver huge slams to both. Gonzalez would continue the onslaught and eventually got help from a recovered Kai, and they went to work on Blackheart and Moon separately, trading off and continuing the attack.

It was time for another Team Shotzi member to hit the ring, and it was Rhea Ripley next. Kai tried to hit Ripley from behind, but Ripley caught her punch and sent her reeling. Then Moon and Blackheart grabbed Gonzalez, letting Ripley hit her with a huge kick that sent her to the ground. Ripley and Kai would go at it for a while, and Blackheart managed to send Gonzalez to the ground too. Ripley went into the toolbox and found a mallet, and she used it to punish Kai.

Ripley then got a belt around Kai and used it to pin her arms and send her into the fence. After another throwdown with Gonzalez and Ripley it was Team LeRae’s turn for reinforcements, and Toni Storm ran to. She brought some Kendo Sticks with her, and after exposing the turnbuckle Gonzalez held Ripley while Storm landed multiple shots with the Kendo Stick. Blackheart tried to make the save but Storm countered her and then exposed another turnbuckle.

Storm sent Ripley spine first into one of the exposed turnbuckles and then went to work on Moon while Gonzalez hit Blackheart with another weapon. Storm landed another shot on Moon while Gonzalez hit Blackheart with her Kendo Stick. Kai then sent Ripley into the cage fencing, and then everyone got involved in a huge combination that sent most everyone to the floor.

Next it was Team Shotzi, and Io Shirai charged in, bringing a ladder with her and heading back out to grab another weapon, but Gonzalez closed the cage door to keep her out. Shirai would hit her hands with a Kendo Stick but Gonzalez would send her flying off the stairs twice, picking up the ladders and shutting the door.

Gonzalez managed to keep Shirai out of the cage, but Shirai was back up, and went for another weapon. Gonzalez tried to keep her out but Shirai dropkicked her chair into her face. Storm then used her belt to hold the door closed, but Shirai would try and climb the cage. That was stopped by Gonzalez who used Blackheart to knock Shirai off the cage.

LeRae was up next, and Shirai met her head-on, but Indi Hartwell came out and knocked her down. LeRae and Hartwell would load the cage with weapons and kept Shirai out, as Hartwell chained the door. Team Shotzi would become a punching bag at this point, as Team LeRae used their Kendo Sticks to unload on Team Shotzi.

Ripley and Moon would fight back, but then Shirai appeared on the top of the cage with a trash can over her head and just jumped atop of everyone. She then used a sledgehammer to punish Team LeRae, even teaming-up with Ripley to land a DDT on Gonzalez. Team Shotzi was reenergized, and one by one they landed suplexes and superkicks on Team LeRae, capping off with a moonsault on Gonzalez, though Team LeRae intervened before Gonzalez could be pinned and eliminated from the match.

That was followed by Moon and Storm being locked in dual submissions, and then LeRae went for a Kendo Stick but lost to Blackheart’s chair. Blackheart went to town on LeRae and Storm with a Kendo Stick, but Kai hit Blackheart with a chair. That was followed by a dropkick using a chair on Kai, but Kai would get revenge. Storm would but Shirai into the trash can and place her beneath Kai on the top turnbuckle, and the move crumpled the trash can around Shirai. Shirai kicked out though, and then Kai went to work on Moon, placing a chair but Moon kicked out her feet and hit her with a chair of her own. Moon then set up another chair and slammed Kai’s head into it several times.

Moon hit an Eclipse on Kai onto a chair but Storm hit Moon with a chair and then slammed her into another trash can, though Shriai broke up the pin. Everyone would trade blows, as LeRae used a trash can lid to superkick Ripley’s face. LeRae then moved onto Blackheart, setting up a ladder and then grabbing some chairs. Blackheart and LeRae would both climb up, but a headbutt from Blackheart sent LeRae flying down onto a chair. Blackheart would jump off and land on the chair LeRae was holding, doing damage to both.

It was chaos soon after, as everyone got their shots in, but then Gonzalez got Shirai up above a set up ladder, and after picking her up while perched on the middle ropes, she slammed Shirai through the ladder, and it was enough for the win.

You can find the official description for tonight’s NXT TakeOver WarGames below.

The battle lines have been drawn and WarGames is upon us! Tune in to see The Undisputed ERA as they try to settle the score with Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne and NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. Team Shotzi and Team Candice will also collide in a star-studded Women’s WarGames Match also featuring Rhea Ripley, Ember Moon, and more. Plus, Leon Ruff defends the NXT North American Title in a Triple Threat Match against Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano, and more! Watch NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight at 7 E/4 P, streaming on the award-winning WWE Network.

Here’s the full card:

Dexter Lumis vs Cameron Grimes (Strap Match)

Tommaso Ciampa vs Timothy Thatcher

NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff vs Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano (Triple Threat Match)

Team Shotzi vs Team Candice (WarGames Match)

The Undisputed ERA vs Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch (WarGames Match)

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things NXT with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!