There was a host of WWE gold on the line at NXT Vengeance Day, and in the main event, all eyes were on Trick Williams and Ilja Dragunov. Wiliams won a shot at the NXT Championship after winning the Men’s Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline, and after some delays, it was finally time for the match to become a reality. Williams stood toe to toe with Dragunov and actually pinned the Champion for well past the 3 count, but the referee had been knocked out. Later Williams would fall to Dragunov after a collision in the middle of the ring, but things got worse for Trick, as his best friend finally turned on him and beat him maliciously with a steel chair, targeting the already hurt knee and putting their friendship to rest.
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Dragunov was aggressive right from the start, but Williams countered that assault and stayed right with the Champion. Dragunov got back into it by evading a dropkick but then ate one a few minutes later anyway. Dragunov then tried to take Williams’ head off with a clothesline and then started bleeding from his nose.
Dragunov then stayed on Williams, hitting big chops and busting his lip open again, which happened during his earlier match in the Dusty Cup. Dragunov then knocked down Williams with a forearm shot and looked to keep the challenger from getting revved up. Dragunov then hit Williams a nasty suplex on the floor, and followed up with a slam onto the ring apron, which knocked Williams to the floor.
Hayes gave Wiliams some encouragement on the side of the ring but Dragunov connected with a dropkick to the head back in the ring. Dragunov didn’t let up, going for a cover that Williams managed to kick out of. Dragunov then checked on Williams, asking if he was alright, but Williams slapped him in the face and got the Champion even angrier. They traded punches and kicks, but Dragunov caught Trick’s kick and slammed him down to the mat.
Dragunov went for the H-Bomb but Williams caught the Champ with a boot to the face and the First 48. Williams couldn’t capitalize with a pin, and the two traded more strikes. Williams hit two big kicks in a row and then slammed Dragunov down face-first to the mat. Dragujov went for a move but Williams broke it up. Williams hit a clothesline and then Dragunov retaliated with cops. Williams knocked Dragunov out of the ring to the floor but got knocked into the ring apron by the Champion.
Dragunov lifted Williams but he broke up the attempt and slammed Dragunov down to the floor from the ring apron. Hayes then got in Dragunov’s face and ended up getting knocked into the back of Williams’ knee. It caused him significant pain and Dragunov rolled Williams into the ring, but Williams still threw the Champion to the mat. Williams hit a neckbreaker and then hit an H-Bomb of his own and went for the pin, but Dragunov kicked out.
Williams’ knee gave out though and Dragunov hit an H-Bomb after a Jackknife. Then he dragged Williams over and went up top for another H-Bomb, which he hit. Dragunov then went for the pin but Williams kicked out. Williams rolled out of the way and connected with a big kick into a pin, but Dragunov. Then Williams collided with the referee accidentally, and that caused the referee and Hayes to fall down to the floor.
Williams had Dragunov pinned for far over 3, but by the time the replacement referee got in Dragunov kicked out. Dragunov hit a knee strike and then an H-Bomb on Williams. Dragunov dragged Williams back over and went up top again, but he got knees up from Williams. They then both collided in the middle of the ring, but
After the match, Hayes chop blocked Williams and finally turned on his best friend. Hayes grabbed a chair and stared down at his former friend before unleashing a devastating amount of chair shots on Williams’ already hurt knee. Then Hayes sat in the chair as he looked over Williams on the mat, putting their TMG shirt over him and taunting the crowd, saying “You made me like this.”
