We’re wrapping up the big WWE shows of the year with this, which is another show built around a concept match. In this case that would be the Iron Survival Challenge, which is kind of like a gauntlet Iron Man match with a penalty box. Either way, it’s for a future title shot and we have a men’s and women’s version. The rest of the card is looking good enough so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer

This match was supposed to happen this week on NXT but that fell apart due to a big brawl. They’re fighting over Axiom not being the nicest friend following a recent Frazer loss. It helps that they have a history and should be able to have a good match with each other in their sleep. That should make for a heck of a way to get the crowd warmed up so they do at least have the right idea.

I’ll go with Frazer to win here, as Axiom has a tendency to never win anything and he probably won’t again here. Frazer is the more successful of the two and it would make sense to have him get the win to start the night. I still think Axiom continues to be someone who should be able to move up the ladder a bit, but for now he is probably losing to Frazer.

Kiana James vs. Roxanne Perez

We’ll start the main card with a pretty big one, as Perez is looking for revenge inside a cage. I’m not sure why this feud needed to keep going after Halloween Havoc but here we are with one more big fight. Perez is already one of the more established names in the division while James has that one Women’s Tag Team Title reign with Fallon Henley in a story that feels like it was forever ago.

I see no reason for Perez to lose here outside of some major interference so we’ll go with Perez winning. She should be on her way to something bigger and a definitive win over James is a good way to set things up. James will get in some offense here, but I can’t picture someone as good as Perez coming up short in what should be the big blowoff match for the feud. Perez wins in a fight.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Lexis King

This is the next big step in one of the more interesting stories taking place in NXT at the moment. The question right now is whether or not Hayes was working with King in some way to take out Trick Williams but he’s fighting Lexis here to prove his loyalty to Williams. What matters here is finding out if Hayes is telling the truth and there is a good chance we find that out here.

This almost has to be King’s to win so we’ll go there. King is still brand new to NXT and there is no reason to have him lose here. What matters is getting the story advanced, which could go in a few different ways. What won’t matter is anything that happens if King loses here, so we’ll go with him getting the win, likely through some kind of shenanigans. The end game seems to be Hayes vs. Williams, and Hayes losing here can be a step towards the eventual showdown.

North American Title: Dominik Mysterio(c) vs. Dragon Lee

Unfortunately this is the replacement match after Wes Lee announced that he has suffered an injury so bad that he will be out of action for 8-12 months. As a result, Dominik’s father Rey Mysterio announced that he was bringing in Dragon to come after the title instead. This will be the latest attempt to do something with Dragon, who is rather talented and seems to be a big prospect who has to win something at some point.

Given all of the circumstances, I’ll take Dragon to win the title here, as he has to win something at some point. You can put the title back on Dominik if he needs it, but Dragon can’t keep losing over and over. It’s not a bad thing to give us a cool title change here and that might be the idea. If nothing else you don’t want to see Dragon losing so many times, which he did clean this week on SmackDown for whatever reason. For now though, I’ll go with the upset title change and likely be wrong.

NXT Title: Ilja Dragunov(c) vs. Baron Corbin

This is a match that should sound kind of lame on paper but they have turned it into something that much better than expected. Dragunov turned the tables on Corbin’s mind games this week and now the question is what happens when Dragunov is allowed to get violent. At the same time, Corbin is doing some of the better stuff he has done in recent years and I’m actually wanting to see them fight.

We’ll go with a pretty easy winner here and have Dragunov retain the title. What matters here is having a big fight and give Dragunov a run for his money, but I can actually imagine Corbin winning the title in a big surprise. Corbin winning a title like this would be a big career moment for him, though I can’t bring myself to say he does it here. Dragunov wins, though the more I think about it, the more I could see a title change being possible.

Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge

As usual in a match like this, the best thing to do is eliminate some of the potential winners. In this case, we can knock out Kelani Jordan (too new) and Fallon Henley (talented, but nowhere near the title picture). That leaves Tiffany Stratton, Lash Legend and Blair Davenport, all of whom could come away with this thing. The interesting thing is I could see it going any of those ways and that makes for some promising prospects.

I’ll go with Davenport getting the win and the title shot. Stratton has been done and Legend feels like it would be little more than a one off challenger for Lyra Valkyria. Davenport seems like she could be someone who could be a big threat to take the title and that means she should get the win here. While Stratton is always a possibility, it makes more sense to go with Davenport for a change.

Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge

With the whole process of elimination idea again, we’ll get rid of Josh Briggs, who feels like the most random choice to put in this match. I kind of want to drop Bron Breakker, who has already had the big title run but he’s too big of a star to leave out. That gives us a pretty stacked group of options and that should make for a good match, as the more potential winners you have, the better it should be.

The more I look at the field, the more Tyler Bate sticks out to me so we’ll go with him in something of an upset. Trick Williams is busy dealing with Carmelo Hayes and/or Lexis King, Breakker has been champion too long in the past and Dijak just doesn’t feel like a potential winner. Bate vs. Dragunov could make for a heck of a fight on a big TV show, but Bate has to get a title shot to make that a possibility. He can d it here by winning the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Overall Thoughts

Despite two of the matches being the same concept, this show has a decent amount of variety. The Iron Survivor Challenges will be the focal point, but the NXT Title match could be a great fight and there is a cage match to go with some violence. Throw in the storyline match between King and Hayes and we should be in for a solid show. NXT specials like this have been mostly good and while it’s not going to be Takeover, it could go rather well.

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NXT
Date: December 5, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the go home show for Deadline and that means we have one spot left in both of the Iron Survivor Challenge matches. Those will likely be filled in tonight and that should make for some interesting matches to get us to Saturday. Other than that, the rest of the Deadline card could use a final push so let’s get to it.

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

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Thea Hail vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Fallon Henley vs. Kiana James

Jacy Jayne is here with Hail. Perez and James brawl to start, which continues a fight they had at the Performance Center earlier this week. With James down on the floor, the other three fight over a test of strength until James and Perez brawl outside. Henley hits a suicide dive but gets dropped by James as we take a break.

Back with the Tower Of Doom (with Hail getting the worst of things) but Perez crossbodies James down. Pop Rox is broken up so Perez knocks James to the floor again. The announcers’ table is loaded up with Perez and James crashing off the barricade and through said table. That leaves Henley to Shining Wizard Hail for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: B-. This was more about Perez vs. James and that is not a bad thing, especially with Henley getting one of the bigger wins of her career. She hasn’t had the greatest success rate but she seems like she is capable of doing so much. That leaves Hail in the cold, but she has the whole Chase U ordeal in front of her anyway. Good opener here, as they kept the action going.

Lyra Valkyria is ready for whomever comes out of the Iron Survivor Challenge. Lola Vice comes in to tease cashing in her title shot tonight, though Tatum Paxley pops in for a threat of her own.

Here is Wes Lee, on a cane, for a chat. He was looking forward to winning the North American Title back but the fans supporting him will not bring back the feeling in his legs. He is going to need surgery and time and he isn’t sure when you will see him again. No matter what though, he will be back. This is not a goodbye, but a see you later.

Cue Dominik Mysterio to say Lee is hurt again and he’ll have to be gone for so long. Dominik says he’ll have a night off but Lee says not so fast. Rey Mysterio pops up on screen to say that Dominik will be defending the title at Deadline, with Rey there in person. Dominik will be defending against….Dragon Lee, who comes in to chase Dominik off. Well that’s awful, and hopefully Lee is back to full health sooner than later.

Kiana James is in the trainer’s room and wants to get her hands on Roxanne Perez again. Cue Perez for the brawl.

The Men’s Breakout Tournament begins next week.

Tatum Paxley vs. Lola Vice

Elektra Lopez is here with Vice. They go with the grappling to start and Vice takes her down for a hip attack to the head. Paxley catapults her throat first into the ropes for two and a spinebuster out of the corner gets the same. The body scissors keeps Vice down but she pulls Paxley into a quickly broken kneebar. Vice strikes her into the corner for a hip attack and two, followed by a spinning kick to the head for the pin at 4:03.

Rating: C. They kept it quick and to the point here with Vice picking up a win, but at least Paxley got in some offense of her own to keep it from being a squash. The point here was building Vice up on the way to her title match though and that worked well enough. If nothing else, a good kick to the head is a nice way to make a champion feel threatened.

Of note: during that match, commentary announced that Wes Lee’s recovery time from back surgery is 8-12 months.

Last week, Axiom and Nathan Frazer didn’t quite agree on Frazer’s loss and agreed to fight again. Granted they’ll be friends afterwards.

Baron Corbin isn’t worried about Ilja Dragunov tonight.

NXT Anonymous shows a video from October 17 of Trick Williams leaving Carmelo Hayes, who texted someone after he left.

Joe Gacy annoys commentary.

Alpha Academy vs. Meta Four

Dar backs Gable up to the ropes to start but gets slammed down for his efforts. Mensah comes in and gets chopped a few times, followed by an armdrag into an armbar. It’s off to Dupri for a suplex to Legend before Otis comes in to suplex Mensah and Dar. Everyone brawls on the floor and we take an early break.

Back with Gable suplexing Dar and it’s back to Otis to wreck more people. Mensah gets crushed with an elbow so it’s back to Legend….who slams Otis in quite the impressive feat. Dupri comes in and suplexes Legend for two, only to have Otis catch Legend on the floor. That leaves Dupri to dive onto the pile, leaving Gable to ankle lock Dar for the tap at 11:07.

Rating: B-. This was a fun match and they kept things going the whole time. That’s all you need from a match like this, with Legend slamming Otis being a rather awesome moment. Gable beating Dar in the end should set him up for another Heritage Cup win and my goodness it is long overdue or him to win the title, as Dar has held that thing for the better part of ever.

Gallus ran into Tank Ledger and Hank Walker at the bar, where a challenge was made for next week.

Ava leaves Shawn Michaels’ office and announces that Kiana James vs. Roxanne Perez is on for Deadline. To make sure it’s violent, we’ll put them inside a cage.

All five entrants in the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge (Tiffany Stratton, Lash Legend, Blair Davenport, Kelani Jordan, Fallon Henley) are in the ring to say why they are going to win. Stratton says she is the favorite in the match and the future because she sees four participation trophies and one winner. Jordan knows she’s an underdog but no one here has ever been in an Iron Survivor Challenge either.

Legend doesn’t like any of them but she’s been training with Noam Dar and knows about winning multiple falls. Davenport brings up the women she has injured and threatens to be even more vicious. Henley offers to beat them all up. They all argue, Byron Saxton gets annoyed that they’re arguing, and the big brawl breaks out. This was to the point and Legend continues to be one of the most annoying humans in wrestling history.

Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer

They start fast and trade flips with neither being able to get very far. Axiom catches him with a sliding German suplex but dives into a nice superkick for two. Frazer is sent outside for the big dive but the Iron Survivor Challenge women fight to the ring and it’s a no contest at 2:06.

The brawl continues until Nikkita Lyons runs out to deck Davenport.

Andre Chase hosts a Chase U assembly to explain the situation. Chase himself put them in this position and the school is officially on academic probation. Any students who enrolled after the investigation began will no longer be eligible for financial aid. Thea Hail wants to know how much Chase owes, with Chase saying it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a loan plus interest because he went through a third party.

Chase promises to get the school out of debt and we get some suggestions to make money. Like a bake sale! A car wash! A crash course on avoiding financial crisis (a male student suggests this and Jacy Jayne has to get Thea Hail’s attention back)! Chase promises the debt will be paid. This is a story that is going to see more and more revealed week by week and that makes it more interesting. We still need to know who Chase owes and how Tony D’Angelo/Stacks tie into everything, though that might be one in the same detail.

Trick Williams wants answers from Carmelo Hayes about the footage from earlier. Hayes will answer after this.

Lexis King says the camera always finds him but he’s not going to interfere in Carmelo Hayes’ match, because he doesn’t mess with his friends’ matches.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey vs. Eddy Thorpe

Thorpe is coming in with bad ribs so Coffey goes right after them. Hayes cuts that off, leaving Bate and Coffey to slug it out. Coffey swings Bate to no avail so it’s Hayes coming back in for a springboard spinning clothesline to Thorpe. Everyone goes to the corner, with Thorpe hitting a double high crossbody. All four are down and we take a break.

Back with Thorpe stealing a cover on bate for two with Coffey making the save. Thorpe’s brainbuster gets the same on Bate with Coffey saving again. Thorpe goes to the floor to drop Bate again but charges into a spinebuster onto the steps. Back in and Hayes grabs a top rope sunset flip to Coffey to send Bate flying. A Codebreaker hits Bate for two but Coffey knocks Hayes out of the air. Bats grabs a quick Tyler Driver 97 to pin Coffey and go to Deadline at 11:10.

Rating: B-. This was similar to the earlier match in that they kept things moving and didn’t waste time with a bunch of filler. Bate is always a safe choice to put near the title picture as he can be elevated into a main event spot out of nowhere. Hayes already has Williams to worry about and Coffey vs. Thorpe could be a nice feud as well. Good stuff again here, with the right choice for the winner.

Post match Bate promises violence on Saturday, when Dijak interrupts. After kicking the still injured Thorpe down again, Dijak threatens Bate but Bron Breakker interrupts. We get the usual threats but here is Josh Briggs to say he likes being underrated. Trick Williams comes out as well and the brawl is on.

Post break, Williams asks Carmelo Hayes if he sent the text to Lexis King to take him out. Hayes again denies it and says he would never work with King. To prove it, Hayes will take King out at Deadline (again through Ava, who seems to be some new liaison to Shawn Michaels).

Here are Baron Corbin and Ilja Dragunov for a face to face chat. Corbin promises to win the title and mocks the size difference. Dragunov is ready to fight but says he’s containing himself because if he lets himself go now, there will be no title match at Deadline. Dragunov accuses Corbin of wanting the title to keep up his obsession with materialistic possessions. That sends Corbin into a nice rant about how he’s been around for eight years through ups and downs.

Corbin knows Dragunov is about to lose it because he misses his family and tells Dragunov to do something about it. He even loads up the table in the corner so Dragunov can drop him but nothing happens. Corbin calls him a coward, so Dragunov….hugs him, saying that the only person who can destroy the dragon is the dragon himself. Corbin is confused to….well almost end the show, as the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge participants brawl to ringside. Breakker spears Williams through the table to end the show.

That was a very different way to do things and I really like Dragunov turning the tables on Corbin. At the same time, there might be something in a Corbin face run down the line. That promo about always being here no matter what had a lot of potential in it and I could see people cheering him if he did more like that at some point.

Overall Rating: B+. I’ve said this many times before but this is where NXT shines. They ha a bunch of things to cover here and did every single one of them, from making me want to see where everything is going. They added to the two Iron Survivor Challenges, unfortunately had to change a title match, pushed the rest of the card and furthered some stories for after Deadline. That is one heck of a way to spend two hours and they even had a bunch of good wrestling. Very nice show this week, and hopefully Deadline can live up to the hype.

Results
Fallon Henley b. Thea Hail, Roxanne Perez and Kiana James – Shining Wizard to Hail
Lola Vice b. Tatum Paxley – Spinning kick to the head
Alpha Academy b. Meta Four – Ankle lock to Dar
Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer went to a no contest when the Iron Survivor challenge women brawled at ringside
Tyler Bate b. Carmelo Hayes, Eddy Thorpe and Joe Coffey – Tyler Driver 97 to Coffey

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NXT
Date: November 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re in the final week of the Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches with Jerry Lawler as the guest picker this week. In addition to that, with about a week and a half to go before Deadline and the rest of the card could use some more firming up. That should come this week with the NXT Title match hopefully getting some extra attention. Let’s get to it.

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

Tag Team Titles: Tony D’Angelo/Stacks vs. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza

D’Angelo and Stacks are defending and it’s a brawl in the aisle to start. We settle down with D’Angelo beating up Carrillo, including a belly to belly for two. Garza gets in a cheap shot though, allowing Carrillo to hit a springboard spinning kick to the head. A tackle gets D’Angelo out of trouble though and Stacks comes charging in, only to get caught in the wrong corner. Stacks fights out and hits an uppercut into a German suplex from D’Angelo. The PowerPlex is cut off though and a double slam off the top rope drops Stacks as we take a break.

Back with Stacks fighting out of trouble and handing it off to D’Angelo as everything breaks down. Everything breaks down and a spinebuster gives D’Angelo two on Carrillo. A distracted referee lets Garza hit Stacks low, setting up a Jay Driller for two, with the kickout hitting Garza low as well. D’Angelo comes back in with the Bada Bing Bada Boom to retain at 12:25.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see the champs get a win, though Garza and Carrillo felt like they could have gotten the title shot at Deadline, or at least been more than challengers of the week. I’m not sure who is up next for the champs but they looked good enough here. The tag division has a lot of teams but I’m not sure how many of them I can imagine being serious threats to the belts right now.

Some wrestlers aren’t sure if Ilja Dragunov’s success equal up to all the things Baron Corbin has. Dragunov comes in and doesn’t seem to appreciate Nathan Frazer’s take on things. Dragunov knows how to fix this.

Jerry Lawler picks Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker and Kelani (which sounds like it was dubbed in) Jordan vs. Kiana James for Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches.

Video on Johnny Gargano.

Josh Briggs is fired up for the Iron Survivor Challenge but Lexis King comes in to take some credit for his success and, after slightly hitting on Fallon Henley, mocks Brooks Jensen. King vs. Jensen is set for later.

Nikkita Lyons is back in training and is here tonight.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan

James stomps away in the corner to start but Jordan dropkicks her way out of trouble. A headlock slows James down on the mat until she grabs the hair to escape. They head outside where Jordan is dropped onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. Back with James snapping off a spinebuster but Jordan grabs a Playmaker for two. James hits a quick 401k….but Roxanne Perez pops in to ring the bell. That’s enough of a distraction for Jordan to knock James down and hit the split legged moonsault for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C+. I’m still not entirely sure why James vs. Perez is continuing but that’s what we’re getting out of this one. Jordan continues to feel like a long term project for NXT and that is not a bad idea. She’s athletic and can do well enough in the ring but is lacking experience. Get that through to her and they could have something.

Video on Cameron Grimes.

The Alpha Academy isn’t happy with what happened in the Heritage Cup match last week and now they want revenge. That can come in a six person tag next week.

NXT Anonymous has released a video showing Lexis King following Trick Williams on the night of Williams’ attack. We don’t see King do anything physical though.

We get a press conference from Chase U, with Andre Chase talking about the ongoing investigation. There are allegations of gambling and misusing funds, leaving the university in debt. Chase says it’s all true and he’ll do whatever he can to get things back on track. He takes some questions but won’t say how much he owes. It’s all his fault and he’ll address the student body at the next assembly. Well that’s rather specific and again I’m not sure how smart it is to have Chase get in trouble when the team was as popular as they have been.

Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker

Thorpe has taped up ribs. Breakker slams him down to start and grabs a quick gator roll. Something like a powerslam puts Thorpe on the floor, where Breakker sends him into the barricade. A fireman’s carry gutbuster has Thorpe in more trouble and we take a break. Back with Thorpe slipping out of a torture rack and striking away but getting whipped hard into the corner. Thorpe fights back with some suplexes but Breakker spears him down for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: C+. It’s not much of a surprise that Breakker, one of the most successful stars in the history of NXT, was able to get into the big #1 contenders match. This was actually a bit better than I was expecting, as Breakker had a target with the ribs and focused on it. Sometimes it’s fine to go as basic as you can and that’s what they did here.

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are ready for revenge on Lexis King but Williams says they can wait for after the Iron Survivor Challenge.

The women’s locker room breaks into a fight over next week’s Last Chance matches to qualify for the Iron Survival Challenge.

Video on Bronson Reed.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer

Non-title and Dragunov explodes on him to start. Frazer gets knocked hard into the corner to start before Dragunov grabs a waistlock. Frazer is back up with a hard shot of his own into a springboard missile dropkick to put Dragunov down for a change. The phoenix splash misses though and Dragunov hits a powerbomb into the H Bomb…but pulls up at two. Another H Bomb finishes Frazer at 5:26.

Rating: C+. That was a bit weird as Dragunov more or less squashed him. Frazer isn’t a major star but he’s big enough that he should be able to make Dragunov work a bit. That being said, it takes Dragunov look like more of a killer to run through Frazer like this so well done on boosting up the champion.

Post match Baron Corbin pops up on screen to mock Dragunov, who he will meet face to face next week.

Lyra Valkyira knows all of the challenges that could come out of the Iron Survivor Challenge. Fallon Henley pops in to say she’s going to win but someone (Tatum Paxley maybe?) appears from behind the curtains to say Valkyria would beat Henley anyway.

Karmen Petrovic talks about how martial arts teach you to trust your instincts. Her instincts tells her to beat up Arianna Grace.

Meta Four is in for the match with Alpha Academy.

Joe Gacy is underneath the ring because he’s beneath us and wants our attention.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace

Grace powers her into the corner to start and offers to let Petrovic kiss the ring. Petrovic is right back and offers to let Grace do the same. A rollup gives Petrovic two….but here is Joe Gacy from underneath the ring to steal the ring bell. We take a break and come back with Grace bouncing Petrovic’s head off the mat, setting up a chinlock. Petrovic fights up and grabs a choke but Grace goes to the eye. A fireman’s carry slam finishes Petrovic at 9:06 (without a bell because Gacy has to be a thing).

Rating: C. Grace needed to win here as she has been presented as someone who could become a player but hasn’t really gotten much momentum going yet. Beating Petrovic only has so much value but it’s better than not winning. I’m still not wild on Grace as the pageant queen as it isn’t a great idea, though it should do for now.

Gacy rings the bell in the crowd.

Wes Lee is ready for all of his opponents tonight because he needs to go to Deadline and get the North American Title back.

Brooks Jensen vs. Lexis King

Jensen starts fast with a rolling kick to the head and they’re already on the floor for a slugout. We take a break and come back with King hammering away as Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes watch in the back. Hayes goes to deal with something as King grabs the chinlock. Jensen powers him into the corner and grabs a suplex or the break. A missile dropkick gets two on King but here is Hayes to go after King. The distraction lets King grab the Coronation fr the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. This felt like one of those random house show matches you get from time to time in NXT, as Jensen has had almost no singles success. What mattered here was getting King a win, as he seems to be ready to become something pretty big around here. They’re still polishing the details, but what matters here is getting him another win.

Video on the Iron Survivor Challenges.

Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Wes Lee

If Lee wins, he gets a North American Title shot at Deadline (against Dominik Mysterio, on commentary) but if he doesn’t, he never gets another shot. Reed cleans house to start and we take a break less than a minute in. Back with Reed getting triple teamed out to the floor, followed by Grimes being sent outside as well.

Lee gets the better of things but Reed is back in to wreck them both. Grimes can’t sunset flip Reed but Gargano catapults Grimes head first into a low blow to put Reed down. Everyone is back up until Lee sends Reed outside. Gargano sends Grimes outside for a knockdown of his own and the fans approve.

The slingshot spear gets two on Grimes but Lee is back in to take over. Reed is back in as well and a Death Valley Driver gets two on Lee. Grimes’ high crossbody gets two on Reed, who is right back up to pick all three of them up for something like a triple Samoan drop (geez). The other three are able to powerbomb Reed out of the corner, leaving Grimes to grab his flipping powerslam for two on Lee.

The Gargano Escape goes on but Lee saves Grimes for a change. That doesn’t work for Reed, who buckle bombs Lee and backsplashes the other two. Reed takes Lee to the middle rope and gorilla presses him onto the other two. Cue Ivar to jump Reed though and they fight to the back, leaving the other three in the ring. Grimes hits the Cave In on Gargano but the Cardiac Kick gives Lee the pin at 17:19.

Rating: B+. Now this was more like it as they had almost nonstop action for a pretty long TV match. Reed came off like an absolute star here and they even had a logical and productive way to get rid of him. Lee winning is hardly a surprise but he feels like he earned the win. That should help him a lot on the way to Deadline, but he almost has to win there.

Roxanne Perez and Kiana James are brawling in the parking lot to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was another show that got things done and helped build up Deadline, plus some other things not for the show. The qualifying matches were to the point and the main event was very good. Throw in King and Dragunov both looking strong, plus Chase U’s story getting a pretty big step forward and this was another good show. That has been a theme for NXT as of late and I could go for a lot more of it.

Results
Tony D’Angelo/Stacks b. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza – Bada Bing Bada Boom to Garza
Kelani Jordan b. Kiana James – Split legged moonsault
Bron Breakker b. Eddy Thorpe – Spear
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – H Bomb
Arianna Grace b. Karmen Petrovic – Fireman’s carry slam
Lexis King b Brooks Jensen – Coronation
Wes Lee b. Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed and Cameron Grimes – Cardiac Kick to Grimes

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: October 31, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s week two of Halloween Havoc and this time it’s actually Halloween night. The main event this week will see Carmelo Hayes getting a rematch against Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title. Other than that, we’ll probably hear from Chase U following their title win last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Scarlett and Shotzi, dressed as Ghostbusters and getting out of ECTO-1, arrive because they got called about a job.

Opening recap, complete with clips of last week’s opening live performance of Vampyre by New Year’s Day. Some previews for tonight are included too.

Creed Brothers vs. Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo

Tables, Ladders and Scares match, meaning a TLC match but with pins. Julius starts fast by putting Garza through Carrillo through a table on the floor before crushing both of them with a ladder. Another pair of tables is set up at ringside but Garza gets in a cheap shot on Brutus to break up Julius’ superplex. Instead it’s Julius being sent onto a bridged ladder inside. A Blockbuster/Gory Bomb combination sends Brutus through a table at ringside and we take a break.

Back with Carrillo hitting a springboard spinning kick to send a chair into Brutus’ face. Garza hits a missile dropkick to knock Brutus out of a chair and then powerbombs Julius into a ladder in the corner. Julius’ back looks AWFUL as Brutus puts the ladder around his head for the Terry Funk spinning spot. Back up and Julius makes the save on the floor and it’s time to load up another pair of tables inside. Garza is knocked to the floor and the Brutus Ball through the tables finishes Carrillo at 14:02.

Rating: B. They had some time here and beat the fire out of each other, which is what a match like this is supposed to be. The Creeds are pretty clearly main roster bound and if this wasn’t their last match, it’s probably one of them. They’ve done everything they can do in NXT and if this was their swan song, they went out with a heck of a fight.

Shotzi (a clown) and Scarlett (as Scarlett) mess with a Ouija board but Ivy Nile and Alba Fyre come in to show them how it’s done.

Tiffany Stratton is NOT happy with Fallon Henley impersonating her last week.

Joe Gacy (now that is scary) talks about seeing horrors and the pain and suffering he had to go through to get here. Everyone stabbed him with his judgmental eyes, but he wonders if he is the problem. Yes.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley

Stratton jumps her before the bell and wreck’s Henley’s knee. No match.

The Meta Four (dressed as the Scooby Doo gang) go to a haunted house to find the Heritage Cup. They hear Japanese and Noam Dar shouts that he wants his Cup back from Akira Tozawa. Various monsters scare them off and more on this later.

North American Title: Nathan Frazer vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio (an inmate), with Rhea Ripley (a prison guard, Cobb County, Georgia residency status unclear), is defending. Feeling out process to start until Frazer snaps off some armdrags into a dropkick to the floor. Back in and Frazer sends him to the floor again and we take an early break.

We come back with Dominik hitting some Amigos but Frazer double legs him down to hammer away. Ripley offers a distraction so Dominik can send him outside, only for Frazer to jump back in for a dive. Back in and Frazer superplexes him into a twisting suplex for two. Dominik dropkicks him into the rope but the 619 is cut off with a superkick. Frazer goes up and gets shoved hard into the announcers’ table. The frog splash retains the title at 10:27.

Rating: B-. It’s still hard to fathom that Mysterio is rather good at what he does these days. He and Ripley are still one of the most over acts in the company but it isn’t just because of Ripley anymore. Mysterio can more than hang in the ring and he showed that here, wrestling a completely good match and finishing Frazer without a ton of help. Nice stuff here.

Post match Wes Lee runs in to go after Dominik and hold up the title.

Jacy Jayne congratulates Andre Chase on the title win. Chase says they won fair and square last week but Jayne doesn’t seem to buy it. Jayne and Thea Hail leave when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in. Chase calls D’Angelo sir and he says Chase U owes them. Hudson says of course they’ll get a rematch but D’Angelo says “yeah, that too.” Chase again looks a bit shaken.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, now as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, talk about who is the most cursed.

Back to the haunted house where the split up Meta Four gets scared by a variety of scary things. Oro Mensah, as Shaggy, runs into Akira Tozawa and gets beaten up. Lash Legend (Velma) beats up one of the monsters but gets kidnapped by another. More on this later.

Mr. Stone vs. Bron Breakker

Stone is fighting for his injured friend/client Von Wagner and starts by running away. The chase on the floor results in Breakker running him over and there’s a suplex to make it worse. The spear finishes Stone at 2:36. That’s all it should have been.

Post match Breakker loads up the steps (how he hurt Wagner) but cue Wagner for the save. A chokeslam onto the steps leaves Breakker laying but he avoids being crushed with the steps.

We look back at Lyra Valkyria beating Becky Lynch to win the Women’s Title last week (as narrated by what sounds like Finn Balor). Valkyria has been on a media tour in Ireland to celebrate her victory.

OTM (Reggie/Scrypts and Lucien Price and Bronco Nima) talks about the rough way they grew up and now they’re someone.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Thea Hail/Jacy Jayne vs. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green

Hail and Jayne, with the rest of Chase U, are challenging. The brawl starts on the floor before the bell until it’s Hail armdragging Green into the corner to start. Hail gets knocked outside but runs back in for a dive. The champs are down on the floor and we take a break. Back with Hail fighting out of Niven’s chinlock and avoiding a Cannonball in the corner.

Hail grabs a Kimura on Niven, who seems more annoyed than anything else. A tornado DDT plants Niven and a crawl between Green’s legs is enough for the tag back to Jayne. Green gets planted with a spinebuster but Niven makes the save. Chase goes to hype up the student section so Jayne goes for a belt…but Chase won’t let her. The distraction lets Green hit Unpretty-Her to retain at 9:00.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see the champs actually win something and the ending keeps the Chase U issues going. With Chase wanting to go one way and Jayne, arguably the source of their success, wanting to go the other, there is a setup for something down the line. That being said, Green and Niven continue to get better in the ring and they’re gelling as a team rather well all things considered.

As the champs leave, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn make the Wheel spin, but we don’t see where it lands.

Lexis King is pleased with his performances and likes the buzz around his name around here. You should see what he’s doing next, or better yet, what he’s already done. King hits on McKenzie Mitchell a bit but she leaves. This was more charisma than he showed in his entire AEW run.

Women’s Breakout Tournament Final: Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice

Vice has Elektra Lopez with her. Jordan spins over into a backslide to start but Vice swats away a dropkick and fires off some kicks. We take a break and come back with Vice fighting out of trouble and hitting….I think an elbow to the face. MVP’s Playmaker connects but Lopez’s distraction causes Jordan to miss a moonsault. Vice’s spinning kick to the head is good for the win at 6:59.

Rating: C. That’s about as good as you’re going to get with two still fairly new stars and seven minutes including a commercial break. Vice felt like a star from the second she debuted and giving her the win here is the logical choice to make. Jordan did well in the tournament and got a lot out of it, but this was Vice’s to win and that was the case from the start.

Back to the haunted house where Noam Dar finds the Heritage Cup, which he kisses. Then a bunch of the scary things surround him and Akira Tozawa comes in to steal the cup. Tozawa wants a title shot and Dar is scared into agreeing.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn talk about how Shotzi and Scarlett have fixed the other realm but here are Von Wagner and Mr. Stone. The former wants Bron Breakker next week but Stone says it’s too soon. Wagner’s head starts hurting, though he still wants the match.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov

Hayes is challenging. They miss kicks to the head to start and go with the forearm exchange instead. A double knockdown sends us to an early break and we come back with Dragunov chopping away, including at the knee of all things. Dragunov cuts him off with a hard clothesline for two and they both need a breather. Hayes is back up with a spinning faceplant for two of his own, setting up one heck of a frog splash for two.

Quite the DDT plants Dragunov again but he’s up with a clothesline and something like a spinebuster for his own near fall. Hayes hits a hard clothesline but can’t put Dragunov down, allowing Dragunov to hit a quick H Bomb for two. Back up and they crash out to the floor for a nasty landing but Dragunov gets to scream.

Dragunov gets the better of things and hits an H Bomb through the announcers’ table but they both make it back inside. The springboard Codebreaker is blocked so Hayes sends him into the buckle. Dragunov is back with another H Bomb for two but the super H Bomb is countered into the Codebreaker. Nothing But Net is loaded up….but here is an angry looking Trick Williams. The distraction lets Dragunov hit a superplex into Torpedo Moscow to retain at 16:30.

Rating: B. These guys have good matches but they don’t quite hit that super high level. That was the situation again here in the trilogy match, which hopefully is the last we see from these two for a bit. Hayes seems ready to move on to Williams and I’m sure Dragunov will get Baron Corbin or someone else at Deadline when there is a concept match to focus on. For now though, it was a good main event for a TV special, but not a must see classic.

Post match Dragunov leaves so Williams gets in the ring and glares down at Hayes. Williams picks him up…and we cut to the back where Baron Corbin has attacked Dragunov to end the show. Williams didn’t say anything so there’s your cliffhanger.

Overall Rating: B. This was another strong show from NXT with a string of good matches and the worst ones being completely watchable. The ending keeps us going on the way to Deadline in about five weeks so they’ve worried about the future as well. In other words, NXT continues its roll, as they’ve figured out how to make this show entertaining and keep the ball moving.

Results
Creed Brothers b. Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo – Brutus Ball through two tables to Carrillo
Dominik Mysterio b. Nathan Frazer – Frog splash
Bron Breakker b. Mr. Stone – Spear
Chelsea Green/Piper Niven b. Jacy Jayne/Thea Hail – Unpretty-Her to Jayne
Lola Vice b. Kelani Jordan – Spinning kick to the head

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: October 24, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the first night of the two week Halloween Havoc special and that should make for some interesting shows. Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal is back and some of the matches have already been decided. This week has a pair of major matches, as Lexis King will make his in-ring debut and Becky Lynch will defend the Women’s Title against Lyra Valkyria. Let’s get to it.

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

New Year’s Day plays Vampyre, the theme song, live.

Scarlett and Shotzi (as Pinhead from Hellraiser), our hosts, welcome us to our first match.

Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James

This is a Devil’s Playground match, meaning some themed weapons and falls count anywhere. Perez, dressed as Freddy Kruger, jumps her to start and they go to the floor early on. A sunset lip off the steps gives Perez two and a rollup gets the same. Perez hits her in the ribs with the swing set but gets suplexed on the floor. A shot with a laptop puts Perez down again and we take a break.

Back with Perez choking with a chain while sporting a heck of a bump on her forehead. Perez fights back and sends her into a trashcan, setting up a dive. A piece of a fence to the back sets up a Russian legsweep to put James into a slide. Back up and a hurricanrana off of the barricade is countered, with a powerbomb sending Perez into a trashcan for two. James hits her in the back with a see saw and they fight onto the barricade. With Perez knocked down, she manages to grab James’ bag for a shot to the face. Pop Rox onto the bag finishes James at 9:50.

Rating: B-. It was a good fight and should wrap up their feud with Perez getting the win as she should have. They played into the theme with the playground and it was the kind of entertaining match that made it feel like we were on a special show. Good stuff here, but Perez needs to be boosted up to the title picture again.

Post match the bag is emptied and we see a crushed brick.

We get a sitdown interview with Carmelo Hayes. First of all, he denies attacking Trick Williams before moving on to his title shot against Ilja Dragunov. It’s not just about the title, but it’s also about being Him, which means being the best. When asked if he would be #1 contender if Williams was in the four way match, Hayes says he would be before walking off, saying this one is for justice for Williams.

Scarlett and Shotzi give the Meta Four a tarot card reading, saying they will be starting a great journey, but their joy will be turned into intense grief. The team isn’t happy, but as they panic, Akira Tozawa steals the Heritage Cup.

Lexis King vs. Dante Chen

King comes out on a throne for a little flavor. They trade arm control to start until King headbutts him against the ropes. Chen takes him to the mat but King’s up kick staggers Chen again. A running forearm to the back of the head puts Chen down but the chinlock doesn’t last long. Chen fights up with an atomic drop and a pump kick, only to spend too long posing. King nails a superkick and hits a hanging swinging neckbreaker for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a bad debut for King and he felt different from his time as Brian Pillman Jr., which is what matters the most. At the same time, Chen got in a bit too much offense here (a trend with him) and it made things feel a bit off. That being said, it’s one match and things could still go rather well in the future.

Chase U is warming up when Stacks and Tony D’Angelo come in to say they couldn’t ask for better opponents. Duke Hudson isn’t sure what to make of that but Andre Chase says don’t worry about it.

Women’s Breakout Tournament Semifinals: Kelani Jordan vs. Arianna Grace

Jordan armdrags her down to start and sends Grace to the floor as we take an early break. Back with Jordan grabbing a suplex but getting caught with a swinging neckbreaker. Jordan gets sent to the apron but comes back in with a sunset flip for two. The clothesline comeback puts Grace down and a flipping legdrop gives Jordan two more. Grace sends her throat first onto the top rope but gets knocked off the top. Jordan’s split legged moonsault finishes Grace at 7:35.

Rating: C. You can tell that NXT sees a lot in Jordan, who has the athletic background and smaller stature to make her feel like a natural underdog. Grace feels like a bigger project going forward, but for now Jordan getting the win as the underdog makes sense. The match wasn’t great, but it did well enough to get the job done.

Von Wagner is still at physical therapy with Mr. Stone next to him. Stone says he knows he went too far by challenging Bron Breakker but is hoping to get in one shot. Wagner believes in him.

Scarlett and Shotzi (the latter now Edwards Scissorhands) plug their YouTube show when Diamond Mine comes in. The Creeds want Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo next week, but there needs to be something else. Ivy Nile gets to Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal, giving us…..Tables, Ladders and Scares. Stacks and Tony D’Angelo come out for their title defense and get in a brief staredown with the Creeds.

Tag Team Titles: Stacks/Tony D’Angelo vs. Chase U

Chase U, with Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail, is challenging. Chase headlocks Stacks to start so it’s off to Hudson, who is low bridged to the floor. That lets Stacks hit a dive before D’Angelo hiptosses him over the top onto Chase U as we take a break. Back with Chase getting hot shotted into a boot to the face for two.

Chase kicks his way out of trouble though and it’s back to Hudson to clean house. Hudson drops Stacks onto D’Angelo and grabs a side slam for two. The swinging Boss Man Slam gets the same and everything breaks down. D’Angelo comes back in to take over, including a hard spinebuster to Chase. A middle rope elbow into a German suplex gives Stacks two but Chase is back up for the spelling stomps.

Stacks cuts Hudson off though and tags himself back in, setting up a PowerPlex (top rope headbutt rather than a splash) but Hudson German suplexes D’Angelo into the cover for the save. The Bada Bing Bada Boom is broken up and Chase gets two off a sunset flip. Jayne tries to give Chase a crowbar but he turns it down. Instead Jayne gets knocked of the apron but the distraction lets Chase get the rollup for the pin and the titles at 11:15.

Rating: B. They FINALLY did it as Chase U’s title win is long overdue. The team had been one of the most popular acts in all of NXT but that was only going to get them so far until they actually won something. This is the kind of big moment that they had been waiting on for months now, and even if the Creed Brothers are ready to take the belts soon, at least Chase U got there here. Rather good match, but better moment.

Nathan Frazer recaps his issues with Dominik Mysterio, saying Dominik has one of those slappable faces. Things did not go well for Frazer last year at Halloween Havoc but now he is back and ready to do better, including winning the North American Title. Assuming Rhea Ripley lets Dominik come back.

We hear from some fans about Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria tonight.

Baron Corbin is tired of doing all the work and having someone else get the glory. No he didn’t attack Trick Williams and suggests people like Axiom or Wes Lee.

Gigi Dolin vs. Blair Davenport

Lights Out, meaning anything goes but falls only count in the ring. Dolin sends her outside to start and hits a dive off the apron, only to get kneed in the head back inside. Davenport takes it right back to the floor and sends her to the steps. Dolin fights back though and sends her into a chair as we take a break. Back with Dolin taking over again and grabbing a table. Davenport fights up and unsets the table before beating on Dolin with a belt.

More weapons are brought in but this time Dolin whips her with the belt for two. Davenport fights back again and sets up the table at ringside, with the delay allowing Dolin to trash can her in the face. Some running dropkicks have Davenport in trouble but she sends Dolin into the steps. They get onto the announcers’ table until a Falcon Arrow sends Dolin through the regular table. Back in and Davenport knees her in the face for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: C+. Turning the lights down was something of a twist here but this felt like so many of the same hardcore/street fights that we’ve sen forever. It doesn’t help that it’s the second match of a similar style tonight and Perez vs. James was better. Davenport can move on to something new now and I’m sure Dolin will be fine as she’s treated like enough of a star.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how much trouble he had growing up but now it is all worth it. His son held his NXT Title and it was a special moment to see him looking at his dad. As for Carmelo Hayes, Dragunov is ready to fight as the champion instead of the challenger. Hayes has to adjust to him because the title represents thirty years of sacrifice.

We see Carmelo Hayes watching the interview when Scarlett and Shotzi, now as twins, say all signs point to Hayes being the one who attacked Trick Williams. Hayes isn’t happy.

Tiffany Stratton doesn’t care who wins the Breakout Tournament but here is….I think Fallon Henley to impersonate Stratton, complete with outfit and blonde hair. Stratton isn’t happy and decks her.

Women’s Breakout Tournament Semifinals: Karmen Petrovic vs. Lola Vice

They start fast with Petrovic being sent to the apron and kicked out to the floor. Back in and Vice grabs a quickly broken abdominal stretch, allowing Petrovic to kick her in the head. Vice is knocked to the floor for a nice dive but Vice kicks her head off back inside for the pin at 3:35.

Rating: C+. They hit each other rather hard here as it was a battle of strikers, with the better choice going forward. Petrovic will be fine going forward, but Vice has that star power to her that you can see the second she appears. Vice winning the tournament would be a good way to go, as she has what WWE tends to look for in a heel.

Kelani Jordan comes out for the staredown.

Chase U is happy with the win, but Duke Hudson isn’t sure about the title making his carry on bag weigh too much. Even Thea Hail is excited but Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (the latter as a wolf on a chain) interrupt. Hail and Jayne don’t care so Green is planning a formal complaint. That’s fine with Hail and Jayne, who are going to ask for a Women’s Tag Team Title shot. Of note: Dante Chen and Boa could be seen talking in the back.

Meta Four finds out that Akira Tozawa stole the Heritage Cup, as Tozawa has said if they want the cup back, come and get it. A title match seems to be set for next week.

Bron Breakker comes in to see Carmelo Hayes and accuses him of taking out Trick Williams. If the same Hayes shows up next week, he’ll get the title back.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria

Lynch is defending. They stare at each other to start and we take a break less than thirty seconds in. Back with Valkyria in trouble but bridging out of a crossbody. They collide for a double knockdown as we see a live shot of a bar in the UK watching the match. Valkyria strikes away, including a running forearm against the ropes. Some clotheslines set up a bridging northern lights suplex for two on Lynch.

Back up and Lynch knocks her into the ropes but it’s too early for the middle rope legdrop. Instead Valkyria sends her outside for a dropkick through the ropes. Lynch is fine enough to get in a quick posting but Valkyria ties her in the ropes for a change. Valkyria is able to hit her own middle rope legdrop to the back of the head, followed by a missile dropkick for the same.

Lynch is right back with a Diamond Dust of all things for two but she can’t get an armbar. Instead, Valkyria grabs a full nelson with her legs but Lynch leans back for two and the break. Valkyria’s fisherman’s buster gets two but Lynch pulls her into the Disarm-Her. That’s broken up with a foot on the rope and a sitout powerbomb gives Valkyria two more.

Lynch catches her on top though and a hard DDT gives Lynch a near fall of her own. With nothing else working, Lynch hammers away on the mat but Valkyria catches her on top. The spinning kick to the face gives Valkyria two as the fans greatly approve. A quick Manhandle Slam gives Lynch two and she can’t believe the kickout. Lynch loads it up again but Valkyria reverses into a rollup for the pin and the title at 16:06.

Rating: B+. And that is how you make a new star. Lynch hit Valkyria with her best shot and couldn’t put her away because Valkyria was the better woman, at least on this night. On top of that, they beat the fire out of each other with back and forth shots until one of them got caught. Valkyria gets the win of her career and Lynch goes back to the main roster for whatever she has next. Heck of a match here, but the result for the future is more important.

Post match Jade Cargill is watching from the balcony as Lynch hands Valkyria the title and raises her hand to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a pretty awesome show as they set things up or next week, gave us two title changes in a pair of rather good matches and also played into the Halloween theme enough. Next week is going to have a hard time following this, but they have enough ready to make it a possibility. This was an awesome show though as NXT is on another roll going into the second week, plus the build to Deadline in December.

Results
Roxanne Perez b. Kiana James – Pop Rox onto James’ purse
Lexis King b. Dante Chen – Hanging swinging neckbreaker
Kelani Jordan b. Arianna Grace – Split legged moonsault
Chase U b. Stacks/Tony D’Angelo – Rollup to Stacks
Blair Davenport b. Gigi Dolin – Knee to the face
Lola Vice b. Karmen Petrovic – Spinning kick to the head
Lyra Valkyria b. Becky Lynch – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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NXT
Date: October 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re back to normal this week and that means we could be in for something interesting. With a week to go before the first week of Halloween Havoc, it is time to figure out what is going to be on the two week special. That includes a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Battle Royal

Creed Brothers, Drew Gulak/Damon Kemp, Brawling Brutes, Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo, Hank Walker/Tank Ledger, Chase U, Malik Blade/Edris Enofe, Gallus, Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen, Bronco Nima/Lucien Price

If one member is out, the whole team is out and the last two teams have a regular tag match next week for a Tag Team Title shot the following week. Kemp is out less than ten seconds in and Gulak is not pleased. Ledger and Walker are out rather quickly as they’re clearing the ring pretty quickly to start.

Brawling along the ropes and on the apron ensues until Wolfgang low bridges Jensen out. Holland picks up Enofe and Blade for the double elimination as Stacks and Tony D’Angelo are having a nice spaghetti and meatball dinner while watching from the balcony. The Creeds get rid of Gallus and we’re already halfway done.

The Brutes and Nima/Price go out at the same time and fight to the back, leaving us with the Creeds, Chase U and Garza/Carrillo. Carrillo is backdropped out but the referees are dealing with the brawl in the aisle. That lets Garza and Carrillo toss the Creeds (the referees didn’t see them go over the top) but that’s it at 5:02.

Rating: C. This wasn’t much of a battle royal but if you’re going to have something like this, I can go with blazing through it as fast as they did here. It’s smart to find a way to get rid of the Creeds as they’re the best team around while leaving the fans someone to cheer for in Chase U. The match was just a means to an end to set up the regular tag match, but they even have something with the Brutes vs. Nima/Price so well done on booking for the future.

Apparently the #1 contenders match is right now. So Vic Joseph can’t be trusted to get his dates straight.

Chase U vs. Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo

Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail come out with pom poms as Chase U cheerleaders. Chase takes over on Garza in the corner to start and Hudson’s elbow to the back gets two. We take a break and come back with Garza giving Chase a heck of a running knee (setting up an even better sell from Chase).

Carrillo chokes on the rope but Chase fights out of the corner, only for the villains to take Hudson off the apron. The tag goes through a few seconds later and Hudson gets to release Rock Bottom Humberto out of the corner for two. Chase tags himself back in with a high crossbody for two but a DDT on the floor drops Hudson. Back in and Carrillo hits a sitout powerbomb for two on Chase but cue the Creeds to take Carrillo and Garza down. The distraction lets Chase grab a rollup for the pin at 10:07.

Rating: C+. The match was fine and I can always go for the prospect of Chase U actually winning something. They’re still a popular act and they almost have to win something at some point. The match wasn’t much and the cheating at the end ties into the battle royal rather well.

Blair Davenport wants to face Gigi Dolin again at Halloween Havoc.

We get another Lexis King video, as he rants about how much his father left him alone and how he doesn’t love him. He is in no one’s shadow and will make his name bigger than Brian Pillman’s ever was, starting at Halloween Havoc.

Here is Carmelo Hayes for a chat. Last week he was standing next to John Cena and the Undertaker and he can’t believe it happened. Cue Baron Corbin to interrupt, saying he doesn’t want to hear about Hayes being a fan boy. Fans belong in the stands but Corbin heard about Hayes asking the legends about pictures. Maybe if Hayes focused on something other than being a fan, he would still have his championship.

Cue Dijak to interrupt, saying he’s going to beat them both and then become NXT Champion. Dijak talks about how Hayes is going to know the truth when he looks in his eyes, but Corbin points out that no one can look in Dijak’s eyes because he’s wearing sunglasses inside. He keeps going on about Corbin, who calls Dijak “just plain stupid”. Ilja Dragunov pops up on screen to say he’s looking forward to the match, but Cody Rhodes made one more ruling: the #1 contenders match is now a fatal four way, with Trick Williams included.

Hayes is STUNNED, leaving everyone to say what they want to talk about (Corbin is in favor of discussing Williams’ ugly pants). Hayes isn’t happy with Williams being in the match but he’s willing to put anyone down to get the title back. He’s asked if that includes Williams and the brawl is on, with Williams and Hayes clearing the ring.

A bunch of the women’s division talk about the Breakout Tournament when Tiffany Stratton comes in to brag about making it to the finals last week. Fallon Henley doesn’t want to hear about it but Stratton leaves.

Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round: Karmen Petrovic vs. Jaida Parker

Petrovic drives her against the ropes to start and spins around into a hammerlock. A knee to the ribs and a headscissors give Petrovic two but Parker starts in on the arm. Petrovic is sent into the corner and Parker sits on her ribs for two. Parker gets caught with a dragon screw legwhip though and Petrovic grabs something like Carmella’s Code Of Silence for the tap at 3:36.

Rating: C. This really wasn’t the best match though that’s kind of the point: these aren’t polished, experienced stars and they aren’t going to have the best match most of the time. Petrovic feels like a potential star and has been around on LVL Up in recent months. Parker hasn’t been around as much so Petrovic going forward makes a bit more sense, though neither exactly stole the show.

Natalya gives Tegan Nox a pep talk.

Tegan Nox vs. Lyra Valkyria

Natalya is here with Nox, who works on a wristlock to start. Valkyria takes her down to the mat and cranks on the leg, only for Nox to reverse into an armbar. Back up and Valkyria gets a sunset flip for two, followed by a knockdown into a crucifix for the same. Nox gets sent outside for a dropkick through the ropes as we take a break.

We come back with Valkyria hitting a northern lights suplex for two. Valkyria scores with a big kick for two but Nox drops her for the same. A Molly Go Round gives Nox two and she hits another one from the apron to the floor. Cue Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, with the distraction allowing Valkyria to hit a spinning kick to the head for the pin at 11:31.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, which shouldn’t be a surprise as there was a lot of talent involved. Nox losing isn’t the biggest surprise as she might be on the main roster but Valkyria is gearing up for a major title match at Halloween Havoc. They even got some time here and had a solid match, as you probably saw coming.

Post match everyone but Valkyria brawl to the back. That leaves Valkyria to talk about Becky Lynch coming to her old school and seeing something in Valkyria. Now Valkyria is ready to win the NXT Women’s Title. Lynch pops up on screen to say Valkyria was the first woman she wanted to face, because Valkyria is really, really good. She can say Lynch is her hero all she wants but she is going to have to get that same chip on her shoulder again. Welcome to the big time.

Carmelo Hayes is not happy when Trick Williams comes in. Hayes wants to know what that was and Williams says he’s listening to John Cena’s advice last week. Williams is ready to move up and he’s at the same place Hayes was at last year. Hayes gets it and Williams says yes, he should have come and talked to him. That seems to calm Hayes down but they have to go head to head tonight. They agree they’ll do whatever it takes, but they’re still cool. It’s still bizarre to see two wrestlers behaving like adults.

Gigi Dolin says Halloween Havoc is her favorite event of the year and that means Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal is coming back. Dolin spins and gets…..Lights Out, so Blair Davenport better be ready.

Von Wagner is going through physical therapy after Bron Breakker attacked him. Mr Stone is with him and doesn’t want to see Wagner like this. He knows when Wagner is ready, he’ll finish it. Wagner wants to work harder.

Kiana James vs. Shotzi

Shotzi forearms her into the corner to start but James takes her down. That earns a rather loud screech from Shotzi, who jumps on James’ back for a choke. James sends her outside though and we take a break. Back with James hitting a shoulder to the ribs in the corner but Shotzi sends her throat first into the ropes. That doesn’t matter as James is back with a running clothesline, followed by the chinlock.

Shotzi fights up and strikes away, including something like a DDT onto the middle rope. James knocks her off the top but here is Roxanne Perez to check James’ bag, which contains a brick (makes sense for her as Money Inc. did it with their briefcase thirty years ago). Shotzi gets the bag and throws it to James before falling down. An annoyed James misses a charge into the corner and Shotzi hits a top rope backsplash for the pin at 8:35.

Rating: C+. Shotzi feels like much more of a star with the new haircut and look. That’s more than I would have expected and it’s great to see her having another chance. At the same time, Perez vs. James could be a good feud, as it gives Perez something to do to build her back up to the next title shot at some point in the future.

Meta Four is panicking because Jakara Jackson is in the hospital. Noam Dar is with her and mocks McKenzie Mitchell for questioning Jackson’s injury. Akira Tozawa comes in, looking for Dar, but obviously he’s not here. Tozawa says let him know.

Trick Williams has been attacked. Post break, he is officially out of the #1 contenders match.

Dominik Mysterio is in the back when Nathan Frazer comes in to start the brawl. They fight through backstage and into the arena with Frazer clearing him out.

Roxanne Perez and Shotzi are in the back, with Perez not getting Kiana James’ deal. They find the Wheel, with Perez spinning to a Devil’s Playground match. Apparently she’s fighting James at Halloween Havoc.

Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round: Brinley Reece vs. Arianna Grace

Reece is replacing the injured Jakara Jackson. Grace knocks her into the corner to start and pulls her back out, setting up a suplex for two. Another suplex is blocked but Grace pokes her in the eye. Grace loads up a Rock Bottom but flips Reece forward onto her face for the pin at 2:50.

Bron Breakker brags about how awesome he is when Mr. Stone comes in. He doesn’t care what happened to Von Wagner, which has Stone thinking Breakker just doesn’t care. Stone’s kids ask what is next for Wagner but Breakker just laughs. Breakker tells him to do something about it so Stone challenges him for Halloween Havoc. Stone realizes he screwed up as Breakker agrees, telling him to call the hospital.

Here’s what’s coming at Halloween Havoc.

Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Dijak

For a title shot against Ilja Dragunov at Halloween Havoc. The big guys stagger each other so Hayes slugs away where he can. Dijak catches Hayes with a rather high chokebreaker but Corbin hits a clothesline. Hayes is back up with a springboard clothesline but Dijak pulls him out of the air.

A big toss sends Hayes flying, leaving Corbin and Dijak to slug it out again. Hayes’ springboard double DDT plants them both for two each and we take a break. Back with Corbin suplexing Dijak before dropping Hayes for two. Corbin takes Hayes outside for a Death Valley Driver as the fans declare this awesome.

Dijak kicks Corbin off the apron and takes him back inside for High Justice. Hayes superkicks Dijak for two and the slugout is on. One heck of a big boot gives Dijak two on Hayes and they go to the corner. Corbin breaks up a superbomb but Hayes is right there to turn it into a Tower Of Doom. Corbin knocks Hayes to the floor and plants Dijak with End of Days. Hayes gives Corbin Nothing But Net though and steals the pin at 12:37.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t really feeling this one and it didn’t get to the great level that they seemed to be shooting for. If nothing else, all of the superkicks and one on one segments got a bit annoying and the idea of Hayes vs. Dragunov III isn’t overly appealing. It wasn’t a bad match, but it didn’t exactly reach that top level.

Lyra Valkyria looks at a picture of Becky Lynch and says it’s in one week. Jade Cargill pops up on a screen and points at her wrist like a watch.

Overall Rating: C. Maybe it was coming off of last week’s huge show but this one didn’t exactly come off great. There were some good matches and it helped set up Halloween Havoc, which should be a much bigger show next week. For now though, this was just kind of a there show with some nice parts included. Just get to the big stuff though, as it needs to be an upgrade over this week.

Results
Chase U and Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza won a tag team battle royal
Chase U b. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza – Rollup to Garza
Karmen Petrovic b. Jaida Parker – Leg choke
Lyra Valkyria b. Tegan Nox – Spinning kick to the head
Shotzi b. Kiana James – Top rope backsplash
Arianna Grace b. Brinley Reece – Flipping faceplant
Carmelo Hayes b. Baron Corbin and Dijak – End of Days to Dijak

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NXT
Date: September 12, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are less than three weeks away from No Mercy and tonight we’ll find out the show’s main event. This week will see Ilja Dragunov vs. Wes Les with the winner getting an NXT Title shot against Carmelo Hayes at the big show. Other than that, Becky Lynch is here to challenge Tiffany Stratton for the NXT Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Wes Lee vs. Ilja Dragunov

The winner faces Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Title at No Mercy. Lee knocks him into the corner to start and strikes away before doing it in another corner for a bonus. Dragunov comes back with some forearms of his own as commentary runs down tonight’s card. The enziguri misses for Dragunov and Lee dropkicks him in the back of the head.

One heck of a chop puts Lee down again but he flips out of a German suplex. Lee kicks him to the floor and hits the required dive but another is cut off. We take a break and come back with Lee getting two off a hurricanrana and kicking him in the head a few times. A Spanish Fly gives Lee two but a hard clothesline gives Dragunov the same.

Lee scores with the Cardiac Kick to send Dragunov outside but he’s right back with a top rope superplex. The H Bomb gives Dragunov two more so he loads up the Torpedo Moscow. Lee cuts that off with a jumping knee but Dragunov blasts him with the forearm to the back of the head for the pin and the title shot at 13:26.

Rating: B. This was quite the fight with Dragunov hitting Lee very hard but Lee hanging in there with his own fast paced offense. While Dragunov felt like the favorite, it wouldn’t have been crazy to see Lee pick up the win, which gave the match that extra layer of drama. Dragunov vs. Hayes II should be a heck of a fight though and No Mercy is looking a lot better.

Post match Carmelo Hayes comes out for the showdown.

We look back at Bron Breakker crushing Von Wagner’s head with the steps. Wagner moved away at the last second, but still got hit hard enough to suffer a minor skull fracture.

Here is a serious looking Baron Corbin for a chat. Corbin talks about how normally, people don’t like him and he doesn’t like them, but last week was different. Von Wagner has a history of skull issues and Bron Breakker took advantage of that. Breakker needs to come out here right now so here he is, though Corbin cuts him off at the entrance. The fans have to get in their chants about tables (because of course)….but Corbin thought last week was AWESOME! They celebrate a bit, but Breakker says he didn’t do it to make Corbin happy. It was about ending Wagner’s career and he absolutely loved it.

Corbin was out here to be nice and he was even going to pay Breakker’s fine, but apparently Breakker doesn’t get it. We hear about Corbin’s career but Breakker cuts him off and challenges him to a fight at No Mercy. Breakker tells him to spend the next three weeks with his family, but Corbin slaps him in the face and the fight is on. I’m glad they didn’t turn Corbin face (though they could have made it work there) but Breakker jumping straight to the match seemed like it needed another step.

Charlie Dempsey/Damon Kemp/Drew Gulak vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen/Myles Bore

Fallon Henley is here too. Briggs slams Kemp to start and Jensen adds an elbow, followed by the running corner clotheslines. Gulak comes in and gets caught with a running neckbreaker as everything breaks down. Borne hits his own neckbreaker on Dempsey, followed by Jensen hitting a running spinwheel kick on Kemp. The fight heads outside with Borne posting Jensen so Kemp can hit a Rock Bottom into a neckbreaker for the pin at 2:40.

Borne celebrates with the winners and Henley is upset.

Andre Chase wants Duke Hudson to find Thea Hail but she’s blocked him. We cut to Hail and Jacy Jayne backstage where two guys hit on them. They make fun of Hail for sounding a bit like a child so she beats them up. Hail is tired of looking like this so it’s time to go shopping.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Dana Brooke

Kelani Jordan is here with Brooke. They trade some misses to start until Valkyria kicks her out to the floor. Brooke takes her down for two back inside and the cravate goes on. Valkyria drives her into the corner and starts kicking away before hitting the spinwheel kick. A top rope splash finishes Brooke at 3:34.

Rating: C-. Every week, I watch Brooke’s matches and segments and try to find a way to be interested in anything she does. Every week, that gets harder and harder to do as Brooke continues to be that uninteresting. She’s just someone who can have an acceptable match and happens to have been around for a long time. That doesn’t warrant this much TV time but she’s here doing the same thing week in and week out regardless.

Post match Brooke tries to lunge at Valkyria but Jordan holds her back.

The NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament is coming.

Eddy Thorpe isn’t done with Dijak, who pops up in the woods where Thorpe tends to go. Dijak whips a tree and Thorpe is out to get him.

Dominik Mysterio runs into Carmelo Hayes and they brag about their titles. A match is set for next week.

Becky Lynch talks about her original time in NXT and no one thought she was championship material. Now she’s back and ready to win the title. Kiana James comes in to says he doesn’t want Lynch around here, which Becky takes as an application for a beating after she wins the title.

Global Heritage Invitational Group A: Tyler Bate vs. Axiom

They trade snapmares to start before Axiom takes him to the mat with a headlock. Back up and Bate elbows him out to the floor but they switch places, with Axiom hitting a moonsault. Bate powers him up into the airplane spin so Axiom rolls outside as we take a break. We come back with Axiom favoring his knee and charging into a suplex out of the corner.

They trade hard kicks as we see the Meta Four watching, with Noam Dar sitting on an elephant. Axiom cranks on the arm but gets caught in another airplane spin. This one is countered into a poisonrana for two, only to have Bate come back with a brainbuster for the same. Axiom Spanish Flies him into a rollup but Bate cuts him off with the rebound lariat. The Tyler Driver 97 finishes Axiom at 10:10.

Rating: B-. As tends to be the case with a lot of TV matches, the break in the middle killed a lot of the flow they had going. Axiom is one of those great hands that can wrestle with anyone while Bate always feels like he is one step away from being a breakout star. They had a good back and forth match here, but it could have been better with some more time.

Group A Standings
Butch (1-0-1, 3 points, 1 match remaining)
Tyler Bate (1-0-0, 2 points, 2 matches remaining)
Axiom (0-1-1, 1 point, 1 match remaining)
Charlie Dempsey (0-1-0, 0 points, 2 matches remaining)

Butch talks about his history with Tyler Bate, but next week, it’s time for Butch to prove that he is the toughest man in NXT.

Schism, now seemingly just Joe Gacy and Ava, say their tree is dying.

Carmelo Hayes comes in to see Trick Williams, who offers to have Hayes’ back next week against Dominik Mysterio. Hayes declines but they’re absolutely still friends. As this is going on, Wes Lee clears out his locker behind them.

Creed Brothers vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Ivy Nile is here with the Creeds and Angel Garza/Humberto Carrillo come out to watch from the balcony. Brutus gets knocked to the floor to start and Enofe dropkicks Julius for a fast two. Back up and an assisted crossbody gets two on Enofe with Blade having to make a save. A Hart Attack Blockbuster gets two on Brutus and a Fameasser puts him down again. Brutus powers up though and brings Julius back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Brutus Ball/powerbomb combination finishes Blade at 3:37.

Rating: C+. It was a fast paced match, but the Creeds are showing how they are far above almost every other team around here. They’re crisp, they work well together and Julius’ house cleaning is as good as it gets in NXT. They feel like they’re one big match away from the main roster, though the division getting some depth might keep them around a bit longer.

Post match Hank Walker and Tank Ledger come in to stare at the Creeds but Bronco Nima and Lucien Price come in to brawl with them in the aisle instead.

Becky Lynch is glad to see Lyra Valkyria, who wants her to win tonight.

Roxanne Perez talks about what the Women’s Breakout tournament can mean but Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice come in to talk trash to her. My goodness learn how women talk already.

No Mercy rundown.

Global Heritage Invitational Group B: Nathan Frazer vs. Akira Tozawa

Frazer grabs a headlock to start before sending Tozawa into the ropes. Tozawa is right back with a snap German suplex into a missile dropkick. With Frazer on the floor, Tozawa hits a dive but takes too long going up, allowing Frazer to run the ropes for a superplex. That’s floated into a suplex neckbreaker for the pin at 2:31. Well that was brisk.

Group B Standings
Joe Coffey (2-0-0, 4 points, 1 match remaining)
Nathan Frazer (2-1-0, 4 points, 0 matches remaining)
Duke Hudson (1-1-0, 2 points, 1 match remaining)
Akira Tozawa (0-3-0, 0 points, 0 matches remaining)

Joe Coffey is ready to beat Duke Hudson next week and win the group. Hudson comes in to point out that if he wins, it’s a three way tie and he’ll be able to call himself the Spoiler.

Mustafa Ali is happy with becoming #1 contender to the North American Title and doesn’t care about a fast count. Dragon Lee comes in and isn’t happy, but Ali says Lee will get the first title shot when he wins the title. Lee doesn’t seem happy.

Wes Lee says he’s done and leaves.

Gigi Dolin jumps jumps Blair Davenport but security breaks it up.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton

Lynch is challenging and we get the Big Match Intros. Stratton drives her into the corner to start and cartwheels into a standoff. Lynch flips around a bit as well but it’s too early for the Disarm-Her. They trade forearms until Stratton knocks her to the apron for a hip attack. We take a break and come back with Lynch hitting a running elbow in the corner. A missile dropkick gives Lynch two but Stratton hits a Sky High for the same.

Lynch catches her up top but a superplex is broken up. A Swanton gives Stratton two and a double stomp gets the same as frustration is setting in. Lynch is back up and counters the Prettiest Moonsault Ever into a super Russian legsweep for two. They head outside with Lynch having to climb onto the barricade to avoid a powerbomb. Back in and Lynch hits a legdrop into the Disarm-Her, sending Stratton to the ropes. The sitout powerbomb gives Stratton two but the Prettiest Moonsault Ever misses. Lynch is right back up with the Manhandle Slam for the pin and the title at 13:20.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and the good sign is that Stratton looked more than comfortable in there against a top star like Lynch. They’ve got something with Stratton and it seems that they know it, which makes her all the more valuable. At the same time, Lynch isn’t likely to be a long term champion and someone can take the title from her for a big rub. Great main event here and they more than lived up to the expectations.

Lynch celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, NXT is at its best when it lays out a bunch of things it needs to do and then accomplishes them, all while setting up something for the future. That was the case here, with both next week as well as No Mercy being set up. At the same time, they had a good opener and a better main event, making it a strong wrestling show as well. Very solid effort this week and No Mercy is looking that much better rather quickly.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Wes Lee – Forearm to the back of the head
Damon Kemp/Drew Gulak/Charlie Dempsey b. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen/Myles Borne – Rock Bottom neckbreaker to Jensen
Lyra Valkyria b. Dana Brooke – Top rope splash
Tyler Bate b. Axiom – Tyler Driver 97
Creed Brothers b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Brutus Ball/powerbomb combination to Blade
Nathan Frazer b. Akira Tozawa – Suplex neckbreaker

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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NXT
Date: September 5, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are less than a month away from No Mercy and NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is wanting 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 so let’s get to it.

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

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.

Rating: C. 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.

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.

Rating: C+. 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rating: B-. 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 really 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.

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.

Rating: B. 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 challengers they might face but here are Los Lotharios to interrupt. Words, and then punches, are exchanged.

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.

Rating: C. 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.

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.

Rating: B-. 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 up and slams them down but we cut to black before the crash. Corbin can be heard yelling something like “HE ACTUALLY DID IT” to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Kind of a strange show this week as they did a lot but a good bit of it isn’t overly important. They set up a North American Title match at No Mercy but there is bound to be some kind of shenanigans in there. The NXT Title match will be set up next week, along with Stratton vs. Lynch. Instead of doing much here, this was more about setting up the future, which makes for an important but not quite interesting show.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Kiana James – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Ilja Dragunov b. Oro Mensah – Torpedo Moscow
Nathan Frazer b. Duke Hudson – Phoenix splash
Tyler Bate b. Dabba-Kato – Spiral Tap
Mustafa Ali b. Dragon Lee – Rollup with a fast count
Butch vs. Axiom went to a time limit draw
Thea Hail b. Gigi Dolin – Kimura
Bron Breakker b. Von Wagner – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT
Date: August 29, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Heatwave and about a month away from No Mercy. Carmelo Hayes has retained the NXT Title and seems likely to be facing Ilja Dragunov next. For now though, we have a cage match between the Creeds and Schism for the Creeds’ chance to return full time. That would be one of two cage matches in four days this week because WWE likes to do things a lot. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt.

We open with a long recap of Heatwave.

Dyad vs. Creed Brothers

In a cage and if the Creeds win, they’re back in NXT full time. Schism jumps Brutus outside the cage and take him to the back, leaving Julius down 2-1. Julius suplexes his way out of trouble but gets caught with a double clothesline. Some ankle locks slow the Dyad down but they send him face first into the cage as we take a break.

Back with Julius still in trouble but here is Brutus to charge through the rest of the masked Schism members. With nothing else stopping him, Brutus rips the cage door off and gets inside to beat up the Dyad without much trouble. The door is used to crush Dyad against the cage and Fowler gets gorilla pressed into the wall.

What looks to be a Doomsday Device is broken up and Julius is sent into the cage again. Some cage shots to Brutus keep him down until Julius makes the save. Julius lifts both of them onto his shoulders at once for a Brutus Bomb in a very impressive power display. The beatdown is on in a hurry and stereo sliding lariats finish the Dyad at 13:45.

Rating: B-. This was more of a fight than a match and that is what it should have been. There is something amazing about watching the Creeds run through other, possibly more talented teams, with pure power and athleticism. Both of them can just wreck people and it is all kinds of fun to watch every time they’re out there. Just get them something else to do already so they can move up to the main roster.

Roxanne Perez is ready to become #1 contender.

We get a rather well produced video looking over the Global Heritage Cup Invitational. It’s a round robin tournament, set up as two groups of four with the winners facing off for a future title shot. All group matches have a 12 minute time limit and it’s two points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. These matches are NOT under the rounds system.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are admiring their titles in the back when Carmelo Hayes comes in to brag with them. The Street Profits come in and show respect to Hayes, while mentioning a blemish on his record. Hayes is ready to get rid of it while the Profits….are interrupted by a brawl between Dana Brooke, Elektra Lopez, Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan.

Global Heritage Invitational Group A: Charlie Dempsey vs. Butch

Drew Gulak and Damon Kemp are here with the Meta Four watching from a box. Dempsey suplexes Butch down to start as the fans are on Butch’s side. They stay on the mat to trade control over the other’s hands. Back up and Butch knocks him down for some forearms to the face. Dempsey’s German suplex gets two but Butch pulls him into an armbar. Butch snaps the fingers again and it’s the Bitter End for the pin at 4:52.

Rating: C+. This was your technical match of the night and my goodness it’s nice to see Butch being like Pete Dunne but under a different name. He has a history in NXT and it is great to see him going back to what made him one of the best things in wrestling for a long time. Dempsey is rather good as well, but he’s not Butch yet and it showed here.

Group A Standings
Butch – 1-0-0 (3 points)
Tyler Bate – 0-0-0 (0 points)
Axiom – 0-0-0 (0 points)
Charlie Dempsey – 0-1-0 (0 points)

Dragon Lee thinks he deserves a North American Title shot but Mustafa Ali comes in to say he’s never had a one on one title shot. People like he and Lee should be fighting for NXT…but Lee already struck out so it’s Ali’s turn now. Lee doesn’t seem to agree as Ali leaves.

Here is Ilja Dragunov to praise Trick Williams for last week. Williams left it all in the ring and proved that he is NOT a sidekick. Dragunov was impressed but now he wants Carmelo Hayes. Hold on though as Noam Dar interrupts from the box to say they’re already on the way to California for No Mercy. Dragunov says it’s very Dar-esque to put the attention on himself and laughs off Oro Mensah’s childish insults.

Dragunov wants to know why he isn’t coming up there right now. Lash Legend says Dar isn’t afraid of anyone so Dragunov takes off the jacket. The Meta Four freaks out so Dar says let’s do this next week: Mensah vs. Dragunov. Works for Dragunov, who kicks Mensah in the head and sends him bailing at the threat of the Torpedo.

Von Wagner wants Bron Breakker, No DQ.

Lola Vice/Elektra Lopez vs. Kelani Jordan/Dana Brooke

Lopez powers Jordan down to start and it’s off to Vice for a double hip attack to the head. Vice’s spinning backfist gets two but Jordan kicks her way out of trouble. Brooke flips Jordan onto Lopez for two as everything breaks down. A spinning kick to the head finishes Jordan at 4:01.

Rating: D+. As usual, Dana Brooke matches aren’t very good and it shouldn’t be a surprise anymore. Jordan is still brand new at this and still has a long way to go. Then you have Lopez, who feels like she should be a star but never really broke out. Finally there is Vice, and she has something. There is a presence to go with her charisma and that could get her a long way.

Gigi Dolin is ready to become #1 contender.

Trick Williams talks to Carmelo Hayes, who doesn’t like people thinking Williams got him the win over Ilja Dragunov. Now Hayes has to fight Dragunov one on one but Williams isn’t sure if Hayes can beat him. Hayes isn’t happy, but as he leaves, Williams says “I know you can”, though Hayes doesn’t seem to hear him.

Dijak vs. Eddy Thorpe

Eddy starts the fight in the aisle and hits a running boot in the corner for two. A suplex gets the same on Dijak but he’s right back with High Justice for two. They’re both knocked down so Dijak pulls off his belt and the tug of war is on. Thorpe sends him shoulder first into the post but gets tossed hard over the announcers’ table for the big crash. Dijak misses a chair shot in the corner so Eddy him outside. The referee takes the chair away and Dijak gets in a belt shot. The cyclone boot finishes Eddy at 4:15.

Rating: C. These two had a hard hitting match but they seem to be stuck in the purgatory that is the NXT midcard. Either of them could move up to the next level without much of a stretch but for now, they’re more people just trading wins without going anywhere. Why aren’t either of them in the North American Title hunt? Or even the Heritage stuff?

Kiana James is ready to become #1 contender.

Bron Breakker interrupts Baron Corbin and tells him to stay out of the No DQ match with Von Wagner next week.

Angel Garza wakes up with blood on his hands. After he washes it off, Humberto Carrillo knocks on the door and says he had a dream about their grandfather. They seem to have had the same dream, with Garza scratching his chest until he bled. Carrillo reveals that he did the same thing, which means they have to start from….scratch. They pull out a Los Lotharios shirt and seem to be on the same page.

Bray Wyatt tribute video.

Blair Davenport is ready to become #1 contender.

Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio aren’t impressed by Dragon Lee. Mysterio says he belongs to Mami and Ripley promises to make him champ for life. Lee and Mustafa Ali can even fight each other for a North American Title shot at No Mercy. Dominik will even be guest referee!

Global Heritage Invitational Group B: Nathan Frazer vs. Joe Coffey

The rest of Gallus is at ringside. Frazer works on the arm to start but Frazer seems to accidentally slam his head against the top rope (I’ve never seen that before) so Coffey slams him down. The referee checks on Frazer as fast as he can but Frazer is fine enough to grab a headlock. Coffey powers him into the corner but gets knocked to the apron. A dropkick sends Frazer outside and we take a break.

Back with Frazer firing off a bunch of running forearms into a swinging suplex for two. Coffey cuts him off with a pop up uppercut into a bridging German suplex for two more. Frazer is fine enough to send him outside for a heck of a dive (which barely makes contact). The frog splash gets two back inside but Frazer misses a phoenix splash. A Gallus distraction lets All The Best for The Bells finish for Coffey at 10:00.

Rating: C+. If Frazer is going to be getting the title shot against Dar at the end of this whole thing, they are already building him up for quite the underdog run. Other than that though, we had another good enough match, with Coffey getting something of an upset win. Frazer continues to be a fireball every time he’s out there though and that is always fun to see.

Group B Standings
Joe Coffey – 1-0-0 (3 points)
Akira Tozawa – 0-0-0 (0 points)
Duke Hudson – 0-0-0 (0 points)
Nathan Frazer – 0-1-0 (0 points)

We’re off to Chase U, where there is no Thea Hail. Duke Hudson doesn’t know where she is but can’t imagine she skipped class. Chase recognized Duke Hudson for being in the Global Heritage Invitational. Chase didn’t know that Hudson was from Australia, thinking it was New Zealand. Hudson seems surprised at the round robin structure. Class is dismissed and Hudson and Chase talk about the tournament. Thea Hail comes in and seems to imply she skipped class. Hudson says they’re off to Study Hall but Hail says she’s going out. Jacy Jayne pops in to ask if Hail is ready and they leave together. Oh dear.

Fallon Henley talks to Myles Borne, who is cleaning the ring after Drew Gulak and company. She offers him a spot on a team with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, so he’s in.

Wes Lee is in the desert and says he wants another shot at Carmelo Hayes, who didn’t beat him as Lee beat himself. It’s different the next time he gets a chance.

Tyler Bate sizes up the competition in his group but seems to think twice at Butch. As for next week though, he’s going to be waiting in the ring for Dabba-Kato, so come be the Goliath to his David.

Roxanne Perez vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Kiana James vs. Blair Davenport

One fall to a finish and the winner gets a Women’s Title shot next week. Dolin and James fight to the floor to start, leaving Davenport to forearm Perez down. Back in and they trade rollups for two each Everyone stares at each other. Dolin plants Perez on the apron and whips James into the barricade. Davenport takes Dolin down but James moonsaults off the barricade to drop Davenport, only to get taken down by Perez’s dive.

We take a break and come back with Perez getting the worst of a Tower Of Doom. The lack of impact leaves Dolin to hit running charges and dropkicks against the ropes until Perez fights up. Pop Rox is broken up by a James dropkick but Davenport plants Perez or two. Dolin gets two off a half and half suplex and everyone is down (including James on the floor). Perez is back up with Pop Rox to Davenport but she rolls out to the floor. James is back in with the 401k to Perez, followed by the Dealbreaker to Dolin for the pin and the title shot at 11:39.

Rating: B-. This was a better match that I was expecting as they were moving well out there and kept up the action throughout. James kind of stole the win but she did it by taking out two people in a row. That’s an impressive way to get the title shot and it’s nice to see her get a boost. The women’s division can use some fresh blood so even a short shot of James is a good idea.

Tiffany Stratton comes out for the staredown with James.

Carmelo Hayes is watching Wes Lee’s promo and goes into Shawn Michaels’ office, saying they need to talk to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Another fine show here, even if it was more about setting things up than last week’s show with a bunch of showdowns. They have about a month before No Mercy and they started fast here, though that tournament sounds long (I can however go for something other than another single elimination format). This wasn’t exactly a must see show, but it started to set things up in the right time.

Results
Creed Brothers b. Dyad – Double sliding lariats
Butch b. Charlie Dempsey – Spinning kick to the head
Lola Vice/Elektra Lopez b. Dana Brooke/Kelani Jordan – Spinning kick to the head to Jordan
Dijak b. Eddy Thorpe – Cyclone boot
Joe Coffey b. Nathan Frazer – All The Best For The Bells
Kiana James b. Gigi Dolin, Roxanne Perez and Blair Davenport – Dealbreaker to Dolin

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT
Date: August 22, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s time for another special with Heatwave, which will be our big time TV show for August. That includes Carmelo Hayes defending the NXT Title against Wes Lee, plus a Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov showdown. NXT has had some success with these bigger shows so maybe they can continue it here. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening sequence features Tony D’Angelo and Stacks in a pool, talking about the matches tonight. Big Ang comes in with some of her friends to join in and the guys think the more the merrier. More previewing ensues, with Stacks getting a bit distracted.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams

This is the more serious Williams and they start fast with a strike off. Dragunov gets the better of things by chopping him around the ring until Williams blocks a boot. Williams gets in a shot to the face of his own and they head outside, where Dragunov sends him into the apron. We take a break and come back with Dragunov chopping away in the corner, with Williams telling him to bring it.

Dragunov does bring it, and seems to regret that decision. Williams blocks a chop and kicks him down though and the fans seem to approve. Some shots to the face strike Dragunov down against the ropes but he tells Williams to bring it on. Fans, seemingly singing: “TRICK’S GONNA BEAT YOUR A**!”

One heck of a knee puts Dragunov down again but he pulls Williams into a DDT. Back up and Williams catches him with a super Rock Bottom (that was cool) for two of his own. Dragunov knees him down and hits a powerbomb as the fans are WAY into this. The middle rope fist drop finally finishes Williams at 12:49.

Rating: B. This wasn’t so much about the technical side of things but rather two guys beating the fire out of each other as the fans got into it. If that crowd reaction is any indication of what they are going to do with Williams, his future just got a heck of a lot brighter in a hurry. Williams has a charisma to him and enough in-ring ability to back it up. He wasn’t ready to beat a star like Dragunov here, but they beat each other up really well on the way to the loss.

Tyler Bate is trying to recover from his Dabba Kato beating last week when Nathan Frazer comes in. Bate is ready to see Frazer show he’s the true Heritage Cup Champion, but Frazer would like him to be his second tonight. And yes, Bate will get the first shot after Dar is vanquished. Deal.

Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley are warming up for their mixed tag tonight when Mustafa Ali comes in. Ali can’t wait for Dominik to be gone so the North American Title can be free but Ripley threatens violence if Ali isn’t gone in ten seconds. Ali: “Ten seconds? Sounds like something you guys are used to.”

Ava vs. Ivy Nile

Schism is here with Ava, who sends her into the corner for a running splash to start. A scorpion kick puts Nile down again but a slam attempt is countered into the Diamond Chain Lock to make Ava tap at 2:11.

Post match the masked Schism members come after Nile, who fights them all off until Ava is pulled away.

A banged up Ilja Dragunov comes in to see Wes Lee, saying he is next for the NXT Title. Lee says he’ll be champion at the end of the night and he’ll face Dragunov after he wins the title.

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. Nathan Frazer

Frazer, with Tyler Bate, is defending while the rest of the Meta Four are here too. This is of course under Heritage Cup rules so round one begins with Frazer working on the arm. Dar takes him down into an armbar of his own but Frazer reverses into a headlock as they stay basic to start. Some kicks to the ribs have Frazer staggered a bit but he rolls Dar up for two. Back up and they both miss a few shots, allowing Dar to get in a slap to the face. Frazer hammers away until the round ends and we take a break.

Back with Dar up 1-0 as Dabba Kato came out to attack Bate, allowing Dar to roll him up for the fall. Round three begins with Bate being carried out and Frazer grabbing an STF on Dar. With that broken up, Dar gets in a shot of his own and counters an enziguri into an ankle lock. Frazer breaks that up and sends Dar outside for a suicide dive. A running shooting star press gives Frazer two as the round ends, though Dar gets in an elbow after the bell.

Round four begins with Frazer kicking him down but missing the phoenix splash. Dar elbows him in the face again for two but Frazer catches him on top with a superplex. The Final Cut ties us up at 1-1 at 1:45 of the round and 12:25 overall. We take a break and come back with Frazer hitting a dive onto Dar but Lash Legend slows the count down. Frazer gets a very close two as the round ends.

Round six begins with Frazer forearming him down but Dar gets in some kicks from the mat. Frazer misses a kick in the ropes and gets struck down, only to have Dar miss a top rope stomp. Dar counters a kick into the kneebar but Frazer kicks his way out as we have a minute to go. Frazer goes up top but another distraction means the phoenix splash misses. The Nova Roller gives Dar the cup back at 2:45 of the round and 19;41 overall.

Rating: B-. These matches do have a unique feeling with the rounds, but when you miss most of two of those rounds, the special part kind of goes away. Other than that, this was a back and forth match, though Dar getting the Cup back is a bit depressing. He’s great in the role, but we’ve seen it for so long that it stops being so fun.

Ava says Ivy Nile tried to hurt her but couldn’t do it. If she wants to try again, come give it a shot.

Here is Tiffany Stratton to say it is the end of a hot summer. She won the Women’s Title and now the fall is going to get even better. She’s already a perfect champion so how much better can it get? Bayley promises to be a better champion than anyone in NXT history, including Becky Lynch (who never won the NXT Women’s Title).

Cue Gigi Dolin to say she wants the title. Cue Kiana James to say she wants the title. Cue Blair Davenport to say she wants the title. Insults are hurled and Tiffany tries to leave but cue Roxanne Perez to hit Tiffany in the face. The brawl is on with Tiffany leaving. This was every horrible “HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME” parade style promo you could ask for and that is not a good thing in any way.

Charlie Dempsey and Damon Kemp are training when Miles Borne comes in to talk to Drew Gulak. Borne has done his chores but Dempsey chokes him from behind. Despite Borne tapping, Gulak says Borne needs to work harder.

Ava is still waiting on Ivy Nile. Cue Ivy, with Ava telling the masked men to take her out. They unmask as the Creeds, who say that if Schism wants Ava back, the Dyad has to face them next week. In a cage, and if the Creeds win, they’re back in NXT.

The Meta Four are celebrating Noam Dar’s win when he is presented with a letter from the Heritage Cup committee. Next week, a #1 contenders tournament begins to find his new challenger for No Mercy. All Dar hears is he isn’t defending for five weeks so they’re off to California!

Judgment Day vs. Lyra Valkyria/Dragon lee

Lee and Dominik start things off with Dominik hammering away before they trade standing switches. Lee hits a dropkick so it’s off to Ripley vs. Valkyria, with the latter jumping up or a headlock. Ripley powers her down but gets kicked from the mat before the threat of a roundhouse kick sends Ripley running. Valkyria slips out of a suplex attempt and strikes away before it’s back to the men, with Lee kicking Dominik in the head. Judgment Day is sent outside for a dropkick through the ropes and a dive as we take a break.

Back with Ripley holding Valkyria in a bodyscissors and screaming a lot. Valkyria manages to turn it over and fires off forearms so Ripley suplexes her down. Ripley tries it again but this time it’s reversed into a DDT for a breather. The roundhouse kick connects for Valkyria but Ripley is knocked into the corner for a tag.

Lee drapes him over the top for a double stomp to the back and a near fall. Dominik misses a 619 attempt and gets planted with a sitout powerbomb for two. Valkyria’s hurricanrana off the apron is pulled out of the air but cue Raquel Rodriguez to go after Ripley. The distraction lets Lee hit a flipping reverse DDT for the pin at 14:05.

Rating: B-. Another good match on the show as Judgment Day continues to feel like the biggest stars anywhere when they’re around. Dominik oddly gets more heat out of being North American Champion on the main roster shows but around here he plays it a bit more seriously, which is quite the change. Lee is all but guaranteed the next title shot and that should make for a solid showdown, with a title change feeling a bit more likely than last time. Throw in Valkyria doing well enough against Ripley and this was a nice use of TV time.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams have a reunion and are all ok with each other.

Tiffany Stratton has gotten all the mentions and no, Becky Lynch was never NXT Women’s Champion. As for the other four, they’re in a four way match for a future title shot.

We look back at Thea Hail losing last week due to Andre Chase’s mistake.

Hail rants about how Chase cost her when Jacy Jayne came in to say Hail has improved a lot in the last year. Jayne talks about how everyone has been let down before, but people like them always get through it.

Von Wagner vs. Baron Corbin

Corbin jumps him during the entrance and sends Wagner (with Mr. Stone) into the steps. Wagner gets in a few shots but is sent into the steps again and it’s time to load up the announcers’ table. Stone tries to make a save, allowing Wagner to get up…and get speared down by Bron Breakker. No match.

Schism is down to face the Creeds, as long as they get Ava back.

Dijak is ready to hurt Eddy Thorpe.

Becky Lynch has sent out a tweet saying she has never been NXT Women’s Champion. Yet.

NXT Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Wes Lee

Hayes is defending. They flip around a bit to start and then bounce back to their feet for a standoff. Lee takes him down for a fast two before they trade dropkicks into nipups. A double knockdown sends us to a break as they’re mostly mirroring each other to start. We come back with things having slowed down a bit and Hayes hitting an enziguri into the corner. The Fade Away connects for Hayes and they’re both down again.

They slug it out until Hayes drops him for two, with some frustration setting in. Back up and Lee hits a standing Meteora for two, followed by Spiral Tap for two more. Hayes counters the Cardiac Kick into a suplex cutter though and Lee gets planted for two more. They head outside with Hayes DDTing him through the announcers’ table. Nothing But Net misses back inside though and Lee hits the Cardiac Kick, only to have Hayes roll outside. Lee misses a big dive and barely beats the count, leaving Hayes to hit Nothing But Net to retain at 12:08.

Rating: B-. Hayes is a weird case as champion as he does all the things that make him feel like a star but his matches rarely hit that higher level. That was on display here as the match was good, but it wasn’t anything close to great. What matters is Lee got the chance and the ending, with him going a bit too far, could open him up for a rematch. Ilja Dragunov seems to be next for Hayes though and that should be a showdown.

Overall Rating: B. This definitely felt like a big show and the card was rather stacked. What matters here is getting things out of the way so the road to No Mercy can start up next week. The opener was the best match of the show and the rest were good enough, along with stories being set up for the future. That’s a well done two hour special and I had a good time throughout the whole thing.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Trick Williams – Middle rope fist drop
Ivy Nile b. Ava – Diamond Chain Lock
Noam Dar b. Nathan Frazer 2-1
Dragon Lee/Lyra Valkyria b. Judgment Day – Flipping reverse DDT to Mysterio
Carmelo Hayes b. Wes Lee – Nothing But Net

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.