WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne
Cole has his ribs taped. Dunne has his knee taped. The story is they are gutting through.
Dunne gained control early on, manipulating Cole’s hand and fingers. Cole escaped and locked on a side headlock. Cole was caught with a big clothesline as Cole rebounded off the ropes. Dunne came off the ropes and stomped Cole’s bad wrist.
Dunne went to the top but Cole knocked him off and began stomping away at him. Cole nailed a backbreaker. Dunne fought back but was dropkicked in the side of the knee. He kicked Dunne in the face but Dunne fired back with additional strikes Dunne caught him with an x-plex but was too hurt to capitalize and go for a pinfall. Dunne, now limping, fired away with rights and weeks. Cole reversed a whip into the corner but Dunne flipped out of the corner. He nailed a kick to the back of the head and drove him down with a sit-down powerbomb for a two count.
Dunne worked over Cole and went to the top, attempting a moonsault, only to find Cole pulled his knees up. Cole nailed the Last Shot knee strike for a two count. Cole set up for Panama Sunrise but Dunne moved out of the way. Dunne went for Bitter End but Cole cut him off and drilled him down for a two count. Cole missed the Last Shot and grabbed a crossarm breaker. Cole slipped out but was caught with the Bitter End. Cole kicked out at the last second.
Dunne began beating the hell out of Cole’s chest with overhead chops. It was brutal. Dunne went for a moonsault but Cole kicked him in the face as he was in rotation, upside down. Dunne kicked out at the last second, which FINALLY woke the crowd up. They popped and chanted “NXT” loudly.
Cole went to the ropes for Panama Sunrise but was killed with a forearm to the face. Dunne nailed another sit-down powerbomb but Cole kicked up before the three count. Great stuff. They battled to the outside, where Cole hit the Panama Sunrise on the apron. Cole covered Dunne, who kicked out. Dunne grabbed Cole’s fingers and snapped them. Cole countered a move with the Panama Sunrise and hit the Last Shot, scoring the pin.
Your winner and still WWE NXT Champion, Adam Cole!
This was just a tremendous match. The crowd was on their hands quiet after the last few matches but as they built the bout and went into the near-falls, they caught the imagination of the crowd and took them on a ride. Dunne and Cole each had stellar performances here.
The Undisputed Era came out to celebrate with Cole.