WWE's Bron Breakker Defeats SmackDown's Jinder Mahal to Retain NXT Title

By Matthew Aguilar

The main event of tonight's WWE NXT put the NXT Championship on the line as a former WWE Champion sets his sights on Bron Breakker. That would be Jinder Mahal, who last week told Breakker he was ready to take the weight of the NXT Championship off his shoulders and give NXT a Champion that was ready for that weight. Tonight he went to back up his talk in the ring, and it didn't look good for the Champ retaining early on, as Veer and Sanga were both at ringside. The Creed Brothers would end up lending a hand in that regard, and though Mahal looked like he had it sewn up a few times, it was Breakker who walked away as the NXT Champion, retaining his Championship as Roadblock approaches.

Mahal locked up first and slammed Breakker down before bouncing off the ropes and knocking him to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Breakker gathered himself and they locked up again, but Mahal got free with back elbows to the head and then knocked the Champion back down to the mat again. A punt kick followed with big forearms to the face, but Breakker picked up steam and knocked Mahal down twice with force before catching him and slamming him down.

Breakker went to lock in a submission but Sanga pulled Mahal out of the ring, and Breakker paid it back by diving through the ropes and knocking all three stars down. He caught Mahal with a punch and then pulled his arm against the rope before both stars collided in the middle of the ring, knocking each other down.

At that point, the Creed Brothers came out and hit Veer and Sanga, and the brawl dragged on to the back, clearing the area and leaving only Breakker and Mahal in the ring. Mahal sent Breakker into the corner hard and then started working on his neck and chest, but Breakker gained back control, attacking Mahal's arm and wrist before getting knocked back.

Breakker slammed Mahal down and went for the pin, but the challenger kicked out. Mahal kept the pressure on, throwing him to the outside and then slamming his head into the announce table several times before slamming him into the steel steps. Breakker looked in bad shape, holding his left arm and shoulder, and it didn't help that Mahal threw him into the steel steps again, knocking the steps over. He rolled Breakker into the ring and covered him but the Champ kicked out.

Mahal didn't let up, hitting Breakker with punches to the head before going for a suplex, but Breakker guarded against it. Elbows came down on Breakker's neck and back, and Mahal went for it again, but Breakker turned the move around and slammed the challenger down, giving him some room to breathe. They exchanged strikes and punches to the head, but Breakker hit a suplex and then followed with another before picking Mahal up and slamming him to the mat.

Breakker set up for the spear but Mahal got out of the ring to stop it and catch his breath. Breakker then punched Mahal against the announcer's table and rolled Mahal in, only to eat a kick from him that turned into a big slam and a cover, though Breakker kicked out. Mahal went for the cover again but Breakker kicked out, and then he got slapped a bit by Mahal.

He kept slapping Breakker but the Champ charged forward and slammed into Mahal in the corner, and then he hit part of a Frankensteiner on Mahal and hit with another slam, but Mahal kicked out of the ensuing pin. Mahal planted a big kick on Breakker's head as he came down but then Breakker countered another move and hit a spear, getting the pin and the win and retaining his NXT Championship.

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

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