Posts Tagged ‘NXT Takeaways’

WWE NXT Results (1/20): Fight Pit, Dusty Rhodes Classic Matches

The January 20, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Kushida and Leon Ruff def. Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory 
  • Karrion Kross def. Ashante “Thee” Adonis
  • Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik) def. Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner)
  • Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro def. Toni Storm & Mercedes Martine
  • Bronson Reed def. Tyler Rust
  • Timothy Thatcher def. Tommaso Ciampa in the Fight Pit.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

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Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez vs. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter in a Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match was booked. 

This was the first match of the tournament to take place. Unlike the men’s tournament, there are not as many teams in it, which means there won’t be as many matches. There is no second round so the winners of the first-round matches will move onto the semi-finals. 

Io Shirai came out and took out Martinez for revenge. Kacey hit a dive off the top rope for the win. 

As a result of this win, they will move onto face the winner of Aliyah & Jessi Kamea vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez.

Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

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Kushida and Leon Ruff vs. NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory took place in a Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match.

This opened the show. The heels dominated most of the match. There was a spot where Ruff accidentally took out Kushida that led to a double team spot with Gargano and Theory. The baby faces made a comeback with the finish seeing Kushida pinning Gargano with a suplex. 

As a result of this win, they will move onto face the winner of Grizzled Young Veterans. It should be noted that WWE has recently teased Kushida coming after Gargano’s North American Title and with him pinning the champ, this sets up a future title match after the tournament. Something to keep an eye on. 

Imperium vs. Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado 

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Imperium (Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner) vs. Gran Metalik and  Lince Dorado took place in a Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match.

The match had some fun moments with the babyfaces hitting some high spots. It felt like old school versus new school with the way that each team works, but they made it good. After a commercial break, the babyfaces made a comeback including Metalik hitting a springboard moonsault off the top rope for 2. Imperium hit a double team move to Dorado for a near fall. 

Dorado hit a shooting star press for the win. Many people would consider this was an upset as Imperium were one of the favorites to win the match. 

As a result of this win, they will move onto face the winner of Legado Del Fantasma. 

Fight Pit Match

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Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher took place in the fight pit, which is a fan favorite after the company booked this gimmick themed match earlier this year. Thatcher was also involved in the first match by defeating Matt Riddle this May. Kurt Angle was the special guest referee for it. 

The match featured them beating the heck out of each other. They brawled on top of the structure then into the cage. The finish saw Thatcher pin Ciampa’s leg in between the cage and Thatcher pulled on it until Ciampa tapped out. It was a brutal match. Now, Thatcher moves to a 2-0 record in the fight pit. 

Ciampa defeated Thatcher in their match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames earlier this month. On last week’s episode, Leon Ruff got a surprise win by pinning Thatcher with a cradle. Post-match, Thatcher beat down Ruff until Ciampa ran out to make the save. Ciampa laid out Thatcher with the Willow’s Bell DDT. This is when Ciampa laid out the challenge. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1352090118761443328
https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1352088572346642437

Posted January 20th, 2021 in News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (10/14): Damian Priest vs. Dexter Lumus, Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

The October 14, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

WWE NXT Results 

  • The Undisputed Era def. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan to become the #1 Contender’s
  • Jake Atlas def. Ashante “Thee” Adonis
  • Johnny Gargano def. Austin Theory
  • Candice LeRae def. Shotzi Blackheart to become the #1 Contender
  • Toni Storm def. Aaliyah (w/Robert Stone)
  • Imperium def. Drake Maverick and Killian Dain
  • Damian Priest retained North American Title over Dexter Lumis.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

#1 Contender’s Match

The Undisputed Era
The Undisputed Era

WWE booked Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) in a #1 Contender’s Match. 

Of course, there was an interesting tag team match with mixed members of various teams competing against each other a few weeks ago. Members of these two teams won the contest and set up this match. 

Kyle O’Reilly did a promo before the match talking about how the group will stay around for a long time and Ridge Holland being in a hospital bed isn’t different from what they would’ve done for injuring Adam Cole. O’Reilly noted that he will be back next week. 

The match was fine. The end came when Strong landed a flying knee strike to the jaw of Lorcan. As a result, they will challenge Fandango and Tyler Breeze for the NXT Tag Team Titles next week. 

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1316534346510204933

NXT North American Championship Match

Damien Priest
Damien Priest

NXT North American Champion Damian Priest defended his title against Dexter Lumis. 

Priest has had successful title defenses against Timothy Thatcher and Johnny Gargano since becoming North American Champion when he won it in a five-way ladder match at NXT TakeOver XXX this August.

Lumis just made his return two weeks ago in a backstage segment. It appears that WWE just threw this match together as there was no real back story. 

The finish saw Cameron Grimes run out and hit a double foot stomp to Lumis that led to Priest hitting a chokeslam for the win. Priest stood tall before hitting a reverse DDT to Grimes. As Priest went up the ramp, Gargano hit him with a chair. Shoti Blackheart announced that the NXT North American and Women’s Title matches will be have stipulations that will be decided by spin the wheel at Halloween Havoc.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1316558321709649921

Ember Moon Sit Down Interview

Ember Moon

For a second straight week, WWE gave Ember Moon time to discuss her return to NXT again. 

Last week, the promo segment got interrupted and eventually led to her teaming up with Rhea Ripley to take on Dakota Kai & Raquel González in a tag team match that saw the babyfaces go over. 

This week’s segment saw Moon do a sitdown interview, but it was more of a video package. Moon stated that 2019 was a horrible year for her and spending a year away made her realize that she can’t let people forget who she is. She also found out who she wants to see her character to be. When the doctor told her that she was cleared then she knew that she was NXT. 

She said that she took herself off the main roster to come home as her drive is back. She called NXT the best women’s division in all of wrestling. She said that when she left NXT she did so on top, but everything is different now. She said that you don’t get a title shot off past success so she knows she has to go through the best that NXT has offered to get it. 

Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Shotzi Blackheart

A late addition to the card was Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart in a match to determine the new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title. 

These two stars worked hard to put on a memorable match and did so. The finish saw Indi Hartwell appear at ringside to give brass knucks to LeRae to hit Shotzi with and win the match. 

As a result of this win, she will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Title at the upcoming Halloween Havoc special of NXT on the USA Network in two weeks. 

LeRae just challenged for the title back at the NXT TakeOver 31 event where she fell short in her pursuit of the title. While at least WWE did something to make this contender credible, Io has been booked as a dominant force in the division not to mention that WWE has already built up two other contenders. 

Those stars are Rhea Ripley and Ember Moon, who have already voiced their intentions of coming after the title. Thus, it might be hard for fans to buy into being a serious title contender. 

Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano. Image Credit: WWE.com

Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory in a singles match is in the books. 

The match was good, but it seems as if these guys could have a lengthy match with some back story then they could revisit this down the road and it would be better. Gargano went over with his finisher. 

Gargano is fresh off a loss to NXT North American Champion Damien Priest at NXT TakeOver 31. At the time, there was some speculation that he could be headed to the main roster, but that wasn’t the case as he wasn’t drafted and obviously worked this show. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here as I don’t see him being in the NXT Title hunt. 

Theory continues to be someone who is lost in the shuffle since arriving and that needs to change as most would agree that he’s a really good worker. 

Posted October 14th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (10/7): Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Tag Team Headliner

The October 7, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Tommaso Ciampa def. KUSHIDA via DQ.
  • Drake Maverick & Killian Dain def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel).
  • Austin Theory def. Leon Ruff.
  • Dexter Lumis def. Austin Theory 
  • Shotzi Blackheart def. Xia Li.
  • Ridge Holland def. Danny Burch
  • Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley def. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Finn Balor Update

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Just a few hours before this show, NXT Champion Finn Balor announced on Twitter that he suffered a broken jaw in two places during his successful title defense against Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. 

He mentioned in the post that he would address this on NXT, which he did. During the episode, WWE aired a video package looking at the match along with photos of Balor in the hospital. 

A WWE trainer noted that Balor wouldn’t be able to fully talk and would miss some time in the ring.

The positive thing here is that Balor won’t have to vacate the title, but we still have no word yet on how long he’ll be out of action.

Ember Moon Talks

Ember Moon
Ember Moon

Ember Moon was supposed to kick off the show, but WWE saved it for later in the episode with a promo in the ring. This came after she made her return to television after being sidelined with an injury last year. She was revealed as the mystery person behind recent vignettes. 

Her reveal was after Io Shirai had successfully retained the NXT Women’s Title over Candice LeRae at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver 31 event. This is where she had a staredown with the champion. 

On NXT, Moon stated that it’s been a while since she was in isolation for the last 14 months. She said that she took her bike on a long journey and found clarity. She said that she found herself as no one is going to walk over her anymore.

She said that she wants some gold. This led to Io coming out Io and Rhea Ripley coming out. As Rhea was about to talk, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai attacked Ripley. William Regal booked a tag team match for the main event. 

Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa

Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa was the only match to be announced in advance of this show, which was Tuesday night on Twitter. 

Kushida had scored a big win over The Velveteen Dream in a singles match at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver 31 event. On the flip side, despite WWE booking Ciampa as an unstoppable heel, he didn’t work the show. 

Fast forward to this match, the two stars worked hard. While Ciampa did have the majority of the offense in a lengthy match, Kushida had moments to shine. Unfortunately, the match didn’t have a solid finish as Dream ran out and attacked Kushida. As a result, it ended in a DQ. 

Thus, it appears that WWE wanted to keep both guys strong yet continue the feud with Kushida and Dream. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1313997088368267267

Main Event

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

Following the angle earlier in the night, the main event saw Rhea Ripley and Ember Moon team up to face Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez in a tag team match. 

An interesting match booking to have in the headliner, but these ladies delivered in a solid match. Moon got some ring time and didn’t appear to be rusty although splitting the workload probably helped. 

The finish of the match saw Moon hit her finisher to Kai for the win after Ripley took out Gonzalez over the announce table. Now, it will be interesting to see who gets the first title shot at Io Shirai – Ripley or Moon?

Posted October 7th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (9/30): Shawn Michaels Appears, Champions In Action

The September 30, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Shotzi Blackheart def. Dakota Kai.
  • Cameron Grimes def. Joey Pistachio
  • KUSHIDA def. Tony Nese
  • Adam Cole def. Austin Theory.
  • Kayden Carter (w/Kacy Catanzaro) def. Xia Li.
  • Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae def. Damian Priest & Io Shirai.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Champions In Tag Team Action

Io Shirai
Io Shirai

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and NXT North American Champion Damian Priest vs. Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano took place. 

Of course, Shirai will defend the Women’s Title against LeRae while Priest will defend the North American Title against Gargano at this Sunday’s TakeOver show. Thus, this was a preview for those matches. 

They ended up saving this contest for the main event of the show. The stars had a decent amount of time to work. 

The finish saw LeRae hit Priest with a low blow that the referee didn’t see, which led to Io chasing after LeRae and Gargano hitting his finisher to Priest for the win. LeRae hit Io with a back breaker after the match. The heels closed the show by standing tall over the two champions. 

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai

Dakota Kai

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai is in the books in what marked the latest match for Blackheart, who has been a big star in the women’s division as of late. 

Once moving away from a feud with the Robert Stone brand, she hasn’t been winning all of her matches, but has been positioned as a star on the rise and sharing the ring with notable names and in big time matches. 

This was actually the opening match, which was fine as there is no storyline connected to it. There was some outside interference by Raquel Gonzalez and Rhea Ripley. This caused Blackheart to roll her up for the win. 

Face-To-Face

Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels hosted a face-to-face meeting between NXT Champion Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly just days before they meet in a championship match at NXT TakeOver. 

O’Reilly won a Gauntlet Eliminator Match last week to earn this title opportunity. Not only did this segment fill time, build on the main event of TakeOver, and get O’Reilly over more a challenger, it will also help NXT’s viewership with an appearance by the WWE Hall of Famer. 

The three stars sat in chairs with a makeshift table. Balor put over O’Reilly for being a great wrestler. Michaels called O’Reilly one of the best-kept secrets in wrestling. O’Reilly stated that Balor is a fighting champion, but stated that this is a certain defeat for Balor. 

Balor questioned if O’Reilly was going to show up by himself or with Undisputed Era. O’Reilly said that the group being together is how they’ve achieved success, but stated that he’ll show up alone. Balor said there will be no room for excuses when he beats him at TakeOver. 

Adam Cole In Action

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

Adam Cole came out for a promo where he talked about for the last three years. The Undisputed Era has won all of the titles in NXT and they dominated NXT.

He stated that everyone knew in the locker room that no one should cross them. He stated that they have since lost all of the titles.

He said that people forgot to check themselves when they get in the group’s way. He reminded people of their accomplishments. He recalled Austin Theory for talking trash about Kyle O’Reilly earlier in the show.

He called out Theory, who came out to the ring. Cole said that Theory can bring his stupid face to the ring and fight him or he can stay where he’s at and they can beat him down. 

Thus, a singles match broke out. It was a lengthy back and forth affair with Cole winning after hitting the Last Shot. 

Posted September 30th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (9/23): Gauntlet Eliminator, Battle Royal, Ciampa In Action

The September 23, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Candice LeRae won #1 Contender Battle Royal
  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Jake Atlas
  • Danny Burch & Roderick Strong def. Fabian Aichner & Raul Mendoza)
  • Damian Priest def. Austin Theory
  • Ridge Holland def. Antonio de Luca
  • Kyle O’Reilly won Gauntlet Eliminator

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Interesting Tag Team Match

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WWE booked a tag team match with a member from four tag teams. It was Roderick Strong representing the Undisputed Era teaming up with Danny Burch taking on Imperium’s Fabian Aichner and Legado Del Fantasma’s Paul Mendoza. 

WWE had claimed Fandango came up with the idea for the match. The winners of this match will then face off in another tag team match at a later date for a future shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

If there was ever a random tournament type match this would be it. As far as the work inside of the ring, it was fine. 

The finish saw Burch hit a cutter to Mendoza off the top rope for the win. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1308930639715012608

Battle Royal

Io Shirai
Io Shirai

WWE held a #1 contender battle royal to determine who will challenge Io Shirai at TakeOver for the NXT Women’s Title.

Shotzi Blackheart, Kacy Catanzaro, Indi Hartwell, Aliyah, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Raquel Gonzalez, Kayden Carter, and Xia Li were the competitors. 

This was a typical battle royal that you’ve seen before until the ending when there were four stars being left. 

At one point, there was a spot where Catanzaro was sent over the top rope, but jumped onto the barricade and then back to the ring apron. Ripley and Gonzalez were eliminated at the same time when they brawled over the top rope to the floor. 

The final two stars were LeRae and Blackheart. The finish saw LeRae toss Blackheart off the steel steps and Blackheart crashed on her back. 

I don’t know if it would matter who won this contest. Io is still early in her title reign and there are no many people on the roster who can be a believable threat to Io’s title outside of Ripley. 

This upcoming match should be fun even if WWE can’t convince fans in thinking that Io has a real chance of losing the title.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1308924410590646273

Tommaso Ciampa’s New Side Continues

Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa (Photo: WWE)

Tommaso Ciampa battled Jake Atlas in a singles match on this show. This comes off Ciampa’s recent in-ring return and heel turn in the process. 

It also comes at a time where Atlas made his return just last week. Atlas is still an unproven wrestler who has a bright upside and someone that will be pushed under the WWE banner. 

Atlas did get some offense here, but it was exactly what you thought it would be and that is Ciampa being a nasty heel. He hit a middle rope DDT before hitting his finisher for the win. 

It still seems as if WWE is building towards something much bigger for Ciampa, but with the next TakeOver event just over a week away, WWE might be saving for whatever they have planned after this show or will need to hot shot the feud quickly. 

Gauntlet Eliminator Match

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WWE held a Gauntlet Eliminator Match that would determine the new #1 contender to the NXT Title, which is held by Finn Balor. 

Bronson Reed, Timothy Thatcher, Kyle O’Reilly, Kushida, and Cameron Grimes were the competitors in the match. The way the match worked was having two stars start off the contest with a new star being added every four minutes with eliminations being done by pinfall and submission until there was one wrestler left. 

This was built as a first-ever match, but the concept of it was something that we’ve seen in the past. Either way, this was a fun yet different way to determine a new title contender. 

O’Reilly and Kushida started things off while Reed came out as the third star. Kushida was eliminated when Reed hit him with a big splash off the top rope and next out was Thatcher followed by Grimes. 

Reed was next to be eliminated. O’Reilly eliminated Thatcher. The final two stars were Grimes and O’Reilly, which saw O’Reilly lock in a heel hook. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1308944938101604353

Posted September 23rd, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (9/16): Two Title Matches, Big Announcements

The September 16, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Io Shirai def. Shotzi Blackheart
  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Desmond Troy
  • KUSHIDA def. Austin Theory
  • Breezango def. Imperium to retain tag team titles
  • Killian Dain & Drake Maverick def. The Undisputed Era via disqualification
  • Damian Priest def. Timothy Thatcher to retain North American Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Non-Title Match

Io Shirai
Io Shirai

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Shotzi Blackheart in a non-title match took place, which was certainly an interesting dynamic with two babyfaces facing each other. 

We’ve seen this type of booking before, but with Shotzi, who had been in a comedy feud with the Robert Stone Brand, it made for an interesting decision by NXT officials. 

Io hit a moonsault off the top rope for the win. This was an excellent match with the announcers putting over Blackheart for taking the champion to her limit. It was a back and forth affair with both stars shining bright. 

With such a performance, it will be interesting to see where Blackheart goes from here. Perhaps a title shot in the near future? 

Tag Team Match

undisputed era nxt 9 18 2
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Killian Dain and Drake Maverick vs. Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish in a tag team match is in the books. 

Of course, WWE set up this bout last week when Dain took on Strong in a singles match, which saw Strong go over thanks to outside interference by Fish. Post-match, Strong and Fish beatdown Dain until Maverick ran out, but he got taken out. Once Dain chased them off with a pipe, Maverick tried to make an alliance by shaking his hand, but Dain laid him out with a punch. 

It turns out that for this contest, Dain didn’t want to be Maverick’s tag team partner as advertised. Thus, Maverick worked a handicap match instead. William Regal tried to talk some sense into Dain and go to the ring, which he did. He laid out Fish and Strong until Fish attacked him with a chair that caused the DQ. 

Post-match, Dain and Maverick cleared house, but Dain laid out Maverick before leaving. 

NXT Tag Team Title Match

Tyler Breeze and Fandango

Breezango put the NXT Tag Team Titles on the line against Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner. 

The NXT tag team division is lacking so this felt like just another endless match between these two teams. 

The match was fine and there were some nearfalls. At one point, it looked like Imperium was going to win as Breeze missed a leg drop off the top rope and Aichner caught him with a running knee strike followed by a german suplex for a near fall. 

In the end, Breeze scored a roll up win to retain the titles. Let’s hope there are some new challengers in the wait and we move on from this feud. 

NXT North American Title Match

Damien Priest
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Damian Priest put the NXT North American Title on the line against Timothy Thatcher.

The match was really fun and that was expected as Priest has found his groove in the last few months while Thatcher is always going to put on a fun match just because he’s so talented. 

Thatcher got the majority of the offense in this contest and brought the champion to the peak of abilities. Priest made a comeback that was capped off with a heel kick to the face and his finisher to retain the title. 

Thatcher has been finding his character as of late and it’s no secret that Triple H is a big fan of his as he has been pushed hard since his pairing with Matt Riddle. 

Major Announcements

William Regal NXT
NXT General Manager William Regal

WWE had promised that there would be two major announcements made on this show and it was delivered. 

William Regal did so in a pre-recorded video to announce that a Gauntlet Eliminator Match will determine the new #1 contender to the NXT Title, which is held by Finn Balor. 

This contest will take place next week. The rules of this match is as followings:

  • Two men will start in the ring
  • Ever 4 minutes, another competitor will enter
  • The only way to be eliminated is via pinfall or submission
  • The last man standing will be named the #1 contender for the NXT Title and will go on to face Balor for the strap at NXT TakeOver. 

There will also be a #1 contender battle royal to determine who will challenge Io Shirai at TakeOver for the NXT Women’s Title.

Shotzi Blackheart, Kacy Catanzaro, Indi Hartwell, Aliyah, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Raquel Gonzalez, Kayden Carter, and Xia Li are the competitors.

Posted September 16th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (9/8): New Champion, Steel Cage Headliner

The September 8, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Finn Balor def. Adam Cole to become the new NXT Champion
  • The Velveteen Dream def. Ashante Adonis
  • Bronson Reed def. Austin Theory
  • Roderick Strong def. Killian Dain
  • Rhea Ripley def. Mercedes Martinez

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Sudden Death Battle 

Finn Balor
Finn Balor returns to NXT

Fans had to wait a week, but man did it deliver. The sudden death battle opened the broadcast as Finn Balor and Adam Cole faced off in a one-fall match to crown the new NXT Champion.

Some fans enjoyed the cliffhanger ending to last week’s show where the Fatal 4-Way Iron Man Match headlined but ended in a tie. There were others who didn’t like the finish as WWE was promising a new champion. 

Either way, this was a hot way to open Tuesday’s show with both wrestlers putting on a memorable performance. They shot it with both wrestlers coming out with their entrances.

In the end, after a back and forth affair, it was Balor hitting a DDT off the top rope for the win. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1303486287513628673

Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory

Austin Theory
Austin Theory

Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory in a singles match took place in what felt more of a filler contest rather than something that meant something. 

Reed had the majority of the offense and won with a splash off the top rope. 

Clearly, WWE is building up Reed as a player in the brand and one who is close to getting an NXT North American Title Match from Damian Priest. 

On the flip side, Theory needs to find himself and do it fast as he was dropped from the main roster but has made a notable splash since returning to NXT. 

Killian Dain vs. Roderick Strong

Killian Dain bio 52da93ce9b35d8b6c3eab70801479fc9

Killian Dain vs. Roderick Strong in a singles bout was a late addition to the card as WWE had announced it on Monday morning. 

From a booking standpoint, the bout made sense as Dain has been feuding with the Undisputed Era over the last few weeks. From a match standpoint, something was off and they didn’t click. 

Dain went for a splash off the top rope, but he had to knock Bobby Fish off the apron and that allowed Strong to score the win.

Post-match, Strong and Fish beatdown Dain until Drake Maverick ran out, but he got taken out. Dain grabbed a pipe and chased them off. Maverick went to shake Dain’s hand, but got punched out for it. 

WWE likes Dain as someone who they can build up as a monster, but it seems like this idea has played out for quite some time with WWE not getting the exact results they want. Thus, they go back to the original starting point then play it out for a few weeks and then repeat. 

Steel Cage Match

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

As promised, the Steel Cage Match between Rhea Ripley and Mercedes Martinez was the main event.

WWE had been building off to a blow off between these two and they delivered. They used the cage throughout the match, but clearly no blood. Ripley brought chairs, a kendo stick, and a table into the ring with her to be used. 

The hard fought battle was finished with Ripley hitting her finisher off the middle rope through a table for the win. 

Now that this feud is over, let’s hope that WWE books Ripley back to the top of the card with the NXT Women’s Title. WWE has been trying to build up Martinez as the next big star, but with them still doing comedy with Robert Stone, it’s hard to take her seriously although Stone is very good in his role. 

Posted September 8th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (8/26): Karrion Kross Vacates Title, Tomasso Ciampa Returns

The August 26, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (8/26)

  • Breezango def. Imperium to win NXT Tag Team Titles
  • Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jake Atlas ends in No Contest
  • Shotzi Blackheart def. Mia Yim
  • Santos Escobar def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott to retain NXT Cruiserweight Title
  • Kyle O’Reilly def. Drake Maverick
  • Dakota Kai & Raquel González def. Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Karrion Kross & Scarlett Kicked It Off, But Said Goodbye To NXT Title

Karrion Kross defeated Keith Lee to become the new NXT Champion
Karrion Kross defeated Keith Lee to become the new NXT Champion

Karrion Kross & Scarlett opened the show with an in-ring promo. Kross was wearing a sling. 

Of course, Kross is coming off his biggest win thus far in his career under the WWE NXT banner as he dethroned Keith Lee to win the NXT Title this past Saturday night at NXT TakeOver: XXX. However, in the process, Kross suffered a shoulder injury. 

Kross said that he warned everyone and it happened, he kept good on his word when he ripped the NXT Title from Lee’s hands. He said that when you go to war, you should casualties on all sides. He said that his shoulder is separated and he’s in pain, but he enjoys it.

He said that he’s a realist and there’s no way that WWE will allow him to defend the title. He said that the obstacles in his way are part of the path. Kross put the title down and said that this is a warning as it changes nothing.

He said that everyone will pay the toll and god help the person who is champion. Thus, he has given up the title. 

Later in the show, William Regal announced that there will be a 60 Minute Iron Man Fatal 4-Way Match to determine the new NXT Champion on next week’s show. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Finn Balor vs. Tommaso Ciampa is booked. 

WWE NXT Tag Team Championship Match

pjimage 2020 05 13T192618.061

Imperium put the NXT Tag Team Titles on the line against Breezango in what seems to be a feud that will not end. However, Fandango did earn the title shot. 

Cruiserweight Championship Match

NXT Cruiserweight Champion El Hijo Del Fantasma is now Santos Escobar
NXT Cruiserweight Champion El Hijo Del Fantasma is now Santos Escobar

After weeks and weeks of build, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott finally got his shot at the Cruiserweight Championship from Santos Escobar. 

This was a solid match as both guys worked hard to put on a compelling story. The finish was interesting as Scott was close to winning the title. However, Escobar put on his old mask and hit a headbutt to score the pinfall. 

Their history goes back quite some time as Scott defeated Escobar earlier this year in NXT’s Cruiserweight Title Tournament. 

What’s more interesting is that Scott is the only person who’s beaten Escobar in WWE. Scott almost got another win over Escobar just last week in a six-man tag match, but failed to do so. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1298791852754325510

Tommaso Ciampa Returns

Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa (Photo: WWE)

After being crushed by Karrion Kross at the NXT TakeOver: In Your House event, Tommaso Ciampa had been kept off television. That all changed on Wednesday’s episode of NXT. 

Ciampa did so when he took on Jake Atlas in a singles match. He destroyed the poor guy and controlled the entire match.

He took him outside of the ring for further damage that led to him getting stretchered out, but Ciampa added insult to injury when he hit a DDT off the stretcher. There was no winner. 

This was a good showing for Ciampa, who is apparently going back to his old ways. 

Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel González

Io Shirai
Io Shirai

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel González was booked in a tag team match. It actually served as the main event. 

This match came after Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: XXX event where Shirai retained her NXT Women’s Championship against Kai. Post-match, Gonzalez attacked Shirai until Ripley made the save. After Gonzalez and Kai backed away, Ripley took a look at Shirai and her title belt before leaving.

At the end of the match, Mercedes Martinez took out Ripley on the outside. However, she managed to get the tag from Io, but wasn’t 100%. Raquel hit a power slam to Ripley for the win. 

With Raquel getting the pinfall, we might see her in the title picture whether that’s her being at Kai’s side again or challenging for the title again. Meanwhile, Ripley is going to want to get revenge on Martinez for that interference. 

Posted August 26th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (8/19): Qualifying Matches, McAfee & Cole Have Showdown

The August 19, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (8/19)

  • Johnny Gargano def. Ridge Holland in an NXT North American Championship Ladder Match Qualifier
  • Dakota Kai def. Jessi Kamea
  • Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Tyler Breeze & Fandango
  • Shotzi Blackheart & Rhea Ripley def. Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah (w/Robert Stone).
  • Velveteen Dream def. Finn Balor in an NXT North American Championship Ladder Match Qualifier

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Tag Team Action

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley and Shotzi Blackheart were looking for payback on The Robert Stone Brand as they battled Aliyah and Mercedes Martinez.

This contest was set up last week when Martinez & Aliyah defeated Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro and after the match, Ripley came out to the ring and fought with Martinez. This led to Blackheart helping Ripley even the odds against Martinez and Aliyah.

If you recall, just two weeks ago, Martinez interfered in Ripley vs. Dakota Kai where she cost the former NXT Women’s Champion from becoming the number one contender to the NXT Women’s Championship. 

Both stars have both feuded with the Robert Stone Brand since declining offers to join the group.

The finish saw Ripley powerbomb Mercedes over the barricade to the floor while Shotizi hit a dive onto Aliyah for the win. 

Face-To-Face

Adam Cole and Pat McAfee

Adam Cole and Pat McAfee were able to meet face-to-face ahead of their match at NXT TakeOver: XXX. This will be the promotional debut for the former NFL punter. 

On the show, Cole came out with the rest of The Undisputed Era while McAfee came out with a few of his guys. McAfee stated that he knew Cole wouldn’t come alone so Cole told the group to leave and McAfee did the same. McAfee reminded him of when he laid him out with a punt kick and that outsmarted him in his own house. 

McAfee said that it took one minute to knock out Cole, who claims to be the face of NXT. He said that he made Cole look like an amateur. He said that he has made money everywhere and Cole better hope that he doesn’t stay around. He said that he’s going to make Cole look bad in front of the fans and vowed to win come Saturday. 

They had a staredown with security in between them. Cole took out the guards and made McAfee look intimidated. Until the groups came back down to the ring. Cole said that he would make McAfee his b*tch at TakeOver. Cole walked out of the ring to end the segment. 

Johnny Gargano vs. Ridge Holland 

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano. Image Credit: WWE.com

Johnny Gargano vs. Ridge Holland was the first of two second chance qualifying matches in order to decide the final two participants for the ladder match for the vacant North American Championship at TakeOver. 

Both Gargano and Holland obviously had previous chances of winning their qualifying matches but failed. Holland is from the NXT UK brand, but has been on NXT TV more as of late. 

It was a hard-hitting type of match. They actually left the botch spot that was scary, which was a powerslam by Holland that went wrong and saw Gargano land right on his neck. 

Gargano went over in the contest with his finisher. He advances to the match. Mauro Ranallo mentioned on commentary that this will be Gargano’s 18th appearance at TakeOver, which is impressive. 

https://twitter.com/WrestlingCovers/status/1296239099750359040

Finn Balor vs. Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream

Finn Balor vs. Velveteen Dream was the second of two second chance qualifying matches in order to decide the final two participants for the ladder match for the vacant North American Championship at TakeOver. 

Dream had just returned last week after a hiatus. He filled the spot of the unknown star in a triple threat match that featured Kushida and Cameron Grimes, which saw Grimes win. Post-match, Dream snapped and attacked Kushida. This led to Balor appearing in the ring and having a staredown with him

In this contest, there was a lot of outside interference including a referee bump. Johnny Gargano, Damien Priest, and Cameron Grimes got involved. Eventually, Dream hit his finisher to Balor for the win. 

After the match, Bronson Reed came out and laid out Dream with his finisher. He stood tall with the title to close the show. 

Six-Man Tag Team Match

NXT Cruiserweight Champion El Hijo Del Fantasma is now Santos Escobar
NXT Cruiserweight Champion El Hijo Del Fantasma is now Santos Escobar

Legado del Fantasma (NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Breezango in a six-man tag match was booked. 

Yet another week with these guys. It’s been pretty clear that WWE is building to Scott challenging Escobar for the NXT Cruiserweight Title, but when that will happen still remains to be seen.  

Escobar hit his finisher on Breeze for the win. The match was solid and it continues to the dominance of this group, but more importantly Escobar. It’s just a matter of time before they book Scott challenging Escobar for the title. 

Scott nearly pinned the champion in this contest. Plus, they kept him strong by having Breeze take the pinfall. 

Posted August 19th, 2020 in WWE. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (8/12): Velveteen Dream Returns, Reed vs. Priest, Karrion Kross

The August 12, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (8/12)

  • Karrion Kross def. Danny Burch
  • Santos Escobar def. Tyler Breeze
  • Mia Yim def. Indi Hartwell
  • Bronson Reed def. Damian Priest.
  • Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah (w/Robert Stone) def. Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
  • Cameron Grimes def. The Velveteen Dream and KUSHIDA to advance to the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole Wasn’t Happy

Killian Dain vs. Drake Maverick, the second match on the card, didn’t have a finish. Instead, The Undisputed Era came down to the ring and beat them down. Adam Cole got on the microphone to cut a promo on Pat McAfee as they’re just over a week from their match at NXT TakeOver: XXX. 

Cole said that Pat isn’t welcomed in their world and just wants to play wrestler. He said that Pat runs his mouth on social media, but Pat kicked him when he had his hands behind his back. He reminded Pat that he is the longest-reigning NXT Champion of all-time. He said that at TakeOver, Pat is stepping into the ring with that guy. 

He dared Pat to show up to NXT next week and if he has the guts then get into the ring so he can look Pat in the eyes and let him know that he’s going to whoop him at TakeOver. He said at that moment, Pat will know that he’s in over his head. 

Karrion Kross Back In Action

Karrion Kross returned to the ring to face Danny Burch. This was booked and perceived to be a squash match. It turns out that was exactly what it was supposed to be. 

It served as the opening contest. Kross ended the match with the cross jacket submission hold. 

After the match, Keith Lee walked down to the ring with a contract in hand. Kross and Scarlett walked out of the ring. Lee said that the blame is on Kross and called him a b*tch for not coming at him first. 

Lee said that he pleaded with William Regal with the promise that he wouldn’t touch Kross if he got a match at TakeOver. Regal signed it, Lee signed, and now Kross signed. The match is official for NXT TakeOver: XXX. Scarlett kissed the contract and slid it into the ring. 

Lee opened the folder and a fireball shot out of it going right into the face of Lee. He was helped to the backstage area. 

Posted August 12th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (8/5): Pat McAfee Appears, Triple Threat, Ripley vs. Kai

The August 5, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (8/5)

  • Dakota Kai def. Rhea Ripley
  • Bronson Reed def. Shane Thorne
  • Damian Priest def. Ridge Holland and Oney Lorcan
  • Keith Lee def. Cameron Grimes.
  • Tegan Nox def. Indi Hartwell.
  • NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner def. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Ladder Match Spot

Damien Priest
Photo Credit: WWE.com

A triple threat match that featured Damian Priest vs. Oney Lorcan vs. NXT UK Superstar Ridge Holland doing battle for the second Ladder Match spot at NXT TakeOver: 30 to crown a new North American Champion took place. 

So far there have been three of these matches and this one was the least entertaining. They all worked hard, but something was lacking. It was interesting to see Holland in there as he hadn’t been used on NXT television in the past. 

The finish saw Priest hit Lorcan with his finisher to get the win. 

As a result, Priest now joins Bronson Reed as the other competitor in the match. More stars will be added to the bout in the coming weeks.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1291175513348767747

NXT Tag Team Championship Match

pjimage 2020 05 13T192618.061

NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish was booked in the main event. 

As expected, this match delivered. With the challengers being distracted by the argument between Pat McAfee and Adam Cole at ringside, the champions hit their finisher for the win. 

Some could argue that WWE should’ve saved this contest for the NXT TakeOver: XXX event that is slated to take place in a few weeks. 

WWE hadn’t given this match much build especially considering that NXT is lacking tag teams right now. That hadn’t been an issue in the past, but we’re in a different era of NXT compared to what it was when it was a one-hour program on the WWE Network. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

We now know who is next in line for a title shot in the women’s division as Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai was booked in a #1 Contender’s Match. 

The back and forth match was quite entertaining with both stars getting a chance to shine in a competitive bout. The finish saw Kai get the pinfall when Rhea was taken out with a big boot by Mercedes Martinez. 

After the match, Martinez laid out the former NXT Women’s Champion. It appears that is the new direction for these two stars. 

As a result, Kai has earned the right to challenge NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai for the strap at the NXT TakeOver: XXX event. Either one would’ve been a fine choice. 

Ripley clearly is one of the two top stars in the division. On the flip side, Kai has been built up by management over the past few months as someone that fans should take notice of. 

Non-Title Match

Keith Lee
Keith Lee

NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes in a non-title match was booked with what many felt as just filing time while also advancing the storyline with Lee and Karrion Kross. 

WWE actually gave Grimes some offense and made him look serious, which was a surprise. Lee went over with a powerbomb. 

After the match, Kross was seen on the big screen and had laid out several people in the backstage area. 

Of course, Grimes had interrupted Lee last week, which led to him getting laid out. The match was very much one-sided and rightfully so. 

Grimes is a comedy guy with a limited shelf life in this current gimmick. While he’s talented and gets the job done, some could argue that he’s not being allowed to hit his full potential in a somewhat limited character role. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1291181354575683586

Pat McAfee Appears

pjimage 2020 08 05T144247.013

Former NFL punter and current sports personality Pat McAfee made an appearance in order to address his confrontation with former NXT Champion Adam Cole last month. 

Cole was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and things got heated between the two men. After trading some jabs, Cole finally snapped when called short and dropped a couple of F-bombs before he shoved McAfee’s co-host. Cole has since then apologized for his actions.

WWE did a storyline where McAfee had made up with Cole earlier in the night. He joined Tom Phillips on commentary for the last 30 minutes of the show. This includes the main event for the tag team titles. During it, he was taking jabs at Cole. 

Cole came over and threw water on Pat. They were separated. Shawn Michaels and Triple H appeared to break it up. All of a sudden, Pat laid him out with a kick to the head. 

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1291194865024405505

Posted August 5th, 2020 in Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (7/29): Triple Threat Match, Strong vs. Gargano

The July 29, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (7/29/20)

  • Io Shirai & Tegan Nox def. Dakota Kai & Candice LeRae
  • Johnny Gargano def. Roderick Strong
  • Mercedes Martinez def. Shotzi Blackheart.
  • Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel).
  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Jake Atlas.
  • Dexter Lumis def. Timothy Thatcher and Finn Balor in a WWE NXT North American Championship Qualifying Match.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Tag Opener

Io Shirai and Tegan Nox vs. Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai in a tag team match opened the show and did so in style.

Things got wild towards the end of this solid match. The finish saw Io hit a moonsault off the top rope, but her knees landed on the head of LeRae. Kai didn’t wait around for her partner after the match as she stood on the stage.

The four stars have some history. Of course, we have the never-ending feud between Nox and Kai while Shirai retained her NXT Women’s Championship against Nox two weeks ago on NXT. Following the match, Kai laid out the current champion with a kick to the face.

Fast forward to last week, there was a video promo done by Kai, who stated that it felt good to kick Io in the face. She added that once Shirai returned that she would be waiting on her and to bring the title.

Clearly, WWE is building up Io defending the championship against Kai heading into the NXT TakeOver: 30 event. This was a nice way to continue that program while also featuring Nox and LeRae, who could be headed into their own feud.

Roderick Strong vs. Johnny Gargano

In a match that actually made sense in booking, Roderick Strong vs. Johnny Gargano took place in a singles match. 

This was the best match on the show and had to be considering the quality of wrestlers in the bout. Gargano went over in the contest when he hit the springboard DDT. 

Of course, both guys lost in the triple threat match that saw Bronson Reed win last week in order to move onto the Ladder Match at NXT TakeOver: 30 to crown a new North American Champion.

Reed won after flattening Strong with a top-rope splash after Gargano spiked Strong with a One Final Beat DDT.

Following the match, WWE had them exchange some words that lead to this match. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1288633282083659776

Second Ladder Match Spot

A triple threat match that featured Finn Balor, Dexter Lumis, and Timothy Thatcher doing battle for the second Ladder Match spot at NXT TakeOver: 30 to crown a new North American Champion.

Balor had his left knee taken out when Thatcher had him in a submission hold. Lumis managed to lock in his submission finisher on Thatcher, who passed out as a result and Lumis won the contest. After the match, Lumis was staring at the title. 

It was a fun match with a better ending although some will be surprised with Lumis going over. They protected Balor with the finish though. 

As a result, Lumis now joins Bronson Reed as the other competitor in the match. More stars will be added to the bout in the coming weeks. 

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Mercedes Martinez

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Mercedes Martinez in a singles match was booked with it continuing to feud two sides. The match was fine with Martinez going over. 

Of course, Blackheart went over Aaliyah last week on NXT as she is a client of Robert Stone, who has been embarrassed by Blackheart over the last few weeks. Following the loss, WWE reintroduced Martinez on television and aligned her with the group. 

Two things are pretty clear coming out of this match. One, NXT officials clearly see something in Blackheart and continue to build her up as a likable babyfaces.

The other is that Martinez can be a future title contender as Io Shirai is currently a babyface champion. 

Keith Lee Responds

Keith Lee responded to Karrion Kross’ actions from last week. 

Of course, in the headliner of that show, Kross beat Dominik Dijakovic, who is the good friend yet better enemy of the NXT Champion. Kross beat the former title contender in a violent way when Kross put the head of his opponent between the ring and steps and kicked the steel. 

Lee came out to the ring and pleaded for his friend to quit the match, but he took the strikes before being choked out. 

On this show, Lee cut a promo about how he can talk all day about how his friend wanted the beatdown and that he is a grown man who will be just fine. Lee stated that Kross has made it a point that he wants his attention and the title. He said that Kross has done extra BS and it means nothing to him. 

He said that Kross doesn’t have the balls to face him. Thus, Lee is calling out Kross. Cameron Grimes came out to the ring, but he was taken out by Lee. This led to Scarlett standing on the rampway before Kross appeared on the big screen. Kross questioned Lee for watching his friend get beaten down. He said that Lee has two choices which are to give him his shot at the NXT Title or the hard way that would let everyone suffer. 

Lee said that Kross can pick the time and place and he would whoop that a**. 

Posted July 29th, 2020 in WWE, News, Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (7/22/20): Kross vs. Dijakovic, Dain vs. Lumis

The July 22, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results

  • Dexter Lumis def. Killian Dain
  • Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)
  • Shotzi Blackheart def. Aliyah
  • Timothy Thatcher def. Oney Lorcan
  • Karrion Kross def. Dominik Dijakovic

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Aliyah

shotzi blackheart

A late addition to the card although WWE did have Robert Stone appear on WWE’s The Bump to announce that his client, Aliyah, would take on Shotzi Blackheart in a singles match. 

Blackheart won with a backsplash off the top rope. She had taken out Stone during the match after he interfered by hitting him with a big boot on the apron. Mercedes Martinez attacked Shotzi after the match.

Clearly, WWE officials like Stone even though he split with Chelsea Green, who was headed to the main roster only for Vince McMahon to change his mind. 

Aliyah and Blackheart did their best to get over the story they were trying to tell and had some time to do so but WWE still has a long way to go in order to get Aliyah and Blackheart over as stars rather than solid wrestlers. 

This match was set up two weeks ago in an angle where Stone had offered Blackheart the opportunity to join his brand, but she denied him and he tossed coffee over his shoulder which hit Killian Dain. Eventually, Dain attacked Stone and Blackheart ran over Stone’s ankle with her tank, which she uses during her entrance.

Triple Threat Bout

pjimage 2020 07 22T202147.182

The first of several Triple Threat qualifying matches was booked as the top bout featured on show saw Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong vs. Bronson Reed. 

The match was part of the big announcement that had been promised by NXT General Manager William Regal, who had given Keith Lee the chance to announce that he decided to vacate the NXT North American Title. 

There will be a series of triple threat matches that will serve as qualifying matches. The winners of these matches will then advance to a Ladder Match at the NXT TakeOver XXX special during SummerSlam weekend to crown the new North American Champion.

Regarding this match, it was the best match of the night. Reed went over when he laid out Gargano before hitting a splash to Strong for the win. 

Now, there are four more spots to be filled in the ladder match. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1286107151463849988

Dexter Lumis vs. Killian Dain

Killian Dain bio 52da93ce9b35d8b6c3eab70801479fc9

Dexter Lumis faced Killian Dain in a singles match. Right out of the gate, this was a weird match style as you have a big guy in Dain while Lumis is a slow passing serial killer character. 

They did their best to make the match work. Lumis is clearly a guy that Triple H believes could be a star on the NXT program and Dain was next on his list. Dain is a guy, who had just recently made his return, as someone that WWE pushed as a monster. 

The two guys worked hard until the finish that saw Lumis hit his side slam signature move before locking in his arm/neck choke.

Lumis also broke out some new moves such as a leg drop that Hulk Hogan would be proud of and a front senton off the top rope. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1286092621341958146
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1286091244951810050

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Karrion Kross

Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross & Scarlett

Dominik Dijakovic went one-on-one with Karrion Kross.

Just like all of the other opponents that have been put in the way of Kross, he crushed Dijakovic. The finish came when Kross put the head of his opponent between the ring and steps and kicked the steel. 

Dijakovic was out cold and Kross tossed him into the ring before landing a few strikes. NXT Champion Keith Lee came to ringside to tell Dijakovic to give up. Dijakovic said that he wanted it to continue. Kross ended up going over as Lee told him that he made a mistake. 

The booking decision behind this contest made sense although Dijakovic has been someone that WWE officials have pushed since his arrival. He’s known as the great rival and friend of Lee. 

Even last week when Lee beat Dijakovic to retain both titles, WWE had Kross watching from high above. 

Clearly, Kross is in line for Lee, but it remains to be interesting to see how WWE gets there. Is he the next in line or does he wait until Adam Cole gets his rematch. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1286117769616986113

Posted July 22nd, 2020 in Results, News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (7/15): Io Shirai Defends Women’s Title, Grimes vs. Priest

The July 15, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (7/15)

  • Damian Priest def. Cameron Grimes.
  • Indi Hartwell def. Shotzi Blackheart
  • Keith Lee def. Dominik Dijakovic to Retain NXT & North American Titles
  • Timothy Thatcher def. Denzel DeJournette.
  • NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai def. Tegan Nox to Retain Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Keith Lee Speaks

pjimage 2020 07 08T210126.932

WWE had newly crowned NXT Champion Keith Lee address fans following his big title win. 

Of course, Lee beat Adam Cole to snap his historic title reign as NXT Champion last week on NXT in a Winner Takes All Match. 

Lee came out for an in-ring promo to open the show. He said the last few months have been trying for all of us and he understands that pain because losses hurt. He said that there’s something special about being in the ring and he stands before the fans as a double champion.

Lee knows that he has a target on his back and everyone wants a championship shot. He knows that chances created him to get to this point and thanked various people like Tim Brooks and the fans. 

Lee would like to talk with Dominik Dijakovic, who came out to the ring. Lee thinks this moment is about both of them because Dijakovic pushed him to get him to this point and tested him to limits like no one else.

Lee suggested to William Regal that the first challenger for the titles should be Dijakovic. Dijakovic asked when and Lee said tonight and Dijakovic said yes.

Cameron Grimes vs. Damian Priest

Damien Priest
Photo Credit: WWE.com

WWE booked another match between Cameron Grimes and Damian Priest. In a match that no one really asked for, it happened and it was different from their first encounter. 

Unlike their previous outing, Priest scored the pinfall after avoiding a clothesline and connecting with a kick to the back of the head of Grimes. 

Their first match came a few weeks ago and saw Grimes pull out all of the stops as only a heel can do by attacking Priest prior to the match, which ultimately gave Priest an out in order to take the loss. 

Priest continues to float on television and WWE hasn’t really done anything to make you want to see him in a big-time feud. On the flip side, the same can be said for Grimes, who is good in his role and someone that fans just want to see be attacked. That’s good for a heel, but it seems that is as far as his upside can go. Pure heat, no drawing ability. 

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai Defends

Io Shirai
Io Shirai

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai made her latest title defense against Tegan Nox. 

The match was good as both girls worked hard although Nox wasn’t built up as a serious title contender, but rather the underdog in the way of the champion who is still trying to build up her credibility as a champion and thus pumping up her credit. 

Nox put up a good fight and even had some dominating moments, but it wasn’t enough. The finish saw Io hit her finisher. After the match, Dakota Kai came out and laid out Io to close the show. 

Knox had previously won a #1 contender’s bout to earn this title match, but now she’s headed back to the drawing board and the back of the line. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1283578507935834112

Keith Lee Reignites Feud

keith lee dominik dijakovic portland
Photo: WWE.com

Just when you thought the feud was over, WWE goes back to it. Of course, following the opening segment, WWE saved Keith Lee making his first defense as double champion – North American Champion and NXT Champion – against Dominik Dijakovic.

As expected and like their previous outings, the two big men put on a show and told a good story in the ring. The finish came when Lee hit his finisher to retain the titles. 

This booking decision was fine as the two have history and was a good way to have decent star power on the show against a strong AEW Dynamite episode. The funny thing is that Dijakovic was reportedly called up to the main roster and placed on RAW. He even tweeted various teases.  Never made his debut though. 

As with most things with WWE’s creative, things can change at any time and it appears that this was just that. Thus, apparently, WWE is keeping the big man in NXT for now. 

Post-match, Scarlett came out to the ring and put the hourglass into the ring to let Lee know that Karrion Kross was still watching him. 

Posted July 15th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (7/8): Winner Takes All Match, Street Fight

The July 8, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Candice LeRae def. Mia Yim – Street Fight
  • Bronson Reed def. Tony Nese
  • Johnny Gargano def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
  • Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) def. Drake Maverick, Tyler Breeze & Fandango.
  • Mercedes Martinez def. Santana Garrett.
  • Keith Lee def. Adam Cole to win NXT Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano. Image Credit: WWE.com

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano was a late addition to this card as WWE had announced it on Tuesday. In fact, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels noted in a post on Twitter following the announcement that it could end up as the show-stealer. 

While it was very good with both guys being able to have a spotlight on the show, it wasn’t the best match on the show as that honor goes to Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee.

Scott continues to be a prospect who has star power written all over him. While yes, putting him in the ring with the type of star that Gargano is, he does get a rub, which is great. The only problem is the fact that he doesn’t win big matches. 

From a booking standpoint, WWE can only do that with certain stars for so long. Unless WWE is making a storyline of this, which is something that they did with Bayley while she was a babyface, it hurts Scott in the long run instead of helping him as his stock with fans drop. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1281028654450053120

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae

Candice LeRae
Image Credit: WWE.com

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a street fight is in the books after taking place. If you’ve seen one street fight in WWE then you’ve basically seen all of them. That’s unfortunate but that’s the way that these types of matches in WWE are booked. 

Don’t mistake that statement as necessarily a bad thing as both girls worked hard in the contest to put forward the best performance possible. 

The finish saw LeRae hit a neck breaker off the top of a table set up in the corner onto a pile of steel chairs. 

Both girls have been built up as title contenders in the women’s division, which currently sees Io Shirai as the top star as champion. While Yim has had recent title opportunities, LeRae, on the other hand, is still out in the cold in that regard. 

LeRae and Johnny Gargano have been accorded a ton of television time as of late so one would think that she would be getting a title match against Io sooner rather than later. 

Six-Man Tag Team Match

drake maverick

Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde vs. Drake Maverick and Breezango in a six-man tag team match was booked. 

While yes, it was part of a bigger story being told here, this was also just to fill time while continuing the ongoing story between Escobar and Maverick. 

The match saw the heels go over for the win. Clearly, Breezango is just being used as comedy players who can do jobs to get younger talent over. It works nicely for both sides, but by pairing them with Maverick at a time where he is in such a serious storyline could be questioned by fans. 

It will be interesting to see when Maverick gets his chance to not only get revenge but also challenge for the Cruiserweight Title will be interesting.

WWE does have a TakeOver special coming up in August that they could save it for, but this seems more like a television feud than a big storyline that’s worthy of a spot on the card of a TakeOver event. 

Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole

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WWE booked Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All match for the NXT Championship & North American Championship. This served as the main event and rightfully so as it was the biggest match announced on the card. 

WWE gave them plenty of time to tell the story that they had set out to tell. The back and forth contest came down to when Lee hit him with his finisher.  

The finish of this contest might have caught some fans off guard although the apparent match result was leaked by a fellow NXT star just last week in a really bad mistake. 

Up until this point, WWE had been building up Karrion Kross to be the next challenge for the title. In fact, he had already sent a warning to Cole about his intentions. 

Whether this title change causes a delay in that happening remains to be seen. Either way, we’re likely getting another match between Lee and Cole, but this was a nice way to cap off the night. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1281041069598277634

Posted July 8th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Great American Bash Results (7/1): Banks vs. Shirai, Strap Bout

The July 1, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (7/1)

  • Tegan Nox def. Dakota Kai, Mia Yim and Candice LeRae – Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match
  • Timothy Thatcher def. Oney Lorcan
  • Rhea Ripley def. Robert Stone & Aliyah
  • Dexter Lumis def. Roderick Strong – Strap Match
  • Io Shirai def. Sasha Banks 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Handicap Match

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

The fallout from Rhea Ripley no longer being in the hunt for the NXT Women’s Title continued she has been booked into a feud with Aliyah. The stipulation heading into this contest was the fact that Ripley must join Robert Stone’s faction if she lost. 

Yes, the same Robert Stone who had been drinking because of sadness after being dropped by Chelsea Green, who was supposed to be headed to the main roster only to be forgotten about on NXT television and not called up yet. 

The match was a fine comedy match with Ripley going over. 

Heading into the contest, most fans didn’t think that Ripley, who is a much bigger star and arguably the second biggest star on the NXT women’s roster right now, would lose to Aliyah in this contest.

Not only for the fact that Aliyah hadn’t been built up as a serious player in the division up until this point, but also because Stone has been booked as a comedy figure since losing his client in Green. 

Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher

Timothy Thatcher

The most random yet somewhat hyped up bout on the card was Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher in a singles match. 

It was set up on Twitter after Lorcan, who hasn’t done much as of late, randomly went on a rant about Thatcher for his submission school videos that have been airing on NXT TV as of late. This led to NXT GM William Regal making the booking. 

The match was fine but stiff. Rightfully so, Thatcher, who needs something to happen aside from those videos, wentover with his armbar finisher. 

While it was the clear outcome, it was the right call by the NXT creative team. 

Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match

Mia Yim - WWE.com

There was a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match between Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai. The winner of this match would become the number 1 contender for Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship. 

As expected, a fun yet chaotic filled contest with all women hitting some cool spots and a few near falls. LeRae was first eliminated and followed by Yim. 

In the end, it was Knox who ended up winning the contest to become the new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title currently held by Shirai. The finish of the match saw Knox hit a shining wizard for the win. 

This was an interesting match booking as it came on the same show as Shirai vs. Sasha Banks in a non-title bout. Obviously, Knox will challenge Shirai down the line, but it will be interesting to see when the contest actually takes place. 

Strap Match

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Just one week after their first match, WWE booked Dexter Lumis vs. Roderick Strong in a Strap Match on this show. 

Last week’s NXT saw Lumis win their singles match by count-out, which set up this interesting contest. WWE had hyped it as the first of its kind in the history of the black and yellow brand. And clearly due to the outcome of their previous match, it made sense although the two stars had their work cut out for them. 

So how was the match? It was interesting. Not the most exciting thing you’ll ever see especially due to the Michael Myers’ like personality in which Lumis works, but Strong made it interesting and had to do so in order to make this match some kind of entertaining. 

Lumis went over in the contest that opened the second hour. 

Sasha Banks vs. Io Shirai

Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks

One of the biggest matches booked on this show was WWE Women’s Tag team Champion Sasha Banks taking on current NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in a non-title match. 

Clearly, Banks hasn’t done anything as a singles competitor in NXT as of late so it did make sense as to why this was a non-title match. 

The match was very good but you could tell that these two stars could put on an even better match should they go again. The finish saw Asuka come out from nowhere to spray mist in the face of Banks. This allowed Io to hit a moonsault off the top rope for the win. 

This match was booked after Shirai attacked Banks and Bayley two weeks ago following them successfully defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart.

It was an interesting match booking especially with NXT crowning a new #1 contender for the title on the same show. the clear outcome, it was the right decision on the part of NXT creative. 

Posted July 1st, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (6/17): Title Matches, Top Stars Exchange Promos

The June 17th, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (6/17)

  • NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) (c) def. Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
  • Damian Priest def. Killian Dain
  • Aliyah def. Xia Li
  • Dakota Kai (w/Raquel Gonzalez) def. Kayden Carter (w/Kacy Catanzaro)
  • Bronson Reed def. Leon Ruff.
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

WWE NXT Tag Team Titles 

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NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium defended their titles against Breezango.

It was a decent back and forth match that opened the show. WWE gave Fandango and Tyler Breeze quite a bit of offense. In the end, the champions retained the titles. 

Indus Sher made their way out to make their presence known. However, they were interrupted by Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan as the match continues.

A Triple Threat Match to determine the new #1 contender’s for the Tag Team Titles took place back on June 3rd as Breeze & Fandango battled The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The babyfaces went over to win the contest. 

It’s clear that the majority of fans didn’t think Breezango would win and didn’t take them seriously, but it was a nice change and we got a title match out of it. 

WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles

Sasha Banks Bayley

Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart challenged Bayley and Sasha Banks for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. 

WWE saved this contest for the main event of the show. It was a fun match with Bayley and Banks successfully retaining the titles. Post-match, Io Shirai came out and attacked both Bayley and Banks. They had a staredown to close out the show. 

It was nice to see Bayley and Banks, who are NXT originals, come back to the yellow and black brand, but it’s not likely that many fans thought they would drop the titles to the makeshift team of Nox and Blackheart. 

NXT doesn’t really have a tag team division in NXT so it appears they’ll go back to being singles stars. 

Adam Cole Responds, Title Matches Galore

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

NXT Champion Adam Cole decided to respond to Karrion Kross’s challenge from last week’s show. Of course, last Wednesday’s show closed with Scarlett walking out to the ring and placed an hourglass in the ring then there was a Kross logo placed on the screen. 

Cole did a promo backstage about how Kross tried to scare him but he’s not worried because he’s seen this film play out many times, but knows how it ends. It ends with him overcoming a challenger and standing tall as the NXT Champion. 

This led to Keith Lee walking up and telling him that his time is coming to an end as NXT Champion. However, it won’t be Kross taking the title from Cole, it would be him. Lee smashed the hourglass and Cole walked away. 

In the following segment, Cole did a promo in the ring to open the second hour. He said he’s never taken his reign for granted. He said Kross throwing his name out for a title shot doesn’t work. He put over Kross for beating Ciampa. 

Cole addressed Lee’s threat and noted maybe he wants a second title. He likes the sound of champ-champ. This led to Lee coming out to do another straight promo segment with Cole, but Johnny Gargano came out for a promo. Gargano brought up coming after the NXT North American Title but questioned why he would stop there and thinks he should go after the NXT Title as well.

Finn Balor followed and said they can stop being marks for themselves and go back to being a mark for him. Balor said that he’s never held the NXT North American Title and sent a warning to Lee about taking his title before telling Cole that he’s coming for his title. He called Cole a transitional champion. 

William Regal appeared and announced Lee defending the title against Gargano and Balor next week. The winner of that match will take on Adam Cole in a Champion vs. Champion Winner Takes All Contest on July 8th. 

Killian Dain Is Back

killian dain nxt 8 21

In a return after a hiatus, Killian Dain took on Damian Priest in a singles match that served as the second bout of the night. 

Dain controlled the majority of the match with Priest making a comeback in the later stages of it. It was a hard-hitting style between two big men with Priest going over in the end. 

Dain hadn’t been seen since the March 25th episode of NXT and was absent since then. Up until his most recent hiatus, he had been working squash matches in order to build him up further as a monster. 

He took a clean loss in this match, which only further shows how high WWE officials are of Priest. 

Therapy For Roderick Strong

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We saw Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Roderick Strong in a limo where they were trying to get Strong to go see a therapist in order to get him over his fear of Dexter Lumis. 

They tried to hype him up about how this therapist is the best in the world. It turns out that the therapist was Kyle O’Reilly, who was dressed up with glasses and a hat. 

Strong detailed how he couldn’t stop thinking of Lumis and how he hates people staring at him.

They showed him various pitches and asked Strong to describe what he saw. O’Reilly told Strong that he needed to face the trunk that is behind his fears of Lumis. They tried to get him to go into the trunk, but he ran away. 

Cole said he thought he made progress but they needed to go get Strong. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1273419449341816833

Posted June 17th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (6/10): Adam Cole’s New Challenger, Heel Turn

The June 10, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. The show was headlined by Adam Cole vs. Dexter Lumis.

WWE NXT Results (6/10)

  • Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae def. Keith Lee & Mia Yim.
  • Indus Sher (Rinku & Saurav) def. Mike Reed & Mikey Delbrey
  • Finn Balor def. Cameron Grimes
  • Dakota Kai (w/Raquel Gonzalez) def. Kacy Catanzaro
  • Adam Cole (w/Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) def. Dexter Lumis

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole Addresses His Previous Dream

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In a different way to start the show, Adam Cole walked out to the ring with Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong for a promo. Cole talked about how The Velveteen Dream isn’t anywhere near him because there’s only one Adam Cole. He stated that now he’s done with Dream, he’s looking forward. 

Cole said that it doesn’t matter what’s next for him because he’s run through all that NXT has to offer and nobody has held the title more than anyone and no one can beat him. 

Cole said that he doesn’t know what Dexter Lumis’s problem is. Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish brought up their past problems. They think Loomis is scared of them. We then see Loomis in the crowd but when Fish turns around, he disappears. 

Cole later hyped his match with Loomis and stated that he would send Lumis back to the drawing board where he belongs. 

Of course, Lumis interfered in the Backlot Brawl between Cole and The Velveteen Dream from this past Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House special to take away Fish and Strong in his car. 

Now, Cole is done with his program with Dream due to the stipulation that went along with this contest. As noted, Dream can’t challenge for the NXT Title if Cole is the champion. 

Keith Lee & Mia Yim vs. Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae

Gargano LeRae
Photo Credit: WWE.com

The first match of the night was a tag team match that saw Keith Lee and Mia Yim vs. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.

It was a fun match with some entertaining spots. The finish was interesting as Yim was knocked to the floor while LeRae was laying in the ring and Gargano hit a springboard DDT to Lee, who landed on LeRae. Gargano rolled up Lee, who was holding LeRae, for the win. 

Of course, Lee successfully retained the NXT North American Title over Gargano this past Sunday at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. 

Yim and LeRae worked a singles match last week on NXT and then a six-woman tag team match at TakeOver as well. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1270875543324495872

Finn Balor Against Cameron Grimes

Finn Balor NXT
Finn Balor in NXT

WWE went back to the feud between Finn Balor and Cameron Grimes. The company had hyped how Balor was looking for retribution against Grimes as their first match last month took place and saw Grimes score a win over the former NXT Champion. 

However, earlier in the night, Damien Priest hit Grimes in the face. Thus, WWE claimed that Grimes wouldn’t compete due to this. However, WWE later did a segment where William Regal dismissed Grimes’ broken jaw claim. 

Balor went over in the contest. After the match, he issued a challenge to Keith Lee for the NXT North American Title. 

At the time, it was an interesting booking decision on the part of management due to Balor, a bigger star than Grimes, in addition to Balor being in a feud with Damien Priest. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1270885257210929152

Adam Cole Took On Dexter Lumis

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

Fresh off his latest title defense, Cole took on Lumis in a non-title match on this show. It was the biggest match promoted in advance. 

The contest saw Cole go over and rightfully so. After the match, Cole went to attack Lumis further, but Lumis popped up and was jumped by Fish and Strong. This led to Dream running out to make the save and run them off. 

Cole was left in the ring with the lights being deemed. We see Scarlett walk out to the ring and place an hourglass in the ring then there was a Karrion Kross logo placed on the screen. Scarlett stared at Cole, who was looking at her while clutching at the NXT Title. 

It seemed too early for Lumis to be challenging for the NXT Title. However, WWE is clearly behind Kross and the rocket has been boosted to that man. A very good cliffhanger of an ending. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1270897588947038221

El Hijo del Fantasma Unmasks

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El Hijo del Fantasma came out to the ring for a promo about winning the Cruiserweight Title last week. Drake Maverick came out to the ring and said that last week shouldn’t have been about him. Instead, it should’ve been Fantasma. 

Maverick said that he had a lot on his mind last week but now that he’s under contract again, he knows he can win the title and beat Fantasma. He challenged him to a title match, which Fantasma accepted. 

Two masked men came out to the ring and surrounded them. Fantasma attacked Maverick before the two men jumped in. 

Fantasma confirmed his alliance with the masked men who reveal themselves to be Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde. Fantasma unmasked himself and said that he’s Santos Escobar and no one can touch him. Wilde and Mendoza then hit a double splash off the top rope. 

A very well done segment and heel turn. 

Posted June 10th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (6/3): Drake Maverick Offered WWE Deal, Tournament Finals

The June 3, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by Drake Maverick vs. El Hijo del Fantasma in the finals of the tournament to crown a new Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion.

WWE NXT Results (6/3)

  • Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae def. Keith Lee & Mia Yim
  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Tony Nese
  • Breezango def. Burch & Lorcan and The Undisputed Era – Triple Threat #1 Contender’s Match
  • Santana Garrett def. Aliyah
  • Cameron Grimes def. Bronson Reed
  • El Hijo del Fantasma def. Drake Maverick to become the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae Not As Advertised

Candice LeRae
Image Credit: WWE.com

After a few weeks of build, WWE booked Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a singles match. 

It was a fun back and forth affair while it lasted. The match started the show but it ended in a double count-out finish. After the match, a brawl broke out with the likes of Teagan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, and more joining in. Johnny Gargano came out to get the referee off his wife and Keith Lee ran out to even things out. 

Some fans thought that WWE might save this contest for the NXT TakeOver: In your House special or even have a mixed tag team match with Yim teaming up with Lee and LeRae teaming with her husband, Gargano, at this show.

However, WWE decided to split them up and have the women work the go-home show for the special while at the special, Lee will make his next title defense against Gargano. 

In between a commercial break, a mixed tag team match with all four stars did take place. Gargano and LeRae went over when Gargano used his car keys to rake the eyes of Lee and get the pinfall. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1268335434444218369

Drake Maverick vs. El Hijo del Fantasma

drake maverick

Drake Maverick vs. El Hijo del Fantasma in the finals of the tournament to crown a new Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion is in the books. 

The match was fine with Fantasma going over in the main event. The finish saw two masked men come down to the ring but Maverick took them out with an outside dive.

Back in the ring, Fantasma hit his finisher for the win. After the match, Triple H came out and offered Maverick a new deal to re-sign with the company. 

The whole storyline of Maverick being allowed in the tournament despite his public release was still something weird. However, NXT officials managed to pull a good thing out of a bad situation. 

It also allowed Maverick to show more of his personality and work rate on a bigger stage compared to 205 Live. 

Adam Cole-Velveteen Dream Prime Target

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Well, instead of turning it into a WWE Network special, WWE decided to air on NXT TV to further build Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream. 

Cole will defend the NXT Title against the challenger at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. There were various stars talking about the match and it was simply a hype piece. 

They did do a segment with The Undisputed Era being taken by limo with everyone in suits being taken to a fine restaurant. 

There’s a stipulation to go along with this contest as Dream can’t challenge for the title as long as Cole is champion should he lose with a setting to be determined, which will be a ring in the middle of a parking lot. 

Triple Threat #1 Contender’s Match

fandango nxt 7 31
Photo Credit: WWE.com

A Triple Threat Match to determine the new #1 contender’s for the Tag Team Titles took place as Tyler Breeze & Fandango battled The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. 

As expected with these three teams, it was a really good match with them getting plenty of time to work and tell the story that they wanted. This marked the return for Fandango, who had been previously sidelined with an injury. 

As seen on the show, Breeze and Fandango went over to become the new #1 contender’ to the straps, which are currently held by Imperium. 

Fandango won the contest when he pinned Fish with a leg drop off the top rope. Indus Sher made their presence known post-match as they had a staredown with the champs and the new contenders. 

Fandango and Breeze are two guys who can go in the ring and will put on a good match with Imperium but also a tag team who can eat the loss and still be over. 

Posted June 3rd, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (5/27): Cage Fight, Charlotte Flair’s Mystery Partner

The May 27, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University and we have the results. 

The show was headlined by Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher in a Cage Fight. 

WWE NXT Results (5/27)

  • Drake Maverick def. Kushida and Jake Atlas – Group A Tournament Finals
  • Johnny Gargano def. Adrian Alanis
  • Raquel Gonzalez (w/Dakota Kai) def. Shotzi Blackheart (w/Tegan Nox).
  • Charlotte Flair & Chelsea Green def. Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai.
  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Leon Ruff
  • Timothy Thatcher def. Matt Riddle – Cage Fight

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole Talks With Mr. Regal

Adam Cole
Adam Cole (Photo: WWE)

NXT Champion Adam Cole was supposed to celebrate one year of his title reign but instead had a Zoom call with NXT General Manager William Regal to have an open negotiation. 

Cole cut a promo about The Velveteen Dream and how he wants him out of his life for good. Regal said that it’s not all about Cole. He said that Cole will defend the NXT Title against The Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. 

Cole complained about Dream having his own spotlight and a couch. Regal said that both Dream and Cole want a spotlight. Cole called that insulting because he’s been the cornerstone of NXT and that The Undisputed Era has made Regal look better than he is. 

Cole said that after he beats Dream at TakeOver then he wants the stipulation of Dream never getting a title shot again as long as he is the champion. Regal stated that he will find a setting that is worthy of such a match. 

Cage Fight

Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher with Kurt Angle as the special guest referee in a Cage Fight is in the books. 

Whatever expectations that fans might have had heading into this contest, it seems based on feedback via social media, that those expectations were exceeded. 

It looked like the old lion’s den set up with no ropes but just simply a ring with a steel cage around it and a scaffold above it. They implemented more of a fight style move set and submissions. Thatcher went over when he locked in a rear-naked choke and Riddle went to sleep. 

It was even better thanks to Angle being in the ring. While he’s not under contract with the company anymore, it has been reported that many WWE producers who were let go weren’t released outright but rather furloughed with the expectation that some of them could be brought back once WWE starts running more shows. 

It’s also been reported that Riddle is headed to the main roster and expected to work on the SmackDown brand. If not the last match on NXT television then one of the last matches, Riddle had a memorable fight. 

Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament

drake maverick

A Triple Threat to determine the Group A winner of Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament went down that saw Drake Maverick vs. Kushida vs. Jake Atlas. 

WWE gave them the opening slot of the broadcast and around 15 minutes of screen time. The finish saw Kushida put Atlas in an armbar only to lay back on the mat and have Maverick pin Atlas for the win. 

It was a clever finish that didn’t take away from Kushida or Atlas while moving the underdog story along with Maverick. As a result of this win, Maverick has advanced to the tournament finals as he’s the winner of Group A. 

Maverick will take on El Hijo Del Fantasma, the winner of Group B, on the June 3 episode of NXT.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1265798209693237253
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1265797444396294145

Tag Team Bout

charlotte flair raw 4 13

Charlotte Flair and mystery partner vs. Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley in a tag team match took place on this show.

While there were various stars who fans thought were going to serve as the partner of the NXT Women’s Champion, but it turns out that it was Chelsea Green. 

It was a fine tag bout that saw Flair and Green go over when Green took a shot from Io then Io knocked Rhea off the apron. This allowed Flair to pin Io by using the ropes in a roll-up for the win. 

This was the latest build for this program heading into the Triple Threat Match that will see Charlotte put the NXT Women’s Title on the line when she defends it against Io and Ripley at NXT TakeOver: In Your House special next month. 

Feud Continues, Bad Botch

shotzi blackheart

The third match of the night saw Raquel Gonzalez with Dakota Kai in her corner to defeat Shotzi Blackheart with Tegan Nox in her sidelines. 

It was a hard-hitting affair with the most notable thing in the match was the bad botch by Shotiz, which saw her attempt to hit a springboard back dive to the floor but she overshot it and landed badly on the back of her head. 

After the match, Candice LeRae came out to the ring to have some words with Nox. 

This appeared to be a continuation of the Nox-Kai feud that started last November with the addition of LeRae. Perhaps, we’ll get a future match. 

Posted May 27th, 2020 in WWE, News, Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (5/20): Tommaso Ciampa Returns, Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley

The May 20, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University and we have the results.  

The show was headlined by Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley.

WWE NXT Results (5/20)

  • Karrion Kross (w/Scarlett) def. Liam Gray.
  • El Hijo del Fantasma def. Akira Tozawa
  • Mia Yim def. Santana Garrett
  • Roderick Strong def. Dexter Lumis
  • Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)
  • Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley ends in no contest

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Killer Kross Opens The Show, Daddy Comes Home

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WWE had Killer Kross and Scarlett open the show by doing their cool entrance right before Kross’ second NXT match. 

As expected, Kross worked a squash match against some jobber named Liam Gray. The former Impact Wrestling star squashed Gray with a series of suplexes before locking in his finisher. 

After the match, Tommaso Ciampa walked out and introduced himself to Kross. He says that NXT is his home but Kross already knew that which is why Kross attacked the main attraction. He respects Kross’ aura of being special. Ciampa said that NXT has the best pro wrestlers in the world but Kross stands out. He pointed out that Kross has a killer entrance. 

Ciampa stood on the apron and Scarlett held the rope for Ciampa to get in. He said that on June 7 at TakeOver, it’ll be Ciampa vs.Kross and that’s special. He said welcome to the main event. 

An excellent segment and a match many will look forward to seeing. 

Roderick Strong vs. Dexter Lumis, Velveteen Dream Seeks Revenge

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A late addition to the card was Roderick Strong vs. Dexter Lumis in a singles match. 

It was a decent hard-hitting affair. In an interesting finish, Strong went over Lumis. 

This match was interesting as WWE has been pushing Lumis, a former Impact Wrestling star, in recent weeks by having him do squash matches. This was his first real test against Strong, who has been someone that NXT has been behind for quite some time now as part of The Undisputed Era. 

After the match, Lumis attacked Strong but was beaten down by the group until The Velveteen Dream ran out and made the save. Lumis and Dream stood tall to end the segment. 

Dream already lost to Cole with the title on the line but it appears this feud is going on further. 

Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

The biggest match announced for the show over the last week was Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley and rightfully so.

It marked the first match back for Ripley since she dropped the NXT Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36. 

The match was solid and they had plenty of time to work. The finish saw Flair walk out to the ring to watch the contest only for her to run in and attack both stars to cause a no contest. 

Clearly, WWE is reigniting the feud with Ripley and Flair, which has played out over the last few weeks since Ripley made her return to television. The real interest is how WWE plans to get there.

Will WWE make it a three-way bout at the NXT TakeOver: In Your House special? Perhaps they go right back to Flair vs. Ripley but with the inclusion of Io, she’s either a blockage in the middle of the road or a third person in this match to allow WWE to extend the Flair-Ripley feud for a later date and one final singles match. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1263289114641784833

Drake Maverick vs. Kushida

Drake Maverick
Drake Maverick. Image Credit: WWE.com

Kushida faced Drake Maverick to close out Group A in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament. 

WWE had hyped going into the contest that if Maverick won then he would force a three-way tie atop Group A as Jake Atlas previously lost to Kushida, but he also defeated Maverick. On the flip side, a victory for Kushida would put him in the Interim Cruiserweight Title Match opposite the winner of Group B.

As seen on the show, Maverick went over after he countered an armbar into the pinfall. The match was decent but didn’t get a ton of time for these guys to tell whatever story that was needed. 

Maverick’s situation with the company is still odd as it plays out as he was released from the company along with other talent last month due to budget cuts. 

It was announced after the match that due to Kushida, Maverick, and Atlas being tied in the standings of Group A, there will be a Triple Threat Match next week. The winner of this contest will then advance to the finals of the tournament. 

El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Akira Tozawa 

Akira Tozawa
Credit: WWE.com

After several weeks of building and following along to this moment, the finals of Group B took place when El Hijo del Fantasma collided with Akira Tozawa. 

This was the fastest-paced match on the show due to the styles that these two bring to the squared circle, which made for quite the entertaining bout even though the two stars don’t have much drawing power. 

The contest isn’t one to boost viewership but WWE is clearly behind Fantasma and someone that could become a decent name in star power for them should he get the proper booking to go along with it. 

As seen on the show, Fantasma went over to advance. 

New Feuds

Mia Yim - WWE.com

It appears that Candice LeRae will be feuding with Mia Yim going forward. 

Yim beat Santana Garrett. After the match, LeRae and Johnny Gargano walked out to the ring where they mocked her for losing to NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. LeRae congratulated her for actually winning a match tonight.  

LeRae blamed Yim’s loss on playing to the crowd. LeRae blamed Yim for not letting her have the chance of facing Flair. Gargano said that LeRae wouldn’t have dropped the ball and blown that type of opportunity. Yim and LeRae started to brawl.

Gargano pulled down the rope and Yim flew to the floor. Keith Lee walked out and ran Gargano into the ring. Gargano and LeRae retreated to the back and the segment ended with them staring down. 

So there are the next feuds for these four stars. Perhaps singles or even a mixed tag team match on task at TakeOver? 

Posted May 20th, 2020 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results (5/13): Title Change, Finn Balor’s Attacker Revealed

The May 13, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher in a singles match after working the opening contest. 

WWE NXT Results (5/13)

  • Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) def. Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher for NXT Tag Team Titles
  • Tegan Nox def. Indi Hartwell
  • Jake Atlas def. Tony Nese
  • Cameron Grimes def. Finn Balor
  • Kayden Carter defeated Aliyah
  • Matt Riddle def. Timothy Thatcher.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Rhea Ripley Speaks

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

WWE had Rhea Ripley do a promo on this show about her issues with NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. 

This is where she did backstage and talked about how she has been thinking about dropping the title to Flair since it happened and it makes her sick. She said that Io Shirai didn’t get the job done and that she considers herself as the person to do it. 

Ripley said that she’s willing to beat that belief into Io. He ended the promo by stating that the title belongs to her. 

This segment comes after Ripley’s return to NXT television on last week’s episode of NXT when Charlotte Flair put the NXT Women’s Title on the line when she defended it against the #1 contender in Io Shirai.

Flair hit her with a kendo stick, which led to a post-match attack, and Ripley making the save. Up until this point, Ripley had been off WWE programming since dropping the title to Flair at WrestleMania 36.

The Major Announcement Is…

SmackDown Triple H
Triple H and Shawn Michaels returned to SmackDown this week

On Wednesday, WWE had WWE NXT General Manager William Regal to appear on WWE The Bump digital show to announce that there will be a major announcement on NXT. 

It was later revealed that WWE Hall of Famer Triple H and Shawn Michaels would make the announcement. So what was the announcement? 

It turns out that WWE had Road Dog Triple H and Michaels in the control room where they announced that on June 7 on the WWE network there will be an NXT TakeOver: In Your House special. This will be to celebrate the 25 Anniversary of the first In Your House PPV event. 

Road Dog kept bringing up Triple H working the first WWE In Your House PPV event against Henry Godwin. This was supposed to be a comedy segment. 

A cool announcement but from right now, WWE has less than a month to build up to this special event even though they just had a stacked card last week with their top two programs for the top two titles on the brand. 

NXT Tag Team Title Match

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Matt Riddle.

Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. NXT Tag Team Champion Matt Riddle and partner Timothy Thatcher took place with the titles on the line.

This was one of the top matches advertised in advance for the show but served as the opening contest. 

It was a fine match with all four stars working hard and putting on an entertaining bout. Thatcher got accidentally kicked in the head by Riddle so he walked out on Riddle. The finish saw Imperium hit their finisher for the win and to win the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

WWE had set up this contest a few weeks ago during a segment with Riddle and Thatcher, who were doing a date show parody in order for Thatcher to get to know Riddle better now that he’s filling in for Pete Dunne as Dunne is stuck in the UK due to the virus. 

Riddle and Thatcher got into a scuffle backstage that led to them working the main event.

Finn Balor’s Attacker

Finn Balor NXT
Finn Balor in NXT

Finn Balor vs. Cameron Grimes in a singles match is in the books after a one-week build. 

Grimes actually won the contest thanks to a distraction from Damian Priest. After the match, Priest beat Balor down. Priest revealed that he was the one who attacked Balor three weeks ago.

WWE was still playing up the angle of who attacked Balor up until now. Balor did a great promo last week about wanting to find the attacker. When Grimes popped off in a promo moments later about how he would slap Balor, the former NXT Champion took him out. 

The belief was that WWE would be stringing fans along to find out who the actual attacker is. However, that’s the case. 

Priest just got done with a program with Keith Lee so pushing him right to Balor shows how highly NXT officials think of him. 

Posted May 13th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

NXT Results (5/6): Karrion Kross Debuts, Cole vs. Dream

The May 6, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by The Velveteen Dream challenging Adam Cole for the NXT Title.

WWE NXT Results (5/6)

  • Johnny Gargano def. Dominik Dijakovic
  • Akira Tozawa def. Jack Gallagher – Interim Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match
  • Chelsea Green def. Xia Li
  • Karrion Kross (w/Scarlett) def. Leon Ruff
  • Io Shirai def. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair via DQ
  • Cameron Grimes def. Denzel Dejournette
  • KUSHIDA def. Jake Atlas
  • NXT Champion Adam Cole def. The Velveteen Dream

Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Finn Balor Speaks

Finn Balor NXT
Finn Balor in NXT

So Finn Balor is back on NXT television after his short absence. 

Balor was attacked two weeks ago that prevented him from taking on The Velveteen Dream in one of the top matches featured on the show. 

During this week’s show, Balor cut a promo at a podium where he stated that he used to think that the snakes were in the office but he’s not sure anymore. He said that wrestling playbook 101 is that someone might get the push with the lights and lasers but once you get into the ring with the prince, there is nowhere to hide. 

He said that he’s a patient man but whoever attacked him, they shouldn’t expect a push but rather a squash. 

Moments later, Cameron Grimes defeated Denzel Dejournette in a quick match. After the match, Grimes cut a tough-talking promo about how he would slap Balor in the face. This led to Balor walking out and taking out Grimes. Balor talked into the camera and stated that the best way to take out a snake is to chop of its head. 

Another great promo by Balor. The mic work that he has done in NXT in his second run has been the best of his career. 

Karrion Kross Makes In-Ring Debut

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Karrion Kross, the former Killer Kross, made his in-ring debut against Leon Ruff with his girlfriend, Scarlett Bordeaux, in his corner. 

The real life couple was first seen on NXT television as they were shown in the background after Johnny Gargano was walking to his car with his wife, Candice LeRae, after his Empty Arena Match. 

This comes after he made his television debut a few weeks ago by attacking Tommaso Ciampa. Before that, WWE had been airing vignettes hyping his debut. 

Kross went over strong in this contest and rightfully so. When he first signed with the company, it was reported that he was being brought in as a top star and WWE is living up to that expectation. 

Johnny Gargano vs. Dominik Dijakovic

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano. Image Credit: WWE.com

In a more interesting match, Johnny Gargano vs. Dominik Dijakovic in a singles bout was booked. 

In the end, it was Gargano going over. WWE gave them about 20 minutes to work and they did just that in a fun entertaining bout. It was actually the opening contest. 

This only had a one week build, which made it more intriguing. Perhaps, WWE is going further with these two stars and creating a program out of it. The company has been pushing Dominik for the last few months most notably a feud against Keith Lee for the NXT North American Title. 

With Gargano not portraying a heel character and seemingly getting a bigger push than normal, the company could go forward with such a feud. 

It would make sense due to him not feuding with Tommaso Ciampa no longer and can’t go after the top title in the NXT Championship since Adam Cole is also a heel. 

Charlotte Flair vs. Io Shirai

charlotte flair raw 4 13

The first of two title matches on this show saw Charlotte Flair put the NXT Women’s Title on the line when she defended it against the #1 contender in Io Shirai. 

As expected, Flair went over to successfully retained her title. The finish doesn’t take away from the performance that these two stars put on in this contest but it was a lackluster one.

Flair hit her with a kendo stick, which led to a post-match attack. Rhea Ripley returned to TV and made the save. 

Clearly, Io is someone that Triple H sees as a big star and her work in the ring, especially with Flair, only backs up that belief. Many people believe that Io can be the next version of Asuka if not bigger depending on how WWE books her. 

This came after Flair had just beaten Mia Yim on last week’s show. Obviously, WWE still has the Ripley card in play for Flair but it appears that WWE is waiting on booking that rematch for a bigger date, perhaps SummerSlam. In the meantime, a triple threat match appears to be in on the table. 

The Velveteen Dream Challenges Adam Cole

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

WWE saved the biggest match for last as The Velveteen Dream challenged Adam Cole for the NXT Title in the main event. 

It was a great back and forth match. In the end, it was Cole who went over to successfully retain the title. 

Cole and Dream had been feuding for several weeks up until this point and rightfully so. Throughout Cole had been doing some of his best promo work from the poolside at his home. 

It will be interesting to see where Cole and Dream go from here. While yes, it’s possible due to the pandemic that WWE continues this feud going forward. 

At the same time, WWE had planned for this match to take place at NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay but due to the event being postponed, the promotion pushed it back to this show. 

Typically, WWE likes to have a new feud for each TakeOver specials, but with the next special not likely until August, things are up in the air. 

Posted May 6th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results & 5 Takeaways (4/29)

The April 29, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by NXT North American Champion Keith Lee defending the title against Damian Priest.

WWE NXT Results (4/29)

  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. El Hijo del Fantasma – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group B Match.
  • Candice LeRae def. Kacy Catanzaro.
  • Charlotte Flair def. Mia Yim
  • Dexter Lumis def. Shane Thorne
  • Drake Maverick def. Tony Nese – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group A Match.
  • NXT North American Champion Keith Lee def. Damian Priest 

Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma

Isaiah Swerve Scott

To open the show, WWE booked Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma in an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Group B Match.

A solid match with both guys working hard. Fantasma appeared to work a more stiff style in this contest while Scott let his athleticism shine. 

In the end, it was Scott winning, which marks his first win in the tournament, with a quick roll up. Post-match, he cut a promo about the challenges of facing Fantasma. He stated that he needed the win more and how he’s the guy when the game is on the line to make the winning shot. 

This was an interesting match choice to open the show considering that both guys aren’t proven as big stars. In fact, Fantasma only made his debut recently. 

That will be something interesting to see in regards to the ratings as NXT continues to slip in the ratings war with AEW despite having a two-win streak going on for this month. 

Candice LeRae’s Progression

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Candice LeRae had her first match as a heel on WWE NXT television by taking on Kacy Catanzaro in a singles match. 

LeRae got a new entrance and was joined by her husband, Johnny Gargano, who was doing the ring introductions for her. 

He praised her for all of her good qualities, how much she means to him, and her foot being a great birth control (this was a reference to her kicking Tommaso Ciampa in the groin during their match a few weeks ago). 

The match did get some time but it was all LeRae for the most part. LeRae was the one to go over. It appears that with the married couple now being heels and quite entertaining, LeRae will be getting more of a push going forward. 

Charlotte Flair In Action

charlotte flair raw 4 13

NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair faced Mia Yim in a non-title match on this show. 

It was a fun back and forth affair. One of the best matches on the whole show. As expected, Flair went over in the contest with her finisher. 

WWE set up this match last week after Yim picked up a win in a squash match. Following the contest, Flair came out and gave her a backhanded compliment. 

The company is still holding off on Flair giving a rematch to former champion Rhea Ripley, which is still expected. However, there’s still no word yet on when the contest will take place. 

After the match, Io Shirai came out and gave a heated promo where she stated that next week, Flair was hers. Mauro Ranallo confirmed on commentary that this title match would take place next week. 

NXT North American Championship Match

Keith Lee
Keith Lee

NXT North American Champion Keith Lee made his latest title defense against Damian Priest in the biggest match on the show. 

WWE saved the match for last and rightfully so. WWE had been building up this contest for quite some time as they have previously wrestled each other.

With that said, it was a stiff match that saw Lee hit two back-to-back powerbombs to pick up the victory and successfully retain the title. 

The latest angle done was last week when The Velveteen Dream & Dexter Lumis (replacing Lee) defeated Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in a tag team match. Lee was supposed to be the Dream’s partner but Lee was taken out when Priest hit him in the throat with a club.

It appears that WWE will be moving on from this feud.  

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1255678335436443648
https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1255677301783703554

The Newly Bro Show

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WWE booked a wacky yet entertaining segment named “The Newly Bro Show” with Bryon Saxton serving as the host and Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher being the contestants. 

It was like a dating or matchmaking show where Saxton would ask Thatcher a question and Riddle would write down what he thought Thatcher would say. It was all comedy and quite funny. 

This led to Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner coming out that led to a brawl with the UK stars standing tall with the titles in hand. Thus, it appears this is the next feud for the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

Of course, Thatcher is serving as the replacement for Riddle’s normal tag team partner, Pete Dunne, as Dunne is stuck over in the UK and can’t work NXT TV shows. 

Posted April 29th, 2020 in NXT, Results. Tagged: .

WWE NXT Results & 6 Takeaways (4/22)

The April 22, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.

The show was headlined by The Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong in a tag team match. 

WWE NXT Results (4/22)

  • Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez def. Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart
  • Jake Atlas def. Drake Maverick – Tournament Match
  • Kushida def. Tony Nese – Tournament Match
  • Mia Yim def. Jessi Kamea
  • El Hijo del Fantasma def. Jack Gallagher  – Tournament Match
  • The Velveteen Dream & Dexter Lumis (replacing Keith Lee) vs. Adam Cole & Roderick Strong

Here are the 6 takeaways from this week’s show:

Drake Maverick Wrestles After WWE Release

drake maverick

An Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Match between Drake Maverick and Jake Atlas took place. 

This was one of the most interesting matches of the night. Not because of the storyline of the bout because there wasn’t one, but the situation that Maverick finds himself in right now. 

Atlas went over after hitting a cartwheel DDT for the win. 

Last Wednesday, it was a dark day in WWE as the company decided to release several wrestlers and staff members as a way to cut costs due to the coronavirus. Maverick was one of those talents who were released by the company. 

Despite this, WWE is pushing forward with booking Maverick in this tournament, which was announced prior to the releases that were made. Clearly, the likelihood of him winning the tournament is very small but the mentality that WWE has is quite intriguing. 

Kushida vs. Tony Nese

Kushida NXT 5 1 2
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Kushida vs. Tony Nese in an Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Match took place. 

The expectations of this match lived up to it as it was a fun high paced bout. In the end, it was Kushida who went over. 

Since his arrival in NXT, Kushida has seemed lost in the way of the brand as he wasn’t necessarily booked badly but didn’t have a ton going on and outside of his accomplishments in NJPW, WWE never gave a reason for fans to like or even invest in him. 

This tournament will be a good way to do that. Clearly, the issue isn’t his in-ring work as he can put on a compelling match with anyone. 

The Feud Continues

tegan nox dakota kai street fight portland

The feud that seems will never end continued on this show with Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez in a tag team match taking place. 

It was a fine match with Gonzalez going over after she pinned Shotzi. This feud dates all the way back to November at the NXT TakeOver: War Games event once Kai turned heel by attacking her good friend in Nox. 

Since then, Nox and Kai have worked several matches including a Steel Cage Match.

Now, with the additions of Gonzales as the heater for Kai and Shotizi backing up Nox, there’s still no end in sight. 

Velveteen Dream vs. Finn Balor Doesn’t Happen

velveteen dream nxt 5 9
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter

Just one week after the initial start of the program, WWE went straight to booking a match between Velveteen Dream and Finn Balor. It was the biggest match featured on the card and due to the star power of both stars, rightfully so. 

WWE set up the match last week when Dream was doing a promo. Balor interrupted and told him that he doesn’t know or like Dream.

The only problem is that the contest didn’t take place. WWE did an angle where there was a backstage incident involving Balor and the match was pulled. 

NXT Champion Adam Cole came out and cut a promo while Dream was in the ring. Cole talked about how many thought Dream vs. Balor was a #1 contender match and now with Balor no longer being found, he thinks Dream is trying to sneak his way into a title match. 

Cole said that Dream would never be the champion. He said that he doesn’t know what happened to Balor but does know what will happen to Dream.

This led to The Undisputed Era attacking Dream. Keith Lee ran out to make the save.

Some fans might be mad about the false advertising but it appears that WWE is holding off on the match. 

Tag Team Headliner

Keith Lee
Keith Lee

So with The Velveteen Dream vs. Finn Balor not taking place, WWE went in a different direction for the main event. Following the opening segment, WWE booked Dream and Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. 

When WWE first announced Dream vs. Balor, some thought it was just a hiccup in the eventual showdown with NXT Champion Adam Cole for Dream, who has been trading promos with Cole for the past several weeks. 

Many fans could argue that WWE could’ve held off on booking this match in order to gain some momentum and perhaps pull in good ratings. It appears that is what WWE is doing. 

Lee was taken out early by Damien Priest, who hit him in the throat with a nightstick. Dexter Loomis eventually came out to be the Dream’s new tag team partner. The match was a lot of fun with Dream going over. 

Table For 2

Gargano LeRae
Photo Credit: WWE.com

WWE did this segment with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae at their home right before they were about to eat dinner. The video kept going in and out of black and white and color. 

Gargano and LeRae talked about how for years, they took a backseat to everyone. They put NXT first and themselves in second place. They questioned where that got them. Exactly nowhere. 

Gargano and LeRae both vowed that they wouldn’t be second anymore and would make those who put NXT first pay for doing so as they learned the hard lesson. 

LeRae is now showing off a new look with a different hairstyle. It was a unique vignette and perhaps we’ll get more of it going forward. 

Posted April 22nd, 2020 in WWE. Tagged: .

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