WWE NXT TAKEOVER: PHILADELPHIA - January 27th, 2018

Matches

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NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano has gone from a struggling singles career to one victory away from becoming the NXT Champion. Johnny Wrestling’s NXT underdog story will reach its dramatic climax on Saturday, Jan. 27, at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia when he challenges Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship.

Considering Gargano represents NXT’s version of Rocky Balboa, a true underdog who has come out of nowhere to find himself in a huge title showdown, there may not be a better city to host this matchup than Philadelphia, the city that was famously the backdrop for the “Rocky” movie franchise.

Gargano was never even supposed to be involved in the series of matches to determine Almas’ challenger in the first place. Yet, after learning of an injury to Velveteen Dream, General Manager William Regal inserted the talented Gargano into the fray. The former NXT Tag Team Champion — who had stumbled mightily since transitioning to singles competition — went on to defeat the highly acclaimed Kassius Ohno in a Qualifying Match before overcoming Killian Dain, Aleister Black and Lars Sullivan in a No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match. That’s a Knockout Artist, two monsters and a previously undefeated Superstar, for those keeping count.

Before Gargano can claim the NXT Title, he must defeat the red-hot Almas, a Superstar who has similarly gone from a struggling singles career to the top of NXT. Almas’ career resurgence can be traced in part to the arrival of his business manager Zelina Vega, who has helped El Idolo focus and, at times, even offered a helping hand.

This title match won’t be the first time these two competitors have met, with Gargano coming out on the losing side in their previous two battles. However, both clashes included timely interference from Vega. Will Almas’ fiery manager make her presence felt in this title contest? And if so, can Gargano not only overcome the extremely dangerous Almas, but also Vega’s distractions to become the new NXT Champion?

See who prevails in this storied showodwn for the NXT Championship when Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano battle at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole (Extreme Rules Match)

Aleister Black and Adam Cole will face off in a much-anticipated rematch at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, but this time it will be under Extreme Rules.

What better way for these two foes to settle their growing rivalry in the City of Brotherly Love than under a lawless Extreme Rules stipulation. Simply put, when the Dutch destroyer collides with the leader of Undisputed ERA, anything can go — meaning the match cannot end via disqualification or count-out. Black and Cole battled for the first time on the Dec. 13, 2017, episode of NXT in a No. 1 Contender’s Tournament Match. The highly acclaimed grapplers went toe-to-toe in a tremendous match that saw the tattooed striker deliver a Black Mass to keep Cole down for the three-count.

Unfortunately for Black, that was not the last he would see of Cole and his Undisputed ERA partners Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. The rebellious faction attacked Black during his Fatal 4-Way No. 1 Contender’s Match, quite possibly costing him an opportunity to challenge for the NXT Title at TakeOver: Philadelphia.

This conflict escalated weeks later when Black joined Roderick Strong in challenging Fish & O’Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Once again, Cole would make his presence felt, assaulting Black and costing him and Strong the match. Then, following the contest, Cole made an emphatic statement by laying out Black in front of the NXT Universe. As a result, General Manager William Regal announced that Black and Cole would battle head-to-head at TakeOver: Philadelphia in an Extreme Rules Match.

Will Cole continue to shock the system and topple one of NXT’s most dominant Superstars? Or will Black cause his adversary to fade to black yet again? Plus, what type of chaos and mayhem will unfold when two of the world’s greatest in-ring competitors collide under extreme conditions?

Don’t miss Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole in an Extreme Rules Match at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 ET/5 PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed ERA vs. The Authors of Pain

Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly will mark their first TakeOver as NXT Tag Team Champions with the toughest assignment imaginable: A title defense against former champions The Authors of Pain.

AOP won the right to challenge The Undisputed ERA after defeating the previously-unbeaten Street Profits. Now that the title match is official for TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 27, Paul Ellering has his bad-tempered monsters focused on annihilating Fish & O’Reilly and reclaiming the titles they lost last August.

Whether Akam & Rezar succeed in their mission remains to be seen, but this much is obvious: A fight is going to break out in The City of Brotherly Love.

Simply put, Undisputed ERA and AOP are four of the toughest Superstars on a roster overflowing with top-credentialed combatants. Fish & O’Reilly’s irreverence sometimes overshadows the practical danger of their in-ring attack; both Superstars have extensive training in a variety of grappling arts, not to mention years of experience teaming together. The massive Authors of Pain, meanwhile, are arguably the most dominant tag team in recent history, and at one point went undefeated for many months.

The NXT Universe got a sneak peek of what’s in store for TakeOver when the two units crossed paths during the unforgettable return of WarGames last November. Undisputed ERA prevailed in that nine-Superstar brawl, but will that be the case when the NXT Tag Team Titles are on the line on Jan. 27? Or will The Authors of Pain, who Ellering has ominously dubbed the “judge, jury and executioner,” take back the championship by force?

Don’t miss out when Undisputed ERA and AOP go head-to-head at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, streaming live exclusively on WWE Network on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 ET/5 PT.

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NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler

NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon will face a very difficult challenge at TakeOver: Philadelphia when she puts her coveted title on the line against menacing newcomer Shayna Baszler.

The Queen of Spades stormed onto the scene at NXT just a few weeks ago, ambushing Kairi Sane from behind as she engaged in a staredown with Moon and putting The Pirate Princess to sleep with a ruthless Kirifuda Clutch.

The renowned member of MMA’s Four Horsewomen — who fought her way to the Finals of the inaugural Mae Young Classic last year before losing to Sane — then proceeded to bully her way around the WWE Performance Center on numerous occasions before destroying Dakota Kai in Baszler’s NXT debut match.

The destructive former UFC fighter continued to do whatever she wanted on the Jan. 17 episode of NXT, attacking Aliyah in the ring and prompting NXT’s War Goddess to make the save. With Moon wanting a match against the terrorizing Baszler and the destructive Superstar demanding that the contest be for Moon’s title, General Manager William Regal made the bout official.

For Moon, this is her first TakeOver event as NXT Women’s Champion after winning the previously vacant title in a Fatal 4-Way Match at TakeOver: WarGames. After spending most of 2017 scratching and clawing her way to the top of the NXT Women’s division, the laser-focused champion has made it clear that she is determined to hold onto the prized title for a very long time.

The NXT Women’s Champion certainly is doing the noble thing, standing up to the bullying Baszler, but will she regret picking a fight with such a ruthless submission specialist? Or, will the honorable Moon be able to stand up to her intimidating challenger and introduce her to the devastating Eclipse?

Watch Ember Moon clash with Shayna Baszler in a monumental NXT Women’s Championship Match on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 ET/5 PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno

Velveteen Dream will find out if he made a grave mistake disrespecting Kassius Ohno when he faces The Knockout Artist this Saturday at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.

The ostentatious Dream first insulted Ohno by suggesting Johnny Gargano’s win over Ohno was far from an impressive achievement. Following Dream’s own loss to Johnny Wrestling Wednesday on NXT, Ohno confronted Dream in the locker room and pointed out that defeating Gargano is no easy feat. With no shred of humility to be found, Dream took yet another potshot at Ohno, claiming he still "looked better" than Ohno. Ohno responded by shoving Dream to the floor.

The clear takeaway is that Dream doesn’t consider Ohno a worthy Superstar — a notion many NXT fans might find laughable considering The Knockout Artist’s incredible track record and decorated history. Ohno, meanwhile, sees it as cause for a fight. Though Ohno normally maintains an even-keeled temperament, there is no surer way to get his indignation than by questioning his talent inside the ring.

Will Kassius Ohno put Velveteen Dream in his place and send him to dream street with one of his many knockout strikes? Or can the pompous Dream back up his trash talk? Watch NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia this Saturday at 8 ET/5 PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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