WWE NXT TakeOver: 31 Results

On a night in which some of the best in-ring talent in the world were in action, the consensus is that the black and gold brand delivered once again with NXT TakeOver: 31.

Only five matches took place at the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida but each bout had a different feel than the one that came before.

The show opened with Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano for the North American Championship and Johnny Wrestling extended his TakeOver losing streak as The Archer Of Infamy put him away with the Reckoning.

Kushida vs. The Velveteen Dream was the next match on the card and The Hustle Supernova continued to show his new aggressive side as he attacked his opponent before the bell. The six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion then used his technical prowess to wear down his opponent and eventually force Dream to tap out to the Hoverboard Lock. Kushida wasn't done there, though, as he attacked Velveteen after the bell.

Santos Escobar and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott then put on a heart-stopping display as both men exchanged high flying offence and near falls before the champion picked up with the win with a Double Underhook Knee. A rematch is seemingly on the cards, however, as Scott had the title won before he hit his head off the metal part of the turnbuckle in the latter stages.

The NXT Women's Title was put on the line in the semi-main event and Candice LeRae used every trick in the book to try and defeat The Genius Of The Sky, including her husband acting as a referee and using the title belt as a weapon. It wasn't to be for The Poison Pixie, though, and Io Shirai retained the championship with her patented Moonsault.

There was even more drama after the bell as Toni Storm suddenly appeared on the titantron to announce she was returning to NXT. She isn't the only returning Superstar coming for the NXT Women's Title, though, as the mystery former NXT Champion teased in recent weeks was revealed as Ember Moon.

In the main event, Kyle O'Reilly and Finn Balor put on a highly technical match which left both men bloody after the bell. The match didn't rely on weapons and The Prince and O'Reilly grappled back and forth and worked over each other's limbs throughout the contest until Balor was able to connect with the Coup De Grace for the 1-2-3.

Both men showed each other some respect after the bell, but the attention was taken away from the Superstars in the ring as Ridge Holland suddenly appeared at ringside with Adam Cole draped across his shoulders to end the show.

Check out the results for NXT TakeOver: 31 below: • Damian Priest def. Johnny Gargano - North American Championship• Kushida def. The Velveteen Dream • Santos Escobar def. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott - Cruiserweight Championship• Io Shirai def. Candice LeRae - NXT Women's Championship• Finn Balor def. Kyle O'Reilly - NXT Championship