It’s that time again for the NXT Recap! Watch this space!
And here’s our opener tonight…
Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai
Fight starts quick, Raquel smashes Shotzi against the mat. Blackheart leaps at her for a Monkey Flip perhaps but Raquel tosses her away. Ember tags in, wants a Sunset Flip and gets shoved off as well. Same with a crossbody. Finally nails a Rana though, quick kickout. Few cradles, one gets a nearfall and Ember lets her know about it. Raquel takes her down, tag to Dakota, double footstomp to the torso! Quick tags, but the isolation doesn’t last long, Ember escapes a Kai charge, tag to Shotzi who runs wild, lays her out with a Reverse Slingblade! Cannonball against the ropes, cover for a 2 count.
Ember tags in, Standing Moonsault for a 2 count. Quick tag to Shotzi, Kai tries to get the boots up but Shotzi catches them and pulls her to the mat into a Cloverleaf! Kai struggles towards the ropes… Raquel eventually pulls her free! Helps her to the corner for the tag, Gonzalez with a series of elbow drops for 2.
Commercial break, NXT Recap will resume when the show does.
Ember is making her comeback as we return. Kai with a distraction on the apron, Raquel gets Ember with a big boot. Kai tags in, Raquel tosses Ember onto a Backstabber kinda move from Dakota. Cover, Shotzi breaks up the pin. Now Shotzi tags in, series of enziguris and kicks, hoists Dakota up, Fireman’s Carry Facebuster for a nearfall! Ember hoists Kai onto her shoulders as Shotzi tags in, Raquel pulls Kai down to the mat, Shotzi takes out Raquel with a running dropkick, Kai with a Scorpion Kick to Shotzi, Ember gets Kai down with an STF; Raquel breaks up the hold and hoists Ember up only to eat a Stunner out of the air! Ember and Shotzi with a Powerslam/Neckbreaker double team for the win!
Winners: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart
Neat stuff. Afterwards Raquel assaults Shotzi, repeatedly powerbombing her into the glass before bashing her into the post. Dakota makes Ember watch as this happens.
Ciampa and Thatcher with a promo backstage on GYV. Thatcher says he’ll really enjoy tearing their limbs off.
Up next on the NXT Recap…
Pete Dunne vs. Bobby Fish
Fish with the advantage out of the gate, clobbering Dunne. But Pete fires back with a LOUD forearm dropping him. Works over the ankle. Smashes his leg into the mat. Side headlock takeover. Fish fights to his feet, Dunne tries to take him back down but gets reversed into a Fujiwara Armbar! Dunne tries to roll free but Fish keeps him in an Arm Wringer. Pete fights up, forearms to the face. Whip, Fish blocks, Hammerlocks his arm and drops his elbow onto the top rope! Combination of strikes, kick takes Dunne between the ropes to the floor! Commercial break, NXT Recap will resume when the show does.
As we come back, Dunne keeps Fish on the mat with holds. Hooks legs with his own, slapping at his back. Fish reverses and sends him away, grabs the leg and kicks Dunne’s thighs. Dunne with some separation, charges – right into a Spinebuster! Fish with elbows. Cinches in a Sleeper. Dunne grabs the pinky and wrenches at it to break the hold, takes Fish to the mat, knee drop to the shoulder! Bobby escapes outside, Dunne pursues – Back Body Drop sends Dunne onto the floor!
Charging knee sends him crashing into the barricade! Throws him into the ring, Dunne with an enziguri! Leaps onto him for a Guillotine but Fish reverses…
SUPLEX INTO THE ROPES, DUNNE FALLS ON HIS HEAD!
Cover for a nearfall! Fish pulls Dunne to his feet, nails him with one knee to the gut after another. Ref forces a break, Dunne collapses. But he might be playing possum as when Fish advances, Dunne twirls behind him for a German Suplex, double stomp to the hands – Fish avoids a charging knee, hits him with a Flying Elbow and they’re both down! On the mat, Dunne grabs him for a Cross Armbreaker, breaks the fingers to hook it in – but Fish rolls onto his back, grabs the wrist and pulls it back… Dunne fights up though, Bitter End for the win!
Winner: Pete Dunne
Very solid technical match.
Aftewards, Oney Lorcan jumps Fish and drives him into the buckle. Pulls him to the apron. Stands on his throat. Refs goad him away but not before he sneaks in a charging kick, which I believe caught him in the injured arm.
Mercedes Martinez backstage says tonight it starts. On the road back to the title. As she leaves, some weirdo in the background can be seen staring.
As the NXT Recap rolls on, we see a vignette from Hit Row. They say people are big mad about them putting them on notice. Befab says it’s time for Hit Row to go gold. Swerve says tick tock. He will get a championship and be in the main event. Can’t wait to cross Karrion. Top Dalla calls out MSK. Ashanti threatens to send Kushida back to the future. Swerve derides Bronson Reed. No mentions of either of the women’s champs from Befab though.
Next up on the NXT Recap…
Mercedes Martinez vs. Zayda Remier
Mercedes takes her down quick but Zayda fights back, dropkick takes Martinez to the corner. Charging forearm. Whip reversed twice, Remier leaps over her head from the corner, series of forearms, enziguri drops Mercedes for a 1 count. Mercedes fights back with a series of Butterfly Suplexes! Dragon Sleeper! Zayda fights behind her, rolls her up for 2. Charges – right into a Spinning Spinebuster! Nearfall. Martinez pulls her up, whip, Zayda ducks a shot, leaps at her for a Bodyrana into a Rear Naked Choke! Martinez quickly stands up with her though and smashes her to the buckles! Takes her up top, forearms to the chest. Just tosses her to the mat! Charging knee to the face! Hoists Zayda up, DVD for the win!
Winner: Mercedes Martinez
Martinez celebrates for just a moment before the lights go black?
Red lights come up and smoke fills the arena. Mercedes is looking around. Suddenly the lights go back to normal with Mercedes’ music playing… but she notices a mark on her hand, the mark of Tian Sha.
Ted DiBiase backstage, casually blows off Robert Stone as he makes his way to the ring. Commercial break, NXT Recap will resume when the show does!
As we return, out comes Cameron Grimes for the Million Dollar Faceoff.
Grimes can’t say a thing before DiBiase’s music cuts him off and he makes his way out. Dueling “DiBiase” and “To The Moon” chants. Grimes says there’s one thing everyone wants to know; why? Says he wasn’t always rich, didn’t always have this lavish lifestyle. He starts to flaunt it a little bit and Ted shows up. Starts embarrassing him and out-buying him. He says he doesn’t know if Ted realizes this but he always looked up to him. Gets a “D’awww” from the crowd.
Cameron says he taught him that he could treat people terribly, and they’d still like him because he has money! But it’s true what they say, never meet your idols. Ted says he actually does like him. The reason he put him through all that is because when he looks at him he sees a little bit of himself. Says he’s here looking for that one individual who embodies everything the Million Dollar Man stands for, his legacy! Says it’s not all about the money or how he can humiliate people with money. It’s about performance in this ring. And he says Grimes has it, he’s seen it! But since he’s become rich, he’s lost his focus.
LA Knight’s music hits. That’s right, he exists~!
NXT Recap continues as Knight says he happens to see a million dollar opportunity. He’ll take the burden of the search off of DiBiase. Walking down this ramp is a guy who does get the job done, a perpetual motion machine of badassery! And a man who didn’t just strike it lucky with virtual money but is personified, walking, talking gold!
Cameron says this is a conversation between millionaires, not nickel and dime! “Nickle and Dime” chant even as Ted says to let him talk. LA calls the crowd incels and says he’s not a millionaire yet but he does live comfortably and Ted could be the last piece to the puzzle, he could take the DiBiase legacy further than ever. Ted puts Knight over, says he’s got a million dollar body and mindset!
Grimes raises his voice and says he’s got veins all over his body but he’s no Cameron Grimes and this is a Million Dollar Faceoff between him and DiBiase! Warns him to leave the ring now or he’ll kick his ass to the moon. But then he turns around to talk to Ted and of course Knight jumps him, Headlock Driver lays him out. DiBiase says he’s just never gonna get it and cackles.
Indi Hartwell going around backstage looking for Dexter Lumis. She runs into Ever-Rise as they’re doing a show and they get uppity. Drake Maverick intervenes and points her towards Dexter. She goes into a very dark room. Turns the lights on and sees drawing after drawing of broken and stabbed hearts. Indi sees one in particular that’s a portrait of him with a knife in his heart as he overheard what she said about him. Indi rushes off, concerned for him.
NXT Recap rolls on and we have…
Franky Monet vs. Cora Jade
Lock up, Monet takes her to the corner, mocking break. Lock up again, shoves her to the mat. Franky taunts her. Jade ducks a shot, high kick. But Monet with a couple of elbows to the back. Stomps her into the corner. Chop. Charging double knees to the back of the head, and a big hip attack! And a Meteora to the face! Monet pulls her up, kick to the gut, knee lift to the face, lariat drops her! Pulls her up by the hair. Jade fights off and nails her with some forearms. Whip reversed, Tilt-A-Whirl Russian Legsweep from Jade for a 2 count! Monet with a big Spear! Hoists her up, Blue Thunder Bomb! Yells at her about playing with the Wera Loca! Glam Slam for the win.
Winner: Franky Monet
Decent debut.
Grizzled Young Veterans say they didn’t come here for a rivalry with some chair-swinging hooligans, they’re done with Ciampa and Thatcher. They came here to be tag team champions so they’re after MSK. And they are the leaders the division needs. Soon to be recognized as the next NXT Tag Team Champions.
We see some of the media reaction to Bronson Reed’s North American Title win.
Imperium vignette. WALTER tells his men to right the wrong of losing their tag titles to Breezango. They must decimate them to restore honor to the sport.
Bronson Reed makes his way out as the NXT Recap continues.
Reed says it took him 14 years to get here. 14 years of falling, getting back up and climbing the mountain. He had a lot of doubters along the way, a lot of people that told him no. But this is proof to any kid out there that you don’t need to take no for an answer. Work harder and you will become a champion. Now that he’s got this, good luck trying to take it from him. To anyone back there; he had a big mountain to climb but they have a colossal mountain to climb!
Out comes Legado del Fantasma! Escobar praises Reed’s telenovella story. Says he brought tears to their eyes. But he can’t relate to anything he just said because he was born a champion. Wasn’t even born to belong in this business, the business belongs to him.
Escobar calls himself the emperor of lucha libre. He has been champion in every country of North America; has to claim that Canada doesn’t count though. Tells Reed that his celebration is over. The three of them are about to jump Reed but MSK rush to the ring to fend them off! Double Superkick to Wilde sends him out of the ring, Reed body block to Mendoza! Heels go running.
Commercial break, NXT Recap will resume when the show does.
William Regal books a triple threat next week. Johnny Gargano vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne, winner gets the NXT title shot at TakeOver: In Your House.
And up next, the main event for the NXT Recap…
NXT Championship: Karrion Kross (c) vs. Finn Balor
They fight at the bell, Balor wins out and takes him to the floor as we go right to a commercial break. NXT Recap main event will resume as we come back. We return to see Finn holding Kross down in a hammerlock. Kross fights to his feet, slams him away. Big corner clotheslines drops Balor. T-Bone Suplex! Stomp to the chest. Chinlock. Balor fights to his feet but Kross gets him with a knee to the back. Short Arm Clotheslines! Balor reverses one, Double Stomp to the back for a 2 count! Finn with clubbering shots to the gut, Kross with a headbutt. Takes him to the corner, shoulder thrusts to the gut, then to the back!
Running kick right to the spine, yeowch. Balor with a red mark on his lower back after that. Kross with a big Biel! Pulls him up, short German Suplex! Pulls him up for another, Balor reverses into a Crossface! Can’t get it in though, kicks to the body, PK but Kross catches it, only for Balor to roll him through for a Double Stomp to the gut! Bashes him, ref pulls him away and Kross nails him quick, takes him to the floor. As he pursues, Balor traps him in the apron! Goes up there and stomps onto his head and shoulders! Running kick to the face lays Kross out!
Commercial break, NXT Recap will conclude when we come back!
As we return, they fight to their feet and exchange forearms. Kross hoists him up, drives Balor into the corner and then the adjacent one – Powerslam for a nearfall! Balor with a crisp chop. Kick to the gut, forearm to the face. Kross hoists Balor up – Balor reverses with a Final Cut only for Kross to kick out at one! Kross goozles him, Finn takes him down for a Double Footstomp, but Kross zombies up into a Rear Naked Choke! Balor struggles to the rope and grabs it for the break.
Kross pulls Finn outside, slams him repeatedly into the fence… hoists him up into Razor’s Edge position and RAMS him into the fence one last time! Throws him inside the ring and pulls him up slowly. Wants a Powerbomb but Finn surprises him with a sudden DDT! Sets him up, Slingblade! Clothesline takes Kross to the floor! Hits the ropes, Flip Tope wipes him out!
But Kross once again gets right up behind him – drops him HARD onto the announce table! “This Is Awesome” chant as the count starts.
Karrion throws him inside. Takes his time getting back in, Finn surprises him with a kick but Kross shoves him away. Balor trips him, Double Stomp to the gut again! John Wu Dropkick bounces Kross off the buckles! Balor scales the top rope… Coup de Gras misses, Kross hoists him up and drives him into the buckles, brutal German Suplex! Pulls him up, Saito Suplex drops him! Stalks… Balor surprises him with a Bodyrana for a nearfall! Hooks him into the Abdominal Stretch, rolls him over again but Kross avoids being pinned, reverse mount, elbows to the back of the head, Balor reverses this though, elbows to the back of the head until the ref shoves him off.
Balor puts Kross into a Sleeper! Karrion rolls him over but Finn transitions into a Triangle! Kross fades… ref checks the hand and it falls, he’s about to call for the bell but Karrion grabs his arm to stop him! Karrion up to his feet and slams Balor to the mat for the break. Series of lariats lays Finn out, he stomps him into the mat! Pulls him into the Sleeper and Finn is fading. He’s out, ref calls for the bell.
Winner: Karrion Kross
Hilarious how much better that worked as a TV match…
Good main event for sure. Might be all for Finn in NXT, we’ll see. That’s the show.