ADRIAN NEVILLE VS. FINN BALOR

During the celebration, the feed is hijacked telling us to tune in next week. However that doesn't stop Blake & Murphy's theme making my ears bleed. The video for the next match shows the NXT Championship #1 contenders tournament that took place over episodes #261 & 262 leading to this finals match. Adrian Neville enters first and Rich Brennan talks about his NXT Championship run lasting from NXT Arrival almost a year ago, until NXT R: Evolution. Finn Balor makes his entrance in his usual TakeOver Demon bodypaint. If you haven't seen Finn Balor's NXT TakeOver entrance do you a favour and watch it now. 

(That was the best I could find, credit to the original Youtube uploader.)

MATCH 4: ADRIAN NEVILLE VS. FINN BALOR (#1 CONTENDERS NCT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL)

  Neville avoids a charge at the bell and takes Balor down with a headlock. Balor tries to get to his feet so Neville brings him back over. Balor does get to his feet on the second try and sends Neville across the ring, but Neville runs him over. Neville takes Balor down with another headlock as Albert mentions these guys having history all over the world before the commentators all agree that none of that matters. Balor rolls Neville over but only gets a 1 before he gets to his feet. Neville drops to a knee to avoid being sent across the ring again, Neville takes Balor over with a headlock. Balor tries to roll Neville over, but can't get his shoulders to the mat so he attempts a headlock of his own on the mat, Neville applies a headscissors so Balor kicks out. Balor barges Neville down but Neville kips straight back up! Neville trips Balor, Balor gets to his feet but Neville gets a sunset flip, Balor rolls through and hits a dropkick on a seated Neville! The pace definitely picked up there.

  Adrian Neville rolls to the outside to slow it back down. Balor looks on for a moment before going to dive out of the ring, but Neville quickly slides back in. Balor helps Neville run the ropes before catching him off guard with a standing dropkick. Neville rolls outside again, Balor decides to dive but this time Neville meets him with a forearm from the apron. Neville hits a springboard dropkick. Neville covers but only gets a one count. Adrian Neville gets a chinlock, keeping Balor on the mat. When Balor gets to his feet Neville brings him back down with a headlock. Balor rolls Neville over for a 1 count, but Neville keeps him on the mat as Graves says this match could come down to who gets an ariel assault first. Balor gets back to his feet and elbows his way free but runs into a clothesline. Adrian Neville gets another 2 count. Neville kicks Balor in the corner and chokes him with the boot. Neville drops his elbow on Balor's head before applying another chinlock. Balor struggles to his feet and gets a couple of shots in on Neville, but Neville sends him into the corner. Balor avoids a running boot, escaping over the top rope to the apron, hitting Neville with a chop. Balor springs onto the top rope, but is knocked back down to the apron with a dropkick! Adrian Neville brings Balor back into the ring with a delayed vertical suplex and gets a nearfall.

  Adrian Neville goes back to braining Balor with his elbow and gets a chinlock on the mat as we see a replay of the dropkick. Balor is back on his feet again and he hits Neville with rights. Balor reverses an irish whip into the corner but runs into Neville's boot. Adrian Neville seats himself on the top rope, but before he has a chance to get comfortable Finn Balor sends him to the floor with an enziguri! Third time's the charm for Balor as he takes Neville out with a suicide Swanton dive. Adrian Neville scrambles into the ring as fast as he can, and all the way through back out to the floor. Finn Balor stalks him, and sends him into the barricade with a running dropkick! Adrian Neville's back opened up the barricade! Luckily it wasn't the other way around. Balor sends Neville back into the ring, Neville gets to his feet as Balor is on the top turnbuckle, double stomp to the back of Neville's head! Balor covers, 1, 2, no! Balor can't capitalise out of shock and we see a replay of the dropkick and double stomp. Neville fights out of the inverted lifting DDT and Balor runs into a combination of kicks, Balor dodges the running kick and ducks a clothesline pele! Neville strikes back with a superkick! They're both down for a count.

  Neville stirs first and he's on his feet at 7, Balor isn't far behind. Neville rocks Balor with a forearm, Balor swings with one of his own but misses, GERMAN SUPLEX BY NEVILLE! Adrian Neville hits a second, this time with a bridge but Balor kicks out before 3. Adrian Neville has no idea how as Balor really favouring his neck now. Adrian Neville slowly sets Balor up for an attack from the corner, he climbs to the second rope and hits a Phoenix splash! 1, 2, no! Finn Balor struggles to his feet in the corner as Neville waits for him. Neville hits a running back elbow in the corner, Balor follows Neville out but is caught with a forearm as Neville spins around. Adrian Neville runs into a slingblade! Finn Balor brings Neville to his feet for an inverted lifting DDT and hits it! 1, 2, 2 ½ no! Balor drags Neville near the corner and starts climbing the ropes, Neville grabs at Balor's ankle. Balor breaks free from Neville's grasp with rights and elbows but Neville hits him with an enziguri! Adrian Neville slams Balor back down and climbs to the top rope. Balor gets back to his feet so Neville has to jump over him and hits him with a roundhouse kick. Neville goes back to the top and Red Arrow lands! On Balor's knees! He rolls Neville up, but Neville kicks out at the last second! Finn Balor charges at Neville with a dropkick, sending the back of his head into the middle turnbuckle, Balor climbs to the top rope, Coup de Grace stomp! 1, 2 3!

WINNER: FINN BALOR (#1 CONTENDER NXT CHAMPIONSHIP)

This match had a lot of the same problems that the last one did, with constant nearfalls and close-calls being the finish of the match. Having one is bad enough but two, and in a row, should be a crime. This match seemed stuck to a certain gear for me. For most of it they were restricted to mat work. The commentators gave very good and logical reasoning for it, but it made a chunk of the match seem meh. When they were let loose a bit they had some nice moves in, with them each taking a good amount of punishment, but scouting each other well, too. WORKRATE: 2.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.25/5 OVERALL 4.75/10

Finn Balor celebrates over his opponent before allowing Neville to his feet. The fans chant for them to hug it out but they decide on a gentlemen's' handshake instead. Adrian Neville leaves looking disappointed. Finn Balor continues to celebrate as we see highlights of the match.

This match is available on WWE's release NXT's Greatest Matches Volume 1 available on DVD here or on Blu Ray here