Cross must answer for her mind games in battle with LeRae

As the smoke of NXT TakeOver: WarGames II clears, tension still billows around the black-and-gold brand. After the chaos that surrounded Aleister Black’s emphatic return, Nikki Cross and Candice LeRae are finally set to throw down in a match that has retribution written all over it.





We begin with a recap from NXT Takeover War Games II from Saturday night.

We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, and Mauro Ranallo.

Keith Lee vs. Fidel Bravo

Crowd with a "Keith Lee" chant as things get started. Lee and Bravo lock up and Bravo is immediately shoved back to the corner. He tries to enjoy the "O! Bask in his glory!" chant, but Bravo shoves Lee. He tries for a sucker punch and Lee ends up easily dropping him. Massive double slap to the chest to Bravo. Lee with a running crossbody that flattens his opponent. Lee puts Bravo on his shoulders, modified jackhammer, cover, and we're already done here.

Winner: Keith Lee

- Look back at Shayna Baszler retaining the NXT Women's Championship against Kairi Sane 2-1 in a two-out-of-three falls match. After the match, Cathy Kelley spoke with Baszler about how (with the help of Jessamyn Duke And Marina Sharif) she got the win over Sane. Baszler cuts her off and says she's the only two-time women's champion and wants to talk more about that. Baszler continues that there's no one who can stop the group.

- Look back at Kassius Ohno and Matt Riddle going back and forth on the NXT TakeOver: WarGames Pre-Show. At the beginning of TakeOver, Riddle got on the microphone in the ring and called out Ohno to a match. He would defeat Ohno in seconds after connecting with a high knee to the face.

- After the match, Sarah Schreiber spoke with Riddle and said he had the quickest unscheduled victory in the history of NXT. Riddle said he was speechless at everything that went down that night and beating Ohno so quickly was just the cherry on top.

Lars Sullivan vs. Keyto Murray

Sullivan with a big body splash in the corner, basement lariat, freak accident, cover, and it's already over!

Winner: Lars Sullivan

- Post-match, Sullivan says that just serves as a warning that he wants what is coming to him, an NXT Championship match. He then wanted to make sure his point was very clear and he lands some more clubbing blows to Murray. He looks for another freak accident and Keith Lee runs out to stop that, he pounces Sullivan out of the ring.

- Clips are shown of Johnny Gargano taking on Aleister Black at TakeOver. Black would pick up the victory after hitting two black mass kicks on Gargano. After the match, Schreiber asks Black if this is the end of his vengeance against Gargano. He doesn't say anything, but then stops for Candice LeRae. The two stare at each other for a moment and LeRae walks off.

- A look back at NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa going against Velveteen Dream at TakeOver. Ciampa would DDT Dream on the steel partition between the two rings to retain his title. After the match, Cathy Kelley tried to get a word from Dream

- Backstage, Keith Lee and Lars Sullivan jaw at each other. Next week, the two will meet in the ring.

- We see how WarGames went down between the Undisputed Era and Ricochet, Pete Dunne, and War Raiders. After a crazy battle, Dunne, Ricochet, and War Raiders would come up victorious.

Nikki Cross vs. Candice LeRae

The two lock up, Cross backs up LeRae in the corner, then laughs at her. LeRae shoves her a few times and Cross charges in, but is dumped to the mat. Cross tries for a crossbody, nobody home. LeRae ends up on the apron, Cross slips under her and trips LeRae up, traps her in the ring curtain and swings away. Cross goes to throw LeRae back in the ring, but she spins around and kicks Cross. LeRae with a springboard knee that just barely clips Cross.

Back in the ring, LeRae with a backslide, two-count, low dropkick, cover, two. Belly-to-back suplex and a splash in the corner by Cross. LeRae fights back with a running bulldog, neck snap, step-up senton Cross' back, cover, two. Unprettier hits, tries for the lionsault, nobody home. Cross hits the purge, cover, and LeRae kicks out! Commentary putting over that nobody has kicked out of that yet.

Cross sits LeRae up on the top turnbuckle, throws a couple shots as she follows up. LeRae tries for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Cross hangs on. LeRae then switches and hits a german suplex, sending Cross crashing to the mat, cover, two. Cross smiles as she gets back up, LeRae with some punches and chops in the corner. LeRae with a knee lift, LeRae kicks Cross' face right down to the mat, gargano escape locked in, but Cross gets her feet on the bottom rope. Cross trips up LeRae, puts her feet on the top rope, twisting neckbreaker, cover, 1-2-3.

Winner: Nikki Cross

We go to credits.