NXT Championship Match: Finn Bálor (c) vs Samoa Joe

 

Bálor comes out in a Jack the Ripper outfit. Joe and Bálor lock up and go through a long feeling out process, until Bálor kicks Joe in the face. Joe retreats to the outside. Bálor destroys Joe with a running penalty kick. Bálor sends Joe careening into the ring steeps after a running drop kick. Bálor misses the double foot stomp on the steel steps. Joe uranage suplexes Bálor onto the floor. Joe rolls Bálor back into the ring. Joe elbows Bálor in the head before driving Bálor into the corner. Joe hits a punch combo, but Bálor fight out with a few chops. Joe almost KO’s Bálor with a right hand. Joe crushes Bálor with his back elbow falling enzguri combo.

 

Bálor and Joe trade punches, but Joe nearly takes Bálor head off with a clothesline. Chop combo and jumping knee by Joe for a two count. Bálor gets face washed in the corner. Bálor eyes are glazed over. The referee asks Bálor if he can continue. Joe inverted atomic drops Bálor, then boots Bálor in the head. Joe misses a running senton. Bálor goes to the apron for and kicks Joe in the head. Bálor tries to spring board, but Joe chops him in the air. Joe hits the ropes and dives to the outside, obliterating Bálor in the process.

 

Joe powerbombs Bálor. Bálor kicks out and Joe transitions into a Boston crab. Joe then transitions into a crossface. Joe then turns that into a rings of Saturn. Joe attempts a short arm clothesline, but Bálor reverses it into a DDT. Bálor chops Joe into in the corner a few times. Joe dodges Bálor’s last attempt. Joe sits up on the top rope, but Bálor kicks him in the head. Joe falls to the outside. Bálor somersaults over the top into Joe. Back in the ring, Bálor hits a double foot stomp off the top to Joe’s back. Bálor almost hits the bloody Sunday, but Joe fights out. Bálor misses the running drop kick and Joe tries the muscle buster. Bálor reverses it into a pin but Joe kicks out.

 

Bálor Pele kicks Joe in the head. Both competitors struggle to their feet. They exchange punches and elbows. Bálor tries the Pele kick again, but Joe turns it into the coquina clutch. Bálor gets the ropes. Bálor goes out to the apron, but Joe grabs him in the clutch and pulls him back into the ring. Joe tries to sit down in the clutch, but Bálor rolls through and double stomps him. Bálor hits multiple running drop kicks. Bálor goes up for the muscle buster, but Bálor fights out of it. Joe tries to muscle buster Bálor off the top rope but Bálor pushes Joe off the top rope. Bálor hits the coup de grâce for the win!

 

Winner and STILL the NXT Champion, Finn Bálor!

Related Links, Photos & More:

»FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > NXT > 2015 > December 16th (NXT TakeOver: London)
»FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2015 > December 16th (NXT TakeOver: London)

NXT Champion Finn Bálor, NXT Women’s Champion Bayley and General Manager William Regal talk about NXT’s growth at a Superstar Panel held in Manchester, England.

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»FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Appearances & Events > 2015 > NXT Superstar Panel in Manchester, England

Michael Cole opens the show in the ring. Cole is going to be acting NXT General Manger until William Regal returns from neck surgery. Cole lets the crowd know that Eva Marie will in fact get a shot at Bayley’s women’s championship in tonight’s main event. Cole introduces Finn Bálor. Bálor makes his way to the ring to sign the contract for his match with Samoa Joe at Takeover: London.

Bálor says he knows Joe did what he had to do, but at Takeover, he is going to put his foot down Joe’s throat. Joe comes out, gets in the ring, signs the contract and leaves. Joe didn’t even acknowledge Bálor’s presence. Bálor grabs the NXT title and walks up the ramp. Joe attacks Bálor from behind. They fight all the way to the ring before Joe locks in the coquina clutch. Bálor is out cold.

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»FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > NXT > 2015 > November 25th
»FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2015 > November 25th

[spoiler] November 25th Episode:

– Michael Cole comes to the ring for the NXT “Takeover: London” contract signing between Samoa Joe and NXT Champion Finn Balor. Cole is in charge until Regal returns to work after having the neck surgery, which should be Takeover. Balor and Joe come out for the signing and everything is going smooth until Finn goes to leave and Joe attacks him on the ramp from behind. Joe chokes Finn out in the middle of a referee pile.

December 9th Episode:

– Finn Balor and Apollo Crews vs. Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin is the main event. Joe chokes Finn out and the refertee stops the match. The show ends with Joe holding the NXT Title.

 [/spoiler]

Samoa Joe has asserted his dominance over NXT Champion Finn Bálor in recent weeks in hopes of getting the title match he’s been in search of. The submission specialist gets his much-desired opportunity when he challenges Bálor at NXT TakeOver: London on Dec. 16.

 

Things weren’t always so heated between the two. In fact, they seemed to share a great respect for each other. The NXT Champion and Samoa Joe joined forces in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and ran roughshod, defeating The Lucha Dragons, Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady, Dash & Dawson and Baron Corbin & Rhyno on their way to victory.

 

After celebrating their historic victory, Joe asked for an NXT Championship Match, which Bálor was more than happy to grant his friend. However, NXT General Manager William Regal stepped in to inform Joe that, instead, he would have to earn the title opportunity by winning a No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal. After Tyler Breeze yanked him out of the running, Joe went on a rampage, destroying Prince Pretty in a one-on-one battle before setting his sights back on the NXT Title.

 

Samoa Joe looked to be helping out Bálor when he ran off Baron Corbin after The Lone Wolf ruined Bálor’s defense against Apollo Crews, only to shock the world when he viciously attacked the NXT Champion, leaving him out cold in the middle of the ring after a Muscle Buster. Joe explained his actions the following week, stating he believed he was owed an NXT Championship Match, and that since Bálor didn’t stand up to Regal and give Joe the title match, he had to do what he did. A furious Bálor charged to the ring and confronted Joe, only to be put to sleep when the wily veteran locked him in the Coquina Clutch.

 

Joe has gotten the upper hand on Bálor now. Will it be the same when they square off for the NXT Championship? Find out at NXT TakeOver: London, live on WWE Network, Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT!

Samoa Joe makes his way to the ring.

Joe says as he sat in the back, people asked him ‘why did you do what you did’? Joe says he did it because we are defined by two things, the choices that you make and the actions that you take. Finn Balor, you came to me to be part of the Dusty Rhodes Classic as a team and Joe says he made a choice. Joe says he put action behind it. He took Finn by the hand and put him on his back and carried him through the best that NXT had to offer. They won it all.

Joe says he stared Finn in the eye during the celebration. He told Finn to make the right choice. Give him an NXT title shot. Much to your credit, you made the right choice. You gave him the shot, but you put no action behind it. In fact, you let William Regal walk in right in front of you to allow Regal to put him in a battle royal for the shot you gave him. To be put into a battle royal, it was an insult. Joe says that the second he set foot in NXT, he was owed and he was entitled to an NXT title match.

Joe tells Finn because you did not put action behind . . .

Finn Balor’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring but the officials get between Joe and Finn.

Finn tells Joe he used to trust him.

Joe tells Finn ‘good choices’ and then he pushes a referee into Finn and Joe with a punch and then he chokes out Finn Balor.

Joe finally releases the hold and officials tell Joe to leave the ring. Joe picks up the title belt and he stands over Balor.

We go to credits.

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»FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > NXT > 2015 > November 11th
»FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2015 > November 11th