WWE NXT TakeOver: Phoenix is all set to pop off tonight (Sat., Jan. 26, 2019) at 7 p.m. ET, live on WWE Network!
CagesideSeats.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, match-by-match coverage of NXT TakeOver: Phoenix below, beginning with the first match of the evening and right on through to the main event.
Tonight's show continues Royal Rumble weekend for WWE from Talking Stick Resort Arena, and it's offering up a stacked card. While you're waiting for the show to begin, dig into our predictions - as well as a preview of the entire card!
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WWE NXT TAKEOVER: PHOENIX QUICK RESULTS
Tommaso Ciampa def. Aleister Black
Shayna Baszler def. Bianca Belair
Johnny Gargano def. Ricochet
Matt Riddle def. Kassius Ohno
War Raiders def. Undisputed ERA
WWE NXT TAKEOVER: PHOENIX LIVE BLOG & MATCH COVERAGE
Keeping my eyes open, I cannot afford to sleep. Giving away promises I know that I can’t keep. Nothing fills the blackness that has seeped into my chest, I need you in my blood, I am forsaking all the rest just to reach you. Just to reach you... Oh, to reach you. Come to my window, crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon. Come to my window, I’ll be home soon, just after I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a video package talking about the heat of the desert and running us through tonight’s festivities.
Commentary welcomes us and introduces the Spanish announce team.
Undisputed ERA (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) (c) vs. War Raiders (Hanson & Ray Rowe) (NXT Tag Team Championship)
ERA in hard off the gates, sending Hanson to the floor to double-team Rowe with strikes. Double whip, Ray decks them with a double clothesline and runs them to the floor where Warbeard ALSO runs them over with a double clothesline! Big men on the apron... ROWE SLAMS HANSON INTO UNDISPUTED ON THE FLOOR! Military press to throw Strong inside, he ducks a lariat, off the ropes, high knee and he just bounces off of Warbeard!
Tag to Rowe, shotgun dropkick, spinebuster puts Hanson into Roddy for a two count! Wristlock, tag to Warbeard, big man up top, O’Reilly makes the save and they throw Ray through Hanson to the floor! Back in, putting boots to Warbeard, KOR chaining strikes together, tag made and they alternate kicks and chops on the big man. Strong with a suplex attempt, denied, he floats over and tags Kyle back in.
Double whip blocked, double chop gets him moving, corner knee into a forearm and O’Reilly grabs a front chancery and takes Warbeard to the mat. Hanson lifts him up to try and reach for the tag but Kyle converts it into a guillotine choke! Tag to Rowe anyway, in hot with forearms, tilt-a-whirl gutbuster on Roddy and he’s got him trapped in a gutwrench as KOR comes off the ropes... HE DOCTOR BOMBS STRONG INTO O’REILLY!
Hanson in, off the ropes, freight train suicide crossbody... NO WATER IN THE POOL! Ray in, ducking and dodging as the champs double team him, Kyle hits the chop block and staggers the big man. Big forearm from the modern-day viking, Roddy tags in, backbreaker, cover for two, kneeling rear chinlock and a tag to KOR. Double suplex into the ropes, knees to the ribs, clubbing blows, off the ropes for a sliding knee and BattlArts palm strikes into a cross armbar attempt but Rowe keeps his hands clasped.
Shift to a triangle, Ray deadlifts but a tag was made and Strong hits a half nelson backbreaker... NOPE! Tag made, O’Reilly draws him up, duck a lariat into a head-and-arm triangle but Warbeard is back on the apron! Strong tries to clear the apron, referee Eddie Orengo is busy keeping Hanson away and the champs work the double teams in the corner. Rowe gets away, exploder puts Kyle into Roderick and he’s got a chance to recover!
Crawling, reaching, desperate but O’Reilly yanks Warbeard down and Strong blasts him with a knee! Dropkick to Ray, only two, more strikes, Rowe ducking and dodging and he lands a wicked knee that leave them both down and out! Warbeard in hot, big crossbody, stomp out of the corner, cartwheel into a lariat and he’s running wild! Corner to corner, charging lariats, malfunction at the junction, KOR clocks Strong with a knee!
Hanson with a slam to Kyle, Bronco Buster... NO GOOD! Forearms and body blows, warned off by Orengo and Roddy capitalizes with kicks. Off the ropes, flying clothesline, tags made! Rowe shrugs off a kick, counters a double leg, catches Strong nad gets dropped with a legsweep! Fireman’s carry gutbuster, Warbeard with a reverse roundhouse, KOR off the ropes... POP UP POWERSLAM! HANSON SUICIDE DIVE! NOT ENOUGH!
Backbreaker into a gutbuster, gutwrench, tag made, Doctor Bomb, Warbeard up top for the diving splash... STRONG BREAKS IT UP! Ray dumps him to the floor and goes back to Kyle, dragging him up, passing Roddy to the floor again, into position, O’Reilly floats out, forearm in the corner! Jockeying for position, Roddy up top... SUPERPLEX ON THE BIG MAN! KOR BOMBS AWAY KNEE DROP ALMOST DOES IT!
All four men down and out as the “This is awesome!” chants go up, Undisputed recover first, tag to Strong, Ax and Smash, Olympic Slam gets Roddy two! Warbeard gets him up but the tag champs hit their Total Elimination... HANSON LIVES! Champs firing themselves up, Warbeard double goozle, countered with knees, off the ropes, Sick Kick dodged with a cartwheel... HANDSPRING DOUBLE ELBOW!
Tag to Rowe... WORLD’S STRONGEST SLAM / POWERBOMB ON BOTH GUYS! O’REILLY UP...
War Raiders win by pinfall with Fallout on Kyle O’Reilly to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Pete Dunne and Toni Storm are shown in the front row.
Ricochet is shown stretching backstage ahead of his match.
Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle
Riddle rushing in with palm strikes, Ohno rolls to the floor and he follows after, stepping up the steel stairs for a flying forearm! Back in, knee lift, high jump senton, a wicked knee, Karelin lift and Kassius manages to slip back in with corner. Flip over the ropes, Bro with a forearm, slingshot into a sunset flip attempt but Ohno hangs onto the ring skirt, gets Matt caught up in it, and stomps his head in!
Back in, off the ropes, big leg drop across the throat gets two and Kassius follows it with the cravate. Riddle to his feet, body blows, back elbow from Kassius comes shockingly close! Stomping away, big boot, Matt answers back with palm strikes but Ohno turns him around for a series of elbows in the corner and a boot that sends the King of Bros to the floor! Bulldog into the ringpost, asking Riddle if he remembers!
Cravate into the steel steps! Riddle manages to beat referee Darryl Sharma’s count and shrug a forearm off, steeling with resolve like a red-faced god of war! Primal scream, in the ring, float over a suplex into a sleeper hold on the big man! Ohno staggered, front kick to his elbow, waistlock and Kassius blocks with a stomp to the bare foot, grinding his boot into Bro’s unshod foot!
Looking for the German suplex again, he gets it, into the bridge... NOPE! Chest kicks ensue, Ohno picks the leg and bites the toes! Knee to the face! Up for the powerbomb... AND HE GETS IT! UP TOP FOR THE BIG MAN MOONSAULT BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH! Boot, senton, another one... RIDDLE CATCHES HIM INTO A SLEEPER HOLD! Kassius begging off, offering the fist bump but Bro grabs his wrist for a knee to the face!
SLEEPER SUPLEX! OVERHEAD ELBOWS! OHNO TAPS TO THE ELBOWS, IT’S OVER!
Matt Riddle wins by submission with repeated overhead elbows.
A hype reel for WWE Network follows.
We cut backstage to see Tommaso Ciampa working out ahead of his match.
Backstage, a man in an open leopard print t-shirt opens a limousine door and Velveteen Dream steps out with a lady on either arm. (How boringly cishet of you, sir.)
Commentary hypes up the Worlds Collide tournament, which will air next Saturday.
Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet (c) (NXT North American Championship)
Circling, collar and elbow, Ricochet with a wristlock, Gargano reverses to one of his own, and the One and Only returns the favor only to get kicked aside. Johnny with an arm drag, Skayde special for two, front chancery, fake-out knee and Ricochet flinches! Side headlock takeover, Ricochet to his feet, out, elbow, kip-up, arm drag, Gargano with a wheelbarrow and back into the Skayde special but the One and Only stands up!
Jockeying for position with pins, catch the boot, backflip, off the ropes, headscissors and Ricochet lands a handspring twice in a row and they stalemate! Trading forearms, Johnny passes him into the corner, chops, jockeying for position again, headscissors gets a dropkick and Gargano rolls to the floor! Off the ropes, tope denied, lands on his feet on the apron, the King of Flight with an AR Fox kickflip moonsault!
Back in, back elbow in the corner, Ricochet climbs to join him, clubbing away, knocked down, right hand... JOHNNY GARGANO GALLON THROW INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! Mounted punches, snapmare, dropkick to the back of the head, only good for two! Pick the arm, arm-trap neck crank, King of Flight throwing elbows to break. Whip reversed, reversed again, legsweep into a standing moonsault but Johnny Wrestling gets the knees up!
Knee to the back of the neck, only two, Cobra Twist into a pin and then into a grounded octopus hold. Big chop on the break, kick to the jaw, going chop for forearm, off the ropes, sunset flip denied and Gargano floats out of a suplex. Shove to the corner, back body drop to the apron, Superman Spear scouted... SHADOWS OVER HELL STANDING MOONSAULT! Forearms for chops again, Ricochet snaps off a flying headscissors and follows with uppercuts.
Tiger feint kick in the corner, springboard uppercut and the One and Only is fired up! Roll-through into the northern light suplex, chain into the straight suplex... NOPE! Both men on their knees, slow to rise, Ricochet thinking Regalplex but Gargano blocks with palm strikes. Waistlock countered with a back elbow, back body drop to the apron, Johnny dodges a springboard and catches him with a powerbomb for two!
Right into an arm-trap crossface on the kickout! Wrenching back, rolling away but Gargano stays on him and tries to wedge the Gargano Escape on before shifting to La Casita, which Ricochet counters into a two count of his own! Slingshot DDT blocked... RELEASE NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX OVER THE ROPES AND TO THE FLOOR, JOHNNY CRACKING HIS BACK ON THE APRON ON HIS WAY DOWN!
Off the ropes... SASUKE SPECIAL! Back inside, roll-through, Ricochet standing shooting star press into a second rope moonsault, still just only two! Headed up top, a desperate Gargano crawls to join him and they jockey for position in the turnbuckles, fireman’s carry blocked, Johnny goes for a Frankensteiner and that too is blocked! Powerbomb lift, avalanche Frankensteiner... RICOCHET LANDS ON HIS FEET!
Forearm for an enzuigiri, off the ropes, uppercut, duck an elbow, kick misses, knee for superkick, rolling elbow ducked again, O’Connor roll into a Pele kick! Handspring... GARGANO CATCHES IT AND ROLLS THROUGH INTO THE GARGANO ESCAPE! The One and Only posts to his knees and lifts him up... INVERTED FALLAWAY SLAM INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! Up top, Johnny rolls away and to the floor... RICOCHET OVER THE POST TOPE CON GIRO! 450 SPLASH CAN’T PUT JOHNNY WRESTLING AWAY!
Perched one more time... KNEES UP ON THE SHOOTING STAR PRESS! SMALL PACKAGE! SO CLOSE! One and Only on his knees... BASEMENT SUPERKICK SENDS HIM THROUGH THE ROPES AND TO THE FLOOR! Off the ropes... RICOCHET CATCHES THE DIVE! BENADRYLLER REVERSED INTO A POISON FRANKENSTEINER! Back in... SLINGSHOT DDT BUT RICOCHET WILL NOT STAY DOWN FOR A THREE COUNT JUST YET!
Gargano tears the mats at ringside up to expose the concrete floor, front chancery, hanging off the apron, referee Drake Wuertz warning him off and Johnny lets go! Back inside, Ricochet with snap cradle for two! Superkick blocked, discus lariat takes Gargano’s head off! Headed up top... PHOENIX SPLASH BUT NOBODY’S HOME! SUPERKICK! Off the ropes, tilt-a-whirl blocked and Ricochet grabs the Gargano Escape!
Johnny gets the ropes! Both men to the apron, Gargano shoves him hard into the post and reconsiders the exposed concrete. Ricochet desperate, reaching, Johnny takes him down... SUPLEX ON THE CONCRETE! Back inside, slingshot DDT... IT’S OVER!
Johnny Gargano wins by pinfall with the slingshot DDT to win the NXT North American Championship.
A hype reel for WWE Shop follows.
Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler (c) (NXT Women’s Championship)
Circling, collar and elbow, Baszler with a side headlock, Belair backs her into the corner and breaks with a shove. Back to the lockup, Bianca forcing the champion into the corner again and breaking clean but Shayna turns her around and clocks her one mid-taunt! Return the taunt, Belair with a leg pick, shoves, back to the headlock, arm wringer, headlock again, wrenching it in.
Bianca shoots her off, shoulder block, whip reversed, up and over, handspring, backflip up and over and a shoulder block leaves her standing tall! Champ to the floor, Belair smashes her face into the apron but the champ passes her through the corner and uses her hair against her, pulling her hard into the post! Back inside, mounted punches for two, wicked stomp to the elbow!
Clubbing away, kneeling armbar, Bianca up the ropes and Shayna kicks at her before wrenching her arm over the middle rope for more damage. Kneeling double wristlock, not able to quite pass it all the way behind for maximum torque and Belair escapes with forearms. Sleeper hold locked on, Penalty Kick is good for two to follow it up! Baszler stalking her, drawing her up by the jaw to call her overrated and Bianca hauls off with a huge slap!
Dodge a knee, shoulder thrust in the corner, shoulder blocks, dropkick and Belair is fired up! Duck a boot, leap over a chop block, spear connects... NOPE! Looking for an armbar, Bianca blocks with stomps to the head, giant step, off the ropes for a big splash but the knees were up! Running knee connects, Baszler drags her to the middle of the ring, only two!
Trading forearms, kick, champ sidesteps some punches, strike rush... HAIR WHIP! Double chickenwing, Shayna rolls through and shoves Belair into referee Jessika Carr! Hair pull denied, KOD connects, cover... NO REFEREE! Screaming mat, frustrated and panicking, Marina Shafir runs in and gets decked with a spear! Jessamyn Duke next, the Glam Slam connects!
Dragging Baszler into the middle of the ring but the champion throws her aside, Kirifuda Clutch locked on as Carr stirs, nowhere for Belair to go... SHE POSTS TO HER FEET AND TURNS IT INTO A CAPTURE SUPLEX! Up top, Belair hits a 450, nobody home, back into the Kirifuda Clutch! Still fighting, Bianca reaches her feet but the champion will not break and manages to fall back to the mat! Referee Jessika Carr calls it...
Shayna Baszler wins by referee stoppage with the Kirifuda Clutch to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa (c) (NXT Championship)
Charging in, collar and elbow, struggling through the ropes and to the floor without breaking the lockup! Break on the floor, back in, Ciampa with a big slap and Black retruns a waistlock takedown into a ride before backing off when the champion gets the ropes. Back to the lockup, Tom with a wristlock, Al rolls through but can’t reverse, shove out of the corner, headlock reversed into a takedown, only one.
Black with a side headlock again, Ciampa reverses to underhooks only to get back body dropped and hit with a headlock takeover to grind him down. Tom to his feet, backing Al into the corner and referee Darryl Sharma demands the break. To the next corner, crushing Black against the turnbuckles but he fires off forearms in return. Off the ropes, over the back, kicks land and the champ heads to the floor.
Fakeout moonsault, duck a kick, Ciampa lands his own kicks and slings Black into the corner only to get dumped to the floor himself. Off the ropes, tope con giro! Knees connect, spinning back elbow, basement dropkick, legsweep and a knee into a quebrada... SO CLOSE! Front chancery, Ciampa rolls away and heads around, fakeout, leg pick, Al ducks a lariat and decks him with a chest kick!
Block the steps, another kick, second try Tom rams him into the steps! Straight suplex puts his legs into the steel steps! Leg pick, unique choice, posting Black’s knee over his own before wrenching it down and then shifting to a kneeling toehold. Stepover toehold, roll through, fall back and Al’s got nowhere to go. Shifting, trapping Black’s leg in the ropes and dropping a knee across the back of the knee!
Slingshot knees into a choke, wrenching his arms to drag the knee in the ropes and hitting a knee strike to follow! Pulling Al to the ringpost, wrapping his leg around the steel, Ciampa hammers away at him and shifts his position to hit the other side of the knee into the steel! SHINBREAKER INTO THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE! Tom gets a drink of water and Black clobbers him with a roundhouse kick!
Unsteady on his feet, hobbling back inside, Ciampa hits him with a basement dropkick! Posting the knee, stepping on his face, drawing him up, and he hangs Al in the Tree of Woe for more stomps! Up top but Black hammers him with upkicks to slip away! Hobbled, limping, he walks into a right hand but is able to muster the energy for a roundhouse kick that sends both men crashing to the floor!
Both men break referee Darryl Sharma’s count, Ciampa picks a leg, counter with elbows, right hand, back to he leg, Black breaks, front kick, suplex denied when the leg gives out! Pick the leg, Al fights him off, back elbow... CRESCENT KICK! Ciampa staggered, Black knocks him down with laraits, roundhouse kick... NOPE! Small package gets the champion a nearfall, off the ropes, Fairytale Ending blocked, roll-through, Black Mass ducked, underhooks again and Black escapes again only to get hit with a forearm!
Underhooks, escape, sunset flip denied, rana pin, nope! Roundhouse kick into a bridging German suplex... NOPE! Lifting his head with the floot, Al’s leg gives out and Tom capitalizes with a dragon screw into a half-crab! Black kicks him off, leg pick, palm strik for palm strike and Al gets his own half-crab! HIS LEG GIVES OUT AGAIN! Jockeying for position over the ropes, back elbow, slingshot to the apron, champ runs up the other side... ELEVATED ACE CRUSHER ON THE APRON!
Knee in the ropes... CIAMPA CAN’T PUT BLACK AWAY! Tom mocking Al’s foot lift and Black clocks him with a knee! Ciampa hits one of his own and both men are staggered! Wrist-clutch, drawing Al up, right hands, Black giving as good as he gets, shove off, charging boot for charging boot but the champ sets up a victory roll pin for two! Trading pinning predicaments, Al with knees and leg kicks but Tom decapitates him with a lariat!
Black picks the leg and knocks him down, expose the knee, thinking fast, double stomp when Tom tries to kick his leg out, suplex lift and his leg gives out! Off the ropes, knee connects, sheerdrop brainbuster... STILL NO! Ciampa rolls to the floor... ORIHARA MOONSAULT! HE SLIPS ON THE WATER, TOM RECOVERS, FAIRYTALE ENDING... ALEISTER BLACK DOES NOT STAY DOWN!
Ciampa pulls the mats up on the floor just like his erstwhile partner and gets into it with Sharma over it... AL HITS A METEORA ONTO THE CONCRETE! Back inside, discus Black Mass! Crawling for the cover... CIAMPA ROLLS ONTO HIS SIDE AND HE CAN’T MAKE THE COVER! Knee for knee, rope-hung DDT, underhooks, Fairytale Ending... STILL NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP BLACK DOWN!
Underhooks one more time, Fairytale Ending, hold on, draw him up... AL SLIPS OUT! ROUNDHOUSE! BLACK MASS BUT HIS LEG GIVES OUT! UNDERHOOKS...
Tommaso Ciampa wins by pinfall with Fairytale Ending to retain the NXT Championship.
Ciampa celebrates with the title on the stage and Johnny Gargano comes out to join him on the stage, NXT North American Championship in hand.
The former partners have a tense moment but Johnny simply raises his title high. Tom smiles and joins him. DIY are back, baby!
That’s the show, folks.