Paige vs Emma (NXT, 2-27-2014)

NXT ArRIVAL, Winter Park, FL

Paige defends the NXT women’s championship against Emma at the first NXT WWE Network special in February 2014, when the Network was still in its infancy. Fitting, as the two were finalists in the NXT women’s title tournament in 2013.

Paige gets right in Emma’s face, shoves her, Emma shoves back, Paige piefaces her, takedown from Emma! Paige rolls it over and they’re FIGHTIN. Hell yeah! This is fiery right away!

Paige with a kick to the stomach, goes for the Paige Turner, Emma reverses into a pin attempt. More aggressive grappling. Emma goes for the slingshot, Paige blocks for a quick count. Paige with a running kick, two count.

Paige with some hair pulling, scoop and a slam. Chinlock from Paige as the dueling chants start. Emma stands it up, Paige takes her right back down in the chinlock. You can see the differences in character between their 2013 tournament final and this one. Paige is far more aggressive, far more vocal, Emma a good deal less “bubbly,” far more serious here than she was even in the tournament final.

Paige really working the chinlock. She releases and clubs with a forearm to the back. Another scoop slam attempt from Paige, Emma counters and takes it to the corner, where Paige turns it around and throws her back elbows. Boot choke in the corner. Emma grabs the foot, stands up, and trips Paige down to the canvas.

Emma with the slingshot setup and goes for the Emma-Lock, Paige knocks her away. Paige with some knees to the chest and head with Emma draped over the middle rope. But Emma comes back with a something the camera totally missed, knocking Paige down on the apron. I assume dropkick of some sort. Emma brings Paige into the ring, one count.

Emma with the DilEmma, follows up with the Emmamite Sandwich. Emma wrenching on the arms and back now. Half a surfboard from Emma, driving her feet into Paige’s back and pulling the arms down with Paige in a standing position. Emma pins out of that, gets two.

Paige in big trouble here. Emma choking with the boot in the corner, then doing the vibrating stomp thing, returning that trademark of Paige’s offense, which she used earlier. Paige fights back, goes for a superplex, Emma battles and goes for a sunset flip power bomb. It doesn’t hit immediately, but she pulls Paige off the ropes and hits a sit-out power bomb. Two count. “Better Than Batista” chant.

“Take a look at this power bomb. Never thought I’d say that in a Divas championship match!” Oh my God the culture shock of even 2014 WWE TV with women, even in the early stages of, “This is different and we’re changing.”

Emma talking shit, Paige with a pair of lariats (a pairiats) and a superkick, then the Paige Turner! Emma kicks at two! That’s what she beat her with in the tournament final. Paige is distraught, but comes out with the PTO next, which is new. William Regal keeps telling Tom and Byron what the name is (scorpion cross lock) but they’re like, “IDK!” That gets the W, and Paige retains!

Rating: 3.5/5. Similar in quality to the tournament final they had, but totally different in tone, too. These two had great chemistry and it’s a shame they never got to really show it on the main roster.