Tonight is the first NXT: Takeover pay-per-view event in the brand's new direction. This is the third evolution of the Takeover series, which originally started as WWE Network specials originating from Full Sail University, where NXT makes it's regular home.

Then NXT entered a world where they traveled to London for a special, and started to attach themselves to WWE's major pay-per-views, like Survivor Series, Summer Slam, Royal Rumble, and Wrestlemania.

But this NXT Takeover is the first time the brand will share a weekend with a general brand-exclusive WWE pay-per-view. This weekend is WWE Smackdown's Backlash pay-per-view in Chicago, where Takeover will also be. You could almost argue that this NXT event has as much hype with hardcore pro wrestling fans as Backlash does.

Here is the card for tonight's NXT Takeover:

  • Bobby Roode (champion) vs. Hideo Itami - Singles match for the NXT Championship
  • Asuka (champion) vs. Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross - Triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship
  • The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) (champions) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) - Ladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
  • Tyler Bate (champion) vs. Pete Dunne - Singles match for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
  • Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young - Singles grudge match

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