Tegan Nox had earned her NXT Women's Championship Match against Io Shirai by winning a fatal four-way elimination match at NXT The Great American Bash 2020 Night 1. The victory was made sweeter because she pinned her best friend turned rival Dakota Kai. That ghost would someday resurface so both could put it to rest, however on the evening of July 1st 2020 Tegan Nox had her war with Kai in the rearview mirror. Her focus now was to climax an eight year journey by becoming And New NXT Women's Champion on the July 15th 2020 episode of NXT.

During The Great American Bash Night 2 on July 8th 2020, we got a glimpse at Nox training hard for the biggest match of her career up to this point. Io acknowleged they were similar in that they both worked hard to get to this point, however felt what made her better was that she only relies on herself whereas Nox has relied on others. Nox disagreed having friends was a weakness. What irked her was Io calling this her comeback story. Tegan was tired of the perception she's just the comeback kid. She had earned this title match and was confident she would soon be And New.

Tegan wanted a handshake prior to the introductions. Shirai wasn't interested in such niceties, slapping Nox's hand aside. Both competitors were fired up so the introductions were forfeit. The referee called for the bell. Nox and Shirai locked up, jockeying for position circling the ring into the corner where Tegan rolled Io down to the canvas. Shirai and Nox traded arm wringers with Tegan showcasing some fine British technique to bridge a reverse at one point. Shirai was able to get Nox to the canvas where Tegan twice maneuvered Shirai into a roll-up for two counts.

Nox managed to her feet, countering an arm wringer with a drop toe hold into a side headlock. Shirai tried to roll through but each time Nox herself would roll through the attempt, securing the side headlock close-yet-far enough away from the ropes that Shirai couldn't force a break. Shirai got Nox to her feet where she booted Nox's knee down to the canvas and applied a headlock of her own. Nox fought free with an armdrag followed by another. Tegan dropped down on the canvas, causing Shirai to trip over her, cradling Io into a German suplex bridge for a two count.

Shirai and Nox pummeled each other with kicks in the corner and turnbuckle smashes. Things got more tense as they switched to brutal forearm smashes. Nox charged at Shirai who sent her to the floor. Nox caught her balance, avoiding conflict with the ringside barrier. Shirai came at Nox for a baseball slide but Nox slid away and back into the ring. Just like Nox, Shirai caught herself from hitting the ringside barrier. Nox tried to PK Shirai from the apron but Io caught her foot and dropped her face first to the hardest part of the ring.

The action returned in-ring where Io taunted Nox crudely pushing her in the face, encouraging her to hit back. Each push got more aggressive, making Nox more angry. She would fire back with a fury of forearms and uppercuts. Nox followed by Irish whipping Shirai to the corner. Io would avoid contact, springing to the middle rope and back at Nox with a crossbody. But Tegan caught Shirai and brought her down to the canvas with a bridging fallaway slam for a two count. Nox charged at Shirai who sent her face first to the bottom turnbuckle with a drop toe hold.

Shirai smashed Nox in the corner with wrecking ball double knees before starting to work over Nox's fingers. Nox would counter a side headlock into a roll-up for two. Shirai shot back with a nasty kick to the gut. Nox grabbed the ropes to get to her feet only for Shirai to grab the top rope and wrapped her legs around Nox to choke her for a moment. Shirai scooped slammed Nox but her running elbow drop was evaded. Nox got a two count off an Oklahoma roll. Shirai struck Nox against the ropes followed by two hard chops to the chest.

Nox used the ropes to get to her feet, goring Shirai in the gut with a headbutt as Io came at her. Shirai fell to the canvas where she got smashed with a hammering blow to the back of her skull. Hard shots were traded as they tried to remain on their feet. ending with Shirai grabbing Nox by the hair and whipping her back-of-skull first to the canvas. Shirai took no respite, handspring driving her knees down into Nox's lungs. Tegan's eyes were bulging out of her head from the impact of the double knees but she still had enough in her to kick out of a pin attempt.

Tegan took some momentum, smashing Shirai with a headbutt. Nox felt the impact herself, shrugging it off the best she could to run the ropes for a charge. Shirai caught her with a flapjack, covering her for a two count. With Nox near the ropes, Shirai went for another wrecking ball double knees. Nox rolled out of the ring to evade. Shirai was nimble enough to catch herself from smashing her own knees on the canvas.

Io rolled to the floor, striking Nox with a brutal kick that sent her flying a few inches. Nox reversed an Irish whip to the steps but Shirai got her foot up to avoid collision. Nox charged at Shirai who clobbered her with a back elbow. Shirai tossed Nox into the steps and charged with double knees. Nox was able to evade at the last second, causing Shirai to smash her own knees against the diamond plated steps and turn inside-out due to the whiplash. Nox tossed Shirai back into the ring, going for a chokeslam. Shirai broke Nox's grip with a forearm.

Shirai fought the pain coursing through her knees to execute a tiger driver backbreaker. But in the process she took damage to her already burning knee. Shirai struggled her way over for a pin, Nox instead catching her with an inside cradle for two. Tegan went for a waistlock but Shirai reversed and dropped Nox with a bridging German suplex for two. Shirai stepped onto Nox's stomach en route to ascend to the top for Over the Moonsault. Nox cut off Shirai with a blow to the back just as she reached the top.

Io's legs were trapped in the ropes, her body hanging in tree of woe position. Nox charged for a cannonball but Shirai used the ropes to maneuver upward in anticipation. So, Tegan uppercut her across the back and Shirai returned to hung position. Nox charged at her again, this time hurling herself through the air to smash Shirai to the canvas with the most epic of cannonballs. Nox hit Shirai with a series of clotheslines as Io tried to mount a comeback. Shirai reverse whipped Nox to the corner. Nox hopped over Shirai as she charged at her, firing back with an uppercut.

Tegan slumped Io down in the corner with a legtrip followed by Cannonboar. Nox dived off the top rope with a crossbody into a cover for two. Io managed to her feet just to get chokeslammed. Nox went for a cover but Io kicked out. Shirai used the ropes to get to her feet in the corner, only to get smashed by a charging uppercut. Tegan hurried to the opposite corner for a full tank of steam to deliver another. She went for a third but Shirai evaded, German suplexing Nox into the corner. Nox's neck snapped back and forth on the impact.

Shirai charged at Nox who was slumped in the corner, smashing her with double knees. The tiger feint kick was followed by a missile dropkick from the top rope. Shirai went for a cover but Nox got a shoulder up on two to stay in the fight. Nox countered a second tiger driver backbreaker with a superkick to the thigh, knocking Io to her knees. Gourdbuster. Molly-Go-Round for the pinfall attempt. Shirai kicked out just before the count of three, staying in the fight.

Nox slid off Shirai's chest into position to charge back at her with The Shiniest Wizard. Tegan took off but Shirai caught her with the Shotei. Nox crashed hard to the canvas. Once more, Shirai stepped on top Nox's stomach en route to the top rope to finish this war. Seconds later Shirai crashed down on Nox with Over the Moonsault to retain the NXT Women's Championship by pinfall. It was a hard-fought in-ring war by both. Nox lost the match but earned Shirai's respect which had become a rarity. This was not the end of Nox's quest for gold, just the beginning.

Additional Information | NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai defeated Tegan Nox (19:25) on the July 15, 2020 episode of WWE NXT at Full Sail in Winter Park, Florida.