With the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic brackets decided, this week’s episode of NXT is one not to miss! We will also see the next number one contender for the NXT North American Championship decided in four-way action. These are just a few must-see bouts to catch. Without further ado, let’s get into the Inquisition!
This week’s show kicks off with NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley making her way down the aisle. Mic in hand, Ripley is showered with “you deserve it” chants. She fondly recalls celebrating her title win and celebrating with the fans. Before she can go further, she’s interrupted by Toni Storm! The former NXT UK Women’s Champion marches down the ring, mic in hand. Storm congratulates Ripley on her title win. Storm recalls when she beat Ripley twice before declaring she’ll become NXT UK Women’s Champion on Sunday before defeating Ripley at Worlds Collide to become a double champion. Will Ripley accept the challenge? She says yes!
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Out comes NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray!
Mic in her own hand, Ray says Storm won’t take the title from her or even make it to Worlds Collide. This brings out Io Shirai, who grabs the mic from Ray. Shirai speaks in Japanese before motioning to the title around Ripley’s waist. Bianca Belair makes her entrance. Belair says she’s better than everyone, even telling Storm she “doesn’t even go here.” Candice LeRae comes out next. Ripley asks if LeRae wants to fight, too, before blasting Belair in the face. This results in a brawl, where Ripley, Storm, and LeRae stand tall in the ring. Per the order of William Regal, this will be a six-woman tag team match!
Match 1: Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, and Candice LeRae vs. Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai, and Bianca Belair
LeRae dives out onto her opponents to start this match hot! NXT returns from commercial to LeRae and Kay fighting in the corner. Shirai distracts LeRae, giving Ray the opportunity to land a superkick. Shirai tags in, delivering a flapjack followed by a basement dropkick to LeRae. After, Shirai tags in Ray, who continues the attack on LeRae with a stretch. Ray proceeds to choke LeRae against the bottom rope before tagging Belair. LeRae tries to fight back, but is stopped by a flurry of offense by Belair. LeRae goes for a schoolgirl, but Belair kicks out and lands a shoulder tackle.
Ray is tagged back in as the NXT UK Women’s Champion keeps LeRae in the opposing corner. Following a chop to LeRae, Ray tags Belair, who lands a suplex for a two-count. LeRae fights back, ejecting Belair to the outside. However, Belair quickly returns to the ring, catching LeRae with a forearm. Belair tags Ray, who lands a swanton bomb! 1… 2… Storm breaks up the pin! Storm and Ripley start to clean house until Shirai intervenes. LeRae hits an enziguri on Shirai before we go to commercial once more.
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The show returns to LeRae landing a poisonrana on Ray!
Belair prevents LeRae from making a tag. However, LeRae finally manages to get to her corner, making the hot tag to Storm, who takes the fight to Ray. Catching Storm with a thrust kick, Ray tags Shirai, who attacks Storm with the double knees in the corner. Shirai hits a backbreaker and attempts a moonsault. Belair tags herself in, causing tension between her and Shirai. Belair hoists Storm onto her shoulders, but Shirai lands a springboard dropkick on her partner! Shirai shouts at Belair and exits the ring. Meanwhile, Storm tags Ripley, who hits a running boot on Belair. Following a series of strikes, Ripley hits a low dropkick on Belair. One final Riptide is all it takes for Ripley to get the win for her team.
Winners: Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, and Candice LeRae
Post-match, Ripley and Storm face off. LeRae retrieves Ripley’s title for her, but can’t help but gaze at it for a moment. However, they manage to stand tall, their arms up in celebration.
NXT returns to a backstage promo by Keith Lee. He declares that, in 2020, he will become the North American Champion.
Match 2: The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake) (w/Jaxson Ryker) vs. Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match)
Blake and Aichner start things off. The Forgotten Sons catch Aichner with a double backbreaker, assaulting him with double team offense. Aichner fights back, tagging Barthel, Imperium landing a double dropkick on Blake. Barthel is planted with a DDT by Blake. Now the legal men, Aichner and Cutler fight, the latter getting the better of the heated exchange. Cutler cinches in a Boston crab. Imperium work together to get the advantage on Cutler, exchanging tags. Aicher catches Cutler in midair, but Cutler escapes, tagging Blake.
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Though Blake is on the defensive, he starts to fight back. However, Imperium catches him with an assisted suplex for the two-count. Cutler drags Aichner to the outside, attacking him. Back in the ring, The Forgotten Sons hit a fisherman driver on Barthel! 1… 2… Cutler breaks up the pin! Blake and Barthel trade blows, Blake getting the better of the exchange. Barthel tags Aichner, but Blake continues to fight back. The Forgotten Sons go for another double team maneuver, only for Barthel to kick Cutler off the top rope. Imperium lands the European Bomb on Blake for the 1… 2… 3!
Winners: Imperium
Backstage, Matt Riddle is interviewed regarding his pairing with Pete Dunne. Riddle admits he doesn’t know Dunne well, but perhaps that makes them the perfect team. Riddle’s a Bro, Dunne’s a Bruiserweight – they are the BroserWeights!
Match 3: Austin Theory vs. Joaquin Wilde
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Theory and Wilde jockey for position to begin, the latter controlling things early on. Wilde takes a headscissors takeover before being shot into the ropes by Theory. He follows up with a slingshot stomp followed by a fisherman suplex on Wilde. Theory resumes control, but Wilde fires back with a series of clotheslines. Wilde lands a diving hurricanrana. Theory fires back with a rolling dropkick through the ropes. Theory plants Wilde with a TKO for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Austin Theory
Following commercial, NXT returns to a backstage promo with Damian Priest. He is confident he will win the North American Championship and live in infamy.
Match 4: The Undisputed Era (NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) (w/Adam Cole and Roderick Strong) vs. Gallus (NXT UK Tag Team Champions Wolfgang and Mark Coffey) (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match)
O’Reilly and Wolfgang start things off, the latter immediately attacking. They exchange blows before Wolfgang catches O’Reilly with a clothesline. Wolfgang tags Coffey as he and O’Reilly trade forearms. O’Reilly tags Fish, who is overpowered by Coffey. Wolfgang is tagged in as Gallus executes a double monkey flip. Cole gets on the apron, allowing Fish to take advantage. He takes Wolfgang in the corner and tags O’Reilly, who continues the attack with kicks. Wolfgang catches O’Reilly with a body slam before tagging Coffey, who powerfully whips O’Reilly into separate corners. Wolfgang makes the tag, executing a flying senton on O’Reilly and a toss on Fish. The Undisputed Era retreat to the outside as NXT goes to commercial.
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The show returns from break to O’Reilly in control of Wolfgang.
O’Reilly tags Fish before they did stereo kicks to the chest. Fish continues the attack with a sleeper hold. Wolfgang starts to fight back, attacking a newly tagged O’Reilly with a back drop. O’Reilly wrenches in a heel hook on Wolfgang while Fish and Coffey brawl on the outside. Wolfgang finally tags Coffey, who attacks O’Reilly in the corner. He proceeds to attack everyone in sight, including an interfering Cole. O’Reilly tags Fish once again as they hit execute stereo kicks. Fish covers Coffey for a two-count.
Fish tags O’Reilly as they take turns attacking Coffey in the corner. Coffey moves as O’Reilly inadvertently kicks Fish. Coffey tags Wolfgang before O’Reilly is planted with a Samoan drop. The two sets of tag team champions trade blows in the ring, O’Reilly and Fish escaping to the outside. Coffey hits an assisted plancha on The Undisputed Era! With the official distracted, Cole kicks Wolfgang in the face. This allows O’Reilly and Fish to hit Chasing the Dragon for the 1… 2… 3!
Winners: The Undisputed Era
After the break, Johnny Gargano makes his way to the ring.
Gargano addresses Finn Balor, who says that while he helped build NXT, Balor put him out of action. Gargano says that Balor’s “past” is him because he failed his job of taking him out. He takes umbrage with Balor calling himself the “flagbearer” of NXT, as he got that “phone call” before leaving. However, Gargano stayed when he got the same call because he loves the brand. Gargano pokes fun at Balor’s “extraordinary man that does extraordinary things;” meanwhile, Gargano took NXT to greater heights. Gargano says that they didn’t need Balor to succeed.
Cue Balor, who makes his entrance. Balor calls him “Johnny Promo” since that’s the only thing the doctors will clear him for. He calls Gargano “soft” before challenging him to a match at TakeOver: Portland.
Cameron Grimes hypes himself backstage before the main event, saying that all it takes is one Cave-In.
KUSHIDA’s tag team partner for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is revealed… Alex Shelley! The Time Splitters reunite to face Grizzled Young Veterans next week.
Match 5: Mia Yim vs. Kayden Carter
The two combatants trade strikes to begin. Carter focuses on speed while Yim uses her size and strength to counter. Carter lands a springboard arm drag followed by a dropkick for a pin attempt. Yim catches Carter’s hurricanrana attempt, planting her with a sit-out powerbomb. Yim follows up with kicks to the chest and a basement dropkick for a two-count. From there, Yim applies a surfboard stretch. Carter counters with a series of pin attempts. Yim fights back with chops in the corner. Carter avoids a running kick and follows up with a series of strikes. Carter lands a facewash and catches Yim with another kick. 1… 2… Yim kicks out!
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Yim catches a flying Carter with Protect Ya Neck for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Mia Yim
After the match, Yim and Carter embrace in the ring. Suddenly, Chelsea Green attacks them from behind! She poses in the ring as standing at the ramp is a suited man named Robert Stone. According to him, the Robert Stone Brand will take over NXT, starting with Green.
Backstage, Dominik Dijakovic says he promised his family the North American Championship. To him, the main event will be nothing but a formality. From there, we cut to a video package showcasing Ciampa challenging Cole for “Goldie,” the NXT Championship.
Match 6: Damian Priest vs. Dominik Dijakovic vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Keith Lee (Number One Contender’s Match for the NXT North American Championship)
Loud “Bask in his Glory” chants start things off. Lee tosses Grimes into the corner while Dijakovic does the same to Priest. Each man attempts their finishing maneuvers early. Lee and Dijakovic face off again, countering one another’s moves. Priest and Grimes attack them from behind. Suddenly, Priest pops Grimes with a forearm. Priest attacks Dijakovic with a corner leaping elbow. Dijakovic tosses Priest into Lee, who catches him. Lee uses Priest as a weapon against Grimes before powerbombing him onto Dijakovic! Lee covers Priest, who kicks out.
On the outside, the fight continues. Grimes and Dijakovic take turns attacking Lee. Slowly, Lee starts to fight back, tossing Grimes into the barricade and doing away with Dijakovic. Priest attempts a plancha, but thinks twice. Once he sees an opening, though, Priest dives out onto his opponents as we go to commercial! NXT returns to Lee and Priest facing off. Lee powers Priest off the apron for a superplex! Dijakovic lands a moonsault on the fallen Lee! 1… 2… Lee kicks out! Grimes lays a series of kicks followed by a German suplex on Dijakovic.
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With Grimes on the top rope, Priest attacks. Priest lands a Frankensteiner, to which Lee responds by catching Grimes. Dijakovic takes hold of Grimes, landing Feast Your Eyes! Lee pounces Dijakovic out of the ring. Priest lands The Reckoning on Lee! 1… 2… Dijakovic breaks it up with a kick to Priest! In the ring, Priest and Dijakovic exchange kicks. They attempt chokeslams, but slowly, Lee emerges. Lee plants them both with simultaneous chokeslams! Grimes catches Lee with a Collision Course out nowhere! 1… 2… Lee kicks out!
Grimes hits a top rope moonsault on Priest on the outside! Grimes follows up with an apron Cave-In on Dijakovic! Slowly, Grimes ascends to the top rope, his focus on Lee. However, Lee catches Grimes with a two-handed chop! Lee plants Grimes with the Spirit Bomb for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Keith Lee
Lee celebrates in the ring, as the new number one contender, as this week’s episode of NXT comes to a close.
