Bayley wins Iron Man Match to keep NXT Women's Championship
Thursday 8 October 2015 18:08, UK
Bayley remains NXT Women's Champion after besting Sasha Banks in an epic 30-Minute Iron Man Match at TakeOver: Respect.
Bayley forced Banks to verbally submit seconds before the allotted time elapsed to win 3-2 and keep hold of the strap she won by beating The Boss in an equally enthralling bout in Brooklyn in August.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were the first to congratulate the teary competitors, while the entire NXT locker room applauded from the entrance ramp at the end of a pulsating contest in Orlando.
Former NXT Divas Charlotte and Becky Lynch were at ringside for the match and saw Banks take an early 1-0 lead by pinning Bayley after poking her in the eye while the referee's back was turned.
Bayley tied proceedings after clobbering Banks with a Bayley-to-Belly suplex but was behind once again when she was thundered into the steel ring steps to lose the third fall via count-out.
However, after rolling Banks up to equalise, Bayley wriggled out of a Bank Statement to lock in her own submission manoeuvre and make Banks quit.
Elsewhere, reigning NXT Champion Finn Balor and Samoa Joe emerged victorious in the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic after overcoming Rhyno and Baron Corbin in the final.
Balor and Joe, winners against Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder in their semi-final, triumphed when Balor hit a Coup de Grace on Rhyno after Joe had flattened the veteran with a Muscle Buster.
Rhyno and Corbin, who edged Jason Jordan and Chad Gable in the last four, gave their opponents a scare but saw their hopes of victory dissipate when Joe kicked out of a Gore.
Asuka, meanwhile, defeated Dana Brooke in her debut NXT encounter, and Apollo Crews vanquished Tyler Breeze with a Powerbomb after squirming free of Prince Pretty's Sharpshooter attempt.
