Two members of former WWE NXT faction Gallus are set to debut for MLW this month.
Scottish brothers Joe & Mark Coffey are the latest entrants confirmed for MLW Battle Riot VIII, a 40-man battle royal that’s being held in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29. It’s an anything goes Royal Rumble-style match where eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. The winner earns a future shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship that is currently held by Mads Krule Krugger.
Both Coffey brothers (and their Gallus faction mate Wolfgang) were released by WWE in May 2025. They spent time in both NXT UK and NXT while with WWE, with Mark Coffey being a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion and Heritage Cup Champion. Joe & Mark are both free agents and are taking bookings internationally.
Among the other Battle Riot participants will be Alex Hammerstone, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Killer Kross, KUSHIDA, Templario, Bishop Dyer, Donovan Dijak, Adam Brooks, Ikuro Kwon, Okumura, Matthew Justice, Paul London, Mr. Thomas, Diego Hill, Jesus Rodriguez, and Austin Aries.
MLW’s YouTube channel is broadcasting the Battle Riot event live. So far, only two matches have been announced for the card:
MLW Battle Riot VIII (Thursday, January 29) —
40-person Battle Riot match for future MLW World Heavyweight Championship shot
MLW Middleweight Champion Templario defends against Kushida
This will be the fourth time the two have been in the ring together dating back to the May 14 episode when they were both declared winners of a triple-threat match that also included Josh Briggs. Oba Femi then won a triple-threat match against Coffey and Lee at Battleground, and two weeks ago Gallus defeated Lee and New Catch Republic, with Coffey getting the pin on Lee for his team.
Six matches are now confirmed for Tuesday’s show.
WWE NXT announced lineup for Tuesday, June 25 —
Trick Williams vs. Shawn Spears
Heritage Cup Champion Tony D’Angelo defends against Nathan Frazer
Tag Team Turmoil match with the winners earning an NXT Tag Team title shot at Heatwave: Edris Enofe & Malik Blade vs. Chase U vs. New Catch Republic vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows
The build to Battleground continues on tonight’s edition of WWE NXT. Taped last week, this episode determines more contenders for championship matches.
A triple threat match airing tonight will determine the next challenger for Oba Femi’s NXT North American Championship. Wes Lee, Josh Briggs, and Joe Coffey are competing for the title shot on the episode that airs tonight.
Originally announced as Lee vs. Briggs vs. Ivar, but Ivar is out of action due to a serious injury. He was written off the show with an injury angle that also returned a return. That aired as a cliffhanger that ended last week’s episode.
Gallus made their return to NXT last week in an angle where they laid out Lee, Briggs, and Ivar. After that, Lee and Briggs both requested that Coffey be added to tonight’s match so they can get their revenge.
Thea Hail vs. Fallon Henley and Jaida Parker vs. Brinley Reece will decide the next two participants for the inaugural Women’s North American Championship ladder match. That title match is set for Battleground, with Lash Legend and Sol Ruca having already qualified for the bout. Battleground is taking place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 9.
Also airing on the episode tonight, Natalya & Karmen Petrovic team up against Shayna Baszler & Lola Vice in a tag match.
Our coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Opening the show is a qualifying match for the upcoming championship ladder match.
Fallon Henley defeated Thea Hail (with Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Riley Osborne & Ridge Holland) to qualify for the NXT Women’s North American Championship ladder match at Battleground
Henley pinned Hail in a good match. Holland and Chase U are ejected from ringside, thanks to a ploy by Henley. Henley would use another ploy for the finish, before delivering a shining wizard. Jazmyn Nyz runs in after the match for a sneak attack on Hail.
Hail made an early comeback in the match, before the fight spilled outside. At that point, Hail launched herself through the ropes with a wild dive. The crafty heel then plays a trick to shift the momentum back into her favor.
Henley gets a metal folding chair from underneath the ring. She did so in plain view of Chase U and Ridge Holland, but apparently unseen by the referee. He turns around a moment after Ridge Holland takes the chair away from Henley, and the ref sees Holland holding the chair. The ref then ejects Holland and the Chase U faction. Henley blows them a kiss as the show cuts to a commercial break.
Hail fires up again after the commercial break. She shows a lot of fire, along with a mean face. That angry determination would eventually cost her the match. Henley tries to slingshot herself off the middle rope into a suplex on Hail, but Hail counters with a submission hold. Hail catches Henley in the Kimura lock.
Moments before going home, Henley gator rolls out of the ring with the Kimura lock still locked in. Henley finally breaks the hold by driving Hail into the barricade. After breaking the hold, Henley uses Hail’s anger against her with another heel trick.
Hail hulks up and chases Henley into the ring, where Henley meets her with a shining wizard. Henley then hooks a leg and covers Hail for a three count. In winning, Henley qualifies for the championship ladder match at Battleground.
With her Chase U pals being ejected earlier in the match, Hail is alone in the ring after the bell. Jazmyn Nyz ambushes Hail in an attack. A beat down ensues.
Kelly Kincaid interviews Gallus. Joe Coffey cuts a menacing promo ahead of his triple threat match later on. Mark Coffey, alongside Wolfgang, also chimes in to warn everyone that Gallus is back.
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom defeated The D’Angelo Family (Luca Crusifino & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo with Tony D’Angelo & Adriana Rizzo) to retain their titles
Frazier pinned Stacks with a small package, following a run in by No Quarter Catch Crew. They attack Tony D’Angelo. The O.C. also run in for a post-match beat down on the champions, probably setting up a tag title match.
Lots of high spots and flying in this tag title bout. Stacks and Crusifino turn the tables as the show cuts to a commercial break. They take control with some high spots of their own. Frazier is cut off from tagging out, and he is in trouble. Frazier then moonsaults into a Scorpion drop, and he is finally able to tag out.
Hot tag to Axiom, and he is a house of fire. Stacks is able to kick out of a few near falls after taking big moves from the champions. Crusifino cuts off the champs, then he and Stacks execute a tandem slam on Frazier. Axiom is able to make a save to break up a pinning attempt.
In the closing moments, Stacks gives Frazier a superplex for another near fall. Crusifino tries to leap off the top rope, like they were doing the old Power & Glory finish. However, Axiom makes another save. He superkicks Crusifino and wipes him out.
The No Quarter Catch Crew of Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp and Myles Borne run in just before the finish. They gang up on Tony D’Angelo and attack him. Meanwhile, Frazier catches Stacks in a small package for a the deciding pinfall. Stack immediately bails out of the ring to join the brawl at ringside. Crusifino joins in the melee, and they all brawl their way off set.
The O.C. (Good Brothers) run in to jump the champions. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows attack Frazier & Axiom, and the champs are laid out. Good Brothers pose with the tag title belts, as they stand over the actual champs.
Mr. Stone and Lexis King argue in a skit. NXT General Manager Ava breaks up the argument, and she books King against a mystery opponent for later tonight.
Riley Osborne and Ridge Holland get into an argument backstage over the finish in Thea Hail’s match. Chase tells them to settle it in the ring, thus setting up an upcoming singles match.
NXT North American Champion Oba Femi enters the sound stage ahead of the triple threat match, which determines his next challenger. The champ will watch the match from ringside while doing guest commentary.
Wes Lee and Joe Coffey declared co-winners of the triple threat match against Josh Briggs to determine the next challengers for the NXT North American Championship
Instead of determine one top contender, there ends up being two. Briggs is odd man out, although he did work hard to have a good match with the other two. Briggs is able to save face as he is attacked by Mark Coffey & Wolfgang, which took him out of the match.
Lee fires up and launches himself into a dive on Coffey, just before Briggs is jumped by Gallus. Lee then climbs the turnbuckles, and jumps off. Coffey dodges Lee, and Lee lands on his feet. Lee then springboards off the middle rope. Lee and Coffey collide like two rams butting heads. They both fall on top of Briggs, and the referee counts a pinfall.
Lee and Coffey would later be announced as co-winners. In a skit later in the show, Ava tells Oba Femi he will defend against both Lee and Coffey in a triple threat match at Battleground.
Natalya & Karmen Petrovic offer some encouraging words to each other in a backstage interview.
Brinley Reece is preparing for her match in a locker room skit. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade are unsure of being in Reece’s corner because of Enofe’s string of bad luck.
Jaida Parker defeated Brinley Reece to qualify for the NXT Women’s North American Championship ladder match at Battleground
Parker pinned Reece after a hip attack, called “The Tear Drop Hip Check” on commentary. The other qualifying match had a better story, but this match was not without its stories. More like Days of Our Lives than mat classic, though. Enofe & Blade watch from the aisle, which is apparently close enough for Enofe’s bad luck to cost Reece the match, or something like that. Parker still looked strong in winning, as she thwarted a comeback by Reece.
A vignette shows someone waking up from a nap and putting on their slippers, which plays into recent teasers that depicted an alarm clock. Leads me to speculate it is possibly Wendy Choo.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is the focus of a video package. She cuts a promo as a highlight reel plays. After that airs, Ava hints at the next challenger for Perez. She is on the phone with an unknown caller, basically teasing it will be someone from outside NXT. The mystery challenger will be revealed next week.
Dante Chen defeated Lexis King
Second match on the card with an inside cradle for the finish. Chen cradled King with a small package to win the match. It was played up like an upset, as Chen is victorious on his surprise return to NXT.
King cuts a cocky promo before the match, which is interrupted by Mr. Stone. He then introduces Chen as King’s opponent. Chen gets a grand entrance, clearly getting a push.
NXT Champion Trick Williams is introduced before the live studio audience, and he enters the ring wearing street clothes. His title belt is around his waist. All business on this episode, Williams insists he gets serious. That led to Williams denying he attacked Noam Dar in angle from last week.
Meta-Four (minus Dar) interrupt Williams. Jakara Jackson and Oro Mensah cut promos insulting Williams. They accuse Willaims of attacking Dar. Lash Legend chimes in to defend Williams. Mensah questions which side Legend is on, and Williams in turn threatens Mensah.
Joe Coffey comes out for another interruption. Coffey bets Williams is wondering why the person (Coffey) who won a title shot at the North American title is talking to the NXT Champion. Turns out to be a distraction so that Gallus could jump Williams with a sneak attack.
Mark Coffey and Wolfgang attack Williams, and Joe Coffey rushed into the ring to join in. They are hanging up on Williams when Je’Von Evans runs to help Williams. Evans valiantly tries to fight off Gallus, but he is soon overwhelmed and outnumbered. Williams hulks up, but he is outnumbered as well. Williams is laid out, and Gallus stand over him. This angle sets up a tag match for next week, which is announced later in the show.
Mr. Stone and Ava both congratulate Chen on his win. Chen leaves, and Ava congratulates on Stone on making a star.
Hip hop artist Sexyy Red is advertised for an appearance next week on the show. Also announced for next Tuesday on NXT:
A reveal of who is the next challenger for Roxanne Perez’s NXT Women’s Championship
Michin vs. Tatum Paxley in a NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifier
Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair in a NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifier
Ridge Holland vs. Riley Osborne
NXT Champion Trick Williams & Je’Von Evans vs. Gallus
Karmen Petrovic & Natalya defeated Shayna Baszler & Lola Vice in a tag team match
Petrovic pinned Vice after a Hart Attack finisher. Following the match, Vice turned on Baszler. They then have a brawl, which sets up an Underground match between at Battleground.
This was put in the main event slot, and it was played up as such on commentary. Although maybe not a marquee match, it still leads to an angle afterwards where Vice turns on Baszler.
Vice and Baszler wore matching gis to the ring, but there is friction apparent beforehand. In a locker room skit before the match, Baszler takes exception at Vice dancing. Baszler cautions her not to dance in their match tonight. That would play into the finish, and the angle after the match.
Petrovic is worked over during the match, which goes through a split-screen commercial break. Hot tag to Natalya, and Nattie cleans house.
Vice is being double teamed when Baszler makes a save. There is a tease of another inside cradle finish, but it was a near falls this time. Baszler escapes an attempted sharpshooter, only for Baszler to get knocked out of the ring. Vice with a back fist for a near fall, as Petrovic makes a save.
Nattie runs into another back fist from Vice, who then teases applying the sharpshooter on Nattie. Vice dances and shakes her hips, and Vice slowly attempts to apply the leglock. Nattie reverses the application, and Nattie has Vice trapped in the sharpshooter. Baszler breaks up the hold by attacking Nattie. Petrovic leaps off the top rope into the arms of Baszler, and Baszler applies the Kirifuda Clutch. Petrovic counters to send Baszler crashing outside the ring.
For the finish, Nattie & Petrovic do the old Hard Foundation finisher. Nattie holds Vice so that Petrovic can clothesline her with The Hart Attack. Petrovic then covers Vice for a pinfall.
Vice turns on Baszler after the match, and Vice boots her with a roundhouse kick. Vice dances on the apron in celebration (even though she lost the match). Baszler rises to her feet and sees Vice dancing yet again. An enraged Baszler catches Vice in the Clutch. Referees pour out and separate them. The women pull apart and keep brawling, which leads to GM Ava coming out to book a match between them at Battleground. Baszler then grabs the microphone to shout add an Underground stipulation. The melee continues as the show goes off the air.
WWE has officially announced a change to one of the matches that will be airing on NXT this week.
It will be Wes Lee vs. Josh Briggs vs. Joe Coffey in an NXT North American Championship number one contender’s match this Tuesday night. The match was initially announced as Lee vs. Briggs vs. Ivar, but Ivar is out of action due to injury.
Tuesday’s NXT episode was taped in advance last week with Coffey replacing Ivar. Spoilers for the episode can be found here.
The change comes after last week’s NXT ended with an angle where the returning Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) attacked Lee, Briggs, and Ivar backstage. In storyline, Ivar’s injury was blamed on that attack. Ivar has confirmed that his injury is legitimate and “very serious.”
To explain Coffey being in the match, WWE had Lee and Briggs both ask NXT general manager Ava to add Coffey so they could get their revenge. Ava then posted a tweet confirming Coffey’s addition.
A new match has been added to the lineup for WWE NXT.
Following a backstage confrontation last week, Ridge Holland and Joe Coffey are now scheduled for singles action on Tuesday’s show.
Holland and Coffey also wrestled last night at NXT’s live event in Fort Pierce, Florida. It was their first singles match against each other. They also shared a ring when Brawling Brutes and Gallus had a Pub Rules match on NXT last October.
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After last week's run-in backstage, @RidgeWWE and @Joe_Coffey will go one-on-one THIS TUESDAY on #WWENXT!
WWE also announced we’ll hear from the new NXT North American Champion Oba Femi on Tuesday as well.
After shocking the world with his defeat of @dragonlee95 last week, we will hear from the NEW North American Champion, Oba Femi, THIS TUESDAY on #WWENXT!
This week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan before Monday’s episode of Raw.
A solid episode of the show this week, with even more new faces as the show continues to promote NXT talent, allowing them to perform in front of pre-Raw crowds.
Apollo Crews defeated Myles Borne (5:13)
This was fine. Crews is starting to gain some momentum following his injury earlier this year against a debuting Myles Borne.
Borne made his Main Event debut in what was his first-ever appearance on a main roster WWE show. And for a guy who hasn’t had a ton of matches in his career to date, he did well.
The comparisons to Randy Orton have been with Borne since he joined the company and he did nothing to dispel that, showing an attitude here and also using a quick scoop slam a la Orton at one point.
Crews took the early going, dominating and slowing the pace of the match down. It was only when Borne thumbed his eye that the tide turned.
After some basic offense, Crews fired up with his usual splashes to the corner and the standing moonsault. Borne dodged a second splash and used a neckbreaker (not an RKO) for a near fall.
In the end, Crews hit Borne with an enzuigiri to line him up for a frog splash off the top rope and get his hand raised in back-to-back wins on Main Event.
Joe Coffey defeated Von Wagner (6:59)
This was a slow and steady bout that got going towards the end as Coffey got a surprising victory in his debut.
While Von Wagner has had a few sporadic appearances on Main Event over the last three years, this was Joe Coffey’s first outing on the show and so felt good for him to get a win. Wagner, however, goes to 0-6 with this loss.
Before the break, Wagner was in control and after the commercials, Coffey was working a comeback. He secured a submission and the match slowed right down after quite an explosive start.
Wagner worked his way out and culminated in a double underhook suplex for a two-count. Coffey blocked Wagner’s chokeslam attempt and then they went to the finish.
After Wagner had Coffey on his shoulder looking to finish him, Coffey raked his eyes and used his discuss lariat to get the win.
WWE finishes setting the stage for No Mercy on tonight’s go-home edition of NXT.
NXT’s Global Heritage Invitational concludes with Group A winner Butch facing Group B winner Joe Coffey in the finals. The winner advances to challenge Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at No Mercy this Saturday.
Carmelo Hayes is putting his NXT Championship on the line against Ilja Dragunov at Saturday’s event. Dragunov earned the title shot with a victory over Wes Lee. Tonight, Hayes and Dragunov meet for a contract signing.
We’ll hear from NXT Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Tiffany Stratton ahead of their title match. Stratton is getting her shot to win back the title in an extreme rules match at No Mercy.
Bron Breakker vs. Baron Corbin has been made official for No Mercy. Corbin is facing Josh Briggs on tonight’s show.
Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak in a strap match and Gigi Dolin vs. Blair Davenport are also part of the lineup for tonight’s NXT. Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Cold open, meaning no introductory video package aside from the “Together” montage. The show opens live from the soundstage at the Performance Center in Orlando with the finals of a weeks-long tournament.
Butch defeated Joe Coffey (with Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) in the Global Heritage International tournament final
Butch pinned Coffey in a great opener. They capped off the tourney with a strong match. Butch now moves on to challenging Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at No Mercy.
Butch goes to work on an arm. He targets the arm with stomps. Wolfgang interferes and hits Butch with a right hand cheap shot. Butch soon fights back, and he does a dive that wipes out Wolfgang & Mark Coffey. The Gallus cornermen are soon ejected by the referee, just as the show cuts to its first commercial break.
The wrestle through the a split-screen break, and they are fighting in the ropes as the show returns. They end up on the apron traded blows. Coffey gets DDT’d on the apron, but Coffey recovers rather quickly. Coffey springboards into a high cross as Booker T mistakenly calls him “Joe Gacy” on commentary. That clip might make it on Botchamania.
The battle continues in the ring. Coffey delivers a Glasgow Sendoff, and he winds up for a lariat finisher. Butch counters with an enzuigiri, only to eat a lariat. Butch plays possum like Bret Hart, and Butch suddenly pops up to grap Coffey in an armbar. Butch goes for his finger break spot, but Coffey escapes.
Coffey with a powerbomb, Glasgow Sendoff, and his discus lariat finisher. Butch gets a shoulder up for a near fall. The fight soon spills outside the ring, and Coffey crashes into the ring steps. Butch capitalizes with the Bitter End, and he covers Coffey for pinfall.
In winning, Butch earns a shot at Noam Dar’s Heritage Cup on Saturday at No Mercy.
McKenzie Mitchell informs NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio that he will defend his title on Saturday against the winner of a triple threat match on tonight’s show. Mysterio was unaware and caught off guard, as that interfered with his plans to sit at home with “Mami” and eat “chicken tendies.” I can understand his frustration.
NXY Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo & Stacks are joined Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza for a skit at a restaurant. To be continued later in the show, as other teams are coming to the sit-down.
Trick Williams defeated Joe Gacy (with Ava)
Some rope running to start out the match. With the soundstage as a backdrop, the rope running reminded me of studio wrestling of a bygone era. There was also a chinlock, furthering the nostalgia. Likewise, this match was short like a lot of studio matches.
Gacy got to pummel Williams some, but Williams soon has a few move comeback that included a Booker T-style leg lariat. Gacy tries to cut him off, only to eat a running knee strike. Williams then covers Gacy for a three count.
Kelly Kincaid joins Williams in the ring afterwards for a post-match interview. Williams says he is ambidextrous because he can “whoop ass with both hands.” Williams is asked about Carmelo Hayes defending his NXT title, and Williams predicts Hayes is retaining on Saturday. Williams concludes by saying he is looking for a championship of his own.
Blair Davenport threatens Gigi Dolan in a backstage interview.
Corbin pinned Briggs in another short match. Corbin is being build up for a match on Saturday with Bron Breakker, and Corbin cuts a promo on Breakker after the win over Briggs. Breakker confronts Corbin, leading to a post-match pull-apart scuffle.
Briggs was looking strong, until a Corbin uses a dirty tactic to turn the tide. Corbin uses the referee as human shield, and then he cheap shots Briggs. Corbin with a flying clothesline followed by End of Days. Corbin then hooks a leg for a pinfall on Briggs.
Corbin cuts a promo on Breakker after the match, and out comes Breakker to interrupt. Breakker marches into the ring and starts a fight with Corbin. There is a pull-apart brawl, further heating up their match on Saturday.
Trick Willaims is seen walking into Shawn Michael’s office.
A video package hypes up the NXT Women’s Championship match at No Mercy, where Becky Lynch defends against former champion Tiffany Stratton in a no hold barred match.
OTM (Lucien Price & Bronco Nima with Scrypts) defeated Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
Price & Nima look promising, while Hank & Tank are really good together. Tank is very impressive, and he seemed to have more charisma than the others. Too bad his team lost the match, but it helps to push Price & Lima. I am just sad Tank dropped the fall. Push the guy for goodness sake, he has got something.
Just before the finish, Scrypts gets involved when he ties up Walker. Meanwhile, Tank has Nima lifted on his shoulders, when Price comes in to superkick Tank. Nima & Price then execute their double-team finisher on Tank, and Nima covers him for the pinfall. The wrong guy took the fall here.
The Creeds join the dinner with the tag champs and the team formerly knows as Los Lotharios.
Trick Williams informs Axiom and Tyler Bate than the triple threat match they were in is now a fatal four way that includes Williams.
Eddy Thorpe defeated Dijak in a strap match
Thorpe pinned Dijak to win the match. None of those dumb touch the corner rules, which is an improvement over past WWE strap matches. The finish itself seems sort of anti-climatic, even if Thorpe won. Dijak got his heat back after the match. Dijak was also busted open just before the finish.
Thorpe’s family were in the front row, which plays into the story of the match.
Some typical strap match fodder at the start as they have a tug-o-war. Thorpe dives through the ropes to the outside with a tope. Back and forth as they get back into the ring.
Dijak whipped Thorpe with the strap, and Thorpe is thrown outside the ring. He is in trouble as the show cuts to a commercial break. Dijak trying to choke Thorpe as the show returns from the break.
Thorpe fight back with a flurry of offense. Dijak grabs him in a guzzle, and Thorpe responds with a Cactus Jack clothesline that sends them both over the ropes to the floor. Dijak holds on to the guzzle, and he chokeslams Thorpe on the apron.
Dijak taunts Thorpe’s family, and Dijak whips Thorpe with the strap in front of his family. Because the long leather strap is not enough, Dijak takes off his own belt. It is the white leather belt previously used in a angle to set up this strap match. Dijak wraps the white belt around his fist, but to no avail.
Thorpe fires up and makes a comeback. Thorpe whips Dijak with receipts from earlier, and then some. Thorpe leaps off the middle rope to deliver a flying elbow drop, and Thorpe covers Dijak for a three count.
Dijak with a sneaky post-match attack on Thorpe, giving Thorpe the Feast Your Eyes. Dijak superkicks Thorpe, and Thorpe is trapped in a the tree-of-woe. Dijak further traps Thorpe by tying his legs with the long leather strap. Dijak then takes the white belt and whips Thorpe in front of his family.
Blair Davenport hijacks a headset from Vic Joseph, and she cuts a promo saying her match tonight with Gigi Dolan is off. Davenport had attacked Dolan in an angle earlier tonight.
Thea Hail (with Jacy Jayne) defeated Dani Palmer
Hail submitted Palmer with a kimura in a short bout. This was basically an enhancement match, helping to get over Hail’s new heel persona. Hail debuted new ring gear, which Jayne helped pick out in storyline. Booker T likens it to Miley Cyrus once being Hannah Montana, but now she is a “wrecking ball.” Hail also has new theme music.
Trick Williams is excited as he meets up with NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes in the locker room. An enthusiastic Williams is met by a distracted Hayes, who is seemingly preoccupied by his cellphone. As Williams leaves, Hayes looks up with a look on his face like he failed his friend.
Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker have another pull-apart brawl, this time backstage.
Trick Williams defeated Dragon Lee, Tyler Bate and Axiom in a fatal four way match
Williams pinned Axiom to win the match. In winning, Williams earns a title shot on Saturday against Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship.
Lots of action in this bout. There was a spoof of the multi-person spot made famous by the “three way dance” from The Night the Line Was Crossed in ECW.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break. Even bigger high spots when the show returns from commercial. They build to a Spanish Fly, where Axiom gets a near fall on Dragon Lee. Another near fall in return, which is broken up by Williams. A three-way headbutt as Williams, Lee, and Bate all clonk heads. Bates falls off the apron, Lee falls out of the ring, and William falls into a pin cover on Axiom.
Price & Nima join the tag team dinner with the champs. With whole show-long skit is dying a death. It drags on. Price & Nima threaten Tony D & Stacks. Tony D snaps his fingers, and out comes a bunch of mob henchmen to back up Tony D.
The skit drags on, and it seemingly sets up a fatal four way match at No Mercy for the tag titles. Kind of lazy booking in a way, but whatever.
Dominik Mysterio is cutting a promo in a backstage interview when Mysterio is jumped by Dragon Lee.
Hayes finds Williams backstage, and they are all smiles together. They are on good terms again as Hayes heads to the ring for a contract signing.
Ilja Dragunov is the first to enter to the soundstage, and he does his full entrance in full suit. Hayes enters wearing his NXT Championship belt. They sit down at a table set up in the ring. Dragunov glares at the title belt propped up on the table.
Hayes wants them to just sign the contract, claiming there is nothing for them to talk about after their angle from last week. Just sign, and they will see each other at No Mercy. Of course, the go-home segment closing the show will not end that easily.
Dragunov says Hayes was the wrong person at the wrong time, adding that Hayes is also the wrong champion. Hayes responded by noting he previously defeated Dragunov in a title match. Hayes vows to repeat the outcome.
Dragunov threatens that Hayes will feel unbearable pain. Hayes says Dragunov is believing his own hype. They banter some more. That leads to Hayes slipping up by misspeaking, or maybe it was a Freudian slip.
Hayes catches himself misspeaking as he runs down the opponents Dragunov has beaten. Hayes stops short at “Trick” as Hayes catches himself about to say something he could regret.
Hayes goes on to cut a promo, just before Dragunov stands up and signs the contract. He walks around the table and slams the contract down on the table in front of Hayes. A red-faced Dragunov cuts a go-home promo on Hayes.
Standing to sign the contract, Hayes then walks around the table to get in Dragunov’s face. They face off as the show is closing, with them staring a hole through each other.
“Breaking news” late in the show, as Dragon Lee is announced as the guest referee for the North American title match at No Mercy.
The go-home angle is a brawl in the parking lot. Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker are fighting again. Referees pour outside trying to break up the fight. Breakker spears a car door. They also put a dent in the vehicle. Corbin is slammed on the hood.
Breakker is given a low blow, and Corbin chokeslams Breakker on the roof of the automobile. Breakker pops up like the Undertaker, and he grabs Corbin in a choke. The fight their way back into the building, and the brawl continues.
They bust through the wall like two brawling version of the Kool-Aid Man. The break through a wall made sheet rock, and they spill into Shawm Michaels’ office. The show fades to black with a pull-apart, as Breakker screams into the camera.
Tyler Bate is now at the top of Group A in NXT’s Global Heritage Invitational.
Bate improved his record to 2-0 with a victory over Charlie Dempsey on Friday night’s episode of NXT Level Up. Bate now has four points in the round-robin tournament, putting him ahead of Butch by one point.
Here are the current standings:
Group A —
Tyler Bate: 4 points (2 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses)
Butch: 3 points (1 win, 1 draw, 0 losses)
Axiom: 1 point (0 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)
Charlie Dempsey: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses)
Former British Strong Style stablemates Bate and Butch will face each other on this Tuesday’s NXT. The match is to decide the winner of Group A. Joe Coffey vs. Duke Hudson is also taking place on the episode.
The winner of Group A and winner of Group B will meet in the tournament finals on the Tuesday, September 26 edition of NXT. The winner of that match advances to challenge Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at NXT No Mercy on Saturday, September 30.
The Global Heritage Invitational is set to continue on this week’s episode of NXT Level Up.
WWE has announced that a Global Heritage Invitational match between Akira Tozawa and Joe Coffey will air on Level Up this Friday. It’s the second straight week that Tozawa has wrestled a tournament match on the show. Last Friday, he lost to Duke Hudson.
Tozawa has a 0-1 record in the round-robin tournament and Coffey has a 1-0 record. They’re in Group B for the tournament.
Here are the current standings:
Group A —
Butch: 3 points (1 win, 1 draw, 0 losses)
Axiom: 1 point (0 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)
Tyler Bate: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses)
Charlie Dempsey: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss)
Group B —
Joe Coffey: 2 points (1 win, 0 draws, 0 losses)
Nathan Frazer: 2 points (1 win, 0 draws, 1 loss)
Duke Hudson: 2 points (1 win, 0 draws, 1 loss)
Akira Tozawa: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss)
Tozawa vs. Frazer and Bate vs. Axiom are taking place on next Tuesday’s NXT episode.
The winner of Group A will face the winner of Group B on the Tuesday, September 26 episode of NXT. The winner of that match will then challenge Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at NXT No Mercy on Saturday, September 30.
NXT Level Up airs on Peacock/WWE Network at 10 p.m. Eastern time on Friday nights. The full lineup for this week’s episode is listed below:
Global Heritage Invitational match: Akira Tozawa vs. Joe Coffey
NXT’s Global Heritage Invitational tournament will begin with two matches taking place this Tuesday night.
WWE has announced that Butch vs. Charlie Dempsey and Nathan Frazer vs. Joe Coffey are set for Tuesday’s episode of NXT. Butch and Dempsey are part of Group A for the Heritage Invitational, while Frazer and Coffey are in Group B.
The round-robin tournament is being held to determine who will challenge Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at NXT No Mercy on Saturday, September 30. The groups for the tournament are listed below:
Group A —
Tyler Bate
Butch
Charlie Dempsey
Axiom
Group B —
Joe Coffey
Duke Hudson
Nathan Frazer
Akira Tozawa
All Heritage Invitational tournament matches will have a 12-minute time limit. Victories are worth two points. If a match ends in a draw, each wrestler will earn one point. The winner of Group A will face the winner of Group B in the finals on the Tuesday, September 26 edition of NXT.
Here’s everything that’s been announced for this Tuesday’s NXT:
Steel cage match: The Creed Brothers vs. The Dyad (if the Creed Brothers win, they are reinstated in NXT)
NXT Women’s Championship number one contender’s match: Blair Davenport vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Kiana James vs. Roxanne Perez
Global Heritage Invitational match: Butch vs. Charlie Dempsey
Global Heritage Invitational match: Nathan Frazer vs. Joe Coffey
Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak
Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato
Dana Brooke & Kelani Jordan vs. Elektra Lopez & Lola Vice
Here are notes from Saturday afternoon’s NXT Stand and Deliver.
Prior to the main event, NXT announced two matches for this coming Tuesday’s show. The first will have Odyssey Jones face Dijak. Another match will have Pretty Deadly square off against Tony D’Angelo and Stacks. The two teams fought with one another during Stand & Deliver, with Pretty Deadly making snide comments following D’Angelo and Stack’s loss in the three-way NXT Tag Team title match earlier in the show.
Joe Coffey, who had not been seen in NXT since Gallus were suspended from NXT in storyline last fall, returned to the brand at Stand & Deliver, accompanying his brother Mark and Wolfgang to the ring. Gallus ended up retaining the NXT Tag Team titles in a three-way match, defeating D’Angelo & Stacks and The Creed Brothers. Former UFC Champion Daniel Cormier was shown in the audience during this match.
A previously announced eight-person tag team match ended up being bumped to the pre-show. Chase U and Tyler Bate defeated The Schism. The finish had Duke Hudson, who teased joining The Schism, ended up swerving them by tearing off a t-shirt and pinning Jagger Reid to pick up the win for his team. Per the stipulations, Chase U remained in the hands of Andre Chase as a result.
NXT United Kingdom Championship tournament semifinals: Trent Seven defeated Oliver Carter (9:15)
Seven mocked Carter’s knee injury early on and went to attack the knee, but Carter quickly threw him out of the ring and followed up with a dive. Carter held his knee on impact.
Back in the ring, Seven hit a dragon screw through the ropes on Carter as he was still on the apron on the outside. Seven went on to work over the knee, leading to Carter screaming in pain. Seven hit a kneebreaker and held onto the leg, but Carter managed to turn another attempt into a sunset flip for a near fall.
Carter eventually hit a springboard moonsault for another near fall. Seven came back with an Emerald Frosion for a near fall of his own before Carter countered a Seven Star Lariat attempt into a forearm smash and followed with a missile dropkick from the top.
Carter followed up with an axe kick and scored another close two count. He went for a corner attack but collapsed during the spring. Carter still caught Seven in a small package and almost had the match won. Seven then locked in a Figure Four leglock, which Carter valiantly fought to escape from but eventually succumbed to the pain and tapped out.
NXT United Kingdom Championship tournament semifinals: Tyler Bate defeated Joe Coffey (12:00)
They traded holds and counters early with neither man being able to gain the advantage. After trading shoulder blocks, Bate took down Coffey with a dropkick. Coffey hit the Glasgow Sendoff in the corner and got a near fall off the move.
Shortly after, Coffey locked in a bear hug. Bate fought out but actually found himself on the receiving end of a giant swing. They traded punches and Bate hit a right hook just as Coffey hit a combination of body shots. Bate followed with a spinning European uppercut and running Shooting Star Press for another near fall.
Coffey hit an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall, then caught Bate as he came off the ropes and hit a nasty German suplex before locking in a Boston Crab.
Bate crawled toward the ropes, but Coffey pulled him back to the center of the ring. Bate finally managed to escape by spinning out of the move and landing some up-kicks. Bate evaded the Glasgow Sendoff but still got caught with the double-jump reverse crossbody. He rolled through though and scored another two count. They traded lariats and Coffey actually hit All the Best for the Bells as Bate was bouncing off the ropes with his slingshot lariat.
Both men were down, so Coffey failed to go for a cover. Bate then hit a rolling koppu kick and went for the Tyler Driver ’97, which Coffey countered with a back body drop. Bate landed on his feet, hit a forearm, and caught Coffey in a backslide for the victory.
Bate will face his former Moustache Mountain partner Seven in the finals for the vacant NXT UK Championship.
Seven came out after the match and teased getting into the ring but then chickened out. He shouted at Bate from ringside as — in a throwback to the days of World of Sport — a granny in the front row berated Seven.
– A video recapped the wild women’s division brawl from three weeks ago. Sid Scala announced a four-way elimination match between Blair Davenport, Isla Dawn, Amale, and Eliza Alexander for next week. The winner will be the new number one contender to the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
– A video looked at last week’s announcement that NXT UK will go on hiatus and be expanded to NXT Europe in 2023. They had lots of social media and news clippings covering that announcement and Nigel McGuinness said he was excited for it.
NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship match: Noam Dar defeated Mark Coffey to win the title (17:29)
Round One
Dar went for a roll-up 30 seconds in and scored a two count. They mostly fought for position for the rest of the round, with Coffey hitting an uppercut and locking in an armbar as the round ended.
Round Two
Dar went for an armbar right away, but Coffey made it to his feet and locked in one of his own. Coffey worked Dar’s arm over some more. Coffey got a two count off of a roll-up, then missed an elbow from the ropes. Dar hit a diving forearm and scored a near fall of his own.
Round Three
Coffey started out strong with a clothesline, a forearm, and a back body drop. Dar came back with a leg kick and spinning back elbow for another near fall. Coffey hit a sliding forearm to the side of the jaw and pinned Dar to take the lead. Dar looked to be knocked out. Coffey 1-0
Round Four
Dar struggled to his feet but still was wobbly. Coffey went for a full nelson, but Dar backed him into the ropes to break the hold. Dar still looked out on his feet but hit a few desperation forearms. Coffey went to the second turnbuckle for an attack, but Dar stumbled between the ropes and fell to ringside. The referee checked on Dar and told Coffey to back off.
Dar repeatedly collapsed whenever Coffey was going for another attack, prompting the referee to stop Coffey. Dar then suddenly went for a flash pin and got a near fall. Dar then locked in the kneebar and Coffey tapped. Dar 1-1
Round Five
Coffey went to the ropes again but thought better of it and hit a bulldog instead. Coffey went for the Gator lock, but Dar rolled out of it and transitioned into an armbar, which Coffey turned into a roll-up.
They briefly battled on the top rope, but Dar slid out from under Coffey and kicked his leg out. Dar locked in the kneebar once more with 20 seconds left in the round. Coffey fought to escape and finally did just as the round ended.
Round Six
They traded holds early and Coffey powered out of a guillotine attempt. Coffey hit a baseball slide that sent Dar out of the ring and Coffey quickly rolled him back inside. Suddenly, Sha Samuels hopped the barricades behind Coffey and rammed Coffey’s head into the ring post. As Coffey stumbled back into the ring, Dar hit the Nova Roller to win the round, the match, and the NXT UK Heritage Cup. Dar wins 2-1
Dar and Samuels hugged after the match and celebrated in the ring with the Heritage Cup. Thus concludes the penultimate episode of NXT UK.
Final Thoughts —
Wrestling wise, this was a tremendous show with three good-to-great matches. It’s painfully clear though that these episodes merely exist to finalize the ongoing stories and air matches that had already been taped. Besides the announcement of the women’s four-way next week, there were no angles, backstage segments, interviews, or anything else to build for the future, of which we know doesn’t exist for the brand.
If you saw NXT 2.0 this Tuesday, you also know who wins the four-way next week. And, of course, we also know the result of the tournament final. Both matches nonetheless will probably be very good.
Next Week —
NXT United Kingdom Championship tournament finals: Tyler Bate vs. Trent Seven
NXT UK Women’s Championship number one contender’s four-way elimination match: Blair Davenport vs. Isla Dawn vs. Amale vs. Eliza Alexander
NXT United Kingdom title tournament first-round match: Joe Coffey defeated Mark Andrews (7:40)
Both wrestlers cut in-set promos on their way to the ring. Coffey said it would be good to have two Gallus boys on top. Andrews said he had been in the original title tournament and would win this time.
Coffey blocked Andrews’ offense early on (including an arm drag, a hurricanrana, and a body press attempt) and then finally slammed him. Andrews hit a top rope hurricanrana but quickly got thwarted again.
Coffey locked in a full nelson and they ended up in a backslide battle. Andrews eventually hit a DDT. He hit a springboard crossbody for a near fall, but Coffey came back with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
Andrews hit the Stun Dog Millionaire but got caught with an uppercut just seconds later, followed by a spear in the corner and All the Best for the Bells for a Coffey victory.
– Backstage, Coffey celebrated his win.
Amale defeated Nina Samuels (6:31)
Amale started out strong and hit a number of running kicks and dropkicks to score a near fall early on. Samuels fought back and locked in a chinlock.
Samuels hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then started attacking Amale in the ropes. Amale moved out of the way when Samuels went for a dropkick in the ropes. Amale then scored another near fall with a bulldog, followed by a running kick in the corner and the Hopebreaker for the win.
– Backstage, Oliver Carter was asked about his injured knee. Trent Seven came up and gloated about Carter’s leg being bandaged and braced. Carter said the last time they were in the ring together, Carter & Ashton Smith made Seven & Tyler Bate ex-champions. Seven admitted to that and said that was the pivotal moment of his career — people got to see the real Trent Seven now and he would break Carter’s leg.
– Ilja Dragunov cut a pre-taped promo where he said he was curious to see who would take his place — but Dragunov also pointed out it was “his place.” Dragunov said he would be back and would recapture his title.
Chase U (Andre Chase & Bodhi Hayward w/ Thea Hail) defeated Eddie Dennis & Saxon Huxley (6:49)
Chase and Dennis started. Dennis took Chase down, then yelled at Huxley to pay attention and see how it was done. Chase then took Dennis down using the same hammerlock takeover. Chase made the crowd spell “Chase U” and he stomped away on Dennis.
Chase U tagged in and out in order to isolate Dennis. Denis tagged in Huxley, who accidentally hit Dennis on a double axe handle off the top. Huxley hit a Thesz Press on Chase and slammed him into the mat. Dennis took over, but Huxley blind-tagged himself in once more.
Huxley beat Chase from corner to post but then missed an elbow as Dennis kept screaming at him from the apron. Dennis and Hayward both tagged in and Hayward beat Dennis down with tackles and a big splash. Dennis managed to tag out, then Huxley hit a top rope clothesline on Hayward.
Dennis yelled at Huxley that Dennis was the star and told Huxley to get out of the ring. Huxley walked up the entranceway as Chase U hit a double-team flatliner on Dennis to pick up the victory.
After the match, Dennis kept yelling at Huxley, who took him out with a powerbomb. Huxley celebrated with Chase U and shook Andre Chase’s hand.
– A very good video on the upcoming Heritage Cup rematch between Noam Dar and Mark Coffey aired. Both men were confident they would pick up the victory. The match airs next week. Also next week, both semifinal matches in the NXT United Kingdom Championship tournament take place.
NXT United Kingdom title tournament first-round match: Tyler Bate defeated Kenny Williams (13:19)
Both men cut in-set promos. Williams said he would win the title, while Bate said he would win and crush Trent Seven’s dreams.
They traded wristlocks early on and Bate rolled Williams up for a two count. They traded slaps and Bate was aggressive in his offense, but Williams poked him in the eye.
Bate picked Williams up with a bridge off of a test of strength. He then went for a dive, but Williams evaded it and hit a back elbow off the top. They ended up at ringside and Bate picked up Williams for an airplane spin. Williams grabbed the ring post, then threw Bate into the barricades to take over the match.
After some more back and forth, Bate picked Williams up for another airplane spin in the ring, which left both men dizzy until Bate hit a lariat. They traded offense until Bate threw Williams out of the ring and followed with a huge plancha.
Back in the ring, Bate hit a bridging German suplex. Bate went for the Tyler Driver ’97, but Williams escaped it and rolled Bate up for a near fall. Williams went for a backspring elbow from the rope, but Bate caught him in another German suplex, hit a lariat, and then the Tyler Driver ’97 to pick up the win and advance in the tournament.
Final Thoughts —
A strong show with good matches and very few angles/promos, which probably is more than just a bit of foreshadowing that the future of this show looks bleak.
WWE spoiled the results of the tournament recently when Tyler Bate appeared as champion on NXT 2.0 to call out Bron Breakker for the Worlds Collide show that was announced today.
WWE also cut a number of NXT UK wrestlers today, ranging from some who were injured or not featured recently (Flash Morgan Webster, Dani Luna, Ashton Smith) to some who were prominently on this show as part of the title tournament (Mark Andrews), some who were part of stables or ongoing (title) storylines (Rohan Raja, Sha Samuels, Emilia McKenzie, Amir Jordan), and some who were mostly used in the mid-card (Wild Boar, Primate, Dave Mastiff, Jack Starz, Nina Samuels). It will be very interesting to see where NXT Europe is headed and if any of the talent that was released today will be brought back or where the focus of this new brand will lie.
On the off chance any of the released wrestlers read this: Thank you for your hard work and some great and entertaining matches over the years — and all the best for your future. The UK/European indie scene will certainly be better off for it in the long-term, with the possible influx of great talent becoming available shortly.
Next Week —
NXT United Kingdom title tournament semifinal match: Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey
NXT United Kingdom title tournament semifinal match: Trent Seven vs. Oliver Carter
NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion Mark Coffey defends against Noam Dar
The Gallus group from NXT UK appeared on Tuesday’s WWE NXT Heatwave show, attacking members of Diamond Mine.
During an in-ring promo segment teasing dissension between Roderick Strong and The Creed Brothers of Diamond Mine, Gallus’s Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey, and Wolfgang appeared, attacking Diamond Mine and leaving them laying.
Later on Heatwave, Gallus was involved in a pull-apart backstage with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, the current NXT UK Tag Team Champions. Briggs and Jensen captured the vacant titles on the June 23 episode of NXT UK.
Mark Coffey and Wolfgang are former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, holding the titles from October 2019 until February 2021 when they lost the titles to Pretty Deadly.
Joe Coffey headlined NXT TakeOver: Blackpool in January 2019, unsuccessfully challenging Pete Dunne in a WWE United Kingdom Championship title match. Joe Coffey was suspended by WWE in June 2020 after allegations against him surfaced as part of the #speakingout movement. He was reinstated in October 2020.
Kenny Williams will face Tiger Turan on next week’s show. This was set up in a backstage segment on Thursday’s episode. Williams promised to not only defeat Turan but also unmask him and prove he is Amir Jordan.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura will team up with Sarray to face the team of Eliza Alexander and Xia Brookside next week as well. Alexander and Brookside confronted Sarray in the gym on Thursday’s show and Satomura came to her defense.
The match between Williams and Turan was filmed on Wednesday, June 22 from BT Sports Studios in London. Eliza Alexander & Xia Brookside vs. Meiko Satomura & Sarray was filmed the following day from the same venue.
The full lineup for next Thursday’s edition of WWE NXT UK is as follows:
Kenny Williams vs. Tiger Turan
Eliza Alexander & Xia Brookside vs. Meiko Satomura & Sarray
