Battle Royal to Crown a New #1 Contender: Tegan Nox, Mercedes Martinez, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Mia Yim, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart, Xia Li, Kacy Catanzaro, Shayna Baszler, Catalina, MJ Jenkins, Deonna Purrazzo, Jessi Kamea, Indi Hartwell
We go to the ring for tonight’s main event and out first comes Candice LeRae. Mia Yim is out next, followed by Bianca Belair. The winner will challenge NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at “Takeover: Portland” in February. Kacy Catanzaro is out next for her return. Fans pop for her entrance. New WWE Performance Center recruit Mercedes Martinez is out next. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Io Shirai to a pop. Tegan Nox is out next for her return since being attacked by Dakota Kai at WarGames. Shayna Baszler is out next for her surprise appearance in the match, also getting a pop. The bell rings and here we go. Belair works on Shotzi Blackheart. Vanessa Borne works on LeRae. Catalina and Mercedes go at it. Mauro mentions Nigel will be back next week and is enjoying some time off.
MJ Jenkins tries to knock Santana Garrett off the apron. Baszler works on eliminating Jenkins now. Jenkins is the first elimination. Shirai and Santana go at it now. Nox works on Vanessa Borne. Belair eliminates Jessi Kamea. Mercedes and Baszler trade shots. Baszler eliminates Catalina from the top. Mercedes works on Santana in the corner now. Carter works on dumping Baszler out.
Baszler works on Carter but she hangs on. Yim fights out of the corner on Nox it looks like. Kacy gets involved with Carter and saves herself but Baszler comes charging. Kacy flies over Baszler but Baszler nails Carter, knocking her off the apron. Carter has been eliminated. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Baszler kicks Garrett off the apron to eliminate her. Yim works on Borne, nailing Protect Ya Neck. Indi Hartwell was eliminated during the break. Yim eliminates Borne. Shotzi eliminates Purrazzo. Deonna brings Shotzi under the bottom rope and levels her on the floor with a big kick. Shotzi is still in the match. Shirai with a Flapjack on Xia Li. Belair, Baszler and Shirai triple team Xia now. Xia gets up and fights them all off. Belair and Baszler eliminate Xia.
Kacy springboards up but Shirai decks her, then dropkicks her to the floor. Kacy has been eliminated. Fans chant for Shirai. Belair taunts LeRae and works her over with forearms. Baszler works on Yim. Mercedes watches from the corner. Shirai works on Nox. Belair eliminates LeRae and talks some trash as fans boo the elimination.
Yim sends Mercedes to the apron but she hangs on. Martinez eliminates Yim with a big suplex to the floor. Baszler meets Mercedes in the middle of the ring as fans pop. They face off and stare each other up and down. Belair, Nox and Shirai are also still in the match, as is Shotzi but she’s on the floor still. Baszler and Mercedes unload on each other with strikes in the middle of the ring while the others are down recovering. Martinez with chops. Baszler counters a suplex and applies the Kirifuda Clutch. Mercedes comes out and tries to dump Baszler. Baszler eliminates Mercedes.
Baszler, Shirai, Nox and Belair all face off now as fans cheer them on. Nox unloads on all three opponents. Nox sends Belair over the top but she hangs on and stays on the apron. Nox chokeslams Shirai on top of Baszler. Belair charges with a Spear and hits Baszler as Nox moves out of the way. Nox tries to dump Baszler but she lands on the apron. Nox drops Belair again with a Shining Wizard. Nox drops Shirai and goes to the top. Dakota Kai appears out of nowhere and knocks Nox off the top. Nox has been eliminated. Fans boo and Kai heads to the back.
Baszler fights off Belair and Shirai now. Baszler tosses Shirai to the apron with a Kirifuda Clutch. Shotzi runs into the ring from behind and eliminates Baszler for the big pop. Fans cheer Shotzi on as Baszler watches from the floor. Belair comes from behind and eliminates Shotzi as she wasted time by playing to the crowd. Shirai and Belair are the final two competitors.
Fans chant “Io!” now as Belair and Shirai face off. They start brawling in the middle of the ring. Belair rams Shirai into the corner. Belair tosses Shirai across the ring by her hair a few times. Belair goes to powerbomb Shirai out of the ring but Shirai kicks her off. Belair charges and gets dropped into the second rope. Shirai nails the 619 for a pop. Shirai goes to the top for a crossbody but Belair catches her in mid-air. Belair with a fall-away slam. Belair uses the hair again. Shirai counters and sends Belair face-first into the turnbuckles.
Shirai takes Belair to the top and they trade shots. Shirai climbs up as they continue trading strikes up high. Belair tries to pull Shirai to the floor. Shirai goes for a super hurricanrana but Belair counters and holds her, pulling her back up. Shirai slides out and nails an enziguri. Shirai sends Belair to the apron. They both end up on the apron now, hanging on. Shirai blocks a move and goes for the German from the apron to the floor. Belair hangs on. They both re-group on the apron now. Shirai with a big uppercut. Shirai stands on Belair’s hair to keep her down. Belair takes her down. Shirai and Belair are both down now.
Belair attacks as they both trade big strikes from their knees. They work to their feet, still trading big strikes. Belair unloads but Shirai with a running knee, then a big dropkick to the head. Fans chant Shirai’s name but she runs into a Spear in the middle of the ring. More back and forth now. Shirai with a German suplex. Shirai with double knees in the corner. Belair slides out of a move and scoops Shirai on her shoulders for the KOD. Belair uses that move to dump Shirai over the top rope to the floor for the win.
Winner and New #1 Contender: Bianca Belair