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Post by Planktung on Nov 30, 2015 4:08:05 GMT -5
Following the signature WWE intro, cameras showed the sold out audience in the Manhattan Center, all loud and ready for a historic event, exclusively on the WWE Network. Chants of "NXT!" rang throughout the building as the bell sounded, no time being wasted on the Unison Kickoff Show! "The following contest is an NXT Over-the-Top Rope Battle Royal! The winner of this match will receive a shot at the WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes later tonight at Unison!" Justin Roberts said. One by one, all fifteen NXT superstars competing for a shot at the biggest prize in sports entertainment filled the ring, all ready for the fight of their lives. At the sound of the bell, all hell broke loose in the Manhattan Center. Alliances like Michael Bennett and Chris Masters, PMA, The Vaudevillians, Blake and Murphy, and Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady remained while the other superstars looked after themselves. Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin immediately went after each other, picking up where they left off from this past week on NXT. Corbin backed McIntyre against the ropes, trying desperately to throw him over, but to no avail. On the opposite side of the ring, Murphy was thrown over the top rope by Enzo Amore, landing on the apron. Colin Cassady charged into him with a boot to the face, causing him to fall to the floor. Murphy has been eliminated! Blake would then turn Big Cass around, striking him a few times. New York's own picked Blake up with ease in a Gorilla Press position, throwing him out of the ring onto his already-eliminated tag team partner. Blake has been eliminated! "How you doin'?!" Enzo, Cass and the Manhattan Center shouted at Blake and Murphy before Chris Masters crept up behind Enzo, applying a Master Lock. Michael Bennett took out Cassady's legs, not allowing him to assist his partner. Once Enzo faded into unconsciousness, Masters eliminated him from the bout. Enzo Amore has been eliminated! Massive boos rained from the stands as Masters charged into Cassady, Clotheslining him to the floor. Colin Cassady has been eliminated! Michael Bennett encouraged the audience to continue booing him and Masters, Maria Kanellis applauding her boyfriend and bodyguard from ringside. The pool of superstars dropped from eleven to ten with the elimination of Aiden English, who fell victim to the Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre before being thrown over. Aiden English has been eliminated! Simon Gotch went after McIntyre, striking him a few times in a corner. Off in another corner, Tyler Breeze repeatedly stomped on Drake Younger, Solomon Crowe grabbing him from behind and raking his eyes. Breeze pushed Crowe away, catching him with a Supermodel Kick! Younger turned Breeze around and failed to connect with a strike, Breeze grabbing him by his head and throwing him over the top rope. Younger managed to hold on, but Crowe inadvertently charged into him when Breeze moved out of the way. Drake Younger has been eliminated! Barely without any time to realize that he had eliminated his own tag team partner, Crowe was hit with yet another Supermodel Kick, this time to the back of his head for the elimination! Solomon Crowe has been eliminated! Almost half of the field remained in the Battle Royal, eight NXT superstars still vying for a WWE Championship match later on tonight. After catching Evan Bourne on a Crossbody attempt, Chris Masters placed the high flyer on his shoulders for a Powerbomb out of the ring. Bourne, however, managed to turn the tables and send 'The Masterpiece' out to the floor! Chris Masters has been eliminated! Michael Bennett immediately targeted Bourne from that point, the audience going wild for the elimination of Masters. On commentary, Michael Cole pointed out the performance of Jason Jordan, who had evaded elimination several times already. Corbin had Jordan fighting for survival on the ropes, Jordan successfully fending off the 'Lone Wolf.' Simon Gotch ran towards Jordan, who lifted him over his head and out to the floor. Simon Gotch has been eliminated! Jordan leaped towards Bennett, taking him down with a Clothesline. The momentum of Jordan was briefly halted by a forearm strike from Corbin, who was turned around and felt the offense of Drew McIntyre. After Bourne delivered an Enziguri to Breeze, Bennett charged towards him. Bourne was able to sidestep him, but Bennett landed on the apron. He wasn't safe for long, however, as Bourne caught him on the chin with a jumping knee, Bennett falling back onto the floor. Michael Bennett has been eliminated! Following that, Bourne turned around and was hit with the Beauty Shot from Tyler Breeze! Prince Pretty continued his onslaught, delivering the same maneuver to Jason Jordan. However, when he attempted to catch McIntyre with one, the 'Sinister Scotsman' caught him. McIntyre grabbed the back of Breeze's head, throwing him over the top rope! Tyler Breeze has been eliminated! Shock came over the Manhattan Center as the favorite in the Battle Royal had just been eliminated. Along with that, a portion of the audience noticeably turned on the match, outraged over the fact that Breeze was no longer in the running for a WWE Championship match. Nonetheless, the match continued as only four superstars remained. Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Evan Bourne and Jason Jordan. "Jason Jordan, who was come seemingly out of nowhere, could leave here tonight with the WWE Championship if he can win this thing," JBL stated. Jordan was the first up to his feet, ramming Corbin into a corner and striking him repeatedly. He delivered a running corner Splash to the 'Lone Wolf' before going for another one. This time, Corbin was able to move out of harm's way, lifting Jordan over his head and onto the apron. McIntyre ran towards Corbin, trying to take him out with a running boot to the face. When Corbin sidestepped it, McIntyre caught Jordan instead, hitting him with enough force to eliminate him. Jason Jordan has been eliminated! With McIntyre still caught up in the ropes, Corbin took advantage and threw him over the top rope! Drew McIntyre has been eliminated! "We're down to two! Either Baron Corbin or Evan Bourne will move on to Unison to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Title!" Michael Cole said. The audience members who were distraught over Tyler Breeze's elimination got behind Bourne, not wanting to see Corbin challenge for the WWE Title here tonight. Corbin ran towards Bourne, who delivered several kicks to the side of his leg. Corbin pushed Bourne away, trying to connect with a Clothesline. Bourne ducked it before delivering another plethora of kicks, getting Corbin down to one knee. Bourne connected with two Enziguris, both stunning the 'Lone Wolf.' Bourne finished the sequence off with a Shining Wizard, taking Corbin out for the moment. Bourne climbed up to the top rope for Air Bourne, but before he could fly, Corbin showed signs of life and moved out of the way. Bourne dropped down onto the ring apron, waiting for his adversary to get to his feet. When Bourne springboarded off of the top rope, Corbin caught him in mid-air and planted him with End of Days! "Evan Bourne may not even be able to get up from that!" Bradshaw shouted with the audience booing heavily. Corbin easily picked Bourne's carcass off of the mat, throwing him over the top rope. Evan Bourne has been eliminated!BARON CORBIN EARNS A WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! Quite possibly all 2,500 fans packing the Manhattan Center booed as loudly as they could for the result of the Battle Royal. Several replays from the match were shown, the focus being the most devastating End of Days Baron Corbin has ever delivered. Returning to the live feed, Corbin was shown getting in the faces of several fans in the front row, all furious over the fact that of all NXT superstars, it will be him moving onto Unison to challenge for the WWE Championship. "The stage is set for tonight. The undefeated Baron Corbin has the opportunity that NXT superstars dream of: A one-on-one match for the WWE Championship," said Michael Cole. Jerry Lawler noted that while Corbin is undefeated, everyone has to remember who is holding the WWE Championship. "Arguably the best WWE superstar in the locker room today. Cody Rhodes has proven himself as the future of the company time and time again. If you ask me, it's not Cody who has a huge obstacle in front him. It's Baron Corbin who has his work cut out for him."
A promo was shown for Hell in a Cell, live on October 27th on WWE Network and Pay-Per-View.
Returning to the Unison Kickoff Show, the panel was shown set up near the stage, standing and holding microphones as opposed to the usual set up of a table and headsets. Renee Young and Corey Graves were joined by two WWE Hall of Famers, Jim Ross and 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes. The crowd could still be heard booing Baron Corbin, despite him no longer being in the ring. "New York City is going to eat Baron Corbin alive tonight when he challenges Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship," Renee said before Dusty stated that going into tonight, he was torn on this match. "These young men and women down in NXT, I look at them as my kids in a way. My NXT kids, if you will. I knew one of them would go up against my actual kid, Cody Rhodes, for the WWE Title. Baron Corbin is an intriguing character, but is always disrespectful to the coaches such as myself who are just trying to better him. I have no problem at all rooting for my boy out there tonight against Baron Corbin." Graves put his thoughts forth, telling Dusty that he can actually get behind Corbin tonight. "Listen to this reaction. These people hate Baron Corbin and I don't get it. This man is undefeated. He's a force to reckoned with..." Graves said as the boos from the Manhattan Center drowned out his voice. "Calm down, calm down. I didn't say Baron Corbin is going to leave Unison as the WWE Champion because I don't think he will. Cody Rhodes is on another level right now compared to every other superstar. For my money, he's the best in the world right now and I think that he will retain the WWE Title tonight. BUT.... I do think Corbin has more of a chance than everyone is giving him."
"J.R., I wanted to briefly ask you this. Considering what happened two weeks ago at Night of Champions, how did you feel seeing Tyler Breeze be eliminated from the Battle Royal?" Renee asked, which caused the crowd to actually boo her for the first time. "You know, I try not to hold any grudges in this business towards anyone, but seeing Tyler Breeze be eliminated made me happier than everyone in here will be if Cody Rhodes defeats Baron Corbin tonight," said J.R.. Before moving onto the next topic, Corey Graves asked J.R. if he had any sort of update on when we can expect to see Kazuchika Okada again? "It's been more than a few days since I last had any communication with Okada and his translator. You have to remember that being the IWGP Heavyweight Champion means he's a very busy man over in Japan. But I can guarantee everyone that you WILL see Kazuchika Okada in that ring against someday," Jim Ross said to a great response.
Looking at the rest of the card lined up for the evening, Renee Young mentioned the Champion vs. Champion match pitting the Divas Champion, AJ Lee, against the NXT Women's Champion, Sasha Banks. "This is the part of the show where I predict the upset of the night. 'The Boss' Sasha Banks is going to make AJ Lee tap out in that ring tonight and assert herself as the most dominant woman in all of sports entertainment," predicted Graves. Dusty Rhodes said that he's been a part of the WWE's developmental long enough to have seen AJ from the beginning. "I saw this young girl have a dream and she obtained it by being a two-time Divas Champion. But, during that time, I told her to work smart, not hard. Maybe all of these grueling matches we've seen from her since Last Diva Standing isn't necessarily 'smart' and could be the difference in tonight's match. Her body has been through so much more than Sasha's. You're never the same once you've competed the way that AJ has been. I'll agree with Corey on this one. Sasha wins." Renee gave her own input, saying that there are two potential factors we need to remember. "Bayley was suspended after putting her hands on an official at NXT TakeOver, but that suspension was lifted at midnight today. For all we know, Bayley is in the Manhattan Center right now, or at least on her way. Sasha Banks needs to look out for more than just AJ Lee tonight. Likewise, the Divas Champion has an adversary here. Sofia Cortez is getting a title match tomorrow night on the Season Premier of RAW, but she made it clear that she doesn't want to wait until then. We could see Sofia play a role in this match as well," Renee said.
"Once the best friends, now the worst of enemies. Finn Balor and Hideo Itami go one-on-one tonight for the first-time ever," Renee said before opening the panel for discussion regarding the match. "I don't know how anyone could genuinely bet against Hideo. He's inside Finn Balor's head. He has Paul Heyman in his corner. We're going to see Itami finally live up to the expectations set for him by the world," predicted Corey Graves. "Are we sure that Hideo Itami is the one playing the mind games? Last Monday on RAW, Finn Balor said that he's going to unleash a side of him tonight that he knew existed, but never wanted to show to the world. Says he's bringing something Hideo has never seen before. Considering that these two men came to the WWE together and traveled around for months, you have to wonder just what in the world Finn Balor means. Those are mind games, and factoring all of that in with the man's sheer talent, I'm saying that Balor leaves tonight with retribution," J.R. stated.
Cutting briefly to the backstage area, Tom Philips was shown standing with one of the four Manifest Destiny teams competing in Six Man Tag Team action tonight. The trio of Rusev, Kofi Kingston and the United States Champion, Tyson Kidd. "Gentlemen, thank you all for joining me for this interview-" said Tom before Kidd cut him off, looking around. "Hey, Rusev. Where's Lana? She's the only reason I agreed to this team," said the United States Champion. "Lana is at home. I would never bring her into this filthy building. And mind your business, you stupid Canadian," Rusev told Kidd. The two of them began to argue before Tom Philips left the scene, realizing that trying to conduct a peaceful interview with the trio would be useless. "Guys! Guys! Guys! There's no reason to argue! Feel the magic that is in the air! Sure, New York City might be a dump, but for tonight, this is our city! We run this place! Just clap with me and feel the Power of Positivity!" Kofi said before beginning to clap three times in a rhythm where the last two claps came faster than the first. Kidd and Rusev went their separate ways, leaving a smiling Kofi clapping to himself.
Back in the Manhattan Center, the panel discussed one more match for the night. That being the NXT Championship bout between Kevin Owens and Christian. "As good as Christian once was, I think I can safely say that Kevin Owens has his number today. Owens already has one successful title defense to his name and will add another one tonight, even if it means ending Christian's career for good," Corey Graves stated. Jim Ross felt otherwise, saying that while Owens claims to be a prize fighter, he doesn't know if his eyes are on the prize at stake tonight. "Kevin Owens may be more focused on hurting Christian than he is leaving New York City with a win. Christian knows how to capitalize on situations like this. Money in the Bank 2011 for example. Christian became the World Heavyweight Champion by outsmarting Randy Orton and uses his frustrations against him. If Christian can do the same to Owens tonight, we may have ourselves a new NXT Champion."
With less than one minute remaining on the Kickoff Show, the entrance music of Triple H to a very warm response from the Manhattan Center. "The man who is responsible for this show and everything we have seen from NXT since last April," Renee said as Hunter made his way down to the ring, showing himself for the first time since SummerSlam last month. History is about to be made! WWE/NXT Unison is live exclusively on the WWE Network, next!
WWE/NXT UNISON 2013 | LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON WWE NETWORK
After the airing of the signature WWE intro, cameras cut directly to the Manhattan Center, where Triple H stood in the center of the ring. Receiving a warm reaction from the crowd, Hunter said that while he may no longer be the WWE COO after what happened at SummerSlam, he still holds control over NXT. "Everyone saw the side of me that was running through the WWE with The Committee, but what cameras never caught was the side of me who had a vision. A vision that wouldn't have been possible without each and every single one of you. Years ago, this thing that we call 'developmental' struggled to draw even ten people at a show. Now, we're here in the Manhattan Center, live on the WWE Network! NXT has become a completely separate entity of its own! You all have brought NXT to the forefront of sports entertainment and this night is dedicated to everyone who has helped create this revolution. Who thought that one day, there would be a show under the WWE banner involving names like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, John Cena, CM Punk and AJ Styles? I'll tell you who.... you. All of you here in the Manhattan Center and watching around the world knew that this would happen and now, you're getting it. This night isn't about one brand or even just one organization. This is about uniting the world of sports entertainment and professional wrestling. This is Unison!" The crowd roared for every sentence from 'The Game' before he asked one simple question. "Now..... ARE.... YOU... READY?!?"
Triple H's speech was transitioned to the opening video package, featuring the rise of NXT since its re-branding back in April of 2012. The NXT Championship victories for Damien Sandow, Seth Rollins, Kassius Ohno, Adam Cole and Sami Zayn were all shown, each being interrupted by static and the voice of Kevin Owens. Lines such as, "I belong here," "I've been overlooked," and, "I will fight anyone, anywhere to get to the top" were heard before his debut at NXT TakeOver was shown, costing Sami Zayn the NXT Title by allowing Tyler Breeze to cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Owens' rampage on NXT would lead to July 31st, the date that he assaulted Christian and nearly ended his career. That, along with Owens' becoming of NXT Champion at TakeOver: Revision, sets the stage for Owens' title defense against Christian here tonight. Following that, footage of Bayley's NXT Women's Championship victory at TakeOver: Revision was shown, only for the decision to immediately be reversed. Weeks after Sasha Banks retained the title in controversial fashion, AJ Lee overcame Kaitlyn, Sofia Cortez and Paige at Night of Champions to become the Divas Champion. Tonight, AJ takes on Sasha in a Champion vs. Champion match, which will once and for all prove who is the best female wrestler in the world today. Lastly, Hideo Itami and Finn Balor's debuts at NXT TakeOver were shown, followed by their NXT Tag Team Championship win the next month. At TakeOver: Revision, not only did their reign end at the hands of The Addiction, but so did their partnership. Paul Heyman made an offer to the two international superstars to join his clientele, which Itami accepted by planting Balor with the Burning Hammer. Tonight, the two finally meet one-on-one, and in the words of Balor, he is bringing something that Itami and the rest of the world have never seen before.
Cameras surveyed the sold out audience in the Manhattan Center as Michael Cole, Jerry 'The King' Lawler and John Bradshaw Layfield welcomed everyone to a revolutionary event, WWE/NXT Unison! "Triple H has said it before. Tonight is not about WWE and NXT competing against each other. It's about them competing in Unison with each other!" Bradshaw before Cole ran down some of tonight's top matches, including two championship matches. One for the NXT Championship between Kevin Owens and Christian, and the other beginning right now! One of the most anticipated WWE Tag Team Championship bouts in recent memory. The crowd came alive for the entrances of Wrestling Royalty, The Alpha Wolves and the NXT Tag Team Champions, The Addiction, just about evenly, but at the sound of Paul Heyman's voice, the roof just about off of the Manhattan Center. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is..... what am I even saying? Everyone in New York City already knows who I am! Just like you all know who these two men about to grace the world with their presence are! The reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Kassius Ohno and Antonio Cesaro!" The champions made their entrance to a monstrous response from the crowd, neither two of them strangers to this building. Once all eight men were settled, the bell sounded as Davey Richards and Cesaro started things off. Dueling chants of "Let's go, Davey! Cesaro!" could be heard while the two locked up. Cesaro easily managed to overpower Richards, pushing him into a corner and hitting a series of Uppercuts. He whipped Richards into the opposite corner, charging towards him. Richards managed to get a foot up, fending off Cesaro and giving him time to make a tag to Eddie Edwards. Edwards climbed to the top turnbuckle, coming down with a Missile Dropkick onto Cesaro. Edwards got a two count before running the ropes, trying to catch Cesaro with a kick to the chest. Cesaro, however, caught Edwards' leg and pulled him down to the canvas, teasing the Cesaro Swing. The audience was just about ready to explode until Edwards kicked Cesaro into The Addiction's territory, Christopher Daniels tagging himself in. "That's what makes winning these Fatal Four Way Tag Team matches so difficult. Anyone can tag themselves in at any time," said Bradshaw. Daniels ran towards the downed Edwards and stomped on him a few times before gyrating his hips. He stepped onto the second turnbuckle, dropping an elbow across the forehead of Edwards. Daniels got a two count out of it before tagging in Frankie Kazarian, kicking the arm of Edwards with the assist of Daniels. Kazarian stepped onto the top rope, coming down with a Moonsault that failed to connect. Edwards instinctively backed away from Kazarian, accidentally allowing Ted DiBiase to tag himself in. DiBiase hit Kazarian with a flurry of offense before placing him into position for a running Powerbomb. Ohno made the tag before DiBiase could deliver the Powerbomb, covering Kazarian without realizing that a tag was made. When DiBiase turned around, Ohno charged at him with a Roaring Elbow. DiBiase dodged the strike, grabbing Ohno for Dream Street. Ohno, however, rolled out of it, catching DiBiase with a Yakuza Kick for the near fall. Ohno placed DiBiase in a single leg Boston Crab, the son of the Million Dollar Man struggling to make a tag to the eager Joe Hennig. He eventually managed to do so, Hennig running the ropes and delivering a Sick Kick to Ohno! Hennig picked Ohno up for the Perfect Plex, Cesaro running in to stop the maneuver. When Cesaro did so, Hennig was pushed towards The Alpha Wolves' corner, Richards tagging himself in. Richards ran in and knocked both Addiction members off of the ring apron before charging at Ohno and Cesaro with double Clotheslines. Eddie Edwards then came flying off of the top rope with with a forearm to DiBiase, taking him out before Hennig threw him into a corner, colliding with Richards. Hennig, thinking he was still the legal man, attempted to kick Cesaro, only for it to be countered into the Cesaro Swing! During the eighth rotation, The Alpha Wolves delivered double Superkicks to him! Cesaro was out before Edwards grabbed Ohno, remembering that he was still the legal man. Richards and Edwards delivered the Powerbomb/Backstabber combination, getting the cover on Ohno for the win and the titles!THE ALPHA WOLVES WIN THE WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS!
"We have new champions!" Michael Cole shouted as the Manhattan Center erupted for the result. Both Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards were in just as much shock as everyone else, grabbing the WWE Tag Team Titles and raising them high in the air. "In their first match for the NXT Tag Team Championships back in February, they pulled off the upset and won! Now, in their first match for the WWE Tag Team Championships, they pulled off an even bigger upset and scored again!" John Bradshaw Layfield said while Paul Heyman watched on in shock from ringside. Richards and Edwards stood against the barricade, allowing the audience to partake in their celebration. The Alpha Wolves have shocked the world! Without yet even making their official debuts on the main roster, they have captured the WWE Tag Team Championships!
Backstage, Tom Phillips was standing by with one of the superstars competing in a Manifest Destiny Six Man Tag Team match later on tonight, the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. Rollins stepped into the picture as Phillips asked him if him being able to co-exist with Roman Reigns and Wade Barrett on SmackDown was a sign that they'll be able to work on the same page tonight? "Of course we're going to be on the same page tonight, Tom. Not because we're friends or anything, but purely because they have me as the architect of this team. Quite frankly, once that last bell rings and our hands are raised, Roman and Wade serve no purpose to me anymore. Quite frankly, I could just take them out right there and then to make my job in Manifest Destiny that much easier. Either way, you're looking at the next WWE Champion, adding onto what I already have in the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship."
Returning to the ringside area, several new NXT signings were shown sitting in the audience here at Unison. Two men who were present at NXT TakeOver: Revision last month, Kyle O'Reilly and Uhaa Nation. Along with them were three new faces to NXT. Former Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA superstar, Ricochet. Former AAA superstar and most recently their Fusión Champion, Fenix. Lastly, 2012 US Olympic wrestler, Chad Gable. "Weren't we told that there would be six new signings here tonight?" asked John Bradshaw Layfield, noticing that only five were present. The first of two Manifest Destiny preview matches here tonight, appetizing the audience before the tournament begins tomorrow night on the season premiere of Monday Night RAW. Adam Cole received the loudest response from the audience, standing on the second rope as he looked on at the new NXT signings, including his former tag team partner, Kyle O'Reilly. O'Reilly stood up from his seat, staring at Cole when the crowd realized what was happening at that moment. "Yes!" chants broke out for the Cole and O'Reilly stare down. "In one of Adam Cole's final matches on the independent scene, he and O'Reilly had an absolute bloodbath of a match in this very building for Ring of Honor. That may have been the last time the two of them had any interaction until this moment," John Bradshaw Layfield stated. When the bell sounded for the match to start, Alberto Del Rio and Tyson Kidd battled it out. Del Rio dodged a Roundhouse Kick from Kidd, trying to capitalize by locking in the Cross Armbreaker. Kidd, however, was able to reach the ropes, Rusev tagging himself in. The two rivals stood toe-to-toe as Del Rio took the first shot, Rusev responding with a heavier strike. The trade-off continued until Rusev kicked Del Rio in his leg, then throwing him shoulder-first into the ring post. While Del Rio was standing against a corner, Rusev went for a Superkick. Del Rio, however, was able to move out of the way in time, capitalizing by catching Rusev with an Enziguri. The stunned Rusev fell to the mat, Del Rio getting a two count. Del Rio made a tag to Adam Cole, who quickly Dropkicked Rusev before getting a near fall. Cole was back on his feet as Rusev, who was on his knees, looked at Cole. "Do you know who I am now?" Cole sarcastically asked, referring to a Tweet sent out by Rusev. The 'Bulgarian Brute' made a tag to Kofi Kingston, who had Xavier Woods cheering him on at ringside. "Talk about that Manifest Destiny winner! Ain't no one else stand a chance! 11-0, am I right?!" Xavier shouted, Jerry Lawler pointing out that he was saying all of this right next to Kidd and Rusev, two of Kofi's opponents in Manifest Destiny. Kofi was able to take Cole down with a Dropkick before teasing the Boom Drop, only to go for a cover instead. After Cole kicked out, Kofi attempted to Irish Whip him into the opposite corner. Cole countered the attempt into the Florida Key, though Kofi fought out of it by retaliating with elbow strikes. Adrian Neville tagged himself in, connecting with a Springboard Flying Crossbody onto Kofi. When Kofi attempted to make a tag to either Rusev or Tyson Kidd, both men dropped down from the ring apron. Rusev took Lana's hand while Kidd took his United States Championship, both men attempting to leave. Xavier Woods tried to stop them, but Rusev simply moved him out of the way by throwing him into the ring. Woods continued to shout at Rusev and Kidd while they left, unaware that all three members of the opposing team were behind him. When Xavier turned around, Neville and Cole caught him with double Superkicks! Xavier was laid out as Kofi springboarded off of the top rope, only for Del Rio to deliver his own Superkick! Neville quickly climbed to the top rope, connecting with the Red Arrow to get the win for his team!ALBERTO DEL RIO, ADRIAN NEVILLE AND ADAM COLE ARE VICTORIOUS! The Manhattan Center crowd responded positively as Adrian Neville, Adam Cole and Alberto Del Rio all raised each other's arms while standing tall over Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. The three men glared at each other, all aware of what is to come at Manifest Destiny. They were partners tonight, but they all have something in common: They want each other from winning Manifest Destiny and earning a WWE Championship opportunity at the Royal Rumble
A special video was shown for Triple H's announcement earlier in the week regarding NXT's next live special. On December 14th, NXT hits the road for the first time to hold TakeOver: Forever from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. All that AJ Styles and Sami Zayn had to do to set the Manhattan Center on fire was stand across the ring from each other. Even before the bell sounded, chants of, "This is awesome!" rang throughout the building. They both backed into corners as the match began, the roar of the crowd becoming even louder. Styles went behind Zayn, rolling him onto the mat and looking for the Calf Killer immediately. Zayn was able to grab the ropes, exiting to the ring apron. Zayn fended Styles off with an elbow, but was hit with a Pele Kick in return! Zayn staggered on the outside as Styles teased launching himself over the top rope, only to drop down to the floor. Zayn retaliated by hitting Styles with a few strikes, even bouncing his head off of the ring apron. "The past few months of Sami Zayn's career have made him a more aggressive competitor. AJ Styles is facing a new Sami Zayn here tonight," Michael Cole stated. Zayn rolled Styles into the ring, climbing to the top turnbuckle. When Styles was back on his feet, Zayn flew through the air with a Flying Crossbody, connecting onto Styles for a count of two. 'The Phenomenal One' rolled back to the outside for a moment, though Zayn remained on the attack. Zayn ran around the ringside area and launched himself through the opening in between the first and second turnbuckles, but failed to hit the Tornado DDT as Styles caught him in position for a Bloody Sunday! Zayn, however, was able to fight his way out of it, hitting Styles with a Russian Leg Sweep against the guardrail. Styles was perched against the guardrail, giving Zayn the opening to run towards him with a Helluva Kick, sending him into the audience! The "ole!" chants could be heard all throughout New York City at that point, Zayn showing the crowd his appreciation before stepping back into the ring. "What is Sami doing?" Lawler asked before Zayn actually ran across the ring, launched himself over the ring post and into the crowd, crashing onto Styles with a Senton! The fans in the Manhattan Center lost their minds, the replay being shown twice to the viewers at home on the WWE Network. Zayn was able to slowly get to his feet first, tossing Styles over the guardrail and back into the ring. He got the cover, but Styles somehow managed to kick out at two. Zayn picked Styles up and placed him into a corner, presumably to go for a second Helluva Kick. While he was in motion, Styles jumped out of the corner and connected with a discus Clothesline. Mr. Money in the Bank somehow found another burst of energy, picking Zayn up and bouncing his head off of the top turnbuckle. Styles delivered more than a few knife edge chops before throwing Zayn onto the canvas. Styles stepped out onto the ring apron, springboarding off the top rope and delivering a 450 Splash! Rather going for the cover, Styles repeated this process and hit another one onto Zayn. "One more time!" chanted the Manhattan Center audience, Styles giving them what they wanted. During the third 450 Splash attempt, Zayn caught Styles in a Koji Clutch! Styles managed to make it to the bottom rope, but enough damage had been done to put Zayn in the driver's seat of the match. 'The Phenomenal One' sat in a corner to rest, a mistake as Zayn went to the outside, striking Styles a few times. Zayn climbed onto the top rope across horizontally from Styles, hitting him with a somersault corner-to-corner Missile Dropkick! Zayn pulled Styles away from the corner, covering him for what was somehow still just a two count. Zayn, in a position to end the match and get a massive victory, brought Styles up to his feet for an Exploder Suplex. Styles, however, was able to counter the maneuver, trapping Zayn in a small package roll up. Zayn kicked out, getting to his feet and charging towards Styles. 'The Phenomenal One' dodged the Clothesline, catching Zayn with a Pele Kick! Styles held his forehead, still feeling the effects of everything that had been thrown to him. He attempted to deliver the Bloody Sunday, but Zayn fought his way out of it, planting Styles with the Blue Thunder Bomb! Once again, Styles kicked out! "This is awesome!" chants were back, the commentary trio agreeing with the sold out audience. Zayn placed Styles on the top rope, climbing onto it as well. The audience members rose to their feet, some calling out "Brainbustah!" as that's what they figured he was going for. Styles, however, fought back with body strikes before pushing Zayn off. Styles leaped towards Zayn with a Tornado DDT, but it was countered into the Exploder Suplex that Zayn was looking for earlier! Zayn backed into the opposite corner that Styles was rising again, running towards him with a Helluva Kick. Styles dodged Zayn's foot, grabbing his leg and pulling him down to the mat while grabbing the other leg. Styles placed Zayn in position for a familiar maneuver that caused just about everyone in attendance to jump to their feet. "Styles Clash!" shouted Michael Cole on commentary, Styles delivering the move for the first time ever in WWE. Styles rolled Zayn over, finally getting the three count.AJ STYLES DEFEATS SAMI ZAYN! AJ Styles slowly rose to his feet following his victory, the Manhattan Center audience giving him a standing ovation for his performance. "Unbelievable," was the only word that could be uttered from John Bradshaw Layfield at the quality of the match. Several replays were shown, all the way from Sami Zayn's incredible dive into the audience, to the first-ever Styles Clash in WWE. Styles took the Money in the Bank briefcase from ringside, heading up the entrance ramp after defeating Sami Zayn in a dream match that lived up to all expectations set.
An ad was shown for Hell in a Cell, live Sunday October 27th, on WWE Network and Pay-Per-View.
Returning to the Manhattan Center for Unison, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and John Bradshaw Layfield were shown still collecting their thoughts after the unforgettable bout between AJ Styles and Sami Zayn. "For the first time ever in a WWE ring, Mr. Money in the Bank pulled the Styles Clash out of his arsenal and it put Sami Zayn away. If I'm Styles, I'm really considering cashing-in that briefcase tonight! New York City loves AJ Styles! Can you imagine how everyone in this building would react if..." Bradshaw said before the feed was interrupted by a static screen. The screen turned to black, eerie piano music being heard. Several figures in Dia de Muertos could be seen carrying a coffin up a mountain. When the video focused on the coffin, the sounds of screams and bones cracking could be heard. The video once again cut to black, a countdown appearing. "Cinco... Cuatro... Tres... Dos... Uno... Cero... Miedo." Perhaps to the surprise of many, the Manhattan Center audience was mostly pro Kevin Owens in this match. Chants of "Fight, Owens, fight!" broke out before the bell sounded, the NXT Champion smirking at the crowd. The bell rang as Christian charged right at Owens, not looking to waste any time with the opportunity to finally get his hands on him. The official pulled Christian away, inadvertently allowing Owens the opening to connect with a Superkick. With Christian down, Owens pulled him to the outside, setting him up for a Powerbomb onto the apron. "No, no no!" said Michael Cole in a frantic manner, everyone aware that this maneuver could end Christian's career. 'Captain Charisma,' however, managed to pull Owens down to the floor by his legs, catapulting him face-first into the ring post. Christian rolled Owens into the ring, choosing to strike him repeatedly in the head instead of going for a cover. "This could be what causes Christian's downfall in this match. He might be more focused on punishing Owens rather than becoming the NXT Champion," inputted John Bradshaw Layfield. Owens delivered a thumb to the eye of Christian, giving him to use the ropes to assist him to his feet. Owens ran towards Christian, taking him down with a huge Clothesline before running the ropes for a Senton. Christian moved out of harm's way, capitalizing by rolling Owens up for a two count. Both men were back on their feet, Owens going for another Clothesline. This time, Christian was able to dodge it, attempting to place the NXT Champion into position for the Killswitch. Owens fought his way out of it, hitting Christian with an Atomic Drop followed by an inverted DDT. After Christian kicked out of the pin attempt, Owens carelessly threw his body into a corner. Owens charged at Christian with the Cannonball, but the challenger evaded it. The tables were turned now as Owens sat against the corner, Christian running into him with a Dropkick. Christian slowly pulled Owens up to his feet, placing him on the top rope. Christian had a Superplex in mind, but Owens fought back with body shots. Owens placed Christian in position for what looked to be a Fisherman Suplex, stepping off of the turnbuckle and dropping Christian onto his back! The audience popped huge for the impact, Christian rolling to the outside. Owens' adrenaline was at an all-time high at that point, the champion grabbing Christian and throwing him into the guardrail. With 'Captain Charisma' sitting against the rail, Owens ran into him with a Cannonball. The NXT Champion rose back to his feet, letting out a shout that the Manhattan Center applauded for. Owens rolled Christian into the ring, covering him for a two count. The NXT Champion headed back up to the top rope, coming down with a Senton. Christian, however, was able to roll out of the way, Owens crashing onto the mat. Owens slowly stirred to his feet, holding his back while Christian charged into him with a Spear! Christian quickly covered Owens with the hook of the leg, but the NXT Champion managed to kick out and save his title reign! Christian held his head in shame, coming within inches of capturing the NXT Title from his arch nemesis. Christian backed into a corner, trying to deliver another Spear. This time, Owens hoisted Christian into the air during the Spear attempt, planting him with a Pop Up Powerbomb! Owens covered Christian, getting the win and holding onto his title.KEVIN OWENS RETAINS THE NXT CHAMPIONSHIP! The Manhattan Center erupted for Kevin Owens as the NXT Champion was handed back the gold, raising it high in the air for the world to see. Christian remained on the canvas as the official wasn't allowed the opportunity by Owens to check on him. Owens tossed Christian to the outside of the ring, intending to finish him off once and for all. Before Owens could put Christian on the shelf indefinitely with the apron Powerbomb, Sami Zayn ran down to ringside to make the save. Zayn charged at Owens, delivering repeated strikes. Several officials arrived on the scene to separate the two, the audience cheering on the fight. While both of Zayn's arms were restrained, Owens rolled back into the ring, grabbed the NXT Championship, kicked Christian in the ribs and then left through the audience. Zayn made chase for Owens, unable to catch up to him since the effects of his match against AJ Styles hindered his movement. Kevin Owens will be leaving Unison with the NXT Championship still intact, but it's clear that Sami Zayn is still targeting his former best friend.
The camera was placed on the commentary trio of Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and John Bradshaw Layfield, all three commending the action that we have seen tonight from both the WWE and NXT superstars. "Kevin Owens is leaving the Manhattan Center still with the NXT Championship, and we have brand new WWE Tag Team Champions in The Alpha Wolves" said Bradshaw before Cole attempted to segue into the Champion vs. Champion match between AJ Lee and Sasha Banks. However, he was cut off by the entrance music of Tyler Breeze, who marched down to the ring uncharacteristically aggressively. Breeze took a microphone, immediately stating that this was meant to be his night. "I was supposed to win the Battle Royal, face Cody Rhodes tonight and beat him to become the most gorgeous WWE Champion of all-time! Baron Corbin does not deserve my opportunity! No one in NXT deserves my opportunities!" Breeze shouted, the audience agreeing with him and cheering him on. "No. Shut up. All of you! None of you did anything for me! I made it to the top of NXT all on my own! I don't need anyone's approval, ESPECIALLY a bunch of disgusting, half-minded New Yorkers!" said Breeze, getting the audience to turn on him. "I've worked too long and too damn hard to just be pushed aside for the new faces of NXT. All of you sitting right there? Yeah, you five," he said, referring to the newest NXT signings sitting in the audience. "Not a single one of you will ever reach the heights that I have. As long as I'm around, your times will never come. If any of you think differently, then please. By all means, jump that rail, get into this ring and tell me why you're better than 'Prince Pretty.'" The five talents looked back-and-forth at each other, seeing if anyone would accept Breeze's challenge. Ultimately, Uhaa Nation stood up from his seat, leaping over the guardrail to a thunderous response from the Manhattan Center. Once Uhaa was in the ring, Breeze attempted to intimidate him. "Yes, I've heard of you. Uhaa Nation. But, it's just that. I've only heard of you. However, you've seen me do what I do in this ring time and time again. While you're just barely getting into NXT, I have owned this place for the better part of the past year! You actually think you're better than me?" Breeze asked, Uhaa trying to respond. When he grabbed Breeze's microphone, 'Prince Pretty' pushed him away. "Are you stupid?! Do you not realize who I am? I'm Tyler Breeze! I'm-" was all that Breeze could say before Uhaa caught him with a strike to the face! The stunned Breeze got to his feet, Uhaa continuing to fire away on him. That was until Breeze kicked Uhaa in the leg, getting the upper hand from there. Breeze stomped away on Uhaa for a bit, continuing to shout in his face. What Breeze didn't realize was while that was happening, another one of the newest NXT signings jumped the rail and stepped into the ring. Ricochet came charging at Breeze, delivering a running Splash into the corner. Uhaa Nation then got to his feet, taking 'Prince Pretty' out with a huge Clothesline! "The next wave of NXT superstars are shining bright at Unison!" Bradshaw said, barely audible with the audience roaring. Uhaa would then pick Breeze up to his feet, hoisting him over his head with a Gorilla Press Slam! Breeze was motionless on the canvas as Ricochet removed his shirt, climbing to the top rope. In one of the most breath-taking moments of the night, Ricochet delivered a 630 Senton to Tyler Breeze! Nothing could contain the crowd's excitement as Ricochet and Uhaa Nation raised each other's arms, standing tall after taking out Tyler Breeze in their very first appearances in a WWE/NXT ring!
Backstage, Tom Philips was shown prepared to interview Paul Heyman, who didn't wait to be introduced. Heyman took Philips' microphone, urging him to leave the scene. "... Okay. Fine. All of the greats in this industry have their days where someone is better than them. Tonight, The Alpha Wolves were better than Antonio Cesaro and Kassius Ohno. However, pick any of the other 364 days in the calendar year and I guarantee you, Cesaro and Ohno will beat The Alpha Wolves to a pulp! But, the night isn't over. You all still have yet to witness the massacre of a lifetime later on in that ring. New York City will be the host of Finn Balor's final match because once Hideo Itami is done with him, all of that potential that Balor had will be spread across the canvas in the form of blood. Balor says that he's bringing something tonight that no one has ever seen before? I CREATED ECW! I'VE SEEN IT ALL! I'VE GONE FROM A BANKRUPT PROMOTER TO THE MANAGER FOR THE WWE CHAMPION IN THE MAIN EVENT OF WRESTLEMANIA! ....... So whatever you think is going to shock me, Balor, save it because the only person who will be in shock tonight is you when the silent, but deadly Hideo Itami delivers to you a beating that would make the NYPD sick," Heyman said as he walked away from the scene. "Let's go, AJ!" and, "Let's go, Sasha!" were the two chants that rang throughout the Manhattan Center. The two women circled around the ring for a bit, Sasha Banks looking over her shoulder at the audience with a smile on her face. AJ could be seen smirking as well, both women appreciating the support they were being shown. "This is how far the division has come for the women. Everyone in this building is on their feet," John Bradshaw Layfield said. The bell sounded as the two teased a lock up, only for Sasha to kick AJ in the side of her leg. 'The Boss' pushed AJ away, taunting her. The Divas Champion responded with a double leg takedown, striking Sasha repeatedly in the face. Sasha was able to roll out underneath the bottom rope, AJ following up with a Suicide Dive attempt. While AJ was leaping through the ropes, Sasha struck her with a forearm to the top of her head. AJ's body dangled lifelessly on the second rope until Sasha pulled her out onto the floor. The NXT Women's Champion slid into the ring, waiting for AJ to get to her feet before delivering a Suicide Dive of her own. "Like! A! Boss!" Sasha shouted to the audience before rolling AJ into the ring for a two count. Sasha applied a rest hold onto AJ, the Divas Champion struggling to fight out of it. AJ was able to get to her feet, bouncing the soles of her Chuck Taylors off of the second turnbuckle. AJ fell back onto Sasha, breaking free from the hold before going for the Shining Wizard. Sasha was able to dodge it, wrapping her arms around AJ's waist and planting her with a German Suplex! Sasha kept the bridge, getting another two count. Sasha kept her arms in position, delivering a second German Suplex to AJ. 'The Boss' went for a third, only for AJ to counter it and roll her up. Sasha quickly kicked out, rising to her feet as AJ hit the Shining Wizard! Sasha rolled to the outside, not allowing the Divas Champion the opportunity to get the victory. AJ stepped out onto the ring apron, patiently waiting for Sasha to stand up. When she did so, AJ leaped off with a Hurricanrana, Sasha flipped over and hitting the announce table! AJ proceeded to pick Sasha up off of the floor, slamming her face repeatedly onto the surface of the announce table. AJ soon stopped, grinning and licking her lips while the audience cheered her on. The Divas Champion placed the NXT Women’s Champion on top of the announce table, joining her seconds later. "What is she...." Lawler stated as AJ attempted to apply the Black Widow on top of the announce table. Sasha fought back, shoving AJ off of the table. Returning the favor to AJ, Sasha leaped off of the announce table and delivered a Hurricanrana, AJ being sent shoulder-first into the steel steps. Sasha quickly rolled AJ back into the ring, striking her arm with her knee several times. "If Sasha can weaken AJ's arm, this match is over as soon as she locks in the Bank Statement," Bradshaw observed. Sasha brought AJ up to her feet, positioning her for the Backstabber. Using her good arm, AJ grabbed onto the top rope, causing Sasha to fall back onto the canvas. AJ attempted to connect with another Shining Wizard, or at least that's what it looked like. Instead, AJ caught Sasha in the chest with a PK! The Divas Champion got the cover, but Sasha was able to kick out at two. AJ grabbed Sasha's hair with her good arm, bringing her up to her feet. AJ was looking for the Twist of Fate, but Sasha countered it into the Backstabber, followed by the Bank Statement submission hold! Sasha violently pulled AJ's head back, her body looking like it could snap in half at any moment. AJ was able to take her free hand, using it to grab Sasha's ankle and attempt to twist it. Sasha would repeatedly step on AJ's hand, the Divas Champion now at an even bigger disadvantage. AJ kept her hand in the air, thinking several times about submitting. AJ, however, managed to hang on, reaching the bottom rope. Sasha pulled AJ back into the center of the ring, 'The Boss' being kicked into the ropes. AJ got to her feet and avoided a knee strike from Sasha, following up with a reverse Hurricanrana! AJ took advantage by grabbing the dazed Sasha, delivering the Twist of Fate! AJ got the cover, but just before the official could make the three count, Sofia Cortez hit the ring! The number one contender for the Divas Championship attack AJ, forcing the official to rule the match a disqualification.AJ LEE DEFEATS SASHA BANKS VIA DISQUALIFICATION! Boos rained from the Manhattan Center audience as Sofia Cortez continued her assault on AJ Lee, ruining one of the most exciting matches of the night. Sofia placed AJ into a corner, connecting with strikes and a headbutt before Irish Whipping her into a Spinning Heel Kick from Sasha Banks. The two women picked AJ up to her feet, looking to deliver a double team Suplex. Before they could, the entrance music of Bayley hit to a monstrous reaction! Sasha immediately stared at the entrance ramp, her eyes opening wide when Bayley came running down to the ring! "Bayley is here! The woman who was suspended for one month after being screwed out of the NXT Women's Title!" Michael Cole shouted as Bayley dodged Clotheslines from Sasha and Sofia, jumping towards the both of them with Clotheslines of her own! AJ Lee managed to rise to her feet, connecting with the Shining Wizard onto Sofia! Sofia rolled out of the ring as Bayley stalked Sasha, waiting until 'The Boss' was standing before grabbing her and delivering the Bayley-to-Belly! The audience members continued to lose their minds as Bayley had just taken out the woman who crushed her dream last month at NXT TakeOver: Revision. The relieved, yet heated Bayley scooped up the NXT Women's Championship, staring at it before AJ raised her arm. "AJ Lee with the Divas Title. Bayley with the NXT Women's Title. This is the image that defines the present and future of women's wrestling," John Bradshaw Layfield said as Bayley's music played once again for the post-match celebration. Despite the disqualification, there was a winner in this Champion vs. Champion match: The fans.
Backstage, Rob Naylor was shown sitting in the Social Media Lounge, reading several tweets from viewers all around the world regarding Unison. "An influx of Tweet are coming in about Bayley, which is no surprise because let's be real. Not loving Bayley is like kicking a kitten, right?" Naylor then said that more than a handful of Tweets about Baron Corbin can't be shown due to language. "Corbin challenges for the WWE Championship in just a few minutes, so I would imagine that the hate mail for the 'Lone Wolf' will just keep rolling in." "I'll be honest. Keeping up with these Tweets has been difficult. Not because they're just constantly coming in, but because I've also just been watching the show like everyone else. Who would have ever been able to predict that one show in WWE would have the likes of AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Christian, Kevin Owens and AJ Lee on it? And that's not even all. Ricochet and Uhaa Nation became superstars in just a matter of seconds out there. John Cena, CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are still to come, as are Finn Balor and Hideo Itami. This whole night has just been unreal and for fans like myself and everyone who are sending in their Tweets, it's been a joy to watch."
Returning to the Manhattan Center, only the buzz among the fans could be heard until Baron Corbin's entrance music hit. Those in attendance booed as loudly as they could for the 'Lone Wolf' as he made his way down to the ring for the biggest match of his career, and possibly any NXT superstar in history. "Baron Corbin made his debut just four months ago at NXT TakeOver. He has been undefeated since then and is now competing for the WWE Championship in New York City," John Bradshaw Layfield said, praising Corbin despite his less-than-stellar crowd response. Once Corbin was settled in the ring, he stood in a corner, his head down while the crowd continued to boo him. Chants of "Cody!" could be heard down the street, those angering Corbin more than just the boos. The Manhattan Center did not sound any louder than it did the second that Rhodes' entrance theme hit. The 'Prince of Pro Wrestling' made his way out to the stage, unzipping his jacket to give Corbin a glimpse of the WWE Championship. Rhodes marched down to the ring, removing his hood while he stood on the turnbuckles. Rhodes stepped down onto the canvas, approaching the much taller challenger. The size difference didn't intimidate the champion a single bit, Rhodes raising the WWE Title in the face of Corbin. The official kept the two distant from each during the big match introductions. The official took the WWE Championship and held it in the air, the bell being sounded to begin the match. Cody Rhodes and Baron Corbin took steps towards each other, both men flinching at points since they were waiting for the other to make the first move. Rhodes attempted to take Corbin down by his legs, the larger challenger keeping his stance. Rhodes, keeping a grip on Corbin, was able to ram him into the corner, backing away when the official began a count. Corbin walked back into the center of the ring, Rhodes running towards him. The WWE Champion dodged a strike from Corbin, going behind him and getting a quick roll up for a two count. Rhodes got to his feet and stared at Corbin, using a hand gesture to show just how close he was to ending his undefeated streak. "Baron Corbin can't become frustrated. Cody Rhodes will take advantage of any weakness Corbin shows," John Bradshaw Layfield said. Corbin got up to his feet as Rhodes came running towards him, connecting with a few forearm strikes. Corbin was able to grab Rhodes' head and connect with a headbutt, rocking the WWE Champion. Rhodes staggered into a corner, Corbin running into him with a huge splash. Corbin tossed Rhodes to the outside, throwing him against the guardrail before attempting an Irish Whip. Rhodes, however, was able to keep a grip on the barricade, pulling Corbin down and chest-first into it. Rhodes delivered a Dropkick to the back of Corbin, sending him into crowd. Rhodes rolled back into the ring and quickly out, breaking the official's count. When the 'Prince of Pro Wrestling' stepped over the guardrail, he and Corbin engaged in a fist fight as the fans backed away from the scene. Rhodes was able to stun Corbin momentarily with an Uppercut before bouncing himself off the guardrail for the Disaster Kick! Corbin fell back onto a chair, the defending champion picking him up and throwing him over the rail and back into the ring. Corbin managed to kick out at two, Rhodes seemingly not surprised that it would take more to put the 'Lone Wolf' down. Rhodes kicked Corbin out out of the ring, climbing to the top turnbuckle while looking over his shoulder repeatedly. When Corbin got to his feet, Rhodes flew off with a Moonsault. The challenger, however, was able to move out of harm's way. Rhodes narrowly landed on his feet, charging towards Corbin. That turned out to be a mistake as Corbin grabbed Rhodes and delivered the End of Days into the steel ring post! The audience reacted collectively to Rhodes' forehead colliding with the steel, the WWE Champion immediately knocked out. "If Corbin can roll Cody into the ring, this young NXT star will pull off the biggest upset in sports entertainment history!" Bradshaw yelled out. When Rhodes turned over onto his back, blood could seen coming from his forehead, Corbin not allowing the official the time to check on him. Rhodes was rolled into the ring, Corbin getting the cover, but not the victory! Rhodes attempted to wipe his blood away, but Corbin stomped on him a few times. The official tried to restrain Corbin once again, the 'Lone Wolf' not listening. He picked Rhodes up for the End of Days, connecting with it! Corbin got the cover, but just like always, Rhodes found the energy to kick out! The frustrated Corbin picked Rhodes up to his knees, yelling at him to stay down. Corbin pushed Rhodes into the ropes, attempting to hit a third End of Days. Rhodes countered the attempt and went behind Corbin, rolling him up for a two count. Corbin managed to kick out, Rhodes trying to stand to his feet. The WWE Champion was unable to at first, giving Corbin the opening to connect with a boot to the bloody face of the champion. The 'Lone Wolf' taunted the Manhattan Center crowd, telling them to get ready to riot. Corbin placed Rhodes on his shoulder and attempted a running Powerslam, but Rhodes slid out of his grasp. The 'Prince of Pro Wrestling' picked Corbin up with an Angle Slam, delivering it into a corner! Corbin staggered into the center of the ring while holding his back, Rhodes capitalizing and connecting with Cross Rhodes! Rhodes, however, didn't go for a cover. Instead, he kept his grip on Corbin, getting to his feet and lifting the 'Lone World' back onto his own! Rhodes planted Corbin with a second Cross Rhodes, covering him for the victory!CODY RHODES RETAINS THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP! The Manhattan Center rejoiced as Cody Rhodes crawled towards the ropes, using them to get to his feet. The official handed the 'Prince of Pro Wrestling' his WWE Championship, another successful defense added to Rhodes' resumé. With this victory, not only does Rhodes hold onto the WWE Title, but he has also given Baron Corbin his first loss in WWE! "There is no shame in saying that the first loss of your career came against the WWE Champion in the Manhattan Center. Baron Corbin made a believer out of many people here tonight, but he just wasn't capable of overcoming arguably the best pure wrestler in the world today," John Bradshaw Layfield said. Cody Rhodes was assisted up the entrance ramp by two officials, the audience applauding him for another successful outing as the WWE Champion.
In the backstage area, AJ Styles was shown watching Cody Rhodes' celebration on a TV monitor, looking back-and-forth between the show and his Money in the Bank briefcase. Ultimately, Styles decided to preserve his guaranteed title shot. "One day, Cody. One day," said Styles before turning around to leave, only to be met by the WWE Commissioner, Booker T. "I hope you realize how lucky you are, Booker. You're guaranteed to have the greatest wrestler in the world become WWE Champion during your reign as the Commissioner," Styles aid, obviously referring to himself. "I have no doubt that whoever cashes in that Money in the Bank briefcase will have earned their spot at the top," said the Commissioner, which only confused Styles. ".... Whoever cashes-in?" he asked. "Yes, AJ. I say that because I've just made a very special match official for Hell in a Cell. That Money in the Bank briefcase is going to be on the line in a Triple Threat match with you, Derrick Bateman and Randy Orton," Booker said, which infuriated Styles. "Are you freakin' kidding me?!? I have to defend this briefcase in a match where I don't even have to be pinned to lose it?!?!" he yelled out. "It's not just a match where you can lose your briefcase, AJ. It's a match where you, as well as Orton and Bateman, can lose so much more. The Triple Threat match will be contested inside of Hell in a Cell." Booker's final words stopped AJ's complaining, leaving him speechless as he held the Money in the Bank briefcase. The case is on the line in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match next month! AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton vs. Derrick Bateman! The second of two Six Man Tag Team matches featuring the participants in the first-ever Manifest Destiny, which begins tomorrow night on the season premiere of RAW. The bell sounded as CM Punk and Seth Rollins were looking to start things off before Rollins tagged in Wade Barrett. The Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion stepped onto the ring apron, laughing at Punk. A bit of a WrestleMania XXVIII rematch was presented as Punk and Barrett locked up, the latter pushing away the 'Best in the World' by his face. Punk turned back around and struck Barrett in the side of the head with a forearm shot. Barrett staggered into the corner, where Punk continued to fire away with shots. He brought Barrett into the center of the ring, connecting with a Swinging Neckbreaker for what was barely a two count. Punk stood to his feet and surveyed the Manhattan Center to see which of his tag team partners he should tag in. When Punk pointed to John Cena, heavy boos emerged from the crowd. When he pointed to Dean Ambrose, everyone in the building cheered as loudly as possible. Cena laughed at the occurrence as Punk made the tag to Ambrose, who came into the ring swinging both of his arms at Barrett's head. The 'Lunatic Fringe' took Barrett down with multiple Clotheslines before he rolled to the outside of the ring. Ambrose ran the ropes and crashed onto Barrett with a Suicide Dive, fired up as he rolled him back into the ring. Ambrose climbed to the top rope and attempted to fly off with an Elbow Drop, but Barrett moved out of harm's way in time. The tag was made to Roman Reigns, who charged towards Ambrose with a Superman Punch! Ambrose staggered into a corner, John Cena making the tag. Cena and Reigns faced off in the middle of the ring as the Manhattan Center showered both men with boos. Chants of, "You both suck!" were heard loud and clear, Cena and Reigns proceeding with their battle. They traded shots, Cena looking to have the upper hand until he went for a Running Shoulder Block. Reigns was able to counter it into a Samoan Drop, planting Cena onto his back before looking for a Spear. Before Reigns could hit it, Seth Rollins tagged himself in. The audience went wild for Rollins, who villainously smirked at Reigns. The Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion springboarded off of the top rope, catching Cena with a knee to the side of his head. After Cena managed to kick out, Rollins stalked him for the Curb Stomp. Rollins attempted to deliver it, but Cena was able to evade the devastating maneuver. Cena failed to deliver the Back Suplex he was going for, Rollins landing on his feet and trying his hand at a Superkick. Cena grabbed Rollins' foot and spun him around, but the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion caught him with a jumping kick to the side of the head! Rollins once again went for the Curb Stomp, but Cena was yet again able to counter it. This time, Cena brought Rollins to the canvas and tried to lock in the STF. Rollins, however, was able to kick Cena away, using the opening to tag in Barrett. The traitor of The Uprising rammed Cena into a corner, hitting several shoulder thrusts into the mid-section. Unbeknownst to Barrett, Ambrose made a tag. Barrett was looking to bring Cena back into the center of the ring, but not without pushing CM Punk away by his face. Punk ran into the ring and went after Barrett, which caused Seth Rollins to interject himself into the picture. Rollins Clotheslined Punk over the top rope, both superstar falling to the outside and continuing to brawl. Punk turned the tables and whipping Rollins into the guardrail, charging into him with a Running High Knee! Rollins was sent into the audience, Punk going after him as the two seemingly took their brawl to the streets of New York City. Back in the ring, Barrett attempted to deliver the Bullhammer Elbow to Cena, only to be told by the official that Cena wasn't actually the legal man. Dean Ambrose stepped into the ring, running towards Reigns and knocking him off of the apron. Ambrose then dodged a Clothesline from Barrett, who was caught off guard by a Springboard Stunner from Cena! Barrett remained on his knees, accidentally giving Ambrose the perfect opening for the Boma Ye! Ambrose covered Barrett, picking up the big win for him and his team.JOHN CENA, CM PUNK AND DEAN AMBROSE ARE VICTORIOUS!
Dean Ambrose rose to his feet as he and John Cena had their arms raised by the official, the Manhattan Center showing their appreciation for the 'Lunatic Fringe.' "Ambrose and Cena pick up the momentum, and I guess CM Punk does as well if Seth Rollins hasn't Curb Stomped his head out on the streets," John Bradshaw Layfield said, no one knowing exactly where Punk and Rollins' brawl ended up. Cena turned to Ambrose, extending his hand while telling him that while they made a great team tonight, the day will come soon when they're opponents in Manifest Destiny. In response, Ambrose delivered a kick to the mid-section of Cena, following up with the Boma Ye! The audience went absolutely ballistic for Ambrose as he took a microphone, telling Cena that he should know by now that they'll never be friends. "When I look at you, John, all I see is one of the ten guys who is standing between me and that title shot at the Royal Rumble. Manifest Destiny may as well be renamed the 'Ambrose Asylum' because this is my tournament! I'm going to win this whole thing, go on to the Royal Rumble and make corporate's worst nightmare come true when I hold the WWE Championship!" The fired up Ambrose threw the microphone down before exiting the ring, making a huge statement to everyone else participating in Manifest Destiny. Will Dean Ambrose be the one to come out and top and earn a WWE Title opportunity at the Royal Rumble?
An ad was shown for WWE Network exclusive content such as The Monday Night War, Countdown and Legends' House. All content is available now to stream on demand.
Returning to Unison, the commentary trio were shown overwhelmed by the amount of action thus far tonight in what has been a historic night for not just WWE, but the entire world of sports entertainment. "And guess what? It's still not over because coming up next, NXT leaves its mark in the main event. Once former best friends, Finn Balor and Hideo Itami have the spotlight in the match that will settle their war," Michael Cole said. We were taken to a video package that began with Balor and Itami's appearance together at WrestleMania XXIX a few months back. Footage from their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah respectively were shown, highlighting their journeys to the main stage. At NXT TakeOver in May, Balor and Itami would make their debut, capturing the Tag Team Championships just a few weeks later. Their reign came to an end at TakeOver: Revision, but that was not the only thing that ended. Later in the night, Paul Heyman would extend an offer to both men to join his clientele. While Balor didn't accept the offer, Itami did by delivering the Burning Hammer to his former best friend. "Hideo and I traveled to NXT together. We told ourselves that we would stick together and have each other's backs for as long as we're here. Obviously, that bond we shared meant nothing to Hideo," Balor said in a piece from a sitdown interview. "Finn Balor is going to regret that day, August 28th, 2013 for the rest of his life. Hideo Itami is going straight to the top of the WWE, and all throughout this man's career, Balor will have to watch and know that it could have been him," said Heyman. The final clip of the package showed Balor picking up a win over The Miz this past Monday on RAW, followed by a promo where he said that he is going to unleash a side of himself that not even Itami knew existed. "I came to the United States with a friend. Now, I'm leaving New York City with that friend's blood on my hands," Balor said to conclude the video.
Cutting back to the Manhattan Center, the entrance music of Hideo Itami hit to a huge reaction from the audience. Itami made his way out to the stage along with Paul Heyman, who was not in the best of moods after watching his other clients, Antonio Cesaro and Kassius Ohno, lose the WWE Tag Team Championships at the start of the show. Itami marched down to the ring, not acknowledging any of the fans that stuck their hands out at him. "That is a focused man. 'Silent, but deadly' were the exact words that Heyman used earlier, and I think that sums up Hideo Itami perfectly," John Bradshaw Layfield stated. After Itami's music silenced, he stood in the center of the ring, not once taking his eyes off of the stage as he awaited the arrival of his adversary. The lights in the building shut as a heartbeat could be heard. Red lights flickered from the stage, smoke then emerging. The audience members didn't know what was happening, but at the sight of an unknown figure crawling in the smoke, they went berserk. The music would soon stop before breaking into Finn Balor's theme song, the man himself standing in the smoke to reveal his entire upper-body and face covered in demon paint! "Oh my God..." Michael Cole said as the unrecognizable Balor stood on the stage, soon crawling as his music entered a different phase. Balor slowly made his way into the ring, standing across from Itami when he removed the head piece of his attire. The lights were soon back as Itami and the demon-painted Balor stared face-to-face, Heyman shown at ringside with his jaw dropped and eyes wide opened. "This is what betrayal did to Finn Balor," Bradshaw said in a shocked tone. Balor said that he was bringing something to Unison that no one has ever seen before, and he did just that. Finn Balor didn't show up to battle his former best friend. 'The Demon' did. The "Holy sh*t!" chants from Finn Balor's entrance began to dwindle as the bell sounded, neither man making a move. They simply stared at each other, their eyes telling the story. Itami tried to get the first strike in, but Balor blocked it and hit one of his own. Balor continued to fire away with strikes before Clotheslining Itami over the top rope. Balor exited the ring and grabbed Itami, throwing him over the surface of the announce table. The 'Demon' persona had completely engulfed Balor as he repeatedly struck Itami, who was defenseless on the ground. Balor stood to his feet and glared at Paul Heyman, who backed further away from him. Balor picked Itami up and threw him into the steel ring post before stepped onto the ring apron. Balor was thinking Coup de Grâce, but Itami moved out of the way. Even though Balor was able to land on his feet, he was still in trouble as Itami got a hold of him and delivered a German Suplex onto the floor! Itami grabbed Balor's head, repeatedly kicking him in the face with his kickpad. Itami rolled his former best friend back into the ring, turning the tables at that point. Itami kicked Balor several times in the chest before his leg was caught during one of the attempts. Balor rose to his feet, dodging Hideo's slaps to deliver one of his own. Balor took Itami down to the mat and grabbed both of his legs, slingshotting him into the turnbuckles. The dazed Itami staggered into the center of the ring, Balor grabbing him and delivering a Dragon Suplex! Itami was able to kick out of the pin attempt, Balor placing him in the corner afterwards. Balor charged into Itami with a running Dropkick, hitting a second before attempting to complete the trifecta. During the third attempt, Itami ran towards Balor and caught him with a massive Lariat! Itami got the cover, but Balor was able to kick out at two. Itami brought Balor back to his feet, connecting with several forearm strikes. Itami was looking to hit a Tornado DDT, but Balor managed to counter it and deliver a Northern Lights Suplex, Itami's legs hitting the corner. Balor grabbed Itami's arms and dragged him away from the corner, looking for Coup de Grâce again. Once again, Itami was able to move out of the way, catching Balor in the back of the head with a Lariat! Itami followed up with a sitout Powerbomb, Balor able to kick out yet again. "Go for it! End it now!" Heyman shouted as Itami took the advice of his advocate. Itami placed Balor in position for the Burning Hammer, but Balor fought out of his grip with elbow strikes. Balor was back on his feet, taking Itami and planting him with the Regal Plex! Balor measured Itami, delivering the Slingblade once he as back up! Balor got the cover, but Itami was able to keep on fighting. Balor changed his position, grabbing Itami and delivering numerous headbutts. With Itami momentarily out of it, Balor returned to the top rope, finally hitting Coup de Grâce successfully! However, Itami was still able to kick out! Balor instinctively tried to set up Coup de Grâce again, but Heyman provided a distraction to both him and the official by sliding a chair into the ring. The official and Heyman engaged in a war of words as Itami rose to his feet and ran towards Balor, who leaped off of the top rope in time. When Itami turned around, Balor caught him with an Enziguri. Balor then headed out to ringside, grabbing a steel chair just as Heyman did moments ago. Balor measured Itami, the official and everyone else believing that he was going to use it as a weapon. Instead, Balor set the chair down and sat in it, gesturing at Itami to do the same. The two competitors sat in chairs across from each other, trading strikes to the heads. Balor was able to come out on top in that exchange, standing to his feet to continue the onslaught of punches. Balor would move his chair out of the way, run the ropes, and deliver a Foot Stomp to Hideo's chest, breaking the chair that he was sitting in! Balor climbed to the top rope one more time, leaping off with Coup de Grâce, only this time to the back of Itami's head! "Not only is the force of Balor crashing onto Itami's head, but his face smashed against the canvas!" Bradshaw yelled out as Balor got the cover, finally managing to defeat his former best friend!FINN BALOR DEFEATS HIDEO ITAMI! A round of applause emerged from the audience for both Hideo Itami and Finn Balor, though it was the latter who stood victoriously with his arm raised. "What a match!" Michael Cole said, to which John Bradshaw Layfield responded with, "Hell, what a show!" Several highlights from the match were shown, ever near fall telling the story of the fight that lies within both men. Returning to the live feed, Paul Heyman assisted Itami up the entrance ramp while Balor celebrated with the audience, his inner-Demon successfully taking over and claiming victory over Itami in the main event of a night that will live on forever in WWE and NXT history!
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Post by Planktung on Dec 7, 2015 1:47:50 GMT -5
After the WWE signature intro, a video package was shown set to AFI's "Prelude 12/21". Clips of the twelve men competing in the first-ever Manifest Destiny tournament were shown. John Cena, CM Punk, Wade Barrett, Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev, United States Champion Tyson Kidd, Adrian Neville, Kofi Kingston and Adam Cole embark on a near two long journey in a round robin-style tournament. Awaiting the winner is an opportunity at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. The video closed with the Manifest Destiny logo that soon faded to black.JOHN CENA DEF. ADAM COLE IN A MANIFEST DESTINY MATCH via Attitude Adjustment. No time was wasted getting right to the action as John Cena and Adam Cole, competing in his first RAW match as an official main roster superstar, kicked off the Manifest Destiny tournament. Multiple near falls occurred, including Cole landing on his feet during an Attitude Adjustment attempt, catching Cena in the jaw with a Superkick. After Cole was able to grab the ropes to break an STF, Cena tried to pull him back into the center of the ring. Cole kicked Cena away, grabbing him after he bounced off of the ropes and planted him with a Brainbuster. Cole climbed to the top rope for a Panama Sunrise, only for Cena to counter it into an AA to get the win and gain the first two points in Manifest Destiny. The distraught Cole was helped to his feet by Cena afterwards, the two shaking hands. Suddenly, when Cena turned around to exit the ring, Cole delivered a Superkick to the back of the head! Cena was laid out as Cole took a microphone, telling him that he didn't know why expected anything else from Cena. "All you see in me is some rookie who took you to the limit, but couldn't get the job done. I'm not a joke, Cena! Let this be a lesson to not only you, but EVERYONE else in this tournament! One loss does not define who I am. I'm coming out on top of this whole thing as the winner, and then, at the Royal Rumble, you won't be calling me 'kid' anymore. You'll be calling me the WWE Champion." Cole dropped the microphone as he headed up the entrance ramp to nothing but boos from the audience. WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE ALPHA WOLVES DEF. ZACK RYDER & FANDANGO IN A NON-TITLE MATCH via Powerbomb/Backstabber Combination to Fandango. The Alpha Wolves, who shocked the world at Unison by becoming the WWE Tag Team Champions, has a successful outing against Zack Ryder and Fandango in their first match on RAW as main roster superstars. Their post-match celebration was cut short by Paul Heyman, Antonio Cesaro and Kassius Ohno. Speaking on behalf of his clients, Heyman told Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards that while they managed to pull off the biggest upset in sports entertainment history, it was just that. An upset. "Let me remind you two gentlemen that there were two other teams in that match to contest with. In an old fashioned tag team match, you two wouldn't stand a chance against the greatest duo in the entire world today. It won't be tonight... it won't be this Friday on SmackDown... but someday soon, Kassius Ohno and Antonio Cesaro will be invoking their rematch clause. And when that happens, the little fairy tale that is The Alpha Wolves' WWE Tag Team Championship reign will end the same way that every story with Paul Heyman as the bad guy ends: You lose."
Backstage, WWE Commissioner Booker T was shown walking down a corridor when he was stopped by CM Punk, who had a specific request for tonight's show. "I'm not competing in a Manifest Destiny match tonight, but neither is Seth Rollins. And as far as I know, neither of us are scheduled to compete on the show. I'm not asking for an Intercontinental Heavyweight Title match. I'm not asking you to move our Manifest Destiny from Hell in a Cell to tonight. All I'm asking for is a one-on-one match tonight against Seth. No stipulations. No titles on the line. Just two men who hate each other showing the world why they hate each other." Booker thought about it to himself for a second before telling Punk that if he doesn't mind putting his gear on and getting ready on short notice, he has his match tonight against Seth Rollins. Back in the arena, new entrance music for Dean Ambrose hit as the 'Lunatic Fringe' marched down to the ring, taking a microphone from ringside. Ambrose stated that while his first Manifest Destiny match isn't until SmackDown, just like CM Punk, he's not going to sit idly tonight and watch the Season Premiere of RAW pass him by. "My boots are on. My fists are taped. All I need now is a face to smash in and we've got ourselves a show!" he shouted into the microphone before throwing it down. DEAN AMBROSE DEF. XAVIER WOODS W/ KOFI KINGSTON via Boma Ye. Kofi Kingston, who takes on Dean Ambrose in a Manifest Destiny match this Friday on SmackDown, initially teased that he would be accepting Ambrose's open challenge. Instead, it was Xavier Woods who stepped up to the plate instead. After Ambrose got the win, he challenged Kofi to step into the ring, but Kofi instead backed up the entrance ramp. Either way, the two of them meet in a Manifest Destiny match this Friday night on SmackDown. At this time, footage from earlier in the day was shown of the altercation that resulted in both Randy Orton and Derrick Bateman being ejected from the arena. The video started with commotion being heard as the camera crew ran towards the scene. When they arrived, Bateman and Orton were being separated by a group of officials, but the 'Viper' was able to break free and resume the brawl. Bateman rammed Orton's back into a wall, taking him to the ground and stomping on him a few times. "Is that the kind of example you're setting for your daughter, Randy?! Assaulting women on live TV?!" Bateman shouted, which caused Orton to spring to his feet and charge right back at him. WWE Commissioner Booker T arrived to the scene, yelling at the officials to keep Orton and Bateman separated from each other. "This isn't the time nor the place for this crap! You two can beat the hell out of each other all you want at Hell in a Cell, but not tonight! Not tonight! You know what?! Just get them out of here! You two are barred from the building!" shouted the enraged Booker. The officials kept a hold on Orton and Bateman, escorting them out in opposite directions from each other.
Back in the arena, AJ Styles' entrance music hit as Mr. Money in the Bank made his way down to the ring, just twenty-four hours after defeating Sami Zayn in what is being called a Match of the Year contender. Styles stated that what should have been a triumphant night for him at Unison turned upside down when Booker T informed him that at Hell in a Cell, he's going to have to step into the demonic structure against Randy Orton and Derrick Bateman with his Money in the Bank briefcase on the line. "Why? All I ask is why? I've beaten Randy Orton before, and Derrick Bateman lost his opportunity to call himself Mr. Money in the Bank. Neither of them have anything to do with me! Look at what they did to each other earlier in the day. When locked inside Hell in a Cell, Orton and Bateman are going to beat each other like rabid dogs with MY briefcase on the line! I don't even need to be pinned to lose my rightful shot at the WWE Championship! In case anyone forgot, I'm not some no-named schmuck who just walked in through the doors looking for a job. I'm AJ Styles! WWE came running to ME the second they learned I was a free agent! Paige vs. Stephanie McMahon isn't the Hell in a Cell match that needs to be stopped. This Triple Threat is and right now, Booker T is going to walk down to this ring and do the right thing." Instead of Booker, Styles received the WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes. Rhodes walked out to the biggest ovation of the night, telling Styles that he's surprised that within the past day, he hasn't realized that there's a simple solution to getting out of his match at Hell in a Cell. "You can't defend a briefcase that you don't have.... so come on, AJ. Do it. Cash that thing in and try your luck at becoming the WWE Champion," dared Rhodes. The audience chanted "Yes!" collectively as Styles looked at the Money in the Briefcase. "..... No. You don't get to to dictate any of this. You're not going to decide when I cash-in this contract and take your title away from you. Only I can. And besides, Cody. Don't worry about me. Worry about Bray Wyatt. You know, the guy who tormented you and your wife just to get inside your head? Don't give me the chance to get inside your head, too, because as long as I have this briefcase, I can." Styles attempted to leave the ring, though Rhodes continued to try to lure him into cashing-in. "Aren't you supposed to be AJ Styles, the 'Best Wrestler Alive Today'? Isn't that the biggest reason you came to WWE? To prove that you're the best? I'm giving you a free invitation to show everyone how good you are. All you have to do is hand that briefcase over, face me and win. It's the Season Premiere of Monday Night RAW! What better time than now to have ourselves the biggest WWE Championship match of 2013?!? AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes for the richest prize in this industry! And all you have to do to make it happen is cash-in." Rhodes dropped the microphone and held the WWE Title in the face of Styles, the audience even doing their part by chanting, "Cash it in!" Styles appeared to be conflicted over what to do, but ultimately, he left the ring with his briefcase still intact. In the backstage area, Natalya was shown preparing for a match later on tonight when Booker T walked into the room, welcoming her back. Natalya apologized for helping create the chaos that was last week's Manifest Destiny photo op by attacking Tyson Kidd. Booker said it was fine before moving on to what he was really there to discuss. "I'm moving in a million different directions right now, so I need to make this quick. We have a new Diva on the roster and I'd like for you to take her under your wing and help guide her," Booker said. Natalya accepted the responsibility of being a mentor before Booker introduced her protege to her: NXT Diva, Alexa Bliss. Booker left the room, allowing Natalya and Alexa to become acquainted with one another. ALBERTO DEL RIO DEF. RUSEV W/ LANA IN A MANIFEST DESTINY MATCH via the Cross Armbreaker. In the rubber match between the two rivals, Del Rio was able to fight his way out of an Accolade attempt, catching Rusev with a Superkick followed by the application of the Cross Armbreaker. Del Rio pulled back Rusev's arm like his life depended on it, soon forcing the 'Bulgarian Brute' to submit! "Del Rio did it! Rusev has tapped out for the first time in his career!" Michael Cole yelled out as Del Rio released the hold, ecstatic over his victory. Rusev rolled to the outside of the ring, holding his arm while Lana tried to check on him. Del Rio joins John Cena as the first two superstars to gain points in Manifest Destiny, but the nature of Del Rio's win here by forcing Rusev to submit could make him the early favorite in the eyes of many. Returning to the Season Premiere of RAW, the entrance music of AJ Lee hit as the Divas Champion was set to defend her title. While AJ was skipping down to the ring, however, the challenger, Sofia Cortez, ambushed her from behind! Sofia delivered repeated strikes to AJ before picking her up, throwing her shoulder-first into the steel ring post! "Sofia has a Divas Championship match right now and she's throwing it away in favor of assaulting AJ!" Jerry Lawler said as officials tried to restrain Sofia. She refused to be pulled away, though, resuming her attack by placing AJ's arm against the barricade and smashing her knee into it! AJ writhed in pain as Sofia went to the ground, applying an Arm Bar onto the Divas Champion! Sofia tried to rip AJ's arm out of her socket, probably on her way to accomplishing that until the officials were successfully able to restrain her. They ordered Sofia up the entrance ramp while the medical staff tended to AJ, whose arm was likely destroyed by Sofia. Continuing the thus far chaotic Season Premiere of Monday Night RAW, the ring was shown set up and ready to go for Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel. 'Y2J' made his way out to a thunderous response, appearing for the first time since the night after SummerSlam a little over a month ago. After welcoming everyone to another edition of the Highlight Reel, Jericho stated that so much has transpired since the last time he was in this ring. "Tyson Kidd, the guy who I last competed against, is now the United States Champion and has a big match coming up this Friday against CM Punk in the Manifest Destiny tournament. I saw some fresh faces in the back like Adam Cole and The Alpha Wolves. Derrick Bateman is back on the roster, though it feels like he's still fired since he managed to get kicked out of the arena like I've been kicked out of a few establishments in my lifetime. But, one story that grabbed my attention more than anything else has been the ongoing rivalry between Paige and Stephanie McMahon. I could just keep blabbering on and on, but that's not what this show is about. So, with that being said, please welcome my guest tonight. She is the 'Anti-Diva', Paige!" The crowd came unglued for Paige as she made her way down to the ring, thanking Jericho for allowing her the time to speak on the Highlight Reel. "Stephanie McMahon is someone who I have a well-documented history. And by 'well-documented', I mean that you can watch some of those moments any time on the WWE Network for just $9.99. You like what I did there?" Jericho jokingly said to the camera. "But in all seriousness, Stephanie doesn't like me and I don't like her. Never before, though, did I have the chance to do what you can in a few weeks because the unthinkable is going to happen. The 'Billion Dollar Princess' is going to step inside Hell in a Cell against quite possibly the biggest ass kicker I've ever seen in the Divas division, you. I've been inside Hell in a Cell before and I can attest to what everyone else has said about it. It's dangerous. Diabolical. I was never the same after my Hell in a Cell match. My career went on, but I watched referee Tim White's end when I was inside that Cell. Don't underestimate how powerful the Hell in a Cell, and at the same time, don't underestimate how powerful you are. When Stephanie is locked inside of that structure, she has no way out. You're at liberty to do whatever you want to her. If you want to throw her against the steel, you can. If you want to take out another barbed wire and rip apart her skin, you can. If you want to puncture her with thumbtacks, you can. What I'm trying to say is that how Stephanie lives the rest of her life is all in your hands. You can single-handedly eliminate her from this indust....." Jericho wasn't given the chance to finish as the entrance music of Triple H hit, the audience reacting with surprise. The former WWE COO made his way down to the ring, Paige standing up from her chair. Hunter stepped through the ropes, taking a microphone while never taking his eyes off of the woman that he Pedigree'd a number of months ago. "Why don't you tell everyone who it was that beat you inside Hell in a Cell, Chris?" Hunter asked 'Y2J'. "You listen to me, Paige. I don't know what you're thinking by challenging my wife to a Hell in a Cell match, just like I don't know what Vince McMahon was thinking by giving you and only you the power to call the match off. What's done is done, though. I came here tonight because I wanted to say this to your face. I'll only give you one chance to call off Hell in a Cell. Now, do it," Hunter commanded. "...... No," said Paige as the crowd cheered her on before she continued. "And what are you going to do about it, Triple H? Are you going to lay me out again, knowing that this time, you don't have that nice little COO title to help save your ass? Your wife is going to be locked inside of Hell in a Cell with me in twenty-seven days. She's going to pay for every bit of hell that I've been put through these past few months by not just her, but you as well. I'm not just doing this for myself, but for my mother who had her head bashed in with a chair by Stephanie. I'm finishing what The Uprising started at Hell in a Cell. If Stephanie never walks again or gets to play with your children, that's not on me. She and you did this." Hunter stared at Paige momentarily before picking his microphone back up to his face, telling her that he really wishes she saw this situation for what it really is. "Have Stephanie and I done despicable things? You're damn right we have and we don't act like we haven't. But, Paige, you're no better. You're going to lock yourself inside of Hell in a Cell with a mother, wife and daughter, and you plan on ripping her apart limb-from-limb. And all while these people treat you as a hero. You're not a hero. You're a monster," Triple H said before turning his back to leave the ring. "Well, you and Stephanie only have yourselves to blame for this 'monster'. You both tried to take everything away from me. What I do at Hell in a Cell isn't anything neither of you haven't done to other people before." After Paige finished, Triple H stood on the entrance ramp and turned around, trying to find the words to say to her. "...... Just........ just go to hell," he said, not able to find any other words. "Oh, I will. But, your wife is coming with me," Paige said to finish the segment. ROMAN REIGNS DEF. WADE BARRETT IN A MANIFEST DESTINY MATCH via the Spear. In the last of three Manifest Destiny matches this evening, two of the most loathed superstars battled it out in a hard-hitting contest. After Reigns was able to evade Barrett's Bad News Boot, he drilled him with a Spear to pick up the win. The 'One Man Army' officially puts his name next to John Cena and Alberto Del Rio as the first three men to pick up points in Manifest Destiny. The tournament continues this coming Friday on SmackDown with three more action-packed matches! Dean Ambrose vs. Kofi Kingston, Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. Adrian Neville, and United States Champion Tyson Kidd vs. CM Punk! Backstage, Ryback was shown leaving the arena, appearing to be upset over the fact that he was not scheduled to compete tonight. 'The Big Guy' passed by Los Matadores and El Torito, the latter pointing and laughing at him for his losing streak. "Torito! Torito! That's not nice!" Diego said to the team's mascot. Ryback continued on, trying to ignore everyone else. He next stopped by Zack Ryder and Fandango, the two still feeling the effects of their match earlier against The Alpha Wolves. ".... What? At least we were on the show, bro," Ryder said. Ryback kept his head down and continued on before passing by one more superstar: Bo Rotundo. "Hey, big guy. You okay?" Bo asked. "What? You're just going to laugh at me like everyone else?" Ryback asked. "No, of course not. I just wanted to tell you that I've been watching you for the past few weeks. You're out there in that ring giving it your all and trying your best! Unfortunately, you just keep losing.... and losing.... and losing.... which is ironic because it took months for someone to beat you after your debut," Bo said, Ryback trying to leave. "Wait! Before you go, I want you to know that things do get better. You can become a winner! You can be the Ryback that the world knows once again! All you have to do...... is Bo-lieve!" Ryback seemed to not care about Bo's words, continuing on his way out of the arena. NATALYA W/ ALEXA BLISS DEF. NIKKI BELLA W/ BRIE BELLA via the Sharpshooter. Nikki Bella was assisted out of the ring afterwards by her sister, Brie Bella, while Natalya celebrated in the ring with her assigned protege, Alexa Bliss. After a traumatic number of months involving her ex-husband, Tyson Kidd, Natalya is seemingly back on track, defeating Nikki and taking Alexa under her wing. Prior to the start of the main event, a graphic was shown for next week's main event here on RAW. In a non-title match, the bout that we almost saw earlier will take place. The WWE Champion Cody Rhodes battles Mr. Money in the Bank AJ Styles for the first time ever!CM PUNK DEF. INTERCONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION SETH ROLLINS VIA DISQUALIFICATION as a result of a low blow from Rollins to Punk. Seth Rollins seemingly didn't care for his loss as he grabbed the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship from ringside, making his way towards the ramp. Rollins would then suddenly turn around, rolling in the ring while sizing up CM Punk for a shot from the title plate. Punk was able to dodge the shot, Clotheslining Rollins over the top rope. Punk went after Rollins, placing him on his shoulders and delivering the Go To Sleep! Even though Rollins was laid out, the 'Best in the World' decided that he was not yet finished. Punk began to take apart the surface of the announce table, placing Rollins on it. Punk climbed to the top turnbuckle, the audience roaring for him. "Look out!" Jerry Lawler quickly exclaimed as Punk came flying through the air with an Elbow Drop to Rollins, shattering the announce table! Punk was able to get back to his feet in a matter of seconds, shouting at the audience that continued to go wild. The official tended to Rollins, who had not moved since receiving the Elbow Drop. Despite not being able to defeat Rollins, Punk still managed to gain a measure of revenge against the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. On the subject of champions, United States Champion Tyson Kidd was shown watching from a monitor backstage, his eyes set on SmackDown this Friday when he meets Punk in a Manifest Destiny match. Three more superstars will join John Cena, Roman Reigns and Alberto Del Rio on the scoreboard in the tournament. Who will take the next step towards a WWE Championship opportunity at the Royal Rumble?
1. John Cena (1-0, 2 Points) 1. Roman Reigns (1-0, 2 Points) 1. Alberto Del Rio (1-0, 2 Points) 4. CM Punk (0-0, 0 Points) 4. Seth Rollins (0-0, 0 Points) 4. Dean Ambrose (0-0, 0 Points) 4. Tyson Kidd (0-0, 0 Points) 4. Adrian Neville (0-0, 0 Points) 4. Kofi Kingston (0-0, 0 Points) 10. Wade Barrett (0-1, 0 Points) 10. Rusev (0-1, 0 Points) 10. Adam Cole (0-1, 0 Points)
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