Raquel Gonzalez has been saying for weeks that she would come into NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver and take down Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship. Tonight, she did just that, shocking her opponent and coming away with a win to become the new champion.
By any means necessary. #NXTTakeOver #NXTWomensTitle @RaquelWWE @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/EIUear2igB
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 8, 2021
In a match that took place throughout nearly the entire ring and up along the ramp, Gonzalez and Shirai brawled from the very start of the match. At one point, Shirai even climbed atop the giant skull placed at the top of the ramp, and jumped down on top of Gonzalez in a stunning move. Late in the match, though, Gonzalez finally rallied, and was able to gain some momentum towards the end of things.
.@shirai_io is doing whatever she has to do to defeat @RaquelWWE
and retain the #WWENXT Women's Championship! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/iiCGEhSNlS— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2021
After surviving a moonsault from Shirai, Gonzalez landed a huge one-armed powerbomb outside of the ring to her opponent that changed things. Gonzalez then dragged Shirai back into the ring and yelled at her to stay down, before landed a big palm strike that she quickly followed up with a clothesline and another one-armed powerbomb for the win.
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