NXT Title Match: Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole

We go right to the ring and out comes Finn Balor first. This was previously announced as being a commercial-free match but Mauro notes that it will have “limited commercial interruption.” NXT Champion Adam Cole is out next as Alicia Taylor does the introductions.

The bell rings and we get formal introductions from Taylor. Fans do dueling chants as they lock up and trade holds. Balor takes Cole down first and they tangle some more on the mat. Balor with the upperhand again, keeping Cole grounded. Cole turns it around on their feet and beats Balor down to some boos. Cole with a forearm to the jaw. Balor comes back with a basement dropkick for a 2 count. Balor keeps Cole grounded by his arm now. They get up and Balor chops Cole into the corner. Balor keeps control and dropkicks Cole in the back of the neck while he’s down. Balor with another close 2 count. Fans chant for Balor as he works on Cole while he’s down.

Balor stomps away on Cole, sending him out for a breather. Balor with a dropkick through the ropes now, sending Cole into the barrier. Balor goes for a big kick from the apron but Cole superkicks the knee out. Balor goes down on the apron and Cole works him over, bringing it back in for a Hangman’s neckbreaker. Cole mounts Balor with strikes now. Cole goes on and hits a snap suplex for another pin attempt. Cole stomps away in the corner now as the referee warns him. Cole plays to the crowd for a mixed reaction. Cole takes Balor back down, drives a knee to the back and grounds him with a headlock now. Balor tries to fight up and out but Cole takes him back down, talking trash as the referee checks on Balor. Balor gets up and hits a jawbreaker to break free. Balor charges but Cole counters and takes the left knee out to take back control. Cole drops Balor with a right, then nails a forearm. Cole drops Balor again for another 2 count. Cole drives more knees into Balor’s back and keeps him down with a scissors on the mat.

Cole keeps control and shows off some as Balor stumbles to the corner. Cole runs into boots. Balor mounts some offense now. Balor drops down on Cole for a 2 count. Balor with chops in the corner. Cole comes back and hits a backbreaker out of nowhere for a 2 count. More back and forth on their feet now. Cole with an enziguri. Balor with a Slingblade. Balor runs into a big superkick and Cole covers for a 2 count. They trade suplex attempts and then strikes in the middle of the ring. Cole with a big boot to the face and another shot. Balor comes right back with a pele kick but Cole falls on him for a close 2 count. They get up and stare each other down. Cole drops Balor with a kick. Balor blocks the Panama Sunrise. Cole counters the 1916. More back and forth and big counters between the two. Balor drops Cole and goes to the top but Cole knock him off. Balor lands hard on the floor as the dueling chants start back up.

Cole goes for a Sunrise from the apron but Balor back-drops him to the floor, then hits a big running dropkick. Balor brings it back in and misses the Coup de Grace. Cole follows up with the Last Shot for another close 2 count as the crowd goes wild and the “NXT!” chants start up. Cole can’t believe it. Fans chant “this is awesome!” now. Cole drops his knee pad and runs the ropes but Balor nails a huge clothesline. Balor with a dropkick into the corner. Balor goes back to the top and nails a Coup de Grace. Balor grabs Cole for a 1916 but Johnny Gargano appears on the stage and everyone is distracted.

Cole takes advantage of Balor being distracted, rocks him and then delivers the Last Shot for the pin to retain.

Winner: Adam Cole

After the match, Gargano slowly walks down the ramp as Cole’s music hits. Cole exits the ring. Balor is down in the ring. Gargano brings a steel chair into the ring as fans chant “Johnny Wrestling!” now. Balor looks up from the mat as Gargano stares him down, chair in-hand. Gargano unloads with chair shots now, beating Balor out of the ring. The chair shots continue until Balor retreats through the crowd. Gargano touches the steel part of the bottom of the ramp, which Balor dropped him on when he turned heel several weeks back. Gargano tosses the chair and leaves.

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