Team Candice Beats Team Shotzi in WarGames Match at NXT TakeOver

The team led by Candice LeRae defeated Shotzi Blackheart's team in a WarGames match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on Sunday.

Raquel Gonzalez put the finishing touches on the win, powerbombing Io Shirai through a ladder that was draped between the two rings.

In general, the bout delivered the kind of physicality fans associate with WarGames.

Shotzi has had issues with Candice ever since The Poison Pixie first turned heel in April, but it truly became personal on Nov. 4 during a match between Blackheart and Toni Storm.

While going move for move with Storm, Blackheart was interrupted by LeRae on the big screen. She somehow got her hands on her rival's tank and had it destroyed by a truck while Blackheart looked on in horror and rage.

Shortly thereafter, Blackheart went to work on rebuilding her tank and informed LeRae she would have to answer for her deeds in a WarGames match.

The announcement was met with a great deal of excitement among fans since it marked only the second women's WarGames match in NXT history following last year's bout, which saw Rhea Ripley, LeRae, Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai defeat Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Shirai and Kay Lee Ray.

After the WarGames match was announced, both Blackheart and LeRae went to work on assembling their teams with some of the top female talent NXT has to offer.

One match was key in determining who would take part in WarGames, as Ember Moon and Storm teamed up on Nov. 18 to take on Kai and Gonzalez in a tag team match.

Moon and Storm won the match, but LeRae seemed to extend an olive branch to Kai and Gonzalez when she and Indi Hartwell attacked the winning tandem after the contest.

As a result, Kai and Gonzalez became part of Team Candice, while Moon ultimately joined forces with Blackheart.

It initially seemed as though Storm was ticketed for Team Shotzi as well, but she shocked the world by turning heel and attacking Moon along with LeRae, Hartwell, Kai and Gonzalez.

As a result, Team Candice was completed with Storm joining LeRae, Kai and Gonzalez. Team Candice made a tactical error, though, when it interrupted a Rhea Ripley promo by attacking NXT Women's champion Io Shirai.

With Ripley and Shirai sharing mutual respect, they joined forces and agreed to round out Team Shotzi alongside Blackheart and Moon.

Sunday's WarGames match gave some of the top women's wrestlers in the world a platform to impress, as NXT always does, and they made the most of the opportunity.

Ultimately, LeRae got one over on Blackheart again, but every performer stood out and contributed to an entertaining match in some way.

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