WWE NXT got started with the first of two matches in the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament, and up first was Cora Jade vs Fallon Henley. It was pretty even early on, but at one point Jade bent Henley’s leg around the ropes and stomped on it, and from that point on Jade focused her attacks on weakening the knee and leg further. Jade took advantage and got the best of Henley, moving on to the semifinal round. Then it was time for Roxanne Perez to take on Jacy Jayne, and Jayne came out with a game plan to target Perez’s back and ribs. She executed that flawlessly throughout, but despite severe pain, Perez stayed in the match. She was ultimately able to hit Pop Rocks and get the win, moving on to the semifinals. Next week the next two matches will take place, and the new NXT Women’s Champion will be crowned at Battleground.
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Both Jade and Henley immediately locked up and Jade pushed Henley into the corner and then taunted, but soon got pushed back into the corner as well. Then both stars collided in the center of the ring and Henley went to work on Jade, hitting a scissor kick and a punch to the face after sliding underneath the bottom rope. Jade tried to get over one on Henley but Henley hit her with a duplex and then went for the cover, but Jade kicked out.
Henley missed with an elbow and hit the turnbuckle, and Jade took advantage, hitting Henley in the corner and then wrapping her leg around the rope and stomping on it. That move seemed to do some damage, and Jade kept the focus on the hurt leg by slamming it to the mat. Jade then hit chops on Henley’s chest and hit a dropkick that knocked her to the mat, but Henley would kick out of the pin attempt.
Jade kept up the attack on the knee and leg, locking in a submission that put pressure on Henley’s knee. Jade kept it locked in by slamming Henley’s head to the mat, but Henley reversed the move and went for a quick pin. Jade kicked out and Henley got a big chops in and eventually knocked Jade down with a series of punches. A clothesline knocked Jade down and then Henley charged into Jade and hit a Bulldog before going for a cover, but Jade kicked out.
Jade reversed Henley’s move and dug a knee into Henley’s spine, but she turned things around and hit a big kick to the head. Her leg was too damaged though to take advantage, and Jade rolled out of the ring. Henley follows and rolled Jade back in, but Jade chopped Henley’s knee while she was still going through the ropes, and that was enough to get the pin and the win. Jade moves on to the next round and will face Lyra Valkyria in the semifinals.
Next up was Roxanne Perez vs Jacy Jayne, and the two have a long history already. That was visible from the very start of the match, as Perez looked for every opportunity to keep Jayne grounded while Jayne looked to make a statement by taking down the former NXT Women’s Champion. Perez managed to escape one move only to get hit right in the lower back by Jayne and then Jayne knocked Perez off the turnbuckle, though Perez clung to the ropes.
Jayne then shoved Perez in the back, causing her to fly head-first into the announce table. Perez got back in the ring but Jayne kept the attacking moving, hitting her in the back with a kick and then going for the cover. Perez kicked out and Jayne kept attacking her back, this time pulling her arms as she jabbed her knee into Perez’s back. The foot followed and then Jayne dropped her into another hold, putting pressure around Perez’s midsection while she locked in another hold around Perez’s face.
Perez worked up the will to get back to her feet, and then kicked Jayne in the face to buy her some time. Perez rolled up Jayne but she got out of it, and then Perez went for another pin. Jayne got away and slammed Perez into a cover of her own, but Perez kicked out. Jayne put pressure on Perez’s neck and back again with another hold, and then Jayne slammed Perez face-first on the mat. Jayne then speared Perez in the corner and targeted the ribs, but then she slammed right into the turnbuckle after Perez moved out of the way. Perez and Jayne exchanged punches and then Perez went into overdrive, hitting a multitude of punches and following it up with a dropkick. Then Perez dove through the ropes and collided with Jayne, knocking her to the floor.
Perez rolled Jayne back into the ring and went up top, hitting a splash and then hitting a knee strike to the head. She slammed Jayne down again and went for the cover, but Jayne kicked out. Perez went for a roundhouse but Jayne blocked it and avoided another move in the corner. Jayne knocked Perez down and went for the cover but Perez kicked out at the last second. Jayne kept pushing Perez on the ground and then picked her up, but Perez got ahold of the ropes, though she would get kicked in the chest. Perez hit a kick of her own and then hit Pop Rocks into a cover, and Perez got the pin and the win, moving on to the semifinals.
It will now be Perez Tiffany Stratton, while Lyra Valkyria will face Cora Jade on the other side.
Who do you think will win the tournament? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
