Ilja Dragunov returned to NXT on Tuesday, reigniting a feud with JD McDonagh.
Tuesday’s show saw McDonagh wrestling against Carmelo Hayes when Dragunov’s music hit. McDonagh was distracted long enough for Hayes to counter McDonagh, rolling him up for a three count. After the match, Dragunov and McDonagh continued to brawl as security came in to break things up.
Dragunov has not been seen on television since October, losing to McDonagh via referee stoppage. Dragunov has not been on television due to visa issues, as is the case for many recent returns to NXT television, including Gallus and Tyler Bate.
The last major match featuring Dragunov was at Halloween Havoc, when he lost a three-way match involving himself, Bron Breakker, and McDonagh in a match that had been for the NXT Championship. Prior to his arrival on NXT, Dragunov was also a star in NXT UK, having previously held the NXT UK Championship.
The lineup for Vengeance Day will be finalized on tonight’s episode of NXT.
Taking place on tonight’s show is a triple threat match to decide the final NXT Tag Team title challengers for Vengeance Day. Either Malik Blade & Edris Enofe, The Dyad, or Andre Chase & Duke Hudson will join The New Day, Pretty Deadly, and Gallus in Saturday’s fatal four-way bout for the NXT Tag Team titles.
Bron Breakker is defending his NXT Championship against Grayson Waller in a steel cage match at Vengeance Day. We’ll hear from both the champion and challenger tonight.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez will respond to Toxic Attraction’s attack from last week. Perez is defending her title against both Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne in a triple threat match at Vengeance Day.
Plus, The Creed Brothers finally take on Indus Sher tonight, Cora Jade faces Lyra Valkyria, and Stevie Turner makes her NXT in-ring debut.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show is opening with a tag team match that is weeks in the making.
Indus Sher (Sanga & Veer with Jinder Mahal) defeated The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed with Ivy Nile)
Veer pinned Julius Creed to win the match. Heading into the finish, Julius was distracted after he accidentally knocks Ivy Nile off the apron. That followed interference by Jinder Mahal. The bout was a slobberknocker in the closing minutes, but it was plodding up to that point.
The Creeds sold more for their larger opponents, especially Julius. Whereas they usually batter their competition, this was the other way around for much of the match. Indus Sher works over Julius for what felt like ages, but was more like several minutes.
Hot tag to Brutus Creed, and he cleans house with suplexes and hammer fists. Relatively quick tag brings Julius back into the bout. Brutus and Julius both do a standing moonsault, and Julius gets a near fall on Veer. Brutus spears Sanga out of the ring. Julius muscles Veer into a deadlift powerbomb for another two count.
Mahal interferes by grabbing Julius’ foot, and Julius responds by dragging Mahal onto the apron. Ivy Nile gets on the apron to confront Mahal, and she gets in his face. Nile is berating Mahal when Veer sends Julius into the ropes. Julius ducks a clothesline and hits the ropes on the side Nile is standing on. Nile takes a spill on the outside, and she lands hard on the floor. Julius is wide-eyed and seemingly in disbelief as he walks into a Stan Hansen lariat. Veer then chokeslams Julius, and he covers him for a pinfall.
Tyler Bate in a skit starts a conversation with Axiom, who is watching an A-Kid match from NXT UK. Bate tells Axiom that he reminds him of A-Kid, and Axiom says he gets that a lot. He thinks it must be his eyes, which is a joke since he is wearing a mask. In a friendly manner, they are agreeing to have a match tonight when in walks Damon Kemp. He mocks Axiom and Bate, and Kemp then insults the British style of wrestling.
Zoey Stark defeated Indi Hartwell
Stark pinned Hartwell after delivering her modified GTS finisher. So-so match, but the push of Stark continues. The outcome of this match and a post-match attack lead to Sol Ruca making a save to build her emerging feud with Stark.
This match was set up via a locker room skit where Stark and Hartwell argue over their respective performances in the Royal Rumble. Sol Ruca sticks up for Hartwell, and Stark tells Ruca to stay out of her business. Ruca reminded Stark that Hartwell beat Stark once before, but Stark gets her win back here tonight.
The Schism cut a promo ahead of The Dyad’s upcoming tag match tonight.
Apollo Crews cuts a promo talking his plans for the two-out-of-three falls match against Carmelo Hayes this Saturday at Vengeance Day.
NXT North American Champion Wes Lee is headed to the ring for an in-ring monologue. Lee discusses his title defense set for Vengeance Day, and Lee vows to retain against Dijak. Out comes Dijak to interrupt Lee, and Dijak threatens Lee with violence. Lee responds by standing up to Dijak’s bully tactics. Von Wagner and Mr. Stone interrupt champion and challenger.
Wagner gets into the ring to confront Dijak, and Lee eggs on a beef between Wagner and Dijak. Wagner feels overlooked as a title contender. Lee proposes a match tonight with Dijak against Wagner. A brawl erupts where Dijak and Wagner slug it out. The match is made official, and the show cuts to the commercial break as their bout begins.
Dijak defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone)
Dijak pinned Wagner in a match that builds anticipation ahead of Dijak challenging for the North American title on Saturday. I question the logic of beating Wagner so cleanly, but they have a decent enough battle of the tough guys.
Both seem like heels, but this must be shades of grey. They have a hoss fight regardless, and there are some heavy-hitting spots. They trade near falls. Dijak gets a two count after chokeslaming Wagner. Moments later, Wagner gives Dijak a butterfly superplex off the ropes.
For the finish, Dijak catches Wagner in a chokehold. Wagner went to slam Dijak, but Dijak countered into the choke. Dijak then executes Feast Your Eyes, and Dijak covers Wagner for a three count.
Tony D’Angelo and Stacks in a skit talk about going to take care of things. Stack took care of that one thing, and D’Angelo says they should go take care of the other thing.
McKenzie Mitchell breaks down video footage of Nikkita Lyons’ attack. Lots of questions and no answers on the unknown assailant in what seems like a Tonya Harding type of assault.
An “Inside Look” into the NXT title match at Vengeance Day details NXT Champion Bron Breakker’s feud with Grayson Waller. They meet Saturday in a cage match with the title at stake.
Tyler Bate defeated Axiom
Bate pinned Axiom in what is so far the best match on the show. They had a clinic at the start, and they eventually increase their pacing and intensity. The finishing sequence was great.
Playing on this being friendly competition, they have a babyface match. They grapple and trade moves. They both spill out to the floor, and both are down selling as show cuts to commercials. The match goes through a split-screen commercial break.
They trade submission hold and they also trade near falls. As they go home, they traded counters. Bate looks to set up his finisher, but Axiom has a counter. Bate has a counter of his own as well, and he ultimately delivers the Tyler Driver ’97. Bate then covers Axiom for a pinfall.
Damon Kemp runs in to attack Axiom after the match. Axiom is shaking hands with Bate in a show of sportsmanship when Kemp blindsides Axiom with a sneak attack.
Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre have apparently joined forces in a unholy alliance. They practice some witchcraft to seal the deal.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Hayes cuts a good promo on Apollo Crews ahead of their match at Vengeance Day.
The announcers, Vic Joseph and Booker T, throw to a sit-down interview with Toxic Attraction and NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez in separate places. This was similar to the old “Face-to-Face” segments on Superstars back in the day, where the heels and babyface bicker back-and-forth while hyping their upcoming match.
The duo of Toxic Attraction, Gigi Dolan and Jacy Jayne, are facing Perez in a triple threat title match at Vengeance Day. The heel duo insult Perez so much that Perez seemingly storms out of the interview. Jayne and Dolan look to end the segment by cutting promos on Perez. There is a slight tease of tension within Toxic Attraction, just as Perez runs in to attack Dolan and Jayne.
Stevie Turner defeated Dani Palmer
Turner pinned Palmer in what is Turner’s in-ring debut on NXT with her new gimmick. Turner’s gimmick is she is a streamer and podcaster, and her look reminds me of something out of Blade Runner.
Palmer got some offense, but this was basically a showcase match for Turner. A pump kick by Turner led into a wicked looking DDT. Turner then uses a uranage for her finisher, and she covers Palmer for a pinfall. Vic Joseph called the finish “futuristic” like this is the second coming of Techno Team 2000 or something.
Drew Gulak (with Hank Walker) defeated Charlie Dempsey
Gulak pinned Dempsey, thanks in part to inadvertent help from Walker. Technically speaking this was a good match, and it was possibly better in that regard than Bate against Axiom from earlier on the show. However, this match was not as exciting as Bate-Axiom.
They wrestled through a split-screen commercial break. Great grappling and submission sequences in this bout, but the live studio audience seemed to sit on their hands at times. They might not have known who to cheer for, as both have been heels in recent weeks. The crowd eventually starts to clap and rally around Dempsey.
Gulak is struggling to break a crossface chicken wing applied by Dempsey. Walker shouts some encouragement for Gulak to counter, and Gulak does find a way escape the hold. In doing so, Gulak sends Dempsey crashing into Walker. Gulak then uses a schoolboy to roll up a dazed Dempsey for a three count.
Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson with Thea Hail) defeated The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler with Joe Gacy & Ava Raine) and Edris Enofe & Malik Blade in a triple threat match as part of the New Day Tag Team Invitational
Hudson pinned Reid to win the match, which qualifies Chase and Hudson for the four-way match for the NXT Tag Team Championship on Saturday.
Heat on Chase that builds to a hot tag where Hudson runs wild on The Dyad. Hudson gets a near fall, and then he stomps the mat signalling for a finisher of some sort. A blind tag by Blade thwarts Hudson’s plan, and Blade leaps into the ring.
After leaping in, Blade also leaps out of the ring. Enofe tags in before he drops a Macho Man flying elbow off the top rope. Enofe and Blade execute a double-team fireman’s carry/neckbreaker combo for a near fall. Everybody else jumps in to break up the pinning attempt.
Blade and Enofe with stereo flip dives over the ropes to the floor. Enofe is crotched going for another high risk move. Fowler and Reid are trying to set up a double-team superplex on Enofe, when Chase makes a blind tag. That leads to a Tower of Doom spot, and Chase does the Garvin Stomp on Reid.
Ava Raine jumps on the apron to cause a distraction, but she is pulled down by Thea Hail. The attempt to distract backfires on The Schism. A distracted Reid misses a running dropkick in a corner, and Chase tags in Hudson. Chase and Hudson do a tandem team move where Chase gives Reid a flatliner. Hudson then covers Reid for a pinfall to win the match.
The teams of Gallus and Pretty Deadly come out after the match for a stare down with Chase U. NXT Tag Team Champions The Day appear on the Titantron, and they congratulate Chase U.
The show ends with a video package that is a hard sell hyping Vengeance Day on Saturday.
The fallout from NXT Halloween Havoc on today’s episode of Speak Now!
We had a lot of stuff to talk about on tonight’s show including two tag team title matches, Wes Lee as new NXT North American Champion, Ava Raine joins The Schism, JD McDonagh vs. Ilja Dragunov in the main event, and more!
NXT’s third annual Halloween Havoc event takes place tonight, streaming live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The show will be headlined by Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh for the NXT Championship. But it could be Austin Theory who walks out of Halloween Havoc with the NXT title. Theory appeared on NXT earlier this week and teased cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
Two other title bouts are also set for tonight. Mandy Rose is set to put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Alba Fyre, while the vacant NXT North American Championship will be up for grabs in a ladder match. Carmelo Hayes, Oro Mensah, Wes Lee, Von Wagner, and Nathan Frazer are the ladder match participants.
Grudge matches round out the remainder of the Halloween Havoc card. Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade will meet in a Weapons Wild match, Julius Creed takes on Damon Kemp in an ambulance match, and Apollo Crews faces off with Grayson Waller (stipulation to be determined).
Tonight’s pre-show begins at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and features McKenzie Mitchell, Sam Roberts, and an appearance by Busted Open Radio’s Dave LaGreca.
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Kickoff Show —
The kickoff show panel was McKenzie Mitchell, Sam Roberts, and Dave LaGreca.
The main hosts of Halloween Havoc were Shotzi and Quincy Elliott. They spun the wheel, and it was determined that Apollo Crews vs. Grayson Waller would be contested in a Casket Match. Apollo was thrilled by the news, but Waller was concerned.
In an online exclusive promo, Alba Fyre was confident in facing Mandy Rose. Back live, Rose wasn’t worried about the match, but the rest of Toxic Attraction tried to get her to take Alba seriously. (The movie character “Chucky” was seated behind them.)
NXT Halloween Havoc report —
Shotzi and Quincy Elliott introduced the show.
Wes Lee defeated Carmelo Hayes (w/ Trick Williams), Nathan Frazer, Von Wagner, & Oro Mensah in a Ladder Match to win the vacant NXT North American Championship [19:55]
This was an awesome five-way ladder match with tons of cool, innovative spots and fast-paced action. I think Lee winning is an absolutely inspired choice as I feared they’d go with the safe choice in Melo, who is ready to move on from this title picture.
After everyone jockeyed for position at the start, it was Frazer and Mensah left in the ring. Frazer took out Mensah and climbed the ropes before re-directing to dive onto Wagner. He worked together with Mensah to take out their opponents with a ladder, then when Mensah got taken out, he drove Melo into the ladder. Mensah stopped Frazer’s climb, then Lee stopped Mensah from doing the same.
Mensah backdropped Melo onto a ladder but ran into a dropkick from Lee. Wagner re-entered the fray and took out Lee with a boot. Frazer tried to take a ladder from Wagner but was powerbombed into it for his trouble. Melo dispatched Wagner and climbed a ladder. In a great spot, Frazer sent Melo crashing from the ladder with a dropkick before running right into a ladder-assisted senton from Lee.
Melo recovered, but Frazer countered a springboard into an inverted Spanish Fly onto a ladder. There was a parade of big moves, including Melo clotheslining Lee and himself to the floor. Mensah was left in the ring, so he set up a ladder and climbed. Trick Williams met him on the other side and dumped Mensah onto the other four men. Mensah took a nasty landing.
Robert Stone ran out and climbed. He and Trick were at the top of the ladder; Stone hit Trick with a shoe, but Trick overturned the ladder, sending Stone crashing to the floor. Back in the ring, Wagner continued to use the ladder as a weapon. Out on the outside, Wagner pulled a bigger ladder out from under the ring and inadvertently ended up striking or nearly striking a woman in the front row; luckily everyone seemed to be okay. He set up the ladder as a bridge between the apron and the barricade.
Lee got involved and Wagner ended up prone on the ladder, so Frazer sent him through it with a frog splash. There was another parade of big moves, with Melo springboarding off the barricade and Lee hitting a cannonball splash off the steel steps. Lee produced another giant ladder, which Wagner set up. Wagner press slammed Lee from the ring onto the announce table, which didn’t break. So nasty.
Wagner climbed, but Frazer met him at the top and stomped him down. Wagner got Frazer in powerbomb position, leading to Frazer pulling Wagner out of the ring on a headscissor takeover. Mensah took Wagner out with a wild tackle, then he and Frazer repeatedly struck Wagner with a smaller ladder to permanently eliminate Wagner from contention.
Back in the ring, Frazer and Mensah climbed to the the top and fought each other to reach the ladder. Mensah eventually pushed Frazer down, but Melo showed up and pulled Mensah down. Melo climbed to the top, but Lee climbed a giant ladder and sprung up to send Melo to the mat. They both fought while standing on a ladder bridge in the ring; Lee finally took out Melo with a meteora onto the bridge. That bought Lee enough time to climb the ladder and win the championship.
– After the match, Lee broke down in tears and was showered with “You deserve it!” chants.
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JD McDonagh was shown meditating backstage.
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NXT Women’s Championship: Mandy Rose (c) (w/ Toxic Attraction) vs. Alba Fyre PRE-MATCH SEGMENT
This was indescribably stupid and a complete waste of time.
It was a cinematic match. Rose, Dolin, and Jayne drove up to Alba’s location. Rose played the straight woman as Dolin was excited and Jayne was terrified. Zombiez tried to scare them, but Rose no-sold it.
They entered the building with flashlights and continued to bicker. Rose decided it would be a good plan to split up, which Jayne didn’t like. The camera followed Jayne, who was taken out by Alba. Dolin, meanwhile, met Chucky and some monsters at a table. Alba surprised her as well, but Dolin put up more of a fight than Jayne. Eventually, however, Alba shut Dolin in a freezer.
Finally, we caught up with Rose, who encountered Alba after being startled by an organ. Alba attacked her with a baseball bat, and her monstrous associates prevented Rose from gaining the upper hand. Outside, Alba shut Rose in her car and whacked Toxic Attraction with the bat. She drove off, and then we came back to the arena, where the announcers were stunned.
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Apollo Crews defeated Grayson Waller in a Casket Match [11:06]
Two straight incredibly bad segments that made no sense. I guess there was some passable action at the end? That’s it.
They had a rapid back-and-forth exchange at the start, with Apollo getting the upper hand on an Asai moonsault. As Apollo beat Waller down on the announce table, Waller grabbed a pen and stabbed at Apollo’s face, allowing him to gain control of the match. He kept up his attack on Apollo on the floor.
The two jockeyed for position on the top rope, with Waller pushing Apollo into the casket. For some reason, the match wasn’t over. Then the lights went out. When they came back on, eerie music played and druids brought out another casket. Apollo had recovered, and he attacked Waller with the steel steps. (I have literally no idea what happened there or what it was supposed to be.)
There was a new casket set up on the side of the ring. Waller eventually got Apollo fully in the casket, but Apollo fought back when Waller tried to shut the door. They both escaped the area. Apollo landed a diving crossbody on Waller out on the floor. Apollo nearly had Waller in the casket, but Waller hit a rolling cutter to buy himself a breather.
Apollo recovered to hit a double-knee facebuster and nearly shut Waller in the casket. He was eventually able to chokeslam Waller into the casket for the win.
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A Chase U segment played, where Andre Chase was frustrated with some of his students’ performance on a “history of Halloween” assignment. He revealed that Duke Hudson is a new transfer student. Duke answered an extra credit question correctly, which angered Bodhi Hayward.
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Pretty Deadly were backstage. They’re not worried about defending against Malik Blade and Edris Enofe this week. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance walked up and said they were the best tag champions on the brand.
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Roxanne Perez defeated Cora Jade in a Weapons Wild match [13:23]
Yet another bad hardcore match on this show. This was pretty comparable to Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules — lots of plodding, slow, boring brawling. The major high spot came across so contrived, and the fans were more behind Cora, the heel, than they were behind Roxanne.
Roxanne attacked right away with a skateboard. She dominated early on and set up a table as Cora crawled under the ring. When Roxanne pulled Cora out from under the ring, Cora sprayed her with cold spray and swung her into the barricade. Back in the ring, Cora attacked with a chair and a trashcan.
On the outside, Cora choked Roxanne with a rope. She produced a chain, but Roxanne avoided the shot and came back with the rope. Back inside, Roxanne hit a kendo stick-assisted Russian legsweep for two. Roxanne maintained control until Cora gained some space and ran into the stands.
They eventually met each other on a high platform of some sort. Cora slammed Roxanne on the hard surface and pulled away the barrier. Roxanne fought back and had a chance to send Cora crashing down, but they weirdly re-adjusted and both fell down through ladders. (I think it was supposed to look like Cora pulling Roxanne down, but it just looked like they both jumped off together.)
Eventually, they made their way to the ring, where a pile of chairs was set up. Roxanne backdropped Cora onto it and hit the Pop Rocks through the chairs for the win.
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There was a segment with show hosts Shotzi and Quincy Elliott coming out to the ring. They started to do some schtick, but then Lash Legend interrupted. She has a problem with someone from Smackdown hosting the show, when Lash feels she’d do it better. Shotzi got in her face and hit her with a DDT.
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There was a Schism video promo. They have a new member who will “remove his mask.”
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Julius Creed defeated Damon Kemp in an Ambulance match [14:52]
Finally, more good stuff beyond just the opener! This was way more intense than most safety-proofed WWE hardcore matches with some wild bumps and weapon shots. Both of these guys have a ton of potential.
If Julius loses, his brother Brutus will be forced to leave NXT. Julius exploded right out of the gate, disarming Kemp’s chair and hitting a head-and-arm suplex out on the floor. They moved to a backstage area where an ambulance was set up. Julius nearly shut Kemp into it, but Kemp blocked the door from shutting with a crutch and used it to attack Julius.
Back towards the ring, Julius recovered by spraying Kemp with a fire extinguisher. Kemp fired back with a back suplex on the floor and tossed Julius into the steel steps. They moved back in the direction of the ambulance, where Kemp sent Julius into the vehicle and nearly got it closed.
Julius fired up and drove Kemp into the ring post, but back inside the ring, Kemp planted Julius on the steel steps with a spinebuster. On the outside, Julius fought back and trapped Kemp in a wheelchair with a crutch before sending him into the steps again.
They fought for control of a stretcher, leading to Kemp sending Julius into the post once again. They started chucking things at each other, including the ring bell. Kemp dropped Julius in a laundry cart and repeatedly pushed it into the ambulance. He threw Julius back into the ambulance, but Julius would not let Kemp shut the door, putting his fingers in the way.
Julius exploded out of the ambulance and slammed Kemp through a table. He repeatedly whacked Kemp with chair shots and dropped him on a stretcher before clotheslining him through a chair. Julius carried Kemp to the ambulance and slammed it shut to win the match.
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As the ambulance from the previous match drove away, we saw Mandy Rose’s Range Rover pull up with Alba Fyre driving it. Rose tried to escape into the building and then the ring, and when they both entered, the match was under way with a referee and everything. No Toxic Attraction.
NXT Women’s Championship: Mandy Rose (c) defeated Alba Fyre [6:24]
I didn’t understand this at all. Rose’s reign has been the exact same for literally a full year, with constant distraction and interference finishes interspersed with bad, boring wrestling. They finally do something different — still really bad, but different — and then they end up doing the same distraction ref bump finish as always! What is the point?! Remember when this belt was a highlight of NXT TakeOver while being held by people like Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Asuka, Shayna Baszler, Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai…?
Alba dominated at the start until Rose got an opening by pushing Alba off the top rope to the floor. Rose was in control for a long time considering she had been kidnapped/incapacitated/scared out of her mind by Alba for the previous 90 minutes. Simultaneous clotheslines led to a double down.
Rose hit a spinebuster for two. Alba came back with a powerbomb for two of her own. She climbed the ropes and hit a swanton bomb, but both of Toxic Attraction pulled the official out of the ring. Alba superkicked Jayne into the official and Dolin and hit a Gory Bomb, but there was no official to count.
Jayne and Dolin took out Alba, and Rose hit Kiss The Rose for the win.
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NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships #1 contenders Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons were backstage. Stark talked about her journey, and Lyons said she’d do it for her. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe appeared, and the two teams hyped each other up ahead of their title matches on Tuesday.
NXT lineup (10/25) —
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (c) vs. Zoey Stark & Nikkita Lyons
Awesome main event and probably the best Bron match yet. Dragunov and McDonagh are still incredible in-ring talents. After a somewhat slow start, this turned into a crazy hard-hitting affair with a real big-fight feel, and the dynamic of the two powerhouses vs. the despicable weasel was a ton of fun.
Dragunov went right at McDonagh, then Bron did the same, as they essentially ended up fighting for the privilege of beating up on McDonagh. The Irishman took advantage of their infighting and targeted Bron. There was a lot of two-in, one-out fighting as one man would cut off another as they had control on the third. Bron and Dragunov had a long exchange as McDonagh would try to sneak out a win with a quick roll-up.
At one point, when McDonagh tried to get involved, Dragonov cut him off and laid in hammer-and-anvil elbows for the near-stoppage. He then hit a running Death Valley bomb on McDonagh onto Bron in the corner before landing a coast-to-coast dropkick on both.
Bron and Dragunov laid into each other with a slugfest in the center of the ring. McDonagh was proud of himself for being the last one standing, but Dragunov popped up and pursued him out of the ring, chasing him into a backdrop from Bron. Both Bron and Dragunov traded punches and chops on McDonagh before tossing him out of the ring.
Dragunov turned his attention to Bron, who fired up with a hard clothesline. He pressed Dragunov up but was cut off by a headbutt from McDonagh. They were all down until Breakker and McDonagh made their way to the top turnbuckle. Bron landed a Frankensteiner, sending McDonagh into Dragunov.
The three all traded strikes. Dragunov crushed McDonagh with a senton before Bron sent him to the outside with a spear. McDonagh then hit an Asai moonsault on both opponents. Back in the ring, Dragunov powerbombed Bron for a near fall, crushed him with a forearm for another near fall, and then McDonagh hit a 450 splash on Dragunov for yet another near fall.
McDonagh hit Bron with a sheer drop brainbruster for another near fall. Dragunov countered the Devil Inside into repeated German suplexes. Bron then popped up and hit both opponents with a double German. He landed the diving bulldog on Dragunov, followed it up with the military press powerslam, but McDonagh pulled him off and covered Dragunov for a great near fall.
Bron dispatched McDonagh and set up for a Spear, but Dragunov countered it into a rising knee. Dragunov landed a diving senton and landed Torpedo Moscow. He covered and had it won, but McDonagh stopped the official from counting “three.” Dragunov and McDonagh traded strikes until they both left the ring, where McDonagh countered a running clothesline into a Spanish Fly on the floor.
McDonagh produced a chair and swung it at Dragunov’s foot, but Dragunov avoided landed and hit a step-up diving headbutt. Back in the ring, it was Bron and Dragunov. Dragunov laid in strikes, but Bron wouldn’t go down until Dragunov hit a German and an overhand lariat. He called for Torpedo Moscow but was cut off by a Bron Spear for the win.
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Final Thoughts —
This show was practically the definition of “hit-and-miss.” The hits (the opener, the main event, Julius vs. Kemp) all had a super tight layout and exciting, hard-hitting wrestling. The misses (Rose vs. Alba, Apollo vs. Waller, Roxanne vs. Cora) all featured genuinely awful moments and some baffling booking. Still, the show’s high marks proved that NXT continues to have a decently bright future after the failed 2.0 experiment.
This is a very busy episode of Speak Now Pro Wrestling hosted by Denise Salcedo.
There was a lot that occurred on AEW Dynamite which unfortunately included Hangman Adam Page being stretchered out, a great promo exchange between MJF and William Regal, and a lot more.
Plus on the NXT side of things, we had a very entertaining go-home show leading into WWE NXT Halloween Havoc. Tune into the show for a good time!
Another main roster wrestler is set to appear on tonight’s episode of NXT.
Kevin Owens announced this morning that he’s headed to NXT tonight to moderate a segment with Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragunov, and JD McDonagh. The segment will be the final build to Breakker, Dragunov, and McDonagh’s triple threat match for the NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc.
Owens said Shawn Michaels invited him to tonight’s NXT to make sure the in-ring segment with Breakker, Dragunov, and McDonagh doesn’t devolve into pure chaos. Owens claimed he’ll make sure there’s no fighting of any kind.
McDonagh became the number one contender to Breakker’s NXT Championship by defeating Tyler Bate last month. But Dragunov made his surprise return after that match, confronting both Breakker and McDonagh. It was Dragunov’s first appearance since having to relinquish the NXT United Kingdom Championship due to injury this July.
Halloween Havoc is airing live on Peacock/WWE Network this Saturday.
Appearances by Raquel Rodriguez, Rhea Ripley, Sonya Deville, and The OC have also been confirmed for tonight’s NXT. The show is going head-to-head with AEW Dynamite, which was moved to Tuesday this week due to a scheduling conflict with the MLB playoffs.
A tag team match with Wes Lee & Oro Mensah facing Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams has been added to the card for tonight’s NXT as well. Lee, Mensah, and Hayes will be three of the participants in the ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship at Halloween Havoc.
The updated card for tonight’s show is listed below
WWE NXT (Tuesday, October 18) —
Kevin Owens will moderate a segment with NXT Champion Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragunov, and JD McDonagh
Roxanne Perez vs. Rhea Ripley
Cora Jade vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Alba Fyre vs. Sonya Deville
The Schism (Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid) vs. Cameron Grimes & The OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)
Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. an opponent of Tony D’Angelo’s choosing
Wes Lee & Oro Mensah vs. Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams
A triple threat match for the NXT Championship has been added to October 22’s Halloween Havoc.
Tuesday’s NXT opened with both Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh laying claim to being the next contender for the NXT Championship. Bron Breakker came out and addressed both men. McDonagh suggested that Breakker and Dragunov face each other, with the winner facing him. Breakker rejected that suggestion and instead called for a triple threat match at Halloween Havoc, which was eventually confirmed.
Dragunov made his return to NXT last week, confronting McDonagh after he won a number one contendership match, defeating Tyler Bate. Dragunov on NXT tonight said he never lost the NXT UK Championship as he had to vacate it earlier in the summer due to injury.
Here is the lineup so far for Halloween Havoc:
NXT Championship: Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh
Ladder match for NXT North American Championship: Carmelo Hayes vs. Oro Mensah vs. Wes Lee vs. two other participants
A former NXT United Kingdom Champion made his return in the show-closing angle of last night’s NXT.
For the first time since having to vacate the NXT UK title due to injury, Ilja Dragunov appeared on WWE programming last night. He confronted NXT Champion Bron Breakker and JD McDonagh after the main event of the episode.
In that main event, McDonagh defeated Tyler Bate to become the number one contender to Breakker’s NXT Championship. But McDonagh wasn’t the only person with their eyes on the title. As Breakker and McDonagh were going face-to-face, Dragunov’s music hit and he made his way out to the ring. The show ended with a staredown between all three.
There was also a significant development regarding the NXT North American Championship last night. Shawn Michaels informed Solo Sikoa that he would have to relinquish the title, and it was announced that there will be a five-way ladder match at NXT Halloween Havoc on Saturday, October 22 to crown the new North American Champion.
Sikoa defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the North American title last week, but Sikoa wasn’t supposed to be in the match. Wes Lee, who won a fan vote for the right to challenge Hayes, was taken out of the title match when he was attacked backstage by Hayes and Trick Williams.
Hayes and Oro Mensah (former NXT UK Tag Team Champion Oliver Carter) are the first two wrestlers to be confirmed for the Halloween Havoc ladder match. Lee and Tony D’Angelo will face off in a qualifier next week.
Join Denise Salcedo and special guest co-host Coale Henderson on Speak Now Pro Wrestling to chat WWE NXT!
Tonight’s episode featured the NXT North American title being vacated, the return of Ilja Dragunov, and a banger main event between Tyler Bate and JD McDonagh!
Ilja Dragunov made his return to NXT on Tuesday, immediately making it clear he wanted the next shot at the NXT Championship.
The main event had JD McDonagh defeat Tyler Bate to become the number one contender for the NXT title. Bron Breakker, who was doing commentary at ringside, entered the ring and the two had a staredown. Dragunov then came out and stared down both men. Breakker held up the title to end the show, indicating he’d defend against both men.
Dragunov, who won the NXT UK Championship from Gunther last August, vacated the title back in July, citing an injury. McDonagh lost to Dragunov earlier this year in a loser leaves NXT UK match on the May 12 edition of the program.
McDonagh challenged Bron Breakker for the NXT Champion back on Heatwave on August 16. Breakker pinned McDonagh to retain the championship, then unified the NXT and NXT UK Championships earlier this month by defeating Tyler Bate at Worlds Collide.
Dragunov appeared at the end of the first set of NXT tapings that took place Wednesday night. The end of the show had Bron Breakker confront JD McDonagh, who defeated Tyler Bate to become the number one contender for the NXT Championship. That was when Dragunov came out as the three had a staredown.
Dragunov was a mainstay on the NXT UK roster and had held the NXT UK Championship once, defeating Gunther at NXT TakeOver 36 back in August of 2021. He vacated the championship on the July 7 edition of NXT UK, saying he had suffered an injury and was no longer able to defend the championship.
Here are spoilers for next week’s WWE NXT, taped at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Nathan Frazer defeated Axiom in their best of three series.
Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) defeated Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley
Schism came out to do a promo. During the promo, a hooded figure with a yellow mask on watched through the entranceway.
The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid) defeated Edris Enofe and Malik Blade
Cora Jade defeated Wendy Choo. After the match, Lash Legend attacked Choo.
Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward defeated Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams
Oro Mensah defeated Grayson Waller. Apollo Crews came out during the match and aided Mensah in victory.
JD McDonagh defeated Tyler Bate in a number one contenders match for the NXT Championship. McDonagh and NXT Champion Bron Breaker confronted one another after the match. Ilja Dragunov then came to the ring and confronted both men.
Ilja Dragunov relinquishes NXT United Kingdom Championship
NXT United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov came out on crutches and was wearing a walking boot. Dragunov said that — in his title defense against Wolfgang — he severely injured his ankle and was not medically cleared to compete. They showed the scene from the match where Dragunov landed badly on his foot.
Dragunov talked about never giving up and said the only man able to beat him was himself. Dragunov said he would not talk about his hard upbringing or hard work, as other people had similar fates and also worked hard. He said he left pieces of his soul in the ring and they were everywhere on the canvas.
Dragunov said he had to relinquish the title but would come back stronger and would get it back. He then placed the belt on the canvas and kissed it goodbye.
– Chase U toured London and eventually arrived at the NXT UK Performance Center, where Sha Samuels sat in front of the building. Andre Chase encouraged Bodhi Hayward to give Samuels a pep talk. The East End Bookie was not amused. He berated Hayward and told him he still had trunks and boots.
– Johnny Saint and Sid Scala were approached backstage and asked about the now-vacant NXT UK title. Scala said there would be an eight-man tournament to crown the new champion and they would announce the participants later tonight.
Oliver Carter defeated Rohan Raja (w/ Teoman and Charlie Dempsey) (5:25)
Carter started out strong, beating on Raja and clotheslining him to the outside. Charlie Dempsey distracted the referee while Teoman trapped Carter in the apron, where Raja could attack him.
Raja locked in an abdominal stretch, then kept dominating Carter. Carter came back and eventually hit a springboard moonsault. Raja threw Carter to the outside, but Carter turned the throw into a dive on the rest of Die Familie. He then hit a spinning heel kick on Raja in the corner for the victory.
After the match, Die Familie immediately attacked Carter. Dempsey put Carter in a half-crab/kneebar before officials pulled him off.
– Thea Hail was backstage talking about why she chose to go to Chase U. Eliza Alexander walked in, told her she went to the School of Hard Knocks, and said she was sick of Americans coming over (you and me both, Eliza) and taking opportunities from her. Alexander challenged Hail to a match and went off on Chase U, which greatly upset Hail.
– Die Familie was walking backstage and talking about taking out Carter. They were asked why they were happy, since Raja actually lost. Teoman sent his men away and said that the eye always had a plan and they actually won. Sam Gradwell walked up, said Teoman needed his men as backup, and said he would take Teoman out if they faced off in the ring alone.
Sha Samuels defeated Bodhi Hayward (w/ Andre Chase and Thea Hail) (4:45)
Samuels came out in ragged, grimy clothes and was begging fans for money with his hat. Hayward was disgusted with Samuels’ body odor.
Hayward threw Samuels around but fell for a fake test of strength and got kicked in the gut. Hayward threw Samuels to ringside, where Hail screamed at him with her megaphone. Back in the ring, Samuels took back over and beat down Hayward.
Samuels came off the second rope, but Hayward caught him with a power slam, then hit a number of tackles to the leg and shoulders. Hayward hit a big splash for a near fall.
Hayward missed a corner attack, hit his head on the turnbuckle, and got pinned after a spinebuster.
– Oliver Carter came out of the doctor’s room and said his leg was in bad shape. Sid Scala ran up to Carter and told him we was in the title tournament and his match was next week. Carter said he’d be ready as he limped away.
The bracket for the NXT UK Championship tournament is:
Left side of the bracket —
Oliver Carter vs. Charlie Dempsey
Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven
Right side of the bracket —
Tyler Bate vs. Kenny Williams
Joe Coffey vs. Mark Andrews
NXT UK Women’s Championship number one contender’s match: Blair Davenport vs. Isla Dawn ended in a no contest (7:15)
This was originally supposed to be Meiko Satomura defending the NXT UK Women’s Championship against Sarray, but Blair Davenport came out and said Satomura and Sarray were “experiencing some difficulties” (I don’t think the match was ever taped at the previous set of tapings).
Davenport talked about how she would have been champion if not for her leg injury. Sid Scala entered and told Davenport to go to the back. Eventually, Amale, Eliza Alexander, and Isla Dawn all came out and bickered. Scala then made Davenport vs. Dawn as a number one contender’s match.
Davenport dominated briefly. Dawn quickly took over before getting stopped with a kick to the gut. They went back and forth, then Dawn scored a near fall off a running kick to the chest. She locked in a chinbar, which Davenport eventually countered into a small package.
Davenport followed up with a dropkick to the back of Dawn’s head for a near fall. Dawn hit a head kick and backdrop driver for a two count of her own. Dawn hit a top rope double knee and looked to have the match won, but Alexander pulled her out of the ring mid-pin.
Amale then was in the ring and hit Davenport with a kick. Dawn took out Amale, Alexander took out Dawn, and then all four women brawled in the ring and were eventually separated by the officials.
Final Thoughts —
Though it didn’t have a finish, the main event was a good match and had a good brawl at the end. The opener was fine, and Oliver Carter especially looked good. Bodhi Hayward and most of the NXT 2.0 wrestlers should not be on my television screen on Thursdays, but I guess it is what it is. Guys like him need to be on all the Florida Loop house shows going forward.
Ilja Dragunov’s injury sucks and I hope he recovers and comes back strong. The tournament matches that were announced all should be good to great.
Next Week —
NXT UK Championship tournament first-round match: Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven
NXT UK Championship tournament first-round match: Oliver Carter vs. Charlie Dempsey
A tournament to crown the next NXT United Kingdom Champion will begin airing next week.
Today’s NXT UK opened with the announcement that Ilja Dragunov has to vacate the NXT Championship due to injury. It was later revealed that an eight-man tournament for the vacant title will begin on next Thursday’s NXT UK episode.
The bracket for the tournament is:
Left side of the bracket —
Oliver Carter vs. Charlie Dempsey
Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven
Right side of the bracket —
Tyler Bate vs. Kenny Williams
Joe Coffey vs. Mark Andrews
Carter vs. Dempsey and Wolfgang vs. Seven will air next Thursday (August 11). Bate vs. Williams and Coffey vs. Andrews will then air the following week (August 18).
Dragunov, who was on crutches and wearing a protective boot on his foot, opened today’s NXT UK by addressing the crowd. Dragunov announced that he suffered a severe ankle injury during his title defense against Wolfgang last week, and the NXT UK medical team won’t clear him to compete. Dragunov said no one knows how long it will be until he’ll be able to recover, so he has to relinquish the NXT UK title.
Dragunov left the title belt in the ring, vowing that he’ll come back stronger and become champion again.
NXT UK Tag Team Champions Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen defeated Mark Andrews & Wild Boar to retain their titles (9:05)
Jensen and Boar started with Boar outwrestling the bigger man. Boar and Andrews double-teamed Jensen until he made the tag to Briggs. The champs came back with a suplex into a powerslam on Andrews.
After being worked over for a few minutes, Andrews turned a double-team powerbomb into a Stun Dog Millionaire and tagged in Boar, who ran wild and scored a number of near falls on Briggs. Andrews and Boar hit a dropkick/German suplex combo on Jensen, followed by a frog splash by Boar for a near fall.
Briggs had Andrews up for a long delayed vertical suplex, but Andrews hit another Stun Dog Millionaire. But Andrews missed a Shooting Star Press when Briggs moved. Briggs and Jensen then hit their awkward high/low combination finisher for the win.
The teams shook hands following the match.
– After running in on Trent Seven last week, Tyler Bate was backstage and grabbed a camera. Bate said he had loved Seven like a brother but now was coming to “get” him.
– There was a press conference with NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura and her next challenger Sarray. They spoke in Japanese and Sarray then said in English that she was the sunrise and Satomura was the sunset. Satomura said no one could beat her.
They posed for a photo and Satomura stared at Sarray, which slightly flustered her.
Blair Davenport defeated Amale (5:47)
Amale dropped Davenport early with a double palm strike and head kick, but Davenport avoided a running kick to the corner. Davenport followed up with a slam and beat up Amale at ringside.
Davenport missed a stomp off the turnbuckles and it looked like her previously injured ankle was still causing her issues. She still scored a near fall, but Amale came back with a suplex and face wash in the corner. Amale went for the Hopebreaker, but Davenport countered into a roll-up. Davenport then followed up with a knee to the face and the Falcon Arrow for the pinfall victory.
– Oliver Carter was at Die Familie’s dinner table and did a voiceover with a German accent, just as Teoman usually does. He then switched to his own accent and started upsetting the table decoration. Carter wrote a letter to Die Familie and told them that Rohan Raja was next. Teoman then read the letter and was furious.
– People were still cashing their bets with Sha Samuels. As he had no money left, Samuels paid people with his shoes and various track jackets. He was distraught and half naked by the end.
– A segment announced NXT 2.0’s Chase U would make their NXT UK debut next week. Oliver Carter vs. Rohan Raja also was made official for next Thursday’s episode.
NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov defeated Wolfgang to retain his title (15:57)
Wolfgang backed Dragunov into a corner but let him out without any further attack. Dragunov took Wolfgang down with a side headlock but could not take him off his feet with tackles, while Wolfgang put Dragunov down with ease.
A few minutes into the match, Dragunov’s back gave out and he was also bleeding from the elbow. Dragunov went for a running kick, but Wolfgang caught him and slammed him into the corner.
Wolfgang worked over the champion’s back with submission attempts. Dragunov went for a bridge, dodging another attack and collapsing once more. Dragunov fought back, but his back kept giving him major problems.
After a failed attempt, Dragunov finally hit a flying head kick and a knee in the corner. He seemed to have injured his ankle in addition to his back. Dragunov hit a number of elbows and a senton, which did his back no favors.
Wolfgang survived a number of clotheslines, then hit one of his own for a near fall. He hit a Torture Rack into a backbreaker for another two count. Dragunov came back with a falling punch that almost had Wolfgang knocked out, but Wolfgang still kicked out of the subsequent pin.
Dragunov hit a top rope senton that may have injured him more than Wolfgang. He went for Torpedo Moscow, but Wolfgang countered it and hit a caveman toss suplex for another near fall. Wolfgang went for a vaulting spear, but Dragunov kicked him in the face.
Dragunov then deadlifted Wolfgang for a huge slam and followed with Torpedo Moscow for the pinfall victory and successful title defense.
The two competitors shook hands after the match.
Final Thoughts —
The main event was fantastic and Dragunov’s selling of his back was as good as Bryan Danielson’s selling of his head on last night’s AEW Dynamite. Hard-hitting and brutal with great psychology. Go out of your way to watch this one if you can.
Davenport looked strong in her comeback and the tag team match also was fun, mostly due to the big man/little man dynamic and Andrews & Boar, even though Briggs & Jensen didn’t look out of place.
Next Week —
NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura defends against Sarray
An NXT UK Championship match is set to air on July 28.
It was revealed on NXT UK this week that Wolfgang challenging Ilja Dragunov for the title will air in two weeks.
Wolfgang cut a promo directed at the NXT UK Champion during Thursday’s show.
“People need to remember who Wolfgang is, just how bad I can be in that ring,” he said. “Someone needs to take that title from you, why not Wolfy?”
NXT UK also revealed three matches set to air next week.
Sam Gradwell will face Trent Seven in singles action. This was set up in an angle from last week’s show. Seven defeated Tate Mayfairs and then continued to attack him after the bell until Gradwell made the save. Then on this week’s show, footage aired of Seven attacking Gradwell in the NXT UK Performance Center.
Dave Mastiff vs. Josh Morrell is also scheduled for next week. This was set up in a backstage segment on Thursday. Mastiff approached Morrell and congratulated him on his win over Primate before revealing they will face each other next week.
Also next week, Isla Dawn will face Fallon Henley. They were involved in a short segment from the Performance Center on this week’s show.
Announced lineup for the July 21 episode of NXT UK:
Fallon Henley vs. Isla Dawn
Dave Mastiff vs. Josh Morrell
Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell
Announced lineup for the July 28 episode of NXT UK:
NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov defends against Wolfgang
