As noted, WWE kicks off 2019 with their first pay-per-view weekend of the new year this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. Things get started this evening, as WWE holds their NXT TakeOver: Phoenix special from the Talking Stick Resort Arena, which airs live on the WWE Network.
We will be providing our usual in-depth, live play-by-play results coverage of the entire event, from start-to-finish as soon as it begins with the Kickoff Show at 6pm EST., leading into the main event at 7pm EST.
NXT TAKEOVER: PHOENIX 2019 RESULTS
And here we go! The first NXT TakeOver special of the new year is officially underway, as NXT TakeOver: Phoenix kicks off live on the WWE Network with the usual elaborate video package.
From there, we shoot live inside the Talking Stick Resort Arena where the announcers welcome us to NXT TakeOver: Phoenix 2019. After that, we see the absolutely bad ass ring entrance of the War Raiders, as we head to the ring for our first match of the evening.
NXT Tag-Team Championships
The Undisputed ERA vs. War Raiders
After Hanson and Rowe make their way to the ring, the announcers build up their rise to the top of the tag-team scene in NXT before the music fades and The Undisputed ERA make their way to the ring. Remember, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong will be representing the group as the competitors inside the squared circle tonight. The NXT Tag-Team Championships will be up for grabs in our first official contest of the evening.
The bell sounds and here we go. Early on, the larger War Raiders dominate the action, using their size and strength to overwhelm the tag-team champions as Mauro Ranallo nearly loses his mind already for the first time in the show. War Raiders are throwing O’Reilly and Strong around like rag dolls as Ranallo puts over the success of NXT TakeOver on Twitter, as he announces it is trending number one worldwide right now.
We get a lot of MMA style action now, with the announcers even making some MMA references. At one point, a Royce Gracie comparison that was well-intentioned, but made no sense, came through. Mauro Ranallo decided not to bother correcting it or drawing attention to it. The action picks up again, as O’Reilly and Strong start double-teaming Rowe to gain the upper-hand. Now things calm down and O’Reilly and Rowe, both exhausted, trade punches and knees.
Hanson hits a wild suicide dive and a big splash for a pin attempt. O’Reilly escapes a Falout attempt. Strong lifts Hanson into a double stomp. O’Reilly follows up with a diving knee off the top rope for another close pin attempt. “This Is Awesome” chants break out. Undisputed ERA hits Hanson with Total Elimination, but Hanson kicks out of the pin attempt. Hanson hits both guys with a handspring elbow. Rowe then gives both guys a body slam. War Riaders then hit O’Reilly with Fallout for the win.
Winners and NEW NXT Tag-Team Champions: War Raiders
Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno
We see Toni Storm, the reigning NXT U.K. Women’s Champion, as well as WWE U.K. Champion Pete Dunne at ringside. From there, the video package for tonight’s only non-title bout airs.
After that, Matt Riddle and Kassius Ohno make their way to the ring, as their match is up next, bro. The action is underway now as Riddle uses some palm strikes to the gut of Ohno early on.
Riddle chases Ohno outside with a flying forearm. He also blasts him with a running senton in the ring. Riddle deadlifts Ohno up into an impressive gut-wrench suplex. Ohno holds onto the ropes to block a sunset bomb to the floor attempt from Riddle. Ohno uses the ring skirt on the apron to the face of Riddle to gain the upper hand of the offense.
Ohno hits a leg drop on Riddle for a near fall. He nails Riddle with a big elbow in the face for another pin attempt. Riddle ends up slapping Ohno but Ohno fights back with elbows and kicks. Ohno stomps on Riddle’s feet. Ohno lifts Riddle and hits him with a Liger Bomb. He follows up with a moonsault. Riddle gets in a rear naked choke. Ohno tries calling for a time out and asks Riddle for a fist bump that Riddle asked him for weeks ago. Riddle didn’t oblige, and instead hit Ohno with a short arm-knee. Riddle then blasted away at Ohno. Riddle blasts Ohno with repeated elbows until Ohno taps out.
Winner: Matt Riddle
NXT North American Championship
Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano
An obvious match-of-the-night contender is up next, as the NXT North American Championship will be on-the-line when Ricochet defends against Johnny Gargano in our third match of the evening here at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. The video package for this one is airing now. Gargano comes out in tights that say “TakeOver” on them and a flaming head version of his emoji. Ricochet comes out wearing his Spiderman-style gear. Here we go!
Early on we have a bunch of cool lock-ups, reversals and mat wrestling that the crowd ate up with a spoon. Ricochet asked Gargano which Johnny we were going to get, so Gargano used a cheap shot. They fought to the outside where Ricochet stepped from the apron to the middle rope and hit a moonsault to the floor in one fluid motion. In the ring Ricochet went for a top rope Hurricarana, but he played to the ground and Gargano was able to slip out and drop Ricochet on the top rope. Gargano used an laying down Abdominal Stretch and a chop to the throat, which just looked nasty. Ricochet side-stepped a Slingshot Spear and used a moonsault to the kneeling Gargano.
A few moments later, Gargano goes for a Slingshot Suplex but Ricochet ends up catching him and throwing him out of the ring. Gargano smashed onto the ring apron, ribs-first. Richochet broke out the Fosbury Flop outside the ring and a second rope Moonsault inside the ring for a near fall. Gargano went for his own top-rope Hurricarana, but Ricochet landed on his feet. Gargano hit a Superkick, but Ricochet hit a Pele and went for a Handspring Move, but Gargano ducked it and locked on the Gargano Escape. Ricochet stood up and threw Gargano over his head, crashing into the turnbuckles. Ricochet went for the 630, but Gargano rolled to the other side of the ring and out of it. Ricochet saw that…and did a running tope over the ring post to the floor.
Gargano got his knees up on a Shooting Star Press and used an Inside Cradle for a 2 count. Ricochet literally caught Gargano on a Suicide Dive, but Gargano turned that into a reverse Hurricarana. He immediately hit a Slingshot DDT in the ring for the nearest of near falls. Gargano nearly snapped and went to do a Draping DDT onto the exposed concrete floor, but had a change of conscience, which the fans booed, but they immediately got back into the match. Ricochet locked on his own version of the Gargano Escape, but Gargano got the ropes. They ended up on the apron and Gargano shoved Ricochet into the ring post, which led to the finish, which saw Gargano hit a slingshot DDT and a brainbuster for the win to become the third-ever NXT North American Champion.
Winner and NEW NXT North American Champion: Johnny Gargano
NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Baszler vs. Bianca Belair
Our co-main event of the evening is up next, as “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler puts her NXT Women’s Championship on-the-line against Bianca Belair. The video package for our co-featured bout of the evening is airing now.
Both women make their ring entrances, the official pre-match introductions are made and here we go with our co-main event of the evening. Baszler dominates the action early on, using Belair’s hair against her, grabbing it on one side of the ring post on the floor, while Belair was standing on the opposite side, before yanking it hard, resulting in Belair smashing into the ring post. Back in the ring, Baszler is still having her way with the challenger.
Baszler stomps on Belair’s arm in brutal fashion, similar to how she did Dakota Kai last year. Baszler starts putting armbars and submissions on Belair’s arm, trying to secure the finish. Belair, however, shockingly starts making a comeback.
Belair keeps going for punches but missing, so now she’s whipping her hair as Baszler. Baszler’s ribs actually get cut from this. Belair ends up getting thrown into the referee, knocking her out before blasting Baszler with the KOD for a pin that would’ve won her the title had the referee been conscious.
Instead, Baszler rolls out of the way of a 450 splash and ends up getting Belair in the Kirifuda Clutch. Belair fought it hard, but ends up passing out. Baszler wins and retains.
Winner and STILL NXT Women’s Champion: Shayna Baszler
NXT World Championship
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black
It’s time!
All that remains is our main event of the evening, which pits NXT World Champion Tommaso Ciampa against former title-holder Aleister Black with the richest prize in NXT on-the-line. The video package for tonight’s main event airs now. Velveteen Dream is shown sitting at ringside in the Talking Stick Resort Arena for this main event.
The match kicks off with a strong collar-and-elbow tie up between these two that spills out to the floor. Ciampa slaps Black. Black uses a gutwrench takedown on Ciampa. Nigel McGuinness points out on commentary that Ciampa is trying to play mind games with a “hothed” in Black. The two do some more amateur wrestling back-and-forth holds and reversals before Black starts opening up with his Muay Thai strikes.
Ciampa dodges a spinning roundhouse. Black taunts him by doing his seated meditation pose. Ciampa blasts Black with a big boot while he was seated. Black takes Ciampa down with a flip dive as the action picks up.
Black took down Ciampa with a Muay Thai combination. Black caught Ciampa with a lionsault for a nearfall. Ciampa went to ringside for a moment of respite. Black met Ciampa outside and took him down with a stiff leg. Ciampa managed to catch Black’s knee and slam it into the steel steps. Ciampa then tossed Black over the steel steps catching Black’s knee on the steel. Ciampa hit Black with a very snug suplex into the steel steps. Ciampa used his braced up knee as a fulcrum to wedge Black’s knee. Black tried to turn the tables into an Indian Deathlock but Ciampa maintained control. McGuinness noted that targeting the legs of Black takes away the Black Mass. Ciampa trapped Black’s foot on the second rope and then drove his knee into it from a jump. Ciampa trapped Black’s knee again and gave Black’s knee a running knee. Ciampa continued to focus his attack on Black’s knee by wrapping it and slamming it around the ringpost. Ciampa gave Black a release suplex on top of the Spanish announce table. Ciampa took a water break by taking a swig of water. This made for a good efffect because of the watter spray that occurred after Ciampa ate a roundhouse from Black. Ciampa surprised Black in the ring with a basement dropkick to Black’s injured knee. Ciampa trapped Black in the Tree of Woe. Black escaped and took down Ciampa to the outside with a leaping leg lariat. Black staggered Ciampa with a cross kick. Black with a pin attempt, but no dice. The match continues as a finish seems to be drawing closer.
The champion tries his Project Ciampa finisher several times, but Black escapes it each time. Now Black goes for his Black Mass finisher, but Ciampa avoids it. Black use a one legged suplex to get a two count on Ciampa. Ciampa tried to use his foot to lift Ciampa but he continued to sell the injured knee. Ciampa countered Black and locked a half crab in on Black on the injured leg. Black countered Ciampa and used a palm strike to set up for his own half crab. Black couldn’t hold on to the move because his knee gave out. Ciampa avoided a Triangle Moonsault by running up the steps and hitting Black with a Tower of London on the apron for a pin attempt that almost got him a three count. Ciampa mocked Black by doing Black’s signature foot lift. Black and Ciampa then traded knees with Ciampa ending still on his feet. Black and Ciampa had a strong style exchange. They both traded boots. Ciampa snuck in a rollup. Both men traded rollup attempts. Black hit Ciampa with some CQC. Ciampa came back with a desperation lariat. Black reversed a basement dropkick with a double stomp. Black hit Ciampa with a brainbuster for a two count. This time, Black hit Ciampa with the Golden Triangle Moonsault. Black slipped a bit on the water at ringside. This allowed Ciampa to hit Black with the Fairy Tale ending for the two count. Ciampa then exposed the concrete floor just like Gargano did earlier.
Now, the fans break out in “DIY” chants. Black catches Ciampa back in the ring with a Black Mass. Ciampa rolls to his side so Black couldn’t get the pin. Ciampa uses the referee as a shield to block another Black Mass attempt from Black. The champ hits Black with the draping DDT and Fairy Tale Ending for a believable pinfall attempt. Ciampa hits another Fairy Tale Ending and then calls for a third one. Black gets up and hits Ciampa with a knee. Black goes for the Black Mass again but his knee goes out on him. Ciampa hits the Fairy Tale Ending again, this time for the finish. Ciampa wins and retains his title.
Winner and STILL NXT World Champion: Tommaso Ciampa
After The Match: Ciampa & Gargano Staredown
After the match, Johnny Gargano comes out raising his newly won NXT North American Championship in the air. Ciampa looks to be thinking it means they are together as a team, while Gargano keeps looking at his title and then looking at Ciampa’s NXT World Championship.
