Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose: Winner and Reaction from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II

The rivalry between Austin Aries and No Way Jose came to a head Saturday night at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, as Aries came out on top in a grudge match.

The bout ended when Aries forced Jose to tap out to the Last Chancery. Aries attempted to continue beating down Jose after the match, but he was interrupted by Hideo Itami, who left the victor in a heap with a Go To Sleep.

WWE NXT tweeted a GIF of Itami taking out Aries:

Aries was among the most popular stars in NXT when he joined the brand several months ago, but his persona began to change after he lost a fantastic bout to Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: The End.

No Way Jose seemingly sensed that fact and attempted to cheer up The Greatest Man That Ever Lived by using his jovial personality and penchant for remaining positive.

It looked to be working at first, as Aries joined No Way Jose in a lengthy, post-match dance routine, but things quickly went south for the Dominican Superstar when Aries clocked him with a vicious forearm and brutally attacked him.

Aries and Jose didn't have many interactions during the weeks following that incident and leading up to NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, but Jose showed a more aggressive side and warned Aries that he would get payback at one of the biggest shows of the year.

NXT general manager William Regal eventually made the match and suggested that Aries had been avoiding Jose, but A-Double didn't lack in terms of confidence after the announcement was made:

Jose entered the event with an undefeated record to his credit, but Aries felt like the favorite considering his impressive resume and the fact that he is a capable main event performer, whereas Jose still needs plenty of seasoning.

Even so, it was easy to envision Jose potentially winning since NXT needs to build some strong faces behind Nakamura and Itami.

Despite that fact, Aries was victorious, which may put him in position to challenge for the NXT Championship, which was his goal as soon as he joined the company. Before that, though, a feud with Itami appears certain.

A win would have been a huge feather in the cap of Jose and could have been the catalyst needed to reach the next level, but Aries is a more valuable commodity at this time because of his experience and ability to do it all inside and outside the ring.

With Aries now officially back on track, he figures to be a key part of NXT programming moving forward and a candidate to become the top heel in the brand.

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