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Hello everyone, I am one half of your Irn Bruiserweights bringing you your NXT Review. So let's get into it.
We are less than a month away from No Mercy and NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes wants to take care of some previous issues. That could make for some interesting situations as Hayes needs a new opponent. Other than that, we still have the Global Heritage Invitational to work on this week.
Match 1 - NXT Women’s Title: Kiana James vs. Tiffany Stratton
Stratton is defending and they trade some flips into an exchange of wristlocks. They trade cheating rollups for one each until Stratton takes her into the corner and stomps away. James hits a clothesline for two and the double arm crank goes on. That’s reversed into the same thing from Stratton but James is out in a hurry as well. Stereo clotheslines leave both of them down so Stratton goes for the loaded bag. James takes it away and hits the 401k for two but Stratton goes for the eyes. A knockdown into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever retains the title at 5:10.
Official Winner - STILL NXT Woman’s Champion - Tiffany Stratton
Official thoughts - This didn’t have time to go anywhere and given the teases of Stratton vs. Becky Lynch, there wasn’t much of a reason to believe that James was a serious threat. That being said, she did well in her biggest match ever and it’s nice to see NXT giving her a quick boost like this. James is talented, but they might have something special with Stratton and thankfully they seem to know that.
Post match Becky Lynch pops up on screen to say she’ll be here next week….for a shot at the Women’s Title. Well, that escalated quickly.
Carmelo Hayes runs into Wes Lee in the parking lot but nothing happens.
The Creed Brothers want the Tag Team Titles back and thank Tony D’Angelo and Stacks for watching out for Ivy Nile. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe come in and seem to want the Tag Team Titles as well.
Match 2 - Ilja Dragunov vs. Oro Mensah
The rest of Meta Four are here too as Dragunov takes him into the corner by the arm to start. Dragunov gets taken into the corner for some elbows to the face but Dragunov kicks Mensah in the jaw. They slug it out until Dragunov misses an enziguri, allowing a superkick to put him on the floor. A suplex drops Dragunov again and we take a break. Back with Dragunov fighting up and striking away, setting up the Constantine Special. Mensah hits a kick of his own for two but Dragunov grabs a powerbomb. The Torpedo Moscow finishes Mensah at 9:47.
Official Winner - Ilja Dragunov
Official thoughts - They beat each other up here but Dragunov has a good shot at being the next #1 contender. That made this little more than a warmup match before he has the chance to get the title shot so this went as it should have. Dragunov’s mini feud with the Meta Four could be interesting and going through Mensah to start is a good way to go.
Post match here is Wes Lee to interrupt. They argue over who will get the next title shot so here is Carmelo Hayes to interrupt. Last week Hayes talked to Shawn Michaels and next week, it’s Dragunov vs. Lee for the No Mercy title shot. Well, that’s efficient.
Dominik Mysterio is ready to be the guest referee.
Nathan Frazer is never going to slow down.
Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail are in the back when Gigi Dolin interrupts. Blair Davenport interrupts as well and, after a lot of bickering, Hail vs. Dolin is set for tonight.
Match 3 - Global Heritage Invitational Group B: Nathan Frazer vs. Duke Hudson
Andre Chase is here with Hudson. Frazer picks up the pace to start but gets planted to cut him off just as fast. Hudson is knocked outside for the top rope flip dive but he plants Frazer again back inside. A Razor’s Edge is countered into a hurricanrana and Frazer hits the Phoenix splash for the pin at 2:47. They didn’t have time to do anything here but Frazer gets to survive in the tournament.
Official Winner - Nathan Frazer
Group B Standings
Joe Coffey – 1-0-0 (2 points, 2 matches remaining)
Nathan Frazer – 1-1-0 (2 points, 1 match remaining)
Duke Hudson – 1-1-0 (2 points, 1 match remaining)
Akira Tozawa – 0-1-0 (0 points, 2 matches remaining)
Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are talking to the Creeds when Lucien Price and Bronco Nima come in. Julius offers a handshake but gets ignored as they start arguing about the Tag Team Titles. Scrypts comes in to say he can relate to Price and Nima.
Match 4 - Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato
Bate goes right after him to start but gets caught in a choke for his efforts. Kato bends him over the knee for a bit before blocking Bop and Bang. Somehow Bate manages the airplane spin and the Spiral Tap finishes Kato at 2:54. They went from slow to blazing in about a minute as Kato loses again, meaning he’ll likely be crushing people again soon.
Official Winner - Tyler Bate
Dominik Mysterio runs into Carmelo Hayes and nothing much is said.
An annoyed Kiana James storms into the women’s locker room and gets in a fight with Roxanne Perez.
Baron Corbin wants Bron Breakker and Von Wagner to destroy each other.
Tiffany Stratton has no comment on Becky Lynch.
Match 5 - Dragon Lee vs. Mustafa Ali
For the North American Title shot and North American Champion Dominik Mysterio is guest referee. Ali takes him to the mat without much trouble to start and they flip up to a standoff. A hurricanrana sends Lee into the corner but he’s right back with a legsweep into a slingshot dropkick. Ali drops him with a clothesline for two but Lee sends him outside or a heck of a suicide dive over the announcers’ table. Back in and Ali snaps off a tornado DDT for two, only to have Lee superkick him for the same. Ali misses a 450 and gets sitout powerbombed for two. Lee complains about the count so Ali grabs a rollup for a very fast three at 5:20.
Official Winner - Mustafa Ali
Official thoughts - They got a lot in there (I’m shocked) and thankfully Dominik wasn’t a factor until the end. Now there is a problem though, as Ali needs to win the title after this much of a buildup but taking the title off of Dominik doesn’t make sense. It was an exciting match, though the triple threat seems likely after that finish.
Post match Ali says he didn’t want it like that and drops Dominik.
Ilja Dragunov comes in to see Trick Williams and asks about Williams saying Hayes could beat him. Next week, Williams can keep lying to his best friend or himself.
Drew Gulak, Charlie Dempsey and Damon Kemp yell at Miles Borne for teaming up with Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs. They know he isn’t ready and they’ll prove it next week.
Eddy Thorpe isn’t done with Dijak.
Match 6 - Global Heritage Invitational Group A: Axiom vs. Butch
This could be good. Axiom takes him down into a leglock to start and Butch bails to the rope. Butch ties up the legs this time before stomping on the arm for a change. Back up and a clothesline drops Axiom and there’s the X Plex to make it worse. Axiom’s arm is bent around the rope and we take a break.
We come back with Axiom still in trouble and getting hit in the mask. Axiom manages a quick suplex but Butch pulls him into a quick triangle to cut off the comeback. Some kicks stagger Butch though and we have two minutes left (in the 12 minute time limit). A double knockdown gives them a breather but Axiom is back up with the Golden Ratio. The rope saves Butch so Axiom puts on a quickly broken double arm crank. Butch hits the Bitter End for two but time runs out at 12:00.
Official Winner - Butch vs. Axiom went to a time limit draw
Official thoughts - These two had a good match and was anyone expecting anything else? They are the kind of guys who can have a good match with anyone and it’s great to see them getting some time. I like the time limit draw here too, as it plays into the tournament scoring while also protecting both of them from a loss. Best match of the night too.
Group A Standings
Butch – 1-0-1 (3 points, 1 match remaining)
Axiom – 0-0-1 (1 point, 2 matches remaining)
Tyler Bate – 0-0-0 (0 points, 3 matches remaining)
Charlie Dempsey – 0-1-0 (0 points, 2 matches remaining)
Post match Tyler Bate comes out to smile at both of them.
Von Wagner talks to a table in rather affectionate terms.
Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are worried about some of the challenges they might face but here are Los Lotharios to interrupt. Words, and then punches, are exchanged.
Match 7 - Gigi Dolin vs. Thea Hail
Jacy is here with Hail, who is dressed a bit darker. Dolin shoulders her to start and gets two off a backslide. The running hip attack misses though and Hail hits a running splash in the corner. Dolin can’t get the abdominal stretch so Hail jumps up with a Kimura. The rope is reached and they head outside, where Dolin gets in a posting. Cue Blair Davenport for a distraction though and another Kimura finishes Dolin at 3:37.
Official Winner - Thea Hail
Official thoughts - They were starting to get something together here with the submissions and counters but there is only so much you can do with about three and a half minutes. I can go with the idea of a darker Hail, as the nearly psychotic student was only going to go on for so long. A big reunion with Chase U down the line could be great, but for now, Hail is using this to grow and that is a good thing.
The Creeds’ locker room is trashed but it feels good to be back.
Lyra Valkyria and Kelani Jordan chat until Dana Brooke interrupts. Brooke wants Valkyria gone and bickering ensues.
Tiffany Stratton is ready to say she isn’t worried about losing the Women’s Title to Becky Lynch.
Here’s what’s coming next week.
Match 8 - Von Wagner vs. Bron Breakker
No DQ, Mr. Stone is here with Wagner and Baron Corbin is on commentary. They start fast with Breakker Cactus Clotheslining him to the floor. Breakker is sent over the announcers’ table and the fight goes around the ring. Back up and Breakker gets in a chair shot as we take a break.
We come back with Breakker hammering away and hitting Wagner with a kendo stick. Wagner blocks another swing though, only to have Breakker hit him with a hard clothesline for two. We hit the waistlock but Wagner powers him into the corner and comes back with a sitout powerbomb for two more. A fireman’s carry doesn’t work for Wagner as the ribs give out so Breakker hits the Steiner Bulldog onto a chair.
The Recliner is broken up so they trade clotheslines but can’t knock each other down. Breakker misses a charge into the corner and Wagner hits a chokeslam for two. They go outside with Wagner sending him through the platform. Wagner hits the powerbomb through the announcers’ table but Breakker hits him low back inside. The spear finishes Wagner at 13:31.
Official Winner - Bron Breakker
Official thoughts - This was more of a wild brawl but a lot of what Wagner did was shrugged off before the spear for the pin. That’s a weird way to go but at the same time, Breakker is still above Wagner on the NXT food chain and it’s too early for Wagner to be getting this kind of a win. Or at least until he drops the “you got tabled/table for one” nonsense.
Post match Breakker grabs the steps and puts Wagner’s head on the other half. Breakker lifts them and slams them down but we cut to black before the crash. Corbin can be heard yelling something like “HE DID IT” to end the show.
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