NXT Champion Drew McIntyre defends his title for the first time against perennial threat Roderick Strong. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The epic title clash between NXT Champion Drew McIntyre and Roderick Strong ended with a clear-cut winner and loser, but a post-match appearance from Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly raised plenty of questions.

With all the drama and anarchy surrounding the arrival of The Undisputed ERA, McIntyre and Strong reminded everyone what every Superstar strives for: to be the best. Within the NXT Universe, being the best means holding the NXT Championship, and both men fought in this contest like their lives depended on it.

Strong pulled out all the stops, including a vicious backbreaker to the titleholder on the steel steps. The Messiah of the Backbreaker spent much of the match unloading on his larger opponent with an array of knees and strikes, cutting the titleholder down to size.

McIntyre amazingly withstood Strong’s unrelenting attack, as both competitors could barely stand in this marathon bout. The turning point came outside the ring when McIntyre caught his challenger in mid-air and powerbombed him into the steel post.

Once back in the ring, McIntyre nailed the Future Shock DDT before putting Strong down for the count with his Claymore Kick finisher for the win.

Following this storied championship showdown, both Superstars showed their respect for one another by shaking hands in the middle of the ring. However, as Strong began to leave, Cole, Fish & O’Reilly approached him on the entrance ramp to have a few words with the confused Superstar before walking away, leaving Strong to absorb their words.