Great American Bash 2024 begins tonight on a special episode of WWE NXT.
The two-week Great American Bash event is airing on Syfy due to USA Network’s coverage of the Olympics. Three title matches are scheduled to take place tonight, headlined by Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail for the NXT Women’s Championship. Hail is looking to dethrone Perez and begin the first championship reign of her young career.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn are in NXT to make their first title defense. They’re taking on Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson.
The Heritage Cup will be defended as Tony D’Angelo faces Tavion Heights of No Quarter Catch Crew.
A six-woman tag match with Sol Ruca, Karmen Petrovic & Lola Vice facing the mean girl trio of Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx is also set. Plus, TNA star Joe Hendry will make another NXT appearance as he performs a concert tonight.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The setting for the NXT Great American Bash is a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando, and the show is taped before a live studio audience. The set is very American, and there is somewhat of a throwback look as the ring ropes are red, white and blue, much like the golden era of the World Wrestling Federation. The color scheme also plays into the patriotic theme. Bunting flags hang from barricades and other parts of the set, and the LED screens are also red, white and blue.
Opening the show is a wacky skit where Hank Walker & Tank Ledger try to break into the PC ahead of the Bash. Apparently their idea in breaking into the building is to somehow secure their spot as the hosts of the show. They break like this is Mission: Impossible, as they bypass a key pad and pick locks . Tank thinks he found the firewall, but it was just a few pieces of drywall. They unplug some wires and alarms go off. They poorly maneuver around laser, and somehow kill the power. No worries, though. They flip another switch as they welcome us to The Great American Bash.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn defeated Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend (with Oro Mensah) to retain the titles
Dawn pinned Jackson to win the match. They were given plenty of time, and they did well. An angle with NXT Champion Ethan Page follows the bout. Although Meta-Four lose the match, they sort of save face in the end with the angle.
The match itself goes through a commercial break. Legend & Jackson rally and stand tall as the show cuts to a split-screen break, and Jackson was being worked over when the show returned from commercials. Hot tag to Legend, and she cleans house.
They wrestle on and the challengers get some near falls, but pinning attempts are broken up or kicked out. As they go home, Dawn jumps off the ring apron with a meteora to Legend on the floor, and it looked like it hurt like hell. In the ring, Fyre counters Jackson. The champions then execute their finisher on Jackson, and Dawn covers Jackson for a three count.
NXT Champ Ethan Page comes out after the match to cut a promo on Mensah, who is the challenger for Page’s title next week on week two of The Bash. Page gets into the ring to confront Mensah. Page is holding his title belt, and he tells Mensah this is as close as he well get. As he says that, Page goes for a belt shot, but Mensah ducks and shoots behind. Mensah rolls up Page with a schoolboy. Jackson & Legend count to three, and Mensah gets a visual pin on the champ ahead of their match next week. Later on they have a contract signing.
Cedric Alexander is advising some rookies when he is confronted by Shawn Spears. They exchange words, and in rushes Brooks Jensen to cause a ruckus. He jaws with Alexander, which seems to set up a singles match between them.
Hank Walker is wearing a patriotic sports jacket that seems too small on him. He interviews Tavion Heights, who is wearing an Olympic jacket. Heights talks about this time four years ago he was competing in the Olympics. Heights is not afraid of big matches, and he is ready to face a shooter.
Tanks Ledger, also wearing a sports jacket that would make Boyd Pierce proud, interviews NXT Heritage Cup Champion Tony D’Angelo. “The Don” is sure he will successfully defend his trophy.
Pete Dunne is the focus of a great video package. Trick Williams is watching the video package, and he vows to whip Dunne’s ass next week, so they are apparently booked in match for week two of The Bash.
NXT Heritage Cup Champion Tony D’Angelo (Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Adriana Rizzo and Luca Crusifino) defeated Tavion Heights (Charlie Dempsey & Myles Borne) to retain the title
D’Angelo wins two falls to one, after scoring pinfalls in the third and fifth rounds.
First round ends with a stalemate. They grapple through the time, and with under 30 seconds remaining in round one, they each grab an ankle lock as the bells sounds in end in the round.
Wren Sinclair is seen cheering on No Quarter Catch Crew from the front row ringside.
Second round begins during a split-screen commercial break. As the show returns from commercials, they do a superplex spot as time runs out on round two. Still no falls, but that would change quickly in the third round.
Third round goes less than a minute, as Heights rushes. D’Angelo counters, but Heights comes back with more. However, Heights sells like his back goes out trying a suplex. D’Angelo capitalizes with his twisting fisherman’s buster finish, and D’Angelo scores he first fall with a pinfall round three.
Fourth round is very short like the previous round. Sinclair jumps into the ring between rounds, and she screams at Heights to motivate him. Heights is a house of fire, and he gives D’Angelo a belly-to-belly suplex to even the score. Heights covers D’Angelo for a pinfall, evening the score at one fall apiece.
Fifth round goes much longer as they fight on. The intensity really picked up down the stretch. D’Angelo fires up just before they go home. He gives Heights a belly-to-belly, but Heights kicks out. A few moments later, D’Angelo executes another belly-to-belly to score the deciding pinfall.
Promos originally posted to social media build up a six-woman tag team match for later tonight.
Cedric Alexander defeated Brooks Jensen
Alexander pinned Jensen after a lumbar check. Coming off a big win, Jensen loses clean here. Shawn Spears watched the match from ringside.
Jensen with a ton for fire at the start. They go on to trade near falls. Jensen kicks out after taking a Michinoku Driver from Alexander. Jensen with a Bobby Eaton flying legdrop off the top rope, but Alexander kicks out at two and a half.
The fighting spills outside the ring. Jensen leaps off the apron into a somersault senton of sorts, only to crash and burn as Jensen slams himself into the announce desk. Alexander sees his opening, and he gets Jensen back into the ring so Alexander can execute a lumbar check. Alexander then scores a pinfall.
Je’Von Evans is the focus of a video package that is to be continued…
Joe Hendry is chatting with some women backstage when he excuses himself so he can head to the ring. Ashante “Thee” Adonis enters the scene and leaves with a woman under each arm.
The Rascalz are their “magical treehouse”, which spoofs the gimmick in That 70’s Show where the teenagers smoke pot in a circle. Rascalz tease that too, but this is PG. They mention never having actually lost the tag titles, and Wes Lee says he is going to text the champs. They then turn off the camera so they can presumably do whatever is not PG.
Joe Hendry is seated in the ring with guitar, and he is over with the live studio audience. Hendry proceeds to play a song where he takes digs at Gallus. Like a real musician, Hendry takes a moment to tune his guitar before starting the song.
In the song, he makes a joke claiming Joe Coffey is the son of Dutch Mantell. Coffey then makes a joke about Coffey being deported for having bad facial hair. Hendry gets the crowd to clap along, and the audience also chants “we believe” at Hendry.
Hendry puts over the crowd before saying there will be an encore. Hendry is about to start when out comes Gallus to interrupt the concert. Joe Coffey cuts a promo on Hendry as Joe, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang surround Hendry. They jump Hendry. Mark and Wolfgang hold Hendry so Joe can hit Hendry with the guitar, which is broken over Hendry’s back. Gallus fold their arms and stand over a fallen Hendry.
Hank & Tank take part in another wacky skit, where they are talking with NXT Womens’ Champion Roxanne Perez. Jaida Parker walks by and takes a verbal jab at Perez.
NXT Champion Ethan Page and Oro Mensah sit down across a table from each other in NXT GM Ava’s office. They cuts promos on each other before signing the contract for their match next week.
Jaida Parker defeated Kendal Gray (with Carlee Bright)
Parker pinned Gray after a running knee strike. Gray had a cameo last week when she suplexed a man, and this week she was in a match. Although she gets some offense, this match was a showcase to get Parker over.
Parker does an inverted vertical suplex at one point, as she pummels and punishes Gray. Parker bumps and feed when Gray makes a comeback. As Gray is running wild, out come Myles Borne and Wren Sinclair. Borne argues with Carlee Bright, and Gray leaves to ring to suplex Borne. After suplexing Borne, Gray gets back in the ring to get a near fall.
As they go home, Parker cuts off Gray. Tear Drop spot by Parker, followed by a gourdbuster. Parker then delivers her finisher, and she covers Gray for a pinfall.
Ridge Holland gives Thea Hail a pep talk, and in walks the rest of Chase U. Andre Chase seems to take exception to Holland telling Hail to “do whatever it takes” to win the title tonight. Should be noted that Chase U was decked out in the black shirts Holland brought for the group, except for Andre Chase.
More tension between the NXT Tag Team Champions in a backstage skit. Axiom apparently agreed to defend the tag titles next week against the LWO. That upsets Nathan Frazier, as Axiom did not consult him first.
Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx defeated Karmen Petrovic, Lola Vice & Sol Ruca in a six-woman tag team match
Henley pinned Petrovic to win the match.
The match goes through a commercial break, and it probably went too long. Sol Ruca popped the crowd before the show cuts to commercial, as he leapt off the top turnbuckle with a corkscrew moonsault. The babyfaces were looking strong, but Petrovic was getting worked over by the heels when the show returns from the break.
Hot tag to Lola Vice, and she cleans house with kicks and strikes. Sol Ruca does a take-off of the Buckshot Lariat (Money Clip) that was both impressive and cheesy. Trifecta of hip attacks by the babyface trio, and Ruca gets a near fall.
Melee in the closing minutes, and everyone getting involved and everybody is down selling. That led into a parade of spots on the home stretch. Petrovic gets some near falls, but she is eventually cut off. Jayne & Nyz run interference so that Henley can deliver her finisher. Henley then covers Petrovic for a pinfall.
A few of the women in this match should already be on the main roster, but especially Fallon Henley. Instead, she is aimlessly in a trio with no real direction for her character other than being a bitter heel.
NXT North American Champion Kelani Jordan and Tatum Paxley are in a skit that also features Wendy Choo. The less said, the better, but I well say it was silly. Regardless, this sets up a North American title match for next Tuesday.
Joe Hendry cuts a promo on Gallus as Hendry is leaving the building. Henrdy vows to get revenge on Joe Coffey in a singles match next week on NXT.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez defeated Thea Hail (Andre Chase, Ridge Holland, Riley Osborne & Duke Hudson) to retain the title
Perez pinned Hail after Pop Rocks. Really good match to cap off the show.
Some grappling earlier on, and the match goes through a commercial break. Hail does a moonsault to the floor off the middle turnbuckle. Cut to a split-screen commercial break, and the match continues during the break.
Thea Hail fires up at one point, and she begins to run wild. Perez counters to trap Hail in a submission hold. Rope break, and the match rolls on. Perez argues with Chase U at ringside, allowing Hail to sail through the ropes with a suicide dive. Hail follows up with a high cross and a Michinoku Driver for a near fall.
Hail was going for a Northern Light when Perez counters by snapping Hails’ arm. Perez then teases Pop Rocks, but Hail escapes to catch Perez with a backslide for two. Hail goes for a Kimura. They trade submission holds several times going from a Kimura to a crossface. Hail powers to her feet with Perez on her shoulders. They do an awkward rolling fireman’s carry slam, and Hail springboards into a Nestea Plunge and a near fall.
Hail is dragging Perez back to the middle of the ring when Perez grabs the ring skirt. The referee goes to kick the skirt out of the ring, and he turns his back on the action. Perez then pokes Hail in an eye. Saito suplex by Perez, and a splash. Hail gets one last hope spot, as she moves when Perez charges towards her in a corner. Perez posts herself shoulder first, and Hail applies the Kimura. They roll out of the ring to the floor, where Perez smashes Hail into the ring steps.
Back in the ring, Perez goes back to the crossface, and Hail counters into yet another near fall. Hail with her submission hold, but Perez escapes to again apply a crossface. Hail was reaching for a rope break when Perez uses her foot to push off the bottom rope, and she rolls them away from the rope. Perez transitions and executes Pop Rocks, and Perez covers Hail for a three count.
