New face, slightly new name, somewhat similar Wednesday night programming – welcome to the first-ever NXT Inquisition! For those that have followed this site on the regular, you may know me as not only the AEW guy but the one that covers NXT UK on a regular basis. It is my honor, however, to shift from the United Kingdom to NXT proper, which has made its debut on the USA Network this week. It’s a new day, pardon the pun, and a new series here on Pro Wrestling Post, so let’s get down to business!
This show marks the debut of NXT on the USA Network, and as always, it emanates from Full Sail University! The show opens with a hype video from Triple H before cutting to Mauro Ranallo. Right away, our first match is underway! Our commentary team consists of Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Beth Phoenix.
Match 1: Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair vs. Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae (Number One Contenders Match for the NXT Women’s Championship)
The action doesn’t take long to start, as everyone goes at each other. Bianca blocks a suicide dive attempt from LeRae before slamming her to the mat. Bianca follows up with a handspring moonsault. Yim locks in a guillotine, which Belair reverses with a suplex. Shirai hits a 619 on Yim and kicks LeRae away. Shirai hits a springboard dropkick on Belair but only gets a two count. Yim hits the assisted tornado DDT on Belair. On the outside, Belair hits a fallaway slam on LeRae. Yim executes a suicide dive on them both. Shirai follows up with a big moonsault on the outside!
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From commercial, we return to a big Tower of Doom spot! “NXT” chants follow. LeRae locks in the octopus hold on Shira, but Yim breaks it up. Shirai hits a big backbreaker on Belair. Belair slams LeRae into the turnbuckle. Yim hits the Code Blue on Belair for the pin, but Shirai breaks it up. Belair executes a double spear on Shirai and Yim before hitting the KOD on LeRae! Yim quickly breaks up the pin and hits Protect Ya Neck. Shirai dropkicks Yim out of the ring hits the Meteora on LeRae before following up with a moonsault attempt. Yim knocks her off the apron. LeRae hits the Poisonrana on Yim before hitting the springboard moonsault for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Candice LeRae
On the stage, LeRae is encountered by NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. Baszler poses with the title and steps up to LeRae as they exchange words.
Next week, Dominik Dijakovic will face Keith Lee in the next match of their heated feud.
Match 2: Sean Maluta vs. Cameron Grimes
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Grimes hits the double out of the gate, scoring the pinfall victory in mere seconds!
Winner: Cameron Grimes
Match 3: Roderick Strong vs. Velveteen Dream (c) (NXT North American Championship)
Strong and Dream struggle with one another to begin. Dream starts to work on the arm, but Strong reverses with a hammerlock. Velveteen hits a lariat to dump Strong out of the ring. Dream taunts Strong to re-enter the ring to the latter’s frustration. The show cuts to commercial and returns with Dream continuing to play mind games with Strong. Dream hits the dropkick for only a one-count. Dream goes for the ax handle before hitting another outside of the ring. Strong pushes Dream off the apron and drops him on the barricade before rolling him back in the ring.
Strong hits a baseball dropkick on Dream before bringing him back in the ring. Roderick locks in the sleeper hold. Strong begins to target Dream’s back as well, keeping him grounded. Big backbreaker from Strong. He follows up with an uranage into a backbreaker. Dream reverses a Boston crab attempt and Strong blocks his opponent’s sharpshooter attempt. Dream sends Strong into the steel steps as the show cuts to commercial.
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The show returns with Strong going for a superplex. They exchange punches up top, with Dream getting the better of the exchange, following up with an axe handle. Strong kicks out of a rollup attempt. Dream hits the Dream-D-T, but Strong kicks out again. Strong rolls out of the ring as Dream goes up top. Roderick catches Dream between the ropes with a quick dropkick. Strong traps Dreams in the ropes and hits multiple running forearms, a pendulum backbreaker, and a tiger bomb! Dream kicks out, but Strong transitions into the Stronghold! Dream makes it to the bottom rope as the rest of The Undisputed Era make their way to ringside.
Dream becomes distracted by the rest of The Undisputed Era. This gives Strong the advantage, causing Dream to inadvertently hit the referee. Dream hits the Dream Valley Driver but is distracted by Strong’s stablemates. Strong hits End of Heartache for the 1… 2… Dream kicks out! The match ends with Strong maximizing another distraction for a second End of Heartache for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner and NEW NXT North American Champion: Roderick Strong
The Undisputed Era celebrates on the ramp as this week’s episode of NXT transitions from the USA Network in the first hour to the WWE Network in the second hour.
Match 4: Pete Dunne vs. Arturo Ruas
Ruas takes down Dunne to begin, both men jockeying for position. Ruas goes for a flying scissor takedown, but Dunne goes for the fingers in this quick-paced fight. Both men exchange strikes before Dunne catches Ruas with a big lariat. Dunne manipulates the fingers and stomps on the elbow! Dunne follows up with another stomp, but Ruas evades, following up with several strikes of his own. Ruas slams Dunne’s fingers into the mat. Dunne catches Ruas’ foot and wrenches on the toes before hitting a dragon screw leg whip! Dunne follows a snap German suplex with another stomp on the hands. Dunne executes the X-Plex, but Ruas kicks out at two.
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Ruas escapes a triangle hold with a cartwheel followed by a kick to the head! Dunne locks in another triangle and transitions into a finger wrench, causing Ruas to tap!
Winner: Pete Dunne
Dakota Kai returns to action next week!
Match 5: Xia Li vs. Aliyah (w/Vanessa Borne)
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Li takes advantage early on with a series of kicks. More quick offense follows from Li, but Aliyah catches her off the top rope. Li quickly takes advantage again, however, with more kicks. Li hits the backsweep followed by a tornado kick for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Xia Li
Denzel Dejournette is set to wrestle Kushida next, but Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner of Imperium make their way to ringside. They storm the ring, quickly incapacitating Dejournette. They pose in the ring as the leader of the group, WWE United Kingdom Champion Walter, makes his way down. Walter takes the mic, saying that they will bring honor to their sacred mat. This brings out Kushida, saying their time belongs to him. He takes the right to the rest of Imperium before being dragged into the ring by Walter. Kushida quickly kicks Walter before sliding out of the ring. It seems Kushida is challenging Walter.
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Match 6: Oney Lorcan vs. Lio Rush (Number One Contenders Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
Lorcan explodes with a series of uppercuts followed by a running blockbuster! Rush hits a springboard kick followed by multiple suicide dives on Lorcan. Back in the ring, Rush goes for a springboard hurricanrana followed by an enziguri. Lorcan catches Rush’s leg and executes a dragon screw leg whip. Lorcan whips Rush into the corner and hits a few uppercuts. Oney hangs Rush on the top rope and uppercuts him to the outside. Rush rolls back in the ring but is gut-wrench powerbombed by Lorcan.
He catches Rush’s leg for a single leg Boston crab. Rush escapes but Lorcan continues the attack, hitting a big scoop slam. Rush catches Lorcan with a springboard stunner, but it’s only good for a two-count. Rush goes to the top for the Dragon’s Call but lands awkwardly on his knee. This allows Lorcan to hit a powerbomb followed by a single-leg Boston crab. Rush tries to escape, but Lorcan catches him with another single-leg Boston crap, transitioning into an STF. Slowly, Rush makes it to the bottom rope.
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Locan goes for a slap, but Rush comes back with several quick strikes of his own. Lorcan starts to hulk up, slapping Rush across the face multiple times. Rush catches Lorcan with a Spanish Fly! Rush goes to the top for the Dragon’s Call for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Lio Rush
Match 7: Matt Riddle vs. Killian Dain (Street Fight)
Dain drops Riddle with a running dropkick to begin the match. Riddle takes advantage with a German suplex followed by an exploder suplex. Dain blocks the Bro-Ton and attacks Riddle with a kendo stick, only for Riddle to block and use said kendo stick himself. The action spills into the crowd, where Dain hits a senton on Riddle. The fight goes into the backstage area before spilling to the outside. Dain slams Riddle into the side of a semi truck. Suddenly, Imperium gets involved, attacking Riddle. This brings out a slew of other NXT talent, resulting in an even bigger brawl featuring the likes of the Street Profits, Forgotten Sons, and Dunne.
Meanwhile, Riddle and Dain make their way back to the ring, alongside other brawling Superstars. In the ring, security starts to restrain Riddle and Dain, resulting in them being attacked. Other Superstars start to flood the ring, escalating the brawl, as “NXT” chants can be heard. Dain, standing tall in the ring, hits a suicide dive onto several Superstars! This brings the first episode of this two-hour NXT to a close.
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Winner: N/A
