Tonight's NXT will determine who's first in line for a shot at Tiffany Stratton's title.
At Battleground, Stratton defeated Lyra Valkyria in the finals of a tournament to become the new NXT Women's Champion. Tonight, there will be a battle royal to decide Stratton's first challenger.
Last week's NXT saw "free agents" Mustafa Ali and Baron Corbin make surprise appearances. Ali saved Wes Lee and Tyler Bate from an attack by Joe Gacy, which sets up a singles match between Ali and Gacy for tonight's show.
Corbin ambushed Carmelo Hayes after Hayes retained the NXT Championship against Noam Dar in last Tuesday's main event.
Blair Davenport, who was revealed as NXT's mystery attacker last week, will be in action against Dani Palmer tonight.
A six-person tag match between Diamond Mine (The Creed Brothers & Ivy Nile) and Schism (The Dyad & Ava) will go down tonight, along with Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp. Plus, Ilja Dragunov returns for the first time since defeating Dijak in their Last Man Standing match at Battleground.
NXT opens with Baron Corbin entering the backstage area. He tells someone working in production to play his music. I immediately had a flashback to Vampiro at Triplemania hollering for someone to play his music.
Corbin's music does indeed play, and he enters the soundstage for a monologue. He cuts a promo on the current NXT roster. It was apparently better in his day. Although he did not yell to get off his lawn, Corbin's promo had that kind of energy. He went on say something very similar.
Corbin claims the current roster is living in a house he built. In his day they took it from FCW to selling out Barclays Center. He actually calls it "Barclays Arena," but whatever. A smattering of applause from live studio audience, and Corbin heels on them. Corbin says don't clap for that, and to "get off my bandwagon!" Bandwagon is not a lawn, but he is yelling to get off it.
The studio audience starts chanting for NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes, who Corbin attacked in an ambush last Tuesday in NXT. Corbin brags about jumping Hayes, and Corbin wants a title shot.
Eventually, Corbin is interrupted by Ilja Dragunov. He confronts Corbin, and Dragunov responds to some of Corbin's criticism of the current NXT roster. Dragunov also says he should be first in line for a title shot. Corbin in responding brags about the amount of WrestleManias he wrestled at, along with his other main roster accomplishments.
Dragunov and Corbin continue to argue until Dragunov challenges Corbin to a match tonight on NXT. Corbin mocks him by asking if he really wants a match after taking a beating a Battleground (in a banger against Dijak). Dragunov pulls up his shirt to reveal a large bruise. Corbin mocks him for that as well. Corbin tells Dragunov when he is through with him, Dragunov will be covered in bruises. Dragunov says he welcomes the challenge, and Dragunov dips out.
Corbin is still in the ring when he is jumped by Trick Williams. Corbin is clotheslined over the ropes, and he is held back by a crew of referees. It was like a segment on Raw, but it at least set up two matches. One for tonight and another for later on. There is a swerve of sorts, as Williams ends up getting booked in a match tonight, after Dragunov is injured after an attack by Bron Breakker.
Honestly, I am more intrigued by Corbin's emerging beef on social media with a chef who posts reactions to cooking videos than Corbin on NXT. But whatever. Corbin is cooking tonight on NXT.
In a skit from "earlier today," Thea Hail is leaving a training session with Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak. Duke Hudson meets Hail to check on her. Hail is sore, but she is stoked about her training. She says they are toughing her up, and teaching her grappling holds.
Hudson says he thought she did not like Dempsey and company. Hail basically says you just have to give it right back to them. Hail demonstrates a hold on Hudson, and he hilariously yells in pain.
Bron Breakker "moments ago" jumped Ilja Dragunov in a backstage skit, and Breakker appears to have injured Dragunov's arm. Dragunov wrestling tonight is now in question.
Ava & The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) with Joe Gacy defeated Diamond Mine (Ivy Nile, Julius Creed & Brutus Creed) in a six-person mixed tag team match
Ava pinned Nile, after Ava used her mask as a weapon by headbutting Nile. This match was set up after angles in recent weeks with the involved parties getting into a few brawls. Mainly, the story leading up to the match revolved around Ava fighting with Ivy Nile.
There was some intergender action just before the show cuts to a commercial break. Ivy Nile suplexed a Brutus on Fowler, and she followed up with a senton on Fowler as well.
They were building to a hot tag as the show returned from the commercial break. Ava got involved on the apron with a cheap shot on Nile. The Dyad work over Brutus, but he still manages to tag out. Hot tag to Julius, and he runs wild with a series of suplexes and kip ups. He even suplexed both of The Dyad at once, and Julius does a moonsault press.
All four of the men are down selling, allowing Ava and Nile to face off. They trade strikes and kicks. Ava gets trapped in a Dragon sleeper. Reid jumps in to make a save, only for Reid to become the one trapped in the Dragon sleeper. Studio audience popped big for that.
Ava must on the mask she and The Schism is known to wear during their entrance. Ava headbutts Nile with the mask like she was The Assassin back in the day. Nile hits the mat like a falling tree, and Ava covers Nile for a tainted pinfall.
Stacks goes to visit Tony D'Angelo in jail. They discuss who ratted out D'Angelo, and Tony D insists it was Gallus. This was a community theater version of The Sopranos.
Meanwhile, Mr. Stone accompanies Von Wagner to an appointment with a therapist. Wagner went to two other doctors, and he assaulted both. Wagner was about to storm out of the waiting room, when the third therapist is revealed to be an attractive woman. Wagner was more than happy to stay for this appointment.
Blair Davenport defeated Dani Palmer
Davenport pinned Palmer in a glorified squash match. Davenport dominated for the most part, but Palmer got some offense late in the short match. Davenport cuts her off, and Davenport finished with a falcon arrow. Davenport then covered Palmer for a three count.
Davenport broke the fourth wall by looking directly in a camera to issue a warning that is putting the women's roster "on notice."
Dana Brooke arrived at the building. She declared herself as an entrant in the number one contender's battle royal later tonight.
NXT Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton cut an obnoxious promo while being interviewed backstage by McKenzie Mitchell
Baron Corbin vs. Trick Williams
Corbin pinned Williams after End of Days. Williams made two comebacks, but Corbin targets Williams' knee during the match. That plays into the finish, as it costs Williams the match when his knee buckles.
Corbin wrestled in shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut out, looking like he was headed to play a pickup game of basketball. Instead, he and Williams had a match that went through a commercial break.
Corbin targets a leg as he works over Williams' knee. Williams with a rally and a comeback. Corbin tries cutting him off, but Williams rocks Corbin with a kick. Corbin still manages to catch Williams with Deep Six. Williams kicks out.
Williams has another rally, and he goes for a finisher. Williams' injured knee buckles, and Corbin capitalizes to deliver End of Days. Corbin then wins via pinfall.
Dragon Lee as a special guest joins Nathan Frazier for Hard Hitting Home Truths, and it was wacky as ever. They sort of stole a gimmick from David Letterman by doing a Top 5 list. Nathan Frazier goes on to challenge Noam Dar to a match for the Heritage Cups. Dragon Lee says he will be in Frazier's corner for the match.
Mustafa Ali, in a backstage interview with McKenzie Mitchell, says he came to NXT to finally win a championship. NXT North American Champion Wes Lee comes to praise Ali, and Ali kind of gives Wes Lee a backhanded compliment. They chuckle about it, and Ali heads towards Gorilla.
Mustafa Ali defeated Joe Gacy
Ali pinned Gacy in a short, but good, match. The Dyad run in afterwards to jump Ali. Wes Lee and Tyler Bate run down for a save.
Ali looks good until he is cut off by Gacy. Ali then looked good in selling as Gacy works him over. Gacy gets a near fall, but Ali kicks out. Comeback by Ali and he climbs the turnbuckles. Gacy seems to cut him off as they fight while perched on the turnbuckle. That sets up Ali giving Gacy a sunset bomb. Ali follows up with a 2 Cold Scorpio 450, and Ali gets a pinfall.
Ali is attacked by The Dyad, and Ali is getting beaten down when the tag team of Tyler Bate and Wes Lee run in, and they ran off the heels.
The bromance between two other teams continue as Hank Walker and Tank Ledger bond with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe seemingly play left out, and they are also insulted by NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus. Blade and Enofe were at least funny, despite them being portrayed as geeks.
Noam Dar is cradles his Heritage Cup trophy in a promo where he talks about his new stable. McKenzie Mitchell asks him about his new group, which consists of Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend and Oro Mensah. Dar says it is not his group, in is "our group.' They all got to cut a promo.
Dar seems to accept Frazier's challenge from earlier, though Dar does not outright say it. Dar just says he is not ever losing the cup. The match is later made official for next Tuesday. Dar concludes by dropping the name of the new group. They are the "Metafour."
Eddy Thorpe defeated Damon Kemp
Thorpe pinned Kemp, but Kemp had his foot on a rope. The referee never sees the rope break, thus keeping the story going further. This was a return match. Thorpe won the first meeting, but Kemp has since accused Thorpe of cheating to win in their first match. Kemp now suffered another questionable loss, even if the blame for this loss is on the referee.
The match itself was basic, but that is not a knock. What they did in the ring was decent enough. The story was more important here than the action itself. That made the finish stand out even more.
Gigi Dolan and Kiana James argue backstage about which one of them is winning the battle royal. Their argument is interrupted by a menacing Dabbo-Kato towering over them on his way to Gorilla.
Sonya Deville is featured in a PSA celebrating Pride month.
Scrypts defeated Dabbo-Kato
Scrypts pinned Dabbo-Kato with a schoolboy in an upset. Axiom ran in to help Scrypts. Dabbo-Kato got his heat back after the match with a post-match beatdown on both Axiom and Scrypts.
This was David against Goliath. Dabbo-Kato pummels Scrypts and manhandles him. Dabbo-Kato tosses Scrypts out of the ring, and Dabbo-Kato chops the heck out of him.
Axiom suddenly appears at ringside. Dabbo-Kato swats him away, but Axiom comes back to tumbles into the ring. This cat-and-mouse game serves as a distraction, allowing Scrypts to attack Dabbo-Kato with flying moves. Scrypts then rolls up Dabbo-Kato with a schoolboy for a three count.
Dabbo-Kato attacks Scrypts after the match, and Dabbo-Kato gets his heat back as he laid out Scrypts. Axiom tried to fly in for a save, but Dabbo-Kato leaves him laying alongside Scrypts.
Times they are changing for The Schism. Joe Gacy is upset with himself for losing tonight. The Dyad and Ava won their match, while Gacy lost. He admits he fell short. The Dyad say they have Gacy's back next week. That leads into the next skit.
Wes Lee, Tyler Bate and Mustafa Ali in a backstage skit are way too friendly. There will surely be a turn soon enough, or a falling out of some sort. Nevertheless, the three are booked in a six-man tag match next week against The Schism.
Up next is the main event battle royal. Oh joy. I generally loath battle royals, but I promise to give this a shot. Speaking of a shot, the winner of the battle royal gets a shot at the NXT Women's Championship, held by Tiffany Stratton.
Thea Hail wins a number one contender's battle royal
Hail wins and the crowd went wild for her. Big win for Hail.
They rush through a bunch of eliminations early on. After arguing with Gigi Dolan earlier on, Kiana James elimianted Dolan during the battle royal. This seems to further build a program between the two.
Oro Mensah saved Jakara Jackson from being eliminated by catching her, and she does not touch the floor. You would think that outside interference would negate that rule, but think not. Mensah does pay for his interference.
Mensah caught Jackson a second time, but Thea Hail springboard into a Coffin Drop to wipe out Mensah. Hail then brawls with Lash Legend. Hail goes for an armbar, but Legend counters by dropping Hail onto the ring steps. Hail sells like she is knocked out, but she was never thrown out by an opponent, so she is still in the match even if her feet touched the floor. More nonsense rules, but it plays into the story of the match so we can let it slide. It at least made the match more interesting.
Tag partners Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon team up to eliminate Legend. Feroz and Leon are in turn illegally eliminated by Legend and Jackson. The two teams brawl at ringside, seemingly setting up a tag bout between them.
Not sure how two wrestlers who are already eliminated can then eliminate two active participants, but we already established they play loose with the rules. This is nothing new. Hulk Hogan established this in 1992 when he eliminated Sid Justice in the Royal Rumble, despite Hogan having already been eliminated from the Rumble. Of course, many fans booed that at the time since it was so cheap. Nowadays, we are seemingly used to it.
Battle royal rolls on. Blair Davenport comes down to ringside to distract Roxanne Perez. While Perez goes under the ropes to confront and brawl with Davenport, Tatum Paxley eliminated herself so she can cut off Perez. Paxley's action lead to Perez being eliminated from the battle royal. Davenport and Paxley then leave together as they taunt Perez.
Final four seemingly comes down to Dana Brooke, Fallon Henley, Cora Jade and Kiana James. Henley eliminates James, playing on their history against each other. Henley is eliminated after a headscissors backfires on her. Final two remaining seems to be Brooke and Jade, but there is one women left everyone has forgotten about. Three remain.
Double down in the ring as Brooke and Jade collide into each other. Up on the apron jumps Thea Hail. She had been down at ringside selling for much of the match. She was a ball of energy, as she shakes the ropes like the Ultimate Warrior.
Jade is fighting with Brooke when Hail send both sailing over the top rope. The two crash on the floor, and Hail wins the battle royal. Chase U students rush into the rind Hail is lifted onto the shoulders of the Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who are twins signed by WWE in a NIL deal.
Bron Breakker challenges Seth Rollins to a World title match
The show closes with Breakker cutting a promo, where Breakker challenges WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins to a title match. Breakker basically dares Rollins put the new world title on the line on NXT television. Tune in next week to find out the answer to this cliffhanger.
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