Hard-fought showdown with Izzi Dame ends with shocking post-match attack
Summary
– Tatum Paxley defeated Izzi Dame in a steel cage match to retain the title
– The intense main event featured weapons, high-risk moves, and near falls
– Blake Monroe attacked Paxley after the match and stole the championship belt
Tatum Paxley walked out of NXT still holding the Women’s North American Championship after surviving a punishing steel cage match against Izzi Dame during the March 17 broadcast in Houston.
The rivalry between Paxley and Dame escalated quickly once the cage door closed. Dame attacked Paxley before the match officially started, ambushing the champion as she attempted to enter the structure and tossing her around ringside.
Once the match got underway, both competitors pushed the pace inside the cage. Paxley eventually regained momentum, leading to a dangerous exchange near the ropes that ended with both wrestlers crashing to the mat at the same time.
The rules of the match required victory by pinfall or submission, removing the option of escaping the cage. That stipulation forced both competitors to stay locked in the fight as they battled through several close near falls.
At one point, the two competitors climbed to the top of the cage and traded strikes while seated above the ring. Dame delivered a powerful suplex from the top rope that nearly ended the match, drawing a huge reaction from the crowd.
Paxley answered back with a Whisper in the Wind for a near fall of her own. The match continued to escalate as Dame introduced a steel chair into the fight, striking Paxley before sending her crashing into the cage wall.
The champion turned the tide with a sudden counter. Paxley held onto the cage structure and delivered a Code Red onto the chair before finishing the sequence with her Cemetery Drive finisher to secure the victory.
The celebration did not last long. As Paxley began leaving the arena, the stage ramp suddenly opened, and Blake Monroe appeared. Monroe pulled Paxley under the stage before emerging with the NXT Women’s North American Championship in hand.
The shocking moment closed the show and strongly suggested Monroe may be positioning herself as the next challenger for Paxley’s title.
