Tonight on WWE NXT is a night of debuts and title matches.
Recent weeks have seen Mason Rook, Kam Hendrix, and Tristan Angels added to the NXT roster. All three are set to make their official TV in-ring debuts tonight. In tag team action, Rook & Hendrix will look to defeat NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo and North American Champion Myles Borne. A victory would likely propel Rook and Hendrix to immediate title contention.
Angels will debut in singles action against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.
A pair of championship matches have also been announced for tonight’s episode. Lizzy Rain, another NXT newcomer, aims for gold early as she challenges Tatum Paxley for the Women’s North American Championship. And the NXT Tag Team titles will be on the line with DarkState challenging Vanity Project for their belts.
Plus, Tate Wilder makes his singles debut as he attempts to overcome Keanu Carver.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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NXT is back on the air in front of a live studio audience from a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Opening the show is a tag team match where the two singles champions in the men’s division team up against two newcomers making their in-ring debuts in NXT.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo & NXT North American Champion Myles Borne vs. Mason Rook & Cam Hendrix in a tag team match
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The tag bout goes through a commercial break. Heat on Borne after the debuting duo work together to chop block Borne’s knee. Borne is worked over until Borne counters a double-team and dives for a hot tag. D’Angelo is a house of fire, and he gets a near fall after spearing Hendrix. D’Angelo takes a few really tough bumps from Rook, and D’Angelo crashes into the ring steps. Borne with a save by flying over the ropes with a flip dive to the floor.
Tavion Heights runs down to ambush Hendrix, with whom he has beef. Heights’ sneak attack sends Hendrix into Borne, which trips up Borne’s attempt at springing back into the ring. Borne is then distracted by Heights, who is removed from ringside by officials.
For the finish, a distracted Borne tries to slingshot into the ring. He is caught by Rook, and Borne takes an exploder suplex in a corner. Rook with a fireman’s carry into a jackhammer, and Rook goes for a cover. However, Hendrix is the legal man. He pushes Rook out of the way, and Hendrix pins Borne to win the match. As Hendrix celebrates his win, Rook glares at him like the meme where Undertaker is standing behind AJ Styles.
Match result: Mason Rook & Cam Hendrix defeated Tony D’Angelo & Myles Borne when Hendrix pinned Borne.
— Darkstate in a backstage skit talk about all being on the same page again. Dion Lennox inquires to Saquon Shugars what he meant about them needing to make a change. Shugars assures Lennox not worry about that. Foreshadowing would seem to indicate he should worry.
Confrontation with challengers and the women’s champ leads to melee
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Kelani Jordan enters the sound stage for an promo in the ring. She would eventually be interrupted by several wrestlers including NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice, Izzi Dame, and Kendal Grey. Wren Sinclair runs into whack Dame with a walking crutch.
Firstly, Jordan cuts a heel promo complaining about never getting a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship. Jordan boasts about being the fastest rising homegrown star. Besides making Lola Vice (the champion) tap out, and also beating Kendal Grey last weeks, Jordan claims she in better than all of the women’s wrestlers called up to the main roster.
Jordan goes on to demand a championship match before claiming to be the most underrated women on the roster.
Out comes Izzi Dame wearing ridiculously fuzzy chaps. Dame marches to the ring in her fuzzy chap, and she cuts a promo on Jordan trying to cut in line.
NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice interrupt the confrontation to confront her two potential challengers. Vice bickers with Dame and Jordan until they are all interrupted by Kendal Grey.
Grey confronts them as Wren Sinclair sneaks in the ring from behind. Sinclairs blasts Jordan with a crutch, which ignites a melee. The heels powder as the babyfaces stand tall. While standing tall, Grey keeps eyeballing the women’s title belt as Vice raises in over her head.
Romeo Moreno vs. Tristan Angels
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Angels wins his debut match against newcomer Moreno. They had a really good competitive match that goes through a commercial break.
Shiloh Hill watches this match from the crowd while making a spectacle of himself. Hill interacts with Moreno during the match, as they slap hands after Moreno does a big dive over the ropes to the floor.
For the finish, Angels does a curb stomp using a knee drop. Angels then covers Moreno for a three count. Angels and Hill exchange barbs after the match.
Mach result: Tristan Angels defeated Romeo Moreno via pinfall.
Angels gets a house microphone and address Shiloh Hill, who is still standing in the crowd with a sign that reads “MR. NXT”. Angles says Hill is where he belong, in the crowd with the regular people. In response, Hill cuts a promo and throws to an old photo of Angels in a goofy tuxedo. That is supposed to be burn of some sort. Hill polls the crowd on who should be Mr. NXT. Of course, they side with Hill. Angels wants Hill he will regret ruining Angel’s debut match.
NXT North American Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley vs. Lizzy Rain in a title match
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Rain’s strong push continues, even if she drops a fall here to a reigning champion. Rain has a ton of charisma.
Zaria runs in after the match to lay out Rain before targeting Paxley. Zaria apparently has her sights on the North American title.
The title match tonight goes through a commercial break. Rain with a wrecking ball dropkick just before the show cuts to commercials, and she is rocking.
Very physical and competitive match between two babyfaces. The studio audience got into the match, as they worked really hard to have an exciting bout.
As they go home they are trading near falls and reversals. Paxley counters Rain to deliver Cemetery Drive. Paxley then covers Rain for a pinfall. And still…
Match result: NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley defeated Lizzy Rain via pinfall to retain her title.
Paxley and Rain embrace after the match in a show of respect. They are jumped by Zaria. She hits both with a double spear, and Zaria gives both an F-5. Zaria then grabs the title belt and poses with it as the segment ends.
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Keanu Carver vs. Tate Wilder
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Wilder gets some offense and the time to show off some of his aerial arsenal, but he drops another fall on television in his second match on NXT in two weeks. To make matters worse, he is busted open in this match with a potato from Carver. Wilder is bleeding from underneath his eye, but he fights on.
Wilder with a tornado DDT plants Carver on the floor. After following up with a frog splash, a still-bleeding Wilder opts for another high risk move instead of going for a pin. Wilder is tripped up and crotched while trying to climb the ropes. Carver then strikes with a Monty Brown Pounce, and Carver scores a clean pinfall.
Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Tate Wilder via pinfall.
— Myka Lockwood assures Vanity Project she has their back in the tag title match later tonight when they defend against Darkstate.
— Shiloh Hill and Charlie Dempsey set up a singles match next week. Hill reminded me of a modern day Bugsy McGraw with his outfit and top hat. He bickers with Birthright, which leads to them setting up a match for next Tuesday.
Mason Rook lays out Kam Hendrix
Sarah Schreiber interviews Kam Hendrix in the ring, which follows up on Hendrix and Rook winning in their debut match earlier tonight. A boastful Hendrix talks about setting his sights on the NXT Championship when he is interrupted by Rook.
Rook cuts a promo on Hendrix, who responds with a promo on Rook. Hendrix pats Rook’s gut, and Rook responds by laying out Hendrix with an Ax Bomber. Hednrix is then send smashing into the corner taking an exploder from Rook. This angle would seem to set up a grudge match between the two.
NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes with Jackson Drake & Myka Lockwood) vs. Darkstate (Dion Lennox & Saquon Shugars with Cutler James & Osiris Griffin) in a title match
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Darksate jumps Vanity Project during the champs’ entrance. The tag title bout goes through a commercial break, with the champs reeling as the show goes into the break. The champs turn the tide during the break. They are working over Shugars as the show returns from commercials.
The match continues. Shugars comes back to run wild after several high spots and tags. Shugars is on a roll, and Lennox soon joins in the fun. Darkstate gets a close near fall. Lennox and Shugars signal for a Doomsday Device. Smokes saves Baylor and the champs tag out, only for them both to eat clotheslines from Lennox.
Griffin and Cutler try to get in Drake’s face at ringside, but Lockwood steps in to berate Griffin and Cutler. Another close near fall for Darkstat after Shugars makes a blind tag. Lennox is unaware of the bling tag. Shugars is trying to explain himself to Lennox when Shugars is rolled up by Smokes for a three count. The champs retain, and the finish sets up more dissension in Darkstate.
Match result: NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes defeated Saquon Shugars & Dion Lennox when Smokes pinned Shugars to retain their title.
Three members of Darkstate turn on Shugars in a post-match angle. Griffin and James first attack Shugars, and Lennox then joins in to pummel him. Lennox signals for a triple powerbomb, which lead to Darkstate powerbombing Shugars on the announce booth. The desk implodes on impact, and Shugars is laid out as the show goes off the air with his former stablemates standing over him.
