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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of NXT Takeover: New Orleans!
We start with the kickoff show, and our hosts are Charly Caruso, Sam Roberts, and Pat McAfee.
They start by talking about how great it is to be a part of Wrestlemania weekend, then run down tonight's card.
Kayla Braxton is outside with a bunch of rabid NXT fans, and ask them about who they want to win each of tonight's matches, then we go to a video package hyping the Women's Title match between Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler. We see both ladies arriving at the building earlier today, then the panel talks about how close Shayna came to winning the title last time. Sam says Shayna has come a long way in the three months since the first match and feels like a different wrestler. Pat has worked through injuries before, and respects how Ember Moon is working through the injury, and it'll be a great moment if she's able to retain tonight. Charly says Shanya's been running roughshod, and asks Sam if she's a worthy champion, and Sam isn't sure the division would be proud of her, but it's about winning matches, and the champion should be the one who wins the most matches. Shayna doesn't care about making friends, she only cares about winning and being the champion.
The panel moves on to talk about the North American Title, and we see a video package of William Regal announcing the creation of the title and selecting the participants in tonight's match, and comments from each of the men in the match. Back to the panel, and Sam talks about what's going to happen when all these high level competitors wind up in the same ring tonight. Pat puts over the strengths of each man and says this could steal the show tonight. Adam Cole joins the panel, and Charly says he has a big night tonight since he's wrestling in two title matches tonight. Adam says tonight is a travesty, and everyone knew he had his hands full with the North American Title match, and now he has to defend the tag title instead. Pat is just getting some news in his earpiece, and that's that the first match on the show is the North American Title match, and if this changes his strategy for tonight. Cole says they shocked the system when they came in, and tonight will be the biggest challenge in their group's night because they always come out on top. Sam says this isn't ideal, but he wants to know what he thought would happen when they interrupted the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Cole says they wanted to prove they're the best team in NXT, and nobody deserves the Dusty Cup and the tag title except them. Cole gets into it with Pat and calls him a punter, then ditches out on the panel.
Charly turns our attention to the three way match for both the NXT Tag Team Title and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and then we hit the video package. Cathy is backstage with Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne, and Strong says tonight is huge because he's wanted to be a champion since he got here, and when he was looking for someone he thuoght could have his back and trust, he found Pete Dunne. Dunne says Undisputed Era put their foot in their mouth when they got involved in their business, and tonight he's going to put his foot in their mouth. Cathy asks if they're worried about the Authors of Pain, and Strong says of course they are, but they'll bring the fight to the AoP. Dunne just says they'll finish what they started.
Back to the panel, and Sam says this is a high caliber match for both the Dusty Cup and the tag title. Pat says Strong and Dunne have chemistry, but there's something to teams who have been together for a long time and that's to the advantage of the AoP and Undisputed Era. Charly says the AoP have already won both the Dusty Cup and the tag title, so they know what they're doing out there. Sam says it's been a long time since they've won either, and they're not here to be anything other than champions. Sam says if the AoP can do what they do, they take it home. Pat says he's not so sure Undisputed Era can hold it together, and his money is on the AoP as well.
The panel turns to the unsanctioned match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, and we see a video package showing their history as DIY, their breakup, and how Ciampa has terrorized Johnny since then. We see Johnny backstage signing a hold harmless agreement for tonight's match since he's not an employee of WWE right now, then the panel has Candice LeRae with them, and Charly asks her what it's like for them right now. Candice says this is like the Twilight Zone because they were roommates and Tommaso was a part of their wedding. He's like a sociopath that just appeared one day, and NXT means everything to Johnny, and Tommaso took all that away. Johnny hasn't been the same, and it's unsettling how calm he's been this weekend as opposed to the energetic, nervous guy he usually is before big matches. Pat says Johnny has everything to lose here, and Tommaso doesn't. It could be bye bye Johnny tonight if Tommaso wins in a match with no rules. Sam asks if Johnny's fighting for his career or revenge, and Candice says he's fighting for his dream. Tommaso isn't his brother or best friend like Johnny thought he was, he's a dragon Johnny needs to slay to move on. Charly asks if Candice is worried about his health, and Candice says it's a gamble, and she doesn't have to agree, but she supports his choices, and she hopes for the best but is prepared for the worst. She really just wants her husband back. Referee Drake Wuertz comes on the show to clarify that his only role in this match is to either count to three or call a tapout. Pat says there's no rules, so what is his role out there? Drake says this is new ground for him, and he's just there to call a winner. Sam asks what it was like apologizing for counting the pinfall that ended his career, and he admits he made a bad call. Sam says asks if he'll be able to call a Ciampa win tonight in light of that, and Drake says yes he will. Back to the panel as Candice takes a long moment as Charly says it's hard to find the words to express the position they're in tonight, but they all hope things work out for the best for them.
We throw it to Mauro, Nigel, and Percy as they run down tonight's card, then it's back to the panel to talk about the main event for the NXT Title between Andrade "Cien" Almas and Aleister Black. We hit the video package, then back to the panel, who are joined by Drew McIntyre on the one year anniversary since his return. He's been rehabbing the injury, but since it happened, he asked what John Cena would do, and he's been following exactly the same path he did during his injury rehabs. Sam asks Drew how he's been as champion, and Drew says he's cocky, but he gets the job done. He dropped him on his head and tore his bicep off to beat him, but he'll be back and won't just take his arm, he'll take his head. Pat asks if Aleister Black will kick Andrade's head off his head, and Drew says it's irrelevant because he's focused on being the best champion NXT can have. Charly asks which he'd rather face, Drew says it doesn't matter because he's coming for Andrade, and if Black wins tonight, he'll come for him after getting done with Andrade.
The panel gives us the final pitch, and then it's time for NXT Takeover - New Orleans to begin!
NXT Takeover - New Orleans begins on Page 2!
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