Io Shirai sets up dream match against Charlotte Flair for NXT Women’s title

Io Shirai will challenge Charlotte Flair for the NXT Women’s title after she won a six-way ladder match on last night’s NXT which was taped from Full Sail University.

Candice LaRae, Tegan Nox, Chelsea Green, Dakota Kai, and Mia Yim were the other five competitors who took part in this ladder match. Raquel Gonzales and Robert Stone also made their presence felt on their clients’ behalf but were wiped out by their challengers.

Shirai had a few opportunities to get the NXT Women’s title last year but always came up short against Shayna Baszler, eventually turning heel in the process as well after she turned on Candice LaRae.

WWE did not specify when Flair vs Shirai will go down.

Your opponent awaits you, @MsCharlotteWWE…#WWENXT #LadderMatch @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/fnhCDg4USv

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2020

ALL THE EMOTIONS.

We're getting @shirai_io vs. @MsCharlotteWWE, y'all!!! 😃😲🤯#WWENXT #LadderMatch pic.twitter.com/QMSATJPFGB

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 9, 2020

Via Mark Middleton’s NXT recap:

#1 Contender’s Ladder Match: Io Shirai vs. Mia Yim vs. Chelsea Green vs. Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox

We go right to the ring for tonight’s six-woman Ladder Match as Io Shirai makes her way out first. The winner of this match will earn a future title shot from new NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Tegan Nox is out next as Greg Hamilton does the introductions. Robert Stone comes out to the stage next with a mic. He does the introduction for Chelsea Green and out she comes, representing The Robert Stone Brand. Stone walks down to the ring with Green and enters with her.

Mia Yim is out next. Dakota Kai is out next and she has Raquel Gonzalez with her. There’s one tall ladder standing at the bottom of the ramp. Candice LeRae is out last. They all stare at each other and then up at the case. The bell rings and Stone talks some trash before exiting to the floor. Yim and Green go at it. Nox and Kai go at it. Shirai beats LeRae into the corner. Yim puts boots to Green in the corner. Shirai with a wrecking ball double knees in the corner. LeRae counters and dumps Shirai to the floor. Kai tells Raquel to bring the ladder in for her.

Kai drops LeRae and then Nox again. Raquel tries to slide the ladder in but LeRae and Yim dropkick the ladder into her, dropping Gonzalez on the floor. Nox sneaks up on Kai and she is surrounded now. They triple team Kai into the corner. LeRae knocks Green off the apron. The triple team on Kai in the corner resumes now. Shirai with a double dropkick to drop Nox and Yim from the top. Shirai with a Flapjack to LeRae in the middle of the ring.

Shirai brings a ladder from under the ring, sliding it in. Shirai is all alone as she stands a ladder up but LeRae runs up it. Shirai sends her off. They tangle. Shirai goes to drop LeRae on the flattened ladder. They tangle holds and trade counters. LeRae with an enziguri but Shirai comes right back. Green runs in with a big bulldog. The other two roll to the floor for a breather as Green sits up on the mat against the flattened ladder, all smiles as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Stone cheers on Green but Yim hits her with a steel chair. Kai and Nox unload with strikes in the middle of the ring. Nox with a running uppercut in the corner. Kai with a running big boot in the opposite corner. Nox misses but catches a kick. They trade more moves. Nox nails the big chokeslam in the middle of the ring. Green slides a ladder in but Nox stops her and shoves her back into the barrier. Nox stands a ladder up in the ring now.

Nox climbs for the title but Kai meets her at the top of the ladder. LeRae yanks Kai off and her face smacks a ladder rung. LeRae climbs up with Nox but Green and Kai stop them, pulling them off. Green and Kai climb but Yim and Shirai pull them off, then they climb up. Another ladder is brought in and everyone keeps climbing and pulling someone else off. Yim is alone at the top now, grabbing the case. LeRae pulls her off and they go at it. Yim with Soul Food on LeRae.

Green with a chair shot to Yim. Yim takes out Green with a big chair shot over the knee. Green yells loudly and rolls to the floor for a breather, clutching her knee. Shirai keeps control in the ring now. Stone and a referee check on Green and her knee at ringside. Raquel comes in and pushes Shirai’s ladder over but Shirai capitalizes and leaps from the falling ladder, onto a group of competitors on the floor. Shirai takes them all down at ringside as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Gonzalez is still taking shots at others. She intimidates Stone and Green while he checks on her, then rolls an injured Kai in the ring. Gonzalez puts Kai on her shoulders and starts climbing the ladder, with Kai on her shoulders. Yim runs in and beats on them. Gonzalez kicks Yim into the corner. LeRae pulls Kai from the top of the ladder. Raquel chokes Yim in the corner, lifting her by her neck. Yim fights back. Yim tries to powerbomb Gonzalez from the top through a table at ringside. Tegan comes in and climbs up with them. Nox chokeslams Raquel through the table below, as Yim assists with the powerbomb.

Kai comes over and rocks Nox from the top. Nox flies off the top and goes crashing through a ladder at ringside. Kai and LeRae are at the top of a ladder now. Shirai springboards at the ladder and sends Kai off. Shirai and LeRae fight on the mat now. Shirai with a German suplex. LeRae ducks a shot and hits a German of her own. We hear Stone trying to talk Green back into the match. She slowly comes in and starts climbing but she’s hurting. Green is all alone but she can’t climb. Stone comes in and climbs up the other side of the ladder. Stone pull Green up the other side of the ladder. Green grabs the case but LeRae and Shirai run in to push the ladder over. Stone and Green both land hard and they are down. They roll to the floor.

Shirai and LeRae stand the ladder back up and climb. They fight and Shirai shoves LeRae off, causing her to fall back-first onto the ladder bridge that was created earlier in the corner across the middle rope. Shirai climbs all the way up and grabs the briefcase to win the match and become the new #1 contender to new NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Winner and New #1 Contender: Io Shirai

– After the match, Shirai sits up on the ladder and yells out as she raises the briefcase. Shirai’s music hits and we go to replays. Shirai celebrates as Green throws a fit at ringside.