3:09
(energetic upbeat music) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music continues) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music continues) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music continues) Let's go to our ring announcer, Mike Rome. (bell ringing) The following contest scheduled for one fall. One fall! Is for the NXT Women's North American Championship.
(crowd cheering) Introducing the Challenger, representing the Culling, Tatum Paxley. (crowd cheering) Tatum, Tatum, Tatum! And her opponent. She is the NXT Women's North American Champion, Sol Roca! (crowd cheering) Well, Booker, you and I have talked about this, but Graves, I want to come to you because it's been a very busy summer for Sol Ruca. Sol, Sol, Sol, Sol! Do you believe that she's, and I hate to say it, maybe taking on too much? There have been moments where I fear that might be the case for Sol Ruca, but I also think she may be that rare type of competitor
who thrives under pressure. (bell rings) And the more pressure Sol Ruca can find, the better she gets. This is a woman who meets the moment every time the bell rings and is showing no signs of slowing down. Interesting stat coming into this matchup. Sol Ruca this year, fourthmost wins at 14 in the WWE. She's trailing Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Stephanie Vaquer. Booker, what is the strategy for Sol Ruca here tonight against a former, well, friend in Tatum Paxley? I can tell you what the strategy is, but Sol Ruca better not have one.
Cover, cover, cover, cover! Hold on! Better not have one lapse of focus in this matchup tonight because this could be a major, major upset, guy. Sol Ruca, 107 days as champion. And this unique submission being executed by Paxley. Paxley's doing a nice job also keeping her shoulders off the mat. Great job by. Well, wait a minute. Wait a minute, guy! I spoke too soon, getting her shoulders up that time. Big right hand from the champion who's trying to turn things right around into a submission maybe of her own.
And Booker, in regards to Ruca and Tatum as friends, is she getting a true lesson in DTA? Don't trust anyone. That's what it's all about. I'm going to tell you right now. The odds are in the favor of Tatum Paxley tonight, guy, with the Culling being out here, that's just my opinion. Well, the waves are starting to go here which Sol Ruca, been riding a wave of momentum since she arrived and bam! Big drop kick, wow! And Ruca now measuring, charging.
Nice counter there by the challenger. Paxley able to block it once and now Sol looking on. And oh, X marks the spot! Why not go for the cover, Graves? And shot spears! And there's Zaria. The Culling though, outnumbering Zaria on the outside. (arguing and yelling) Wait, wait, wait, watch Sol! Sol just wiped out the Culling! Can Sol remain champion? Who's walking out with the title? Paxley, Paxley, Paxley!
This is our main event wherever you're watching around the world. It's for a women's North American championship. The champion right now just hung out to drive by the Challenger, Tatum Paxley. And Paxley now getting the champion right back up and going right to work. Paxley, of course, pinned Zaria in Houston and Graves, has the Culling really been the difference maker for Tatum Paxley? I think we'll ultimately get our answer by the result of this matchup there. Paxley seems to have been in search of something that has been found within the Culling.
Is it a family atmosphere? I don't necessarily know that, what Paxley was lacking, but she's being very effective at the moment. Nico called her an asset last week, and Booker, it's hard to argue that. I believe Tatum Paxley is a very valuable asset. Hold on here guys. Another kick out by the challenger. Very unpredictable. And I'm going to tell you right now, she's got a lot of talent and she pulls it all together, baby.
Covered by the challenger, title on the line. And Sol just getting that right shoulder off the mat. Paxley needs to slow down the pace, stay the course. She's in control, but Sol Ruca, we've seen in the past, will capitalize on the slightest of opportunities, the slightest of openings. Paxley can't afford that tonight. One thing Sol Ruca does very well just because of her uncanny athleticism, she can make anything happen out of anywhere around the ring, she's really able to use her environment to her advantage, to your point, Graves,
right now, Tatum Paxley trying to wear down the champion. Zaria looking on from the outside could be a huge night for Tatum Paxley and the Culling. And oh, throat first went Sol Ruca. And the Culling right now, Booker, all smiles here in front of us as Paxley rolling into another cover and another near fall. This is like what I was talking about right there. Tatum Paxley, she has a crew out here. She has a hell of a team behind her. That right there, that one little thing is what could catapult her into that next one.
Oh, great, big double thrust to the top, top of the throat right there. Tatum Paxley brought her A game tonight. No doubt about it as the NXT universe tries to rally behind the champion Sol Ruca. Beautiful! NXT Universe has been fired up at a fever pitch all night long. This is our second championship matchup of the night. And now Tatum Paxley trying to continue to work in on Sol Ruca right in front of the Culling. Wearing down the champion is the challenger. Are we going to see a new champion tonight?
Sol Ruca's done her best to weather the storm. Tatum Paxley has been able to stay on top of the champion for the most part. And Booker, you know as well as I do, Tatum Paxley has been obsessed with two things over the last year. Friendship and championship into the cover. Hooking legs! Oh baby! She came damn close to putting gold around her waist! So close! What a match this has been, Graves, and it's been all Tatum Paxley. Sol Ruca understanding the assignment, leaving it all on the outside of the ring, taking out the Culling. But Paxley would capitalize with a neck breaker across the middle rope,
which actually I believe might have affected Ruca's lower back worse than her neck. Either way, very dangerous, very effective from the challenger. Yeah, Paxley who pinned Zaria in Houston. It was last week. Izzi brought up a fair point that Tatum didn't pin the champion. Nonetheless, Izzi Dame who was stunned in the moment. It is what it is. She is here showing support with the rest of the Culling because gold could be coming back home courtesy of Tatum Paxley. And you just see the look of pain on the face of the champion.
We're talking about Tatum Paxley right there. She's very unorthodox right here. Got Sol Ruca in a bad position. The champion tried her best to counter. Paxley was unable to hook the leg of the champion in that submission, which is what allowed Sol to escape and perhaps turn the tides in this one. That DDT counter with a nice cartwheel. And this is what you were talking about, Graves. Just the ability to have a counter for a counter with just natural God-given athleticism. What Sol Ruca brings to the table night after night, big time kick by the champion.
Nice combination offense. Who will be champion in Philadelphia in two weeks on August 19th, and for that matter, our next premium live event, there'll be a Heat Wave in Laura on August the 24th. Right now it looks like it's going to be Sol Ruca charging right back through. Bam! Sol Ruca kick under the jaw. Paxley's rocked. Tatum coming back in. Big rude awakening tight neck breaker from Sol. And Ruca now measuring the challenger. Bam! Charging in.
Hoisted up. Oh. Backpack style. Is it going to be enough, flipping in! Oh baby! Out of it! Kick up by Tatum Paxley is this matchup. Continuing big knee! There was some heat behind that one. What a combination by Sol Ruca, guys. Ruca continues to add wrinkles to her repertoire as we talk about all the time, about how important it is, but so has Paxley. We see Tatum Paxley use the apron to help her step up into that instaguri. And now Moonsault with a twist. Oh my goodness!
Cover for the title! Next! And another near fall! Whisper in the wind-esque! Tatum Paxley. Izzi's beside herself. Tatum's pushing Sol Ruca to the limit tonight, guys. This is awesome! Yes it is!` This is awesome! This is your main event for the Women's North American title. Izzi Dame, the Culling out here. Trying to rally behind Tatum Paxley to bring gold back to the Culling. Sol Ruca, the champion, hoping to make it today 108 as champion with Zaria here supporting her and both women now in a precarious position. And I don't know if you guys saw that.
Tatum just had a grin on her face. Tatum trying to hoist up Sol. Champion able to block. What's on the mind now is Sol Ruca. We're the highway district. Oh yes, baby! A great power bomb! Wow! Gnarly landing for Paxley, high across her shoulders in the base of her neck. That could spell the beginning of the end for the challenger. Look at the champion looking over to Zaria. She could be maybe entering the zone of destruction looking for a spear. No one there.
Trapped in the post! Could be it, guys! Challenger, rolling on the champion! Another near fall! Paxley so close to manufacturing the win here, man, so close to a victory!` Paxley is so close, right now hoisting up and. Wow! Count, count, and another near fall again! Counter for counter, catches Paxley, challenger just fell, champion rising back to her feet. What does Sol Ruca have left in her bag of tricks to retain the Women's North American title? Able to land on her feet coming right back in.
Wasn't a full spear, though, Graves, was a mini one, still effective. Piling all the breath out of the challenger, Tatum Paxley. Capoeira style kick again from Sol Ruca to the outside effortlessly. Here comes the champion. Whoa! Fatigue maybe settling in. Sol Ruca though is able to catch herself at the last moment and pop right back up. That freakish athleticism possessed by the champion, the ability to think on her feet in the air, mid-maneuver. And if at first you don't succeed, you try and try again.
But oh, Tatum Paxley with the counter. Whoa, whoa, whoa! No, no, no, no, no! I don't know if that was a counter or a neck breaker! But damn it, it was effective, Paxley though can't get into the cover, so much taken out of the challenger. She can't roll over into the cover. This is awesome! What's happening is some sort of disagreement within the Culling between Spears and Izzi. There's chaos on the ramp. What the hell? That's Nia Jax! And I think Tatum Paxley just looked at Izzi Dame, shaking her head, taking her for the down.
And on the outside we saw bashing, what the hell is going on? No time for those. Big Pumpkin. All security's getting dropped! We still got a championship match. Tatum with the Ultimate Equalizer. Wow! Through the barricade, back in the ring! Sol Snatcher, Sol Snatcher! And Ruca just snatched another soul! (bell ringing and audience cheering) Here's your winner and still the NXT Women's North American Champion, Sol Ruca! (upbeat music continues) I can't get over what has happened here tonight.
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