Tonight’s NXT features Austin Theory versus Dexter Lumis and the debut of LA Knight. – Plus its the night we see the debuted of LA Knight
We began NXT with the NXT Champion, Finn Balor, in the ring after seeing footage of what we witnessed last week.
It’s St Patrick’s Day 2021 and Finn Balor is still NXT Champion. Balor beat Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, and Adam Cole. Balor said he has been waiting for Karrion Kross. At NXT TakeOver Stand and Deliver his time is up!
Enter in Karrion Kross and Scarlett.
Kross said they wouldn’t have crossed paths until they settled their previous battles. Now that they have, its a one on one affair. According to Kross the NXT Universe needs to know who the true NXT Champion is. Balor said everyone wants to be champion until the real champion enters the room. Balor said Kross walks and talks like a champion, but the thing is BALOR IS THE CHAMPION. Balor doesn’t think Kross has what it takes to beat him in the main event.
Kross promised that Balor would know what it feels like to be choked out. On the other hand, Balor promised Kross would know what it feels like to be in the main event and choke!
Then Scarlett took the mic. Scarlett said she saw everything already in the cards. Two Champions, both draped in gold. Everyone in awe. Everything happening for a reason.
She was interrupted by the NXT Tag Team Champions, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. Burch made it clear that he believed Balor should be battling against the best technical wrestler…Pete Dunne. Lorcan said he knows Dunne can beat both Balor and Kross. It is just a matter of time before Dunne becomes champion.
Scarlett than worked her magic. She said there are moments in time that led people to an inevitable future. Moments like, Lorcan and Burch putting their tag team championships on the line against Balor and Kross!
Burch and Lorcan needed a lot of convincing that, but Scarlett found a way to talk them into the match. Burch said they weren’t cowards and agreed to a match….TONIGHT!
Every moment happens for a reason. You cannot change fate.
After hyping up Kross versus Balor at Takeover by commentary, Dexter Lumis made his entrance. We saw Austin Theory facetime with the Garganos. Johnny said he needed to do this alone as his final thing in therapy. Then Theory made his entrance to the ring.
The match began, but then we quickly made our way to picture in picture.
Dexter Lumis defeated Austin Theory via Submission (Silencer)
During the match we found out that Burch and Lorcan would be defending their tag team championships against Balor and Kross for sure. The match featured Lumis taking control for the good majority of it. Theory may have needed to win this match to finish his therapy, but it just wasn’t the night. Theory was able to knock Lumis in the head with an elbow, but the follow through wasn’t enough to finish the match.
After an awkward stare and an almost hug moment, Lumis put the match away.
Backstage McKenzie Mitchell had the chance to interview Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa said Timothy Thatcher wasn’t there tonight and assumed it was because Imperium did not like his answer. He said two could play this game. Then Ciampa told Mitchell to go ask Imperium if they have seen Alexander Wolfe. According to Ciampa after tonight only one of Imperium could be left standing.
After seeing Adam Cole walking backstage, we took a commercial break.
When we returned from commercial break Adam Cole was in the ring. Cole said last week Kyle O’Reilly made the biggest mistake of his life. According to Cole he was never mad at KOR, he just didn’t need him anymore.
KOR then decided to cost him the NXT Championship. Cole said KOR is jealous of him and it eats him up inside. Cole said KOR just wrote his death warrant. It doesn’t matter if KOR is cleared to wrestle, Cole isn’t leaving until he finishes this.
Then enter, William Regal! Regal said last week KOR wasn’t even medically cleared to be in the building. Because of the altercation with Cole last week, KOR is now further behind in recovery. Regal promised that KOR was banned from the CWC tonight.
All of a sudden though, KOR appeared on the tron! KOR said why he would not be entering the building was a safety precaution, strictly for Cole’s safety. He said when it comes to Cole, he will not rest until he ENDS COLE! After eleven years of friendship, KOR is willing to do what he has to. If it sounds like a threat….it is.
Cole said KOR can threaten to hurt him, but he will hurt him first!
After seeing the NXT highlight of the night, The NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships, we went backstage. Shotzi and Ember were extremely proud of their accomplishment.
Ember said this is why she came back to NXT, to be the face of a division and make history. The Robert Stone Brand interrupted and laid out a championship match challenge for next week.
Legado del Fantasma defeated Breezango via Pinfall
The action began right away, there was no love lost between these teams. Breezango had opportunities to end the match, especially with a submission move by Breeze. Unfortunately for the former tag team champions it just wasn’t enough.
After the match, Santos Escobar was near commentary bragging and wondering where Jordan Devlin was. Not long after, Devlin’s music hit. Devlin said Escobar has been running around for a long time claiming a lot of things, but here stands a real champion. He said he didn’t need to jump anyone from behind or bring stooges.
Escobar made it clear he wasn’t filling anyone’s spot. He said he has made history as the cruiserweight champion and has proved it time and time again. Devlin still has a title because no one remembered he had it in the first place. Escobar challenged Devlin to a match at TakeOver Stand and Deliver.
Then Devlin head butted Escobar and it escalated from there. Escobar was bloody from the mouth!
McKenzie Mitchell caught up with Adam Cole. Cole said when he finds Kyle O’Reilly he would end him. Then we took a commercial break.
When we returned from break we got a hype video for Sarray, who will soon make her NXT debut.
Dakota Kai defeated Zoey Stark via Pinfall
Stark continues to impress. It looked as though Stark was going to once again overcome expectations! Kai though was able to show off why she is at the top of the women’s division in NXT. Honestly an excellent match between the two women that should be watched.
After the match Kai and Gonzalez looked to intimidate Stark. What they didn’t anticipate was Io Shirai making her presence felt. She threw a contract at Gonzalez. Then left.
As McKenzie Mitchell was trying to get William Regal’s thoughts on Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly, a crew member appeared. Apparently something happened to Adam Cole and Regal was needed immediately!
Returning from break we heard from the Grizzled Young Veterans, after a video on MSK. James Drake said he didn’t believe MSK understood the gravity of their actions, but they will. Gibbo said their stunt last week will be a huge mistake in their career. The injury to his hand will not go down without a receipt.
Back at ringside Imperium made their entrance.
Tommaso Ciampa defeated Marcel Barthel via Pinfall (Willow’s Bell)
Ciampa was ready and on the attack from the get go! He attacked before the bell was even a thought. The match wound up being a systemic destruction of Imperium by Ciampa.
After the match, the person Ciampa has been calling out appeared…WALTER. Ciampa seemed trilled (bad move). WALTER was ready to go and Ciampa invited him into the ring. Unfortunately, Ciampa was not truly ready for WALTER and Imperium together. It wound up being three on one, and Ciampa had no shot.
Before a commercial break we saw Regal in the parking lot of the Capitol Wrestling Center. KOR was being put in the back of a cop car. While Adam Cole was yelling at him! Apparently KOR drove Cole off the road and Cole said he would pay! It was intense.
Before commercial break we saw LA Knight. He said everyone was getting ready for his debut. Its the Knight you’ve all been waiting for! – LA KNIGHT!
LA Knight defeated August Grey via Pinfall
What almost spelt a devastating defeat was turned around by Knight. Bronson Reed came out during the match and “tried” on a jacket that LA Knight had worn, ultimately destroying it. This served as a slight distraction, just not enough.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch defeated Finn Balor and Karrion Kross via Pinfall
Scarlett could be deemed an asset at ringside, but not when Balor is shoved into her. No matter what was going well for Kross and Balor, it was thrown out the window in that moment. I don’t even think Kross knew what happened, but he still destroyed Balor, which led to Lorcan ending the match.
We ended NXT with Kross destroying everyone in sight. It’s fate.
