NXT – July 30, 2024 (Great American Bash Week One): They Saved The Show

NXT
Date: July 30, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the first night of the Great American Bash and oddly enough the card isn’t exactly stacked. There are some title matches, but only one of them feels like a big time showdown. Other than that, we have a contract signing for next week’s NXT Title match and the Women’s Tag Team Champions are here for a guest spot. Oh and Joe Hendry is giving a concert. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger break into the Performance Center to host the show. This involves hacking a security system, dodging lasers and crawling through a dark room.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Meta Four vs. Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre

Meta Four is challenging. It’s a brawl before the bell to start fast and Jackson is sent into the wrong corner. Fyre sends her into the buckle for two and a double suplex connects as well. Legend is back up to clean house and we take an early break. Back with Jackson hitting an enziguri, allowing the diving tag off to Legend.

A chokeslam gets two on Dawn but Fyre gets in a cheap shot from the apron to cut her off. That doesn’t last long though as it’s a wheelbarrow faceplant/cutter combination for to on Dawn with Fyre making the save. Back up and the Evil Touch to Jackson retains the titles at 7:52.

Rating: C+. The problem here is Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are getting a title match on Smackdown, which was talked about extensively throughout this match. If I already know they’re getting the shot, it make it kind of difficult to buy a title change here. That being said, Legend’s pretty incredible transformation continues, as she is turning into a more impressive star every time she is out there.

Post match here is Ethan Page to mock Oro Mensah and promise he won’t win the NXT Title next week. Mensah pins him again.

Cedric Alexander is teaching some young wrestlers when Shawn Spears interrupts to talk about Brooks Jensen. Cue Jensen to argue but Spears holds him out.

Tavion Heights is ready for Tony D’Angelo.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for Tavion Heights.

Pete Dunne talks about Sheamus walking away from the Brawling Brutes so now he’s going to create havoc. He’ll start next week with Trick Williams.

Heritage Cup: Tavion Heights vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is defending and their respective associates are here too. Round One begins with some grappling with Heights, the former Olympic wrestler taking over with a fireman’s carry. D’Angelo is back up with a headlock before switching to a leglock as the round ends. Here is Wren Sinclair to watch and we take a break. Back with D’Angelo hitting a superplex but time expires.

Round Three begins with D’Angelo hitting Forget About It for the pin at 28 seconds of the round and 8:13 overall. Round Four begins with Sinclair yelling at Heights, which is enough for Heights to grab the belly to belly and tie it up at 23 seconds of the round and 9:04 overall. Round Five begins with Heights getting two off a gutwrench suplex. Heights misses a charge into the ropes though and D’Angelo hits back to back spinebusters to retain at 1:39 of the round and 11:09 overall.

Rating: C+. You kind of know what you’re getting with these things and that was the case again here. Heights was a fine choice for a one off challenger but D’Angelo is going to be on to bigger and better opponents. They didn’t spend too long on this and what we got was good enough for a title defense.

Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx don’t like the new generation so the tag match is set for tonight.

Brooks Jensen vs. Cedric Alexander

Joined in progress Jensen charging into a boot in the corner and being knocked outside. Alexander hits a big dive but Jensen kicks him in the face to take over. A running shoulder in the Tree Of Woe gives Jensen two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Alexander snaps off a suplex into a Michinoku river for two. Jensen knocks him off the top and a guillotine legdrop gets two. They head outside with Jensen dropping him onto the announcers’ table. The dive misses though and Alexander grabs the Lumbar Check to win at 4:47 shown.

Rating: C. As has been the case, the problem with Jensen boils down to him only being so interesting in the first place. It’s one thing if he starts winning matches like he did against Josh Briggs, but seeing him lose more often than not is taking away what little status he has. The match wasn’t anything noteworthy either, which isn’t helping Jensen’s case in the slightest.

Je’Von Evans talks about growing up watching wrestling and knowing he needed to do this.

Joe Hendry flirts with some women before his concert but then has to leave. Ashante Thee Adonis comes in to take care of the women.

The Rascalz re confused by being on a Tuesday but want the Tag Team Titles back.

Here is Joe Hendry for his concert, with the fans singing his theme song. Hendry’s song is about how he makes things better, how Booker T is a big fan, and how Gallus has bad facial hair. Hendry is ready for an encore but here is Gallus to interrupt. They didn’t like the song and Hendry is quickly beaten down. It continues to amuse me that Hendry is more or less a full on character around here despite still being a part of TNA (which was barely mentioned here, if at all).

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger annoy Roxanne Perez.

Ava is overseeing the contract signing between Ethan Page and Oro Mensah for next week. They bicker and both sign, with Mensah promising to win the title. Very short and to the point here.

Kendal Grey vs. Jaida Parker

OTM is here with Parker. Grey takes her down by the arm to start and is back up with a middle rope crossbody for two. Parker sends her into the corner though and drops her ribs first across the top rope. The seated abdominal stretch doesn’t last long as Grey fights up…and here are Miles Borne and Wren Sinclair. Grey takes Borne down and grabs an Angle Slam for two on Parker. Back up and another distraction lets Parker get in a gordbuster into a running hip attack for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C+. Grey was trying here and they’re giving her something with the Borne stuff, but she still needs something more than “here’s another pretty rookie with an athletic background.” There are a lot of them on the roster and Grey isn’t standing out just yet. Parker on the other hand still feels like a star in the making and I could go for seeing her get a chance to show what she can do.

Chase U fires up Thea Hail.

Axiom is talking to the LWO about Speed when Ava comes in with a contract for a title match with the Rascalz. Axiom signs but Nathan Frazier isn’t happy with not being asked about it. Oh well.

Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx/Fallon Henley vs. Sol Ruca/Karmen Petrovic/Lola Vice

Henley takes Ruca down to start and surfs on her back, only for Ruca to come back with an X Factor and surfing of her own. Petrovic comes in to knock Nyx down, setting up a running basement Blockbuster. Vice comes in and gets rolled up to give Jayne two, only to come back with a spinebuster for two.

It’s back To Petrovic for a double shoulder and the villains are knocked to the floor. The series of dives take them down again and we take a break. Back with Vice getting the tag to clean house and Ruca hitting a springboard flipping double clothesline. Henley is left alone with Ruca, who hits a fireman’s carry into a powerbomb for two.

Jayne is back in with a cutter out of the corner and Nyx’s PerfectPlex gets two to leave everyone down. Nyx kicks away at Ruca but it’s back to Petrovic for the clothesline comeback. A Pele kick gets Nyx out of trouble though and Henley comes in with something like a belly to back suplex flipped into a cutter for the pin on Petrovic at 12:55.

Rating: B. Where the heck did that come from? This felt like it was going to be just another six person tag and they gave it everything they had and put on a pretty rocking match. This was FAR better than I would have expected with hard work from everyone and some great action. Good stuff here and the feud is likely going to continue for a bit.

Kelani Jordan doesn’t want to play with Tatum Paxley and her dolls. And she doesn’t know why Wendy Choo is behind them.

Joe Hendry is sick of Gallus’ jealousy so he’s going to take out Joe Coffey next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail

Hail, with Chase U, is challenging and goes for some early rollups to start. The threat of the Kimura sends Perez to the ropes before she has to flip out of an anklescissors. Perez bails to the floor and Hail hits a middle rope moonsault as we take a break. Back with Hail hitting a DDT to leave both of them down.

The World’s Smallest Slam sets up a missed backsplash so Perez grabs the crossface. Hail bails out to the floor but Perez argues with Chase U, allowing Hail to get in a dive. A Michinoku Driver gives Hail two but Perez goes after the arm. Pop Rox is countered into a backslide for two and the Kimura goes on, with Perez reversing into the crossface. That’s powered into a Samoan drop and the springboard backsplash gets two for an awesome sequence.

Perez goes for the eye but gets sent shoulder first into the post. The Kimura goes on again, with Perez getting to the ropes and out to the floor. Hail gets rammed into the steps and the crossface goes on again, only to be reversed back into the Kimura. That’s reversed into the crossface again so Hail goes for the ropes, leaving Perez to switch to Pop Rox to retain at 11:21.

Rating: B+. When an awesome sequence takes up almost half of the match, it stops being a sequence and turns into a good portion of what you’re seeing. This was the best thing on the show as they were showing some great chemistry together and had me wondering if Hail was going to get the miracle upset. Perez was more than carrying her side here too and it made for a great main event. Giulia and/or Stephanie Vaquer are probably waiting on Perez, but this made her feel more ready for either of them.

Overall Rating: B. This started slowly and felt like it was an only slightly bigger than normal show before the last two matches blew away all of my expectations. Those matches carried the show and the concert was a funny enough moment as well. I’m not sure this needed to be a two week special, but I wasn’t overly excited about this one and they really surprised me with how good it wound up being. Solid show this week, with the women carrying things.

Results
Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre b. Meta Four – Evil Touch to Jackson
Tony D’Angelo b. Tavion Heights 2-1
Cedric Alexander b. Brooke Jensen – Lumbar Check
Jaida Parker b. Kendal Grey – Running hip attack
Fallon Henley/Jazmyn Nyx/Jacy Jayne b. Sol Ruca/Karmen Petrovic/Lola Vice – Flipping cutter to Petrovic
Roxanne Perez b. Thea Hail – Pop Rox

 

 

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