Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature Raquel Gonzalez defending her NXT Women’s Title against Xia Li. The Diamond Mine will be in tag team action tonight as Roderick Strong and Tyler Rust go up against Bobby Fish and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida. Tonight’s show will also feature a follow-up to Mandy Rose’s return, Cameron Grimes’ continuing his butler duties for Million Dollar Champion LA Knight, and more. Also, the NXT Breakout Tournament continues!
We began NXT with a video reminding us about Samoa Joe being back in NXT and the reasons how that happened.
Samoa Joe opened the show. “Tick Tock, Tick Tock, guess who’s come to smash your clock.” Joe was in no mood after last week.
Then William Regal walked out. Regal said this isn’t what he wanted and it was not what he had in mind. When Regal brought Joe back to NXT he thought he knew what he had in mind. Calling out NXT Superstars was not something he had in mind. Joe disagreed. The agreement was if Joe was prokoved, which Joe said everyone could consider him provoked.
According to Regal though, last week Joe was a referee not apart of NXT management. Joe did not agree with Regal. He said Karrion Kross was out of control and needed to be put down. He questioned if Regal knew about Kross’ little trip to RAW. Joe didn’t think Regal did. He is here to put people like Kross under control.
Regal did tell Joe that Kross was on his way to the Capitol Wrestling Center and when he arrived hell would not break loose. Apparently Regal wanted the issue resolved peacefully. Joe said he had a lot of respect for Regal but he could not promise that things would end peacefully. Tonight someone will go to sleep.
We got a video highlighting Xia Li ahead of her NXT Women’s Championship match.
Then Diamond Mine made their entrance but were attacked by Bobby Fish and Kushida!! As Fish and Kushida took over the ring we went to commercial break.
Kushida and Bobby Fish defeated Roderick Strong and Tyler Rust (Diamond Mine) via Submission (Hoverboard Lock)
Of course we got to this match after a commercial, which meant we got to the match in progress. Bobby Fish was in control over Roderick Strong, which what a different time since Undisputed Era. Kushida got tagged in and worked over Strong for a bit.
Bobby Fish looked great. Even when Strong tagged in Rust, Fish was able to withstand and use some good offense to have an opening to tag in Kushida. It seemed like this match was broken up by a few commercials, which I can’t decide if that is good or not.
The match was pretty hard hitting though and fun to watch. Malcom Bivens did look a tad concerned about Diamond Mine, but his team did still look pretty impressive even in defeat. In the end though Kushida did lock Rust in the Hoverboard Lock and the match was over.
After the match we saw LA Knight and Cameron Grimes pull up in a Corvette (I believe). Knight didn’t seem thrilled with Grimes. Grimes went to grab the bags from the trunk and there was a lot of them. Drake Maverick walked up and tried to help Grimes with the bags. LA Knight was not happy about it. Knight said Grimes did not need help. He then challenged Maverick to a match. Grimes apologized and told Maverick not to listen to Knight and that he’s got this.
Then we went to a commercial break.
Returning from break we saw a video hightlighting Odyssey Jones in the Breakout Tournament. He said this tournament is his chance to show the world that it is his time.
We then saw Samoa Joe pacing around backstage awaiting the arrival of Karrion Kross.
Back at ringside Franky Monet made her entrance to the ring with Jessi Kamea at her side.
Franky Monet defeated Jacy Jayne via Pinfall
Somehow Robert Stone made his way down to ringside. Jayne began the match in pretty firm control of the match. Unfortunately for her, Monet used her veteran skills to just take over. During the match though Mandy Rose made her way to the announcer’s table and just laid down to watch the match.
I’m not quite sure what Mandy Rose is doing in NXT, but she has had some interesting moments so far. After Monet got the victory, Rose disappeared. Monet got to celebrate her win with Kamea and Stone.
Then we saw footage from earlier in the day of McKenzie Mitchell interviewing Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory. Gargano said he has been better, but is doing okay after being defeated by Karrion Kross last week. Kyle O’Reilly then crashed the interview and said he heard what was said about him. Gargano said he didn’t say anything, which KOR knew and said it was Theory who he was confronting. KOR said he was in a fighting mood and thought they could square off.
Theory asked if he was challenging him to a match. KOR said he was and would put on his dancing shoes. Gargano made it clear to Theory that he would be on his own for the match even as he hyped him up. Then we took a commercial break.
Returning from break we are told that NXT will be on a different channel (SyFy) for those in America because of the upcoming Olympic Games.
After that reminded we went to Wade Barrett interviewing Bronson Reed. Reed said losing the North American Championship has affected him a lot. Winning the championship was a big moment for him, his friends, family, and wife. He is ready to fight harder than ever.
Next week Reed faces Adam Cole and Barrett questions if that is a wise thing to do. Reed thinks it is very wise. According to Reed everyone considers Cole to be the best, so why not fight the best? Last week Cole ran his mouth and Reed shut him down. Next week Reed will finish the job.
Kyle O’Reilly defeated Austin Theory via Submission
Theory was truly alone in this one, as no one from The Way came out with him during his entrance. Honestly a super fun match. Theory and KOR. While Theory did have some pretty decent offense in the beginning of the match, KOR just took over.
KOR really did seem to have this match on lock. We saw a hard hitting match between the two competitors. Theory tried to tell KOR he was just a cry baby, which seemed to just make KOR mad. Somehow the match was pretty evenly split in the crowd. Theory did try to use the steel steps to his advantage, but KOR stopped that from happening. Then things seemed to changed in the match when they got back to the ring. Once KOR got a hold of Theory’s ankle the match was over. KOR did not want to let go of the submission hold after the match though.
We went backstage were Raquel Gonzalez was interviewed. Gonzalez said Xia Li has no chance tonight. Gonzalez said that everyone has been saying they will walk out the new champion. Dakota Kai said Xia Li stole the spotlight last week and now Gonzalez will take care of her. Gonzalez said there is nothing about Li that scares her.
We then took a commercial break.
When we returned from break we got another promo for the next NXT Takeover which will happen the night after Summerslam.
Then we went to the ring where Legado del Fantasma sent the Mariachi Band away. Santos Escobar said he would not lower himself to entertain the crowd. He pointed to the crowd and said they aren’t worth it and won’t do the Hit Row thing. It isn’t the battle of styles apparently.
Escobar said his style is being the True Champion. He told Hit Row that he would take the North American Championship and put it up there with blood, heritage, and familia.
Enter Hit Row.
B-Fab put Legado del Fantasma on notice apparently. She said Legado del Fantasma seemed to be out there celebrating a quinceanera. Then Top Dolla took over. Hit Row runs the presence, its a wrap.
We checked in with The Way afterwards. Johnny Gargano asked for everyone to calm down. Candice LeRae reminded him how awful things have been though. LeRae and Indi Hartwell lost the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships and Gargano could not beat Karrion Kross. She then yelled at Austin Theory for fighting people he can’t beat. Indi Hartwell questioned why LeRae was being so hard on everyone. She even said if “he wants to kiss Dexter, let him.” What a time. The Way seems to be having some trouble.
When we returned from a break Samoa Joe was still pacing waiting for Karrion Kross. William Regal came up to him and told him to calm down. Joe said he respected Regal, but he will be the first one to meet Kross.
Odyssey Jones defeated Andre Chase via Pinfall
Chase was in for a true fight here as Jones had a significant strength difference between the two competitors. He tried to neutralize the size advantage, but that didn’t work so well. Chase did rock Jones for a moment, but Jones recovered on the outside and smashed him into the announcer’s table.
Chase did smash Jones into the ring post and was able to hit a moonsault back on the inside, but it just wasn’t enough. Jones used some pretty quick moves to win this match though.
We saw a video of Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan challenging Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher to a match next week.
Drake Maverick defeated LA Knight
Knight did begin the match in firm control of Maverick. Apparently Grimes was not holding the Million Dollar Championship correctly, so Knight decided to remedy this mid match. This allowed Maverick to recover and then make a comeback in the match. Somehow Maverick was able to drop kick Knight into his title and take advantage for the win.
After the match Grimes congratulated Maverick. He told Maverick that he needed to get out of here, which Maverick tried to do but that definitely did not work out. As Maverick tried to leave, Knight hit him with a clothesline and then followed that up with punches and kicks. Grimes pulled him away and told him the match was over and tried to get him to leave. Knight told him it wasn’t over and it was his turned. Grimes wanted no part of it.
Grimes wound up punching Maverick right in the face, much to the delight of Knight.
Returning from a commercial break Samoa Joe did try to intercept Karrion Kross’ car, or what he thought was his car. Apparently the driver left Kross at the front of the building so he would already be inside. Joe was furious.
Raquel Gonzalez defeated Xia Li to retain her NXT Women’s Championship
I don’t think this match had much time to deal with, which is interesting. Xia Li decided to face this match all on her own, which was super interesting. Once the match began though, Gonzalez was quick to take down Li and remind her why she is champion.
We did get to see Li in charge of the match for a little bit. She had Gonzalez in a Boston Crab for a bit, but once Gonzalez got out of it she was on the attack. As I said the match seemed a tad short. Gonzalez wound up retaining even though Li had some pretty fantastic strikes on offense.
After the match Samoa Joe called for Karrion Kross to come out and play. He asked where the young champion who refuses to learn is. Joe promised that tonight would be a night of reckoning.
Unfortunately for Joe, Kross showed up on the tron. Kross said this was not the same world Joe walked away from, it was now Kross’ world. Kross said he is the new beginning. The NXT Championship means he can go wherever, do whatever, and hurt whoever he wants. The camera then panned to a laid out William Regal. Joe left the ring as Karrion Kross asked if Joe felt like he was still in control.
Joe was too late to catch Kross. So we ended NXT with Joe yelling at Kross as he drove away.
