MATCH 4: PAIGE © VS. EMMA (NXT WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP)
Emma won her #1 contendership about 6 months ago and since then has held on to it. She's beaten Natalya and Alicia Fox in NXT, both former Divas champions on the main roster. Paige comes out to a better reaction than Emma and her reign currently stands at 218 days. Stephanie McMahon wishes both of the women luck before exiting the ring. Both women look focused but Paige feels that Emma makes a mockery of the business she grew up in and loved.
The bell rings and Paige walks right up in Emma's face to talk some shit. Emma gets shoved but shoves back, before Paige piefaces her. Emma gets the double leg takedown and we get a catfight. Paige has a slight strength advantage over Emma, but her temper gets the better of her for a moment as the referee forces her to release Emma in the corner. Paige still wants to fight and hits a spinning back kick to Emma's midsection. Paige Turner attempt is reversed into a backslide but Paige kicks out, Emma has to improvise and does so both women can stand back up in backsliding position. Emma unhooks her arm and spins out to take Paige down again, Emma goes for the catapult but Paige is able to lower her centre of gravity and sits down on the Victory Roll for a nearfall. Paige back to her feet and she hits a running dropkick for a second nearfall. Regal says it'll be hard for either woman to get an advantage because they know each other so well as Paige brings Emma to her feet and scoop slams her down for another nearfall in the opening minutes. Paige keeps Emma on the mat with a reverse chinlock as the fans start chanting for both women.
Emma tries to roll out of the hold but Paige keeps the leverage. Emma does make it back to her feet but she's taken down again before she can escape. Fans now more on Emma's side as she fights to her feet again, but a clubbing blow to the back keeps Paige one step ahead of her challenger. Emma is able to get behind Paige and she gets a waistlock, but Paige runs to the corner and sandwiches Emma in there for a bombardment of elbows. Emma falls seated in the corner and Paige chokes her with her boot. Emma grabs Paige's ankle and gets to her feet before swinging Paige's leg away. Now Paige is in the corner, and Emma looks for the Emma sandwich, but Paige gets the boot up! Emma catches that and brings Paige out of the corner, catapult by Emma but Paige kicks her off before she can get the Emmalock. Emma hits her throat on the middle corner so Paige takes advantage. Paige goes out to the apron and hits a sequence of knees to Emma's chest. Emma comes back and attacks Paige but the cameraman missed it. All we know is she lands on the apron and it really fucking hurts. Regal asks what happened but gets ignored.
Emma drags Paige back to the middle of the ring and covers but is only able to get a nearfall. Emma goes for a breather in the corner, but Paige is back to her feet and charged. Emma moves out of the way and locks in the DilEmma on Paige! (Tajiri's Tarantula hold) but has to break it since it uses the ropes. Paige slumps down in the corner again and this time Emma hits the Emma sandwich! 1, 2, no! William Regal asks Tom Phillips if he wants a royalty check for every time he says Emma, nice. Emma keeps the pressure on by holding her knee in Paige's back, pulling her shoulders back. Paige is able to turn herself out of the hold and to her feet, but Emma spins it 360 degrees and sits behind Paige for the second hold, applying more pressure and making it harder for the champion to escape. Emma lifts one of her legs and uses it to apply pressure to Paige's head and neck in this submission hold, and Paige is down on the mat. Emma keeps the arms back though and stretches at Paige's shoulder from that angle too. Paige makes it to her feet but doesn't get out of the hold as Emma stretches her legs into Paige's middle back. Emma is known for her submission moves in NXT and she's showing that here. Keeping Paige at bay nicely. The referee counted Emma's shoulder to the mat for 1, but she rolls it up. Emma gets bored of her submission so she shoves Paige with her feet, sending her face first to the mat and covering for another 2 count.
Emma sends Paige across the ring and she lands in the corner, Emma chokes at Paige with her boot and stomps a crater in her breastplate. Emma brings Paige away from the ropes and covers, 1, 2, no. Emma's looking more determined now, maybe a little annoyed she's not been able to put Paige away as she brings the champion to her feet. Paige reverses an irish whip attempt into the corner, but she has to find her balance. Emma escapes to the apron as Paige hits the corner. Paige swings with a hard forearm but her shoulders stop her getting all of it. Emma blocks Paige slamming her head on the turnbuckle but Paige isn't so lucky. Emma climbs to the middle rope on the outside and brings Paige up. They fight above the ring, with Emma blocking a superplex attempt from Paige. Emma rains down with lefts and rights before attempting a sunset flip. Paige holds on to the top rope, but Emma is able to walk her out of the corner and hits a sitout powerbomb! 1, 2, 2.5, NO! Both women are down after the effects of that big move. We get a replay just as Emma is getting to her feet and she hits a running dropkick to Paige. Another nearfall follows and we almost miss it thanks to a replay. There was a chant throughout the whole double-down spot that I didn't quite catch. Emma talks trash to Paige as they're struggling to get to their feet, shoving her and telling her to give up. Paige comes back with a slap and a jumping clothesline. PAIGETURNER! 1, 2, NO! Emma kicked out of it and Paige can't believe it. Paige is able to get out of her shocked state quick enough to lock Emma in a front facing sharpshooter and presses down on Emma's lower back. Paige locks each arm and lifts Emma off the mat, forcing her to tap out.
WINNER: STILL CHAMPION – PAIGE
This match built nicely off their last clash. A majority of it was spent in grinding submission holds, which works with Emma's story of (legitimately) being trained by Lance Storm in Calgary, it gives a reason for her to slow matches down like that, but it took me out of it sometimes. All of it took place in the ring or on the apron, which has been a nice change of pace for this show, especially with the craziness that ladder matches conjure up in people's minds. Emma looked strong in defeat here, getting the best of the champion frequently, but Paige had to resort to Emma's playbook to pick up the victory with the Scorpion Crosslock. I'll rate it 4.2/10
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