Paige vs Emma (NXT, 7-24-2013)

NXT, Winter Park, FL

This match is a tournament final to crown the first-ever NXT women’s champion. I’ve never seen this match, as it was NXT pre-Network and I wasn’t watching, and haven’t gone back to see a lot.

I really loved the goofy Emma dancing character. She pulled it off so well, her movements and facial expressions were perfect. Paige is super over with the crowd. Both are, but Paige got the bigger pop. The chants aren’t dueling, they’re battling as the match starts. Then they duel.

Collar-and-elbow, Paige and Emma working around the ropes, to a corner, clean break. Quick pin attempts. Paige with a shoulderblock, quick cover attempt again. Right hand to the ribs from Emma, but Paige flips out of a suplex attempt, Paige hits the turnbuckles, Emma with a rollup for two.

Emma moves out of the way in the corner, slips back into the ring with another quick cover attempt. Both trying to win quickly. Emma targets the arm. Brad Maddox was not good on color commentary.

Paige goes for a backslide, Emma with the DilEmma in the ropes, but she has to release and starts to dance, running into a superkick to the stomach from Paige. Commercial break.

Paige working a chinlock when we get back. More dueling chants. Paige working the arms now. Rolls over into a crucifix, two. Emma is reeling here, Paige in total control. Fisherman suplex from Paige, two count. Paige biels Emma over toward the corner, then stomps away to the chest. Another cover, another two. Another cover attempt, another two.

Emma reverses a whip to the corner, but can’t follow up quickly. Paige moves, but Emma slams her down by the head. Quick dance, Emmamite Sandwich in the corner! Two count.

Paige off the ropes, goes for a sunset flip, Emma sits down on it, Paige rolls it over anyway, two. Emma with a stomp to the ribs. Chinlock now from Emma as she looks to wear Paige down some more. Really wrenching on it, giving it a moment. Back elbow once they’re out, quick pin attempt again doesn’t get it.

Emma riding with a waistlock. Paige with wild back elbows in the corner to break it, then catches a boot and flips Emma over. Ram-Paige cloverleaf locked on! (Not yet named, nor was the Emmamite Sandwich earlier. Also not to be confused with the move that was later called the Ram-Paige, the former Knight Light.) Paige screaming for Emma to tap out, and she’s away from the ropes with that knee in her back. Nowhere to go. Emma powering up and finally squirms out, then catches Paige stumbling off the ropes with an inside cradle for two.

Emma going for the Emma-Lock, Paige gets away. Paige with a headbutt, then drives some knees into Emma’s face as Brad Maddox freaks out about women doing headbutts. It was definitely still 2013 WWE culture, even in NXT, even to a lesser degree than on the main shows.

Up top, and Emma reverses Paige’s intent to hit a superplex. “This is awesome” chant. Emma slow to cover, but she does, and gets two before Paige gets a foot on the bottom rope. Paige with two kicks to the stomach, PAIGE TURNER! One, two, three!

After the match, a group of the women’s division competitors come down to congratulate Paige, including Charlotte, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Alexa Bliss, and a woman I do not know. Then Triple H comes out to congratulate Paige, too. It’s a great moment.

Rating: 3.5/5. A very good match to crown the first-ever women’s champion of NXT, and a terrific champion to crown, the right person at the right time in the right place. When it’s said that Paige and Emma were “revolutionizing” women’s wrestling before it ever reached the main roster, it’s not an exaggeration.