We’ve got the second straight week of NXT Super Tuesdays here this evening and I’ll be with you throughout the night as always to give you the play-by-play of the show as it airs! Watch this space, and in the meantime, maybe read up on why Mauro Ranallo is irreplaceable. Sorry if that’s a bit of a downer but I do think it’s true.
Ridiculously, we are starting out with our main event. Possible hint that shenanigans are afoot? We’ll see. But we’ve got an NXT title match on our hands.
NXT Championship: Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor
Lock-up. Cole takes him to the corner, Finn reverses. Ref forces a break. Finn trips him down, Front Facelock, Cole tries to roll but Balor holds on and turns it into a chinlock. Cole makes it to his feet and reverses into a Hammerlock but Finn picks the leg, another side headlock. Cole rolls him onto his shoulders for 2 twice. Cole tries to shoot him off but Balor holds on tight. Shoots him off but Balor with a shoulderblock, cover for 1, again gets the headlock in. Cole reverses into a Hammerlock, Balor snapmares him and yet another headlock variation. Cole rolls him for a pin again and we finally get some separation.
Cole once again with the Hammerlock, there seems to be a pattern to the early going. Balor reverses into an arm wringer, knee grinding into his cheek. Cole fights up for an arm drag but Balor keeps him down with a headscissor, Cole can’t kip out of it. Balor wrenching at the wrist. Cole manages to slowly escape, Basement Dropkick hits flush! Chops him into the ropes. Balor reverses a whip, but Cole counters a back body drop, Ushigoroshi for a nearfall right before the commercial break.
We come back to see Balor hit a snapmare and a kick to the back for a 2 count. I don’t want to alarm you but he sinks in a headlock afterwards. Cole with a Jawbreaker, hits the ropes but eats a big back elbow! Balor with a bodyslam, hits the ropes for an elbow drop for 2. Balor takes him into the corner, stomps him to the mat. Takes him to his knees for a running dropkick for a nearfall. Drives him into the corner for shoulder thrusts and a chop. And then a second corner. Whip to an adjacent corner for a running chop. And then again. Cole fights back with some forearms, wins an exchange, clothesline series, Pump Kick!
Enziguri counters a Balor German, Cole with a Backstabber for a nearfall! Cole looks for the Last Shot but Balor avoids it, double stomp misses, avoids a superkick and hits a Slingblade! Goes for the John Wu Dropkick but Cole stops him with a Leg Lariat! Cole lowers the knee pad. Hits the ropes but Balor trips him up, there’s the double stomp! Cole rolls to the floor but eats a brutal baseball slide to the face, stomps him to the floor. Balor pulls him up and throws him over to seat him onto a chair, charges but Cole counters with a snapping superkick! Commercial break.
We come back to see Baloe get a boot up off a charge, up top for Coup de Gras but Cole rolls out of the way, low kick leads to a Figure Four Leglock! Balor struggles but makes it to the ropes for the break. Cole stalks, charges but Balor with a Slingblade! Final Cut lands. John Wu Dropkick sends him into the corner! Slowly going up top again, his leg is hobbled. But he goes for it, Coup de Gras hits HARD! But he’s favoring his leg, covers late, NEARFALL!
Balor tries to pull him up but Cole with a single leg into the Figure Four once more! Balor rolls through to get closer to the ropes, Cole breaks it himself and drags him to the center to try and re-apply it but Balor with an inside cradle for 2 – Cole with a Superkick! Hits the ropes, Last Shot right to the back of the head for a CLOSE nearfall! Cole up to the second rope for a Panama Sunrise but Balor blocks it, 1916 nailed! But Balor’s leg hurts too much to pin. Rolls to the apron, pulls himself up to the top yet again! Cole stops him with a kick to the leg! Goes up there with him, they fight until BALOR NAILS A SUPER BLOODY SUNDAY! And that is that!!
Winner: Finn Balor
Nice lengthy oldschool match there and Balor is probably the soundest choice.
Rhea Ripley backstage says Mercedes has spent months trying to make a name at her expense. She’ll put a stop to it in the cage.
Balor backstage says everyone for ten months has been asking why he returned to NXT. This is the reason right here, NXT Champion.
Elsewhere Robert Stone says he is the best manager in the world because he knows stuff no one else does, like where stuff is. He finds Shotzi’s tank, and wants to take a bat to it but Shotzi appears and knocks him down. Aliyah jumps her from behind but in the process goes through a curtain and knocks into Io Shirai! Io chases Aliyah into the arena and into the ring, she’s now surrounded by Io and Shotzi. Elbows and enziguris take her down, Shirai with a Butterfly Backbreaker! Robert Stone tries to come off the top road but Shotzi shoves Io out of the way and clips him him on the way down! Io with the Over The Moonsault on Stone, Shotzi with a Frog Splash on Aliyah! But afterwards Shotzi holds onto her title, until Io rips it away. Tells her not to make her hurt her and leaves.
Tegan Nox visits the Gargano house. They sit at the table and it looks pretty awkward.
Another Thatch-As-Thatch-Can segment begins with some film study. He shows off Damian Priest, calls him a deadly striker but every time he goes for the forearm there’s an arm dangling leaving him vulnerable to a counter. Says he takes time to pose between moves, suggests a half crab right there. Says he leaves his feet a lot and that’s just stupid because when your feet are on the ground, you’re in control. Says Priest thinks life is a party, he’ll prove him wrong.
Velveteen Dream vs. Ashante Adonis
Dream gets in his face, the Adonis surprises him with a few dropkicks, roll up for a nearfall! DDT, kip-up! Velveteen hoists him up, Dream Valley Driver for the win.
Winner: Velveteen Dream
Afterwards Kushida rushes in to jump Dream from behind! Refs have to pull him from the ring, Kushida grabs him by the hair but Kush holds onto his wrist and yanks him shoulderfirst into the ringpost! And again! Has to be led to the back.
In a vignette, Breezango speak about how long it took them to get their tag titles. Imperium call them a disgrace to their sport.
At the Gargano house, Johnny acknowledges that this is really uncomfortable and asks if it’s his fault. He decides to take the hint and take his meal upstairs. Candice asks if she should start and asks her to fess up to her mistakes. Tegan says she’s the one who betrayed her. Candice says she didn’t dress up as a pizza delivery person to go to a fake friends house. Tegan says she didn’t put her friend through a table. Candice tells her she doesn’t understand that there’s a better way to do things. Nox says she doesn’t believe in the Gargano Way and doesn’t think this is Candice. LaRae says this was always part of her. She wouldn’t do her wrong, what does she have to lose?
Bronson Reed out here now. He will face Austin Theory.
Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory
Theory offers a hand. Ducks a line, side headlock. Reed shoots him off, shoulder block to zero effect. Reed puts him in another headlock. He fights out, whiffs a dropkick, Reed with a bottom rope elbow drop for a 2 count! Reed arm drags him from the apron to the ring, chinlock cinched in. Theory fights his way out and hits the ropes, Reed with an elbow. Takes him to the apron, Theory fights back, sunset flip but Reed just sits on his chest for a 2 count! He rolls to the outside, Reed flies off the apron with a shoulder block and Theory sells it spectacularly. Commercial break.
Reed fights to his feet in a sleeper as we come back, he slams him to the mat to break it. Reed blocks a shot, hammerfists. Whips him to the ropes, forearm, Inverted Atomic Drop, Bionic Elbow! Avalanche in the corner, hoists him up for a Death Valley Driver! Nearfall. Theory surprises him with a Blockbuster for a nearfall! Theory hoists him up with great difficulty for the ATL but Reed ultimately is just too Thicc and lands on top of him, Senton follows, goes up top, Frog Splash to the back for the win!
Winner: Bronson Reed
Good match.
Adam Cole is interviewed backstage. Says he’s disappointed and it wasn’t the outcome he wanted, but the better man won. He has respect for Finn, the both of them went through the same 60 minute Ironman last week and another grueling match tonight. But he better hope he doesn’t get another opportunity because if he does, the result will be different and that’s undisputed.
Mercedes Martinez backstage says Rhea is a bad woman but not as bad as her. When the cage door shuts she won’t stop until there’s nothing left of her.
Roderick Strong vs. Killian Dain
Strong leaves the ring and baits him to follow him around, lures him into the ring where he attacks him but Dain fights back, rams him into the corner for a big clothesline! Roddy floats over for a Piggyback Sleeper, Dain rips him away but a single leg dropkick takes him to the apron. He charges, Dain with a Uranage! Fish with a roundhouse kick to the leg takes him to the floor, commercial break.
We come back to see Roderick look for an Abdominal Stretch but Dain arm drags him over, pair of back elbows. Charges in the corner for an avalanche, clothesline in the opposite corner, tosses him across the ring. Charges for a crossbody for a nearfall. Hoists him onto his shoulders, Strong escapes behind him and wants a Back Suplex but Dain knocks him away. Roddy with a boot up, enziguri, high knee whiffed, Dain with a Wasteland into a Senton! Dain wants a Vader Bomb but Fish pulls Strong out of the way. Dain knocks him off the apron, Strong with a Jumping Knee for the win!
Winner: Roderick Strong
Best Dain’s looked in a long while. Roddy brings the best out of people.
Afterwards TUE rush the ring to stomp him down until Drake Maverick comes in with a lead pipe. They start to gang up on him Dain rips the bar away and sends them away. He stares at Maverick, who is totally helpless. Dain tosses the bar away and leaves him be. Maverick stops him from leaving the ring and asks for a handshake. Dain contemplates it… punches him in the face instead. Maverick is going to have to earn his friendship.
Candice and Tegan have a toast to sisterhood and Candice being the next NXT Women’s Champion. Tegan says she’s glad we did this but why not her becoming champ? Candice says she had her chance, if anyone beats Io it’s her. Nox says she couldn’t beat Io either. Candice dumps lettuce on her. Nox splashes water in her face. They yell at each other until Johnny Gargano breaks it up, tells Nox she’s a horrible person and a bad friend. Nox dumps spaghetti over him. Candice throws a remote at her, she avoids it and it leaves a dent in the TV. Candice chases Nox out of her house.
Damien Priest backstage is told he’ll be defending the North American title against Timothy Thatcher. Says he’s damn ugly and hopes to re-arrange his face. Says there’s no chance he loses this title in his first defense. Invites the interviewer to party forever in celebration of his victory.
Cage match main event time. Martinez brings a kendo stick into the ring. Then looks under the ring for chairs and puts several of them into the ring. Even a table! But Ripley attacks her before she can slide it in, bashes her into the cage and slams the door on her. Throws her into the ring and pulls the table inside.
Steel Cage Match: Mercedes Martinez vs. Rhea Ripley
Bell rings, Martinez takes over and slams her into the wall. Crossface blows. Takes up a chair and swings it at her head, Ripley ducks it, clothesline takes her down. Throws her HARD into the cage! Ripley with a big boot levels her. Ripley clubbers her across the ring. Punt to the ribs! Pulls her up for the Riptide, Martinez escapes, Fisherwoman’s Suplex! Mercedes tries to swing the chair but Ripley kicks it out of her hands, goes to the second rope but Mercedes rips her off for a Powerslam onto the chair for a nearfall! Commercial break.
We come back, SPIDER GERMAN SUPLEX from Martinez sends Ripley from the top rope to the mat! Brutal! Ripley tosses a chair at Martinez, she blocks the brunt of it but is still reeling! Ripley charges, dropkick sends Martinez into the cage and her head is between the walls! Ripley pursues her up there, pulls her out and clobbers with corner punches. Hooks for a superplex, and nails it!! Exchange of blows, Martinez with a spinebuster but she’s too hurt to cover. Martinez with a roundhouse kick, Ripley ducks it, Electric Chair Facebuster! Grabs the legs, Inverted Cloverleaf hoisting her off the mat! Martinez grabs a kendo stick and swings it at her to break the hold!
Ripley throws her down and grabs the stick, wails on her with it! Robert Stone climbing the cage, Ripley pokes through the steel with the cane to stop him! Climbs up and headbutts him, hooks him for a superplex but Martinez stops this with a stick shot! Climbs up and nails her across the back again! Martinez takes her off the top with a neckbreaker!! Mercedes takes a long time to crawl over for the cover for a 2 count! Martinez finally setting up the table now. Martinez takes her up top, wants a Fisherman’s Superplex through the table! Ripley blocks, re-positions herself. Headbutts, hoists her up!! RIPTIDE THROUGH THE TABLE FOR THE VICTORY!
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Good fight, nice night of action.
