NXT Championship Match
(C) Bobby Roode Vs. Hideo Itami
After a quick lock-up, Roode forces Itami against the ropes before being forced to break. Itami responds by grabbing Roode for the GTS but Bobby slides down and runs out of the ring like a bat out of hell. Back in the ring, Roode with a headlock, taking Itami to one knee and wrenching it in. Itami whips him into the ropes and hits a nice back elbow to take Roode down.
Hideo with a headlock to ground Roode, but the Champion backs him in the corner to force the break, then catches him with shoulder thrusts. Itami ducks a chop, throws a hard one of his own but then walks right into a boot. The two exchange hard chops, which Itami gets the better of.
Itami with a snapmare into a Penalty Kick, then knee drops to the face. Hideo takes his knee pad down but then hops over Roode and hits the disrespectful mule kick to the head. Mocking the Glorious pose, Itami then knee’s Roode in the gut, elbows to the gut in the corner and right hands to the head.
Irish whip reversed by Hideo who gets the boot up, then a tornado DDT blocked, Roode with a back elbow and a diving blockbuster into mounted punches. Choking the challenger over the middle rope and kicking the rope when ordered to break, chops in the corner, whip, corner lariat, bulldog headlock to a swinging neckbreaker and grinding him down with a rear chinlock.
Bobby catches Itami with a knee to the midsection, trying another neckbreaker, backslide reversal, only two. Big lariat lays Hideo out, a disdainful slap straightens him up and he cracks a huge one across Roode’s face! More kicks, off the ropes, single leg dropkick to the face!
Itami starts to fire-up with a lariat and a snap suplex! Hideo looking for the fireman’s carry but Roode has it scouted and throws him into the turnbuckles. Itami dodges a charge and Bobby takes the ringpost shoulder first hard!
.@HideoItami goes AIRBORNE in an effort to flatten the champ! @REALBobbyRoode #NXTChampionship #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/9YCZfJ6C6g
— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2017
Hideo with hard kicks to the arm, Bobby dodges one but Itami blocks the schoolboy by grabbing the arm and turning it into a Fujiwara armbar! Roode out, thinking Glorious DDT, Hideo jams him in the corner to block and sets him up top. Climbing after him, the champion firing shots to knock him down, looking for the blockbuster but the challenger sidesteps.
A nice Falcon’s Arrow from Itami for a near-fall. More kicks to the injured shoulder, targeting it. Charge, Roode catches him with the spinebuster but his arm is jacked so he can’t get any spin on it! One-armed Glorious taunt but his shoulder gives out on the clutch! Fireman’s carry, Bobby gets the ropes and is just barely able to counter Stunner Itami over the top rope.
Roode takes him outside and throws him into the barricade as the referee counts but Hideo is able to throw Roode bad shoulder first into the steel steps! Hesitation dropkick from Itami but Roode moves out of the way. Both men in agony, Bobby clutching his shoulder, Itami clutching his leg, the referee breaks the count to check on them and then restarts it.
One can argue there isn’t ANYBODY in all of @WWENXT who strikes harder…or LOUDER than @HideoItami! #NXTTakeOver #NXTChampionship pic.twitter.com/Lux9NIU7XC
— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2017
Roode to his feet first, rolling back in, but Itami follows soon after. They trade blows, Itami gets a strike rush off, hard slaps to the face, and backs Roode in the corner and this time lands the hesitations dropkick! He’s limping but Itami grabs Roode for the GTS. His leg gives out and Roode counters with a Glorious DDT for a near-fall! Probably helped that Roode couldn’t make the cover right away.
#GTS! But @REALBobbyRoode STILL manages to AVOID the pin! @HideoItami #NXTTakeOver #NXTChampionship pic.twitter.com/wvp4ya18YX
— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2017
Both emn get back to their base and Itami catches Roode with a quick GTS but Roode rolls to the outside! Itami rolls him back in but it’s been too long and Roode kicks out! Hideo drags him up again, Roode slips out to a sunset flip, Itami reverses to a pin of his own, no good! Glorious DDT hooked again, Itami slips out and slaps Roode repeatedly. He removes the knee pad again and looks for the GTS but Roode lands on his feet and hits the Glorious DDT! But he holds onto it, picks Hideo up and hits another for good measure!!
Winner: Bobby Roode
#NXTTakeOver: Chicago proves to be a #GLORIOUS evening for your winner AND STILL the #NXTChampion, @REALBobbyRoode! pic.twitter.com/LdHf2Hy1VP
— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2017
We’re shown Kevin Owens at ringside, as well as Sami Zayn, Pat Patterson and Kassius Ohno.
