Tag: Nxt No Mercy

Date: September 30, 2023
Location: Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, CA 

Show Recap —

KICK-OFF SHOW —

Megan Morant, Matt Camp and Sam Roberts hosted the pre-show in a studio.

McKenzie Mitchell asked Dragon Lee if he could remain impartial as the referee in Dominik Mysterio’s title defence against Trick Williams. Dragon Lee spoke about honour and respect and said he would do his job tonight — unlike Dom.

Meta-Four was shown arriving at the arena. They put over Noam Dar as the best champion in the company. He said he would win and would definitely not have broken fingers. The panel seemed to confirm that Tyler Bate will be in Butch’s corner tonight.

Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza cut a promo saying they would honour their grandfather by winning the NXT tag titles tonight. 

The panel spoke about the main women’s and men’s title matches.

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The panel cut to Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California for the pre-show match. Vic Joseph and Booker T are the commentators. 

Blair Davenport defeated Kelani Jordan (6:41)

They had a normal match where Davenport had control until Jordan made a comeback. Jordan tried a split-legged moonsault but Davenport got her knees up. Davenport followed with a double foot stomp to the back and a falcon arrow for the pinfall win.

— Gigi Dolin attacked Davenport after the match and hammered away until officials eventually broke it up. (The original referee just stood there and flailed his arms.)

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They replayed the very long brawl between Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker.

The panel ran down tonight’s card and confirmed that Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton would be the main event.

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NXT NO MERCY MAIN SHOW — 

The intro video was the same one you might have seen online where they insert an “NXT No Mercy” cartridge into a Nintendo 64 and use (crappy) old-school graphics for the wrestlers. Dom’s avatar looks just like Eddie Guerrero.  

Baron Corbin defeated Bron Breakker (9:32)

Corbin entered on a motorcycle. Of course, they’re in a small arena, so his ride down the aisle was a short one. Booker coughed upon breathing in the bike’s exhaust fumes.

Before the match started, Breakker wiped out Corbin with a flip dive. They brawled into the crowd and Corbin managed to fight back. They fought back to ringside and Corbin missed a splash on the announce table. Breakker shoved him into the ring and the match began. The crowd was hot for this. (The announcers lost audio connection briefly as the match began but they came back about 90 seconds into it.)

Corbin shoved Breakker off the ropes but Breakker came right back with a Frankensteiner, followed by a press slam for two. Corbin hit a death valley driver for two and a Deep Six for two. Breakker tried charging at Corbin outside the ring but Corbin slammed him through the announce table. However, Breakker sat up like the Undertaker and he speared Corbin.

Breakker was ready to end it until he saw Robert Stone, who was on the top rope. Stone tried a high cross, but Breakker caught him and chucked him onto a dozen security guards who were suddenly at ringside for some reason. (The referee was fine with all of this.)

Breakker turned around into Corbin who hit End of Days for the pinfall win.

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There were commercials/video packages.

Tiffany Stratton and Becky Lynch were shown arriving at the arena earlier tonight.

McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. They were both very confident that they would leave tonight as champions.

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Trick Williams defeated Dominik Mysterio to win the NXT North American Championship [Special Referee Dragon Lee] (9:27)

Dom immediately hit a dropkick as Dragon Lee was putting the title belt away so he was late making the cover and Williams kicked out. Dom wasn’t happy. Williams went on offence so Dom left the ring, grabbed his title, and started to leave. Williams cut him off and went back on offence in the ring. The crowd chanted, “We want Mami.”

Dom took control after a dropkick and soaked in the crowd heat before Williams came back with some rough-looking kicks. After they collided with clotheslines, Dom tried a superkick but Williams ducked and Dom superkicked Dragon Lee by mistake.

Williams hit a neckbreaker but there was no ref. A new ref slid in and counted to one but Williams didn’t realize there was a new ref so he let go. Upon realizing the ref was there, he tried another cover but Dom kicked out. Williams followed with a Trouble in Paradise (hitting Dom’s black eye) for two.

Dom accidentally knocked down the new ref before he knocked Williams out of the ring. Dom posted Williams but he missed a frog splash. Williams tried a cover but again there was no referee.

Dom tried using the belt as a weapon but Williams caught him with a running knee for the pinfall win — counted by Dragon Lee (who needed three minutes to recover from one superkick).

The crowd was happy for Trick Willams.

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Fatal four-way match: Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defeated Lucien Price & Bronco Nima (w/Scypts), The Creed Brothers and Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships (12:06)

There was some fast-paced action early on until D’Angelo appeared to get hurt while trying to lift Garza and Carrillo at the same time. He collapsed and grabbed his knee and the ref backed off Garza who tried going after him.

Training staff checked on Tony D as Garza and Carrillo worked over his partner, Stacks. The two heel teams (OTM and Garza/Carrillo) continued to work over Stacks until Ivy Nile dropkicked Scrypts before he could get involved.

The Creed Brothers got in and Julius handed out suplexed. Julius hit OTM with a double Northern Lights suplex, which was impressive. Brutus had Garza in an ankle lock but it was eventually broken up.

Tony D, now with his knee in a brace, limped back down to the ring while shoving officials away. D’Angelo caught Carrillo out of mid-air and hit a spinebuster.

This led to a spot where the members of the Creeds and the Family simultaneously hit superplexes to their opponents. The crowd chanted, “This is awesome.” The teams exchanged moves until OTM hit Tony D with an assisted powerslam for two. Brutus wiped out Garza, Carrillo and Nima with a springboard cannonball dive.

Tony D and Stacks hit Price with a double spinebuster for the pinfall win and retained their titles.

This was a fun match and the crowd was really into it and into The Family’s win.

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Trick Williams approached Carmelo Hayes and they celebrated Williams’ title win.

Becky Lynch was shown gathering weapons in a shopping cart for her match.

Ryan Oakes was shown at ringside.

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British Rounds Rules match for the NXT Heritage Cup: Noam Dar (w/Oro Mensah, Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson) defeated Butch (w/Tyler Bate) (approx. 19:00)

(By the rules of the match, whoever wins two falls first wins the match.)

Butch controlled round one but Dar hit him with a cheap shot when the round ended. That gave him the edge in round two but Butch went back on offence anyway.

Lash and Jackson distracted the ref so Mensah dropped Butch with a kick. Dar followed with a flying enziguri to pick up a pinfall win in the round. Dar went up 1-0 after two rounds. Butch tied it 1-1 after hitting Dar with Bitter End for the pinfall.

Dar tried a few submissions in round four but Butch fought back and put him in a submission of his own. Dar appeared to pass out just as the round ended but the ref didn’t call it so we remained tied heading into round five.

Dar hit a spinning back elbow for two. Butch hit a double underhook suplex off the ropes for two. Dar hit a brainbuster on the apron for two. Dar tried taunting Butch so Butch twisted his fingers as the round ended. Butch stomped Dar’s hand at the end of the round so Lash taped up his fingers.

Round six started with Dar hitting consecutive spinning back elbows but Butch came right back with a German suplex. Mensah again hit Butch with a kick behind the ref’s back and Dar hit a Nova Roller for two. Tyler Bate wiped out Mensah and Butch hit Dar with a Tyler Driver ‘97 for a nearfall.

Butch hit a Bitter End for another nearfall. Butch applied an armbar as Gallus appeared at ringside to attack Bate. Butch saved him by wiping them out with a dive.

Another ref distraction allowed Joe Coffey to hit Butch with a discus clothesline and Dar covered Butch to pick up the win. 

(This was a crap finish to what was otherwise a good match. The interference within the match might’ve been fine if we got a clean finish in the end.)

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Ilja Dragunov defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the NXT Championship (21:02)

This was excellent.

Dragunov immediately hit a running boot and was on fire until Hayes fired himself up and hit a spear. Dragunov ducked a Hayes springboard move and nailed a lariat. Draganov followed with machine gun chops and a boot to the back of the head. Dragunov was in complete control and again hit chops until Hayes caught his arm and responded with chops of his own.

The crowd got into hit with dueling chants as the two men exchanged offence. Hayes got the better of the exchange with a leaping enziguri and springboard bulldog — which spiked Dragunov. Dragunov countered Hayes’ next move and hit consecutive German suplexes. Hayes planted Dragunov before stomping his head (while holding his arm).

Dragunov came back with a running knee and powerbomb. Hayes tried countering Dragunov’s move off the top with a Codebreaker but Dragunov countered his counter and drove him into the turnbuckle. Dragunov followed with a coast-to-coast dropkick for two. The crowd chanted, “This is awesome.”

Dragunov hit a superplex, Hayes hit a Codebreaker, and Dragunov came right back with an H-Bomb forearm for a nearfall. Dragunov hit another H-Bomb, this time off the middle rope, for another nearfall. Hayes responded with a superkick for two.

They fought on the apron until Hayes hit a cutter off the apron onto the floor. Hayes came off the top but Dragunov nailed him out of mid-air with a clothesline.

Dragunov went to the top and hit a super H-Bomb for the pinfall win. Dragunov wins clean and is the new NXT Champion. The crowd popped big for the finish.

— Dragunov helped Hayes to his feet and they embraced. The crowd cheered. Hayes left and Dragunov celebrated like a maniac with his belt.

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They plugged the upcoming Women’s Breakout Tournament which starts on Tuesday. The names announced were Jakara Jackson, Karmen Petrovic, Lola Vice, Jaida Parker, Izzi Dame, Dani Palmer, Kelani Jordan, and Arianna Grace.

Also on Tuesday: Gigi Dolin vs. Blair Davenport, plus Butch & Tyler Bate vs. Gallus.

Tegan Nox was shown at ringside.

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Extreme Rules match: Becky Lynch defeated Tiffany Stratton to retain the NXT Women’s Championship (20:22)

As Vic Joseph explained, Lynch wore a t-shirt with the names of people she cares for and fights for, including her daughter, husband, and Bray Wyatt (and perhaps others).

Lynch entered halfway down the aisle before heading to the back to grab her shopping cart of weapons. They fought into the crowd and up the stairs. Stratton had Lynch trapped in the handrail so a fan handed Lynch a gold chain and she used it to hit Stratton. They fought back toward ringside. Stratton was busted open, perhaps by the chain.

Joseph said the fan who handed Lynch the chain was likely King Troi Anthoni, a stylist who is friends with Lynch and Seth Rollins. (His Instagram indicates he may have also been involved with Britt Baker’s recent photoshoot.)

Stratton hit Lynch with a kendo stick and with the steel steps. Lynch fought back and put Stratton into the shopping cart and shoved it into the steel steps (which was funny).

Lynch pulled out a black bag, which you’d think would have thumbtacks, but it actually had torn apart Barbie dolls. Lynch slammed Stratton onto the dolls for two. Stratton left the ring so Lynch started whipping the doll arms and legs at her. Stratton batted them away with a trash can lid and smacked Lynch with the lid too.

Lynch placed Stratton into a trash can and hit a diving leg drop. Stratton fought back with the trash can and gave Lynch a spinebuster onto the bin for two.

Stratton piled up a dozen chairs but Lynch slammed her onto it and applied an armbar. They rolled out of the ring with the move still applied and Stratton used her strength to slam Lynch onto the steel steps, leading to a two count. (Lynch’s arm was bruised and she kept favouring it.)

Lynch suplexed Stratton into the barricade and grabbed a table, to the delight of the crowd, but Stratton hit her with a kendo stick.

Stratton set up the table but lost sight of Lynch. She pulled up the ring skirt but Lynch was there and sprayed her with a fire extinguisher. Lynch hit Stratton once with a barb wire bat but Stratton ducked another swing and the bat went flying. Stratton then drove Lynch through the barricade with a handspring elbow, which looked great.

Lynch fell into a leather chair so Stratton hit her with a cannonball. Stratton put Lynch on a table outside the ring and hit a senton bomb off the top. Stratton put Lynch in the ring and hit another senton bomb for a nearfall.

Stratton tried a moonsault to the outside but Lynch moved and hit a Man-handle slam, which drew a two count in the ring. Stratton hit a rolling fireman’s carry onto the chairs but she missed a moonsault — and landed right on the chairs.

Lynch followed by giving Stratton the Man-handle Slam on the steel chairs for the pinfall win.

— Lynch’s arm may be injured for real but don’t take my word for it. She seemed to point at her arm and at the ringside trainer/doctor after the match.

The match was awesome and Stratton really impressed. I’m guessing a lot of people would have wanted Stratton to win based on her performance here, and I’m sure that was the point.

— Lynch and Nox acknowledged each other as Lynch celebrated with her belt.

*******

Before the show ended, Hayes approached Williams in the back. Hayes apologized for losing but Williams said he fought like a champion and was proud of him. They embraced.