Tiffany Stratton has issued a challenge to Fallon Henley.
On Tuesday’s NXT, Stratton called Fallon Henley trash, saying she’d never go to her bar and probably has spent her entire life serving people. Stratton then challenged Henley to a match at New Year’s Evil on January 2, saying that if she wins, Henley would have to become her servant.
Tuesday’s show opened with Stratton facing Henley in a match, the two having feuded for the last several weeks. Henley won the match with a roll-up. Immediately after the bell rang, Stratton jumped Henley, the two brawling to the back where Stratton grabbed a trash can and dumped the contents on Henley, who was laying on the floor.
Later, Henley met Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs backstage, saying she was embarrassed and wasn’t done with Stratton.
Two title matches are set for NXT New Year’s Evil. Lyra Valkyria will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Blair Davenport, while Ilja Dragunov will defend the NXT Championship against Trick Williams.
Tiffany Stratton and Dijak have qualified for the Iron Survivor Challenge.
Stratton defeated Fallon Henley on Tuesday’s NXT to become the first person to qualify, pinning Henley with the prettiest moonsault ever. Later in the show, Dijak defeated Tyler Bate to qualify, pinning Bate after hitting the feast your eyes.
As a result, both now qualify for the women’s and men’s Iron Survivor Challenge matches, which will take place at NXT Deadline on December 9 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Mick Foley announced both qualifying matches over the weekend; it was revealed on Tuesday’s show that WWE Hall of Famer Lita will announce the next qualifying matches next week.
JBL and Jerry The King Lawler will also choose qualifying matches in the weeks to come.
Last year’s Iron Survivor Challenge matches saw Roxanne Perez and Grayson Waller win the women’s and men’s matches respectively. Perez went on to win the NXT Women’s Championship, while Waller failed in his efforts to win the NXT Championship.
The finals for the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament are now set.
Kelani Jordan will meet Lola Vice next week at Halloween Havoc night two to determine this year’s tournament winner. Jordan defeated Arianna Grace on Tuesday’s Halloween Havoc night one, while Vice defeated Karmen Petrovic. After Vice’s win, both women posed in front of the NXT Women’s Championship title match contract, which the winner of the finals will earn.
The tournament has taken place over the course of the last month. Jordan defeated Izzi Dame to advance to the semifinals, while Vice defeated Dani Palmer.
This is the second year in a row a Women’s Breakout Tournament has taken place. Last year’s tournament was won by Roxanne Perez, who defeated Tiffany Stratton in the finals. Both women have gone on to win the NXT Women’s Championship in the last year.
Cody Rhodes earlier this month announced that after the end of the Women’s Breakout Tournament, a Men’s Breakout Tournament will also take place, well as the return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Tiffany Stratton has commented on her match with Becky Lynch at NXT No Mercy.
Lynch defeated Stratton in an Extreme Rules match in the main event of Saturday’s show. Stratton was busted open above her right eye during the match and Lynch suffered a laceration to her arm that required 11 stitches.
Stratton said in a social media post on Sunday that Lynch brought it to her “on another level unlike anyone ever has.”
Name an assignment I didn’t understand I’ve always loved the idea of not being what people expect me to be, but tonight was different. The man @beckylynchwwe brought it to me on another level unlike anyone ever has, but I brought it right back, I said what I said and I’m not going anywhere. See you all in the main event of wrestle-mania sooner rather than later! Toodles.
This was the second time Lynch and Stratton have wrestled on WWE programming. Lynch also won their first contest to win the NXT Women’s title on the September 12 edition of NXT. They wrestled five times on WWE live events leading up to last night’s show as well.
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.
********
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.)
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.)
********
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.
********
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.
********
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.
Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton will officially headline tonight’s NXT No Mercy event.
Lynch is defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Stratton in an extreme rules match at No Mercy. Before the show, Shawn Michaels sent out a message on social media announcing that Lynch vs. Stratton will be the main event..
“I’m very proud of our NXT Women’s Division and all the hard work our ladies put in.,” Michaels wrote. “And I’m very proud to announce the Extreme Rules Match for the NXT Women’s Championship between @BeckyLynchWWE and @tiffstrattonwwe will Main Event tonight’s No Mercy Premium Live Event.”
Lynch defeated Stratton for the NXT Women’s Championship on the September 12 episode of NXT. It’s the first time Lynch has ever held the title. She wasn’t a champion during her original NXT run.
The winner of tonight’s Lynch vs. Stratton match will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Tegan Nox on Raw this Monday.
The No Mercy main card streams live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time. There’s also a pre-show starting at 7 p.m. Eastern. Here’s everything that’s been announced for the event:
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes defends against Ilja Dragunov
NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against Trick Williams (Dragon Lee will be the special guest referee)
NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo & Stacks defend against Bronco Nima & Lucien Price, The Creed Brothers, and Angel & Humberto in a fatal four-way match
NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar defends against Butch
Tiffany Stratton would welcome former AEW star Jade Cargill into WWE.
While speaking with The Ten Count, Stratton was asked about rumors that Cargill is WWE bound. Stratton said she would welcome Cargill into WWE or NXT with open arms.
“Yeah, for sure. Bring her on in,” Stratton said. “I don’t know much about her, but I’ve seen photos of her and she’s beautiful. But yeah, I’m not sure what’s really going on there. So I guess we’ll see.”
It was reported on September 14 that Cargill was believed to be leaving AEW and heading to WWE. She’s since been removed from the roster page on AEW’s website. Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is working on high priority main roster creative for Cargill.
Cargill’s final match for AEW aired on Rampage last Friday. Kris Statlander retained the TBS Championship against Cargill.
When asked about Cargill’s status, Tony Khan told Superstar Crossover that it’s something he can’t really comment on. Khan praised Cargill and said she would always be welcome in AEW.
Stratton is challenging Becky Lynch for the NXT Women’s Championship in an extreme rules match at NXT No Mercy on Saturday, September 30. Lynch won the title from Stratton in the main event of last week’s NXT.
John LaRocca and I are back with a brand new Fight Game Podcast.
Our first topic was about the possible synergy between UFC and WWE that everyone is talking about. Will it work or are the audiences too different these days?
Some of the other things we talked about included:
Tuesday’s show ended with Lynch holding the NXT Women’s Championship, a title she previously never held. The finish of the match had Tiffany Stratton go for the prettiest moonsault ever. However, Lynch escaped. Stratton then walked right into a manhandle slam by Lynch, pinning Stratton to earn her first NXT Women’s Championship.
The build to the match began several weeks ago on NXT, when Stratton mentioned Lynch in a list of names that had been former champions. Stratton in a later segment apologized for saying that Lynch was a former champion. After Lynch addressed the situation on Twitter, Stratton started to appear in the crowd during Lynch’s matches on Raw before confronting Lynch at WWE Payback, apologizing in person.
After Stratton defeated Kiana James during last week’s NXT, Lynch appeared via video and announced she would be facing Stratton in a title match next week. On Monday’s Raw, the two signed a contract in Adam Pearce’s office ahead of Tuesday’s main event.
One of WWE’s biggest stars is challenging for gold on tonight’s episode of NXT.
Becky Lynch will attempt to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time in her career as she challenges Tiffany Stratton tonight. The feud between Lynch and Stratton began last month after Stratton accidentally listed Lynch as a former NXT Women’s Champion. Lynch responded on social media by saying she hasn’t held the title — yet.
Stratton successfully defended her title against Kiana James last week.
We’ll find out Carmelo Hayes’ NXT Championship challenger for No Mercy tonight. Wes Lee is facing Ilja Dragunov in a number one contender’s match.
NXT’s Global Heritage Invitational continues with Tyler Bate vs. Axiom and Akira Tozawa vs. Nathan Frazer. The winner of the round-robin tournament challenges Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup at No Mercy on September 30.
The Creed Brothers vs. Malik Blade & Edris Enofe, Dana Brooke vs. Lyra Valkyria, and a six-man tag match with Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen & Myles Borne facing Drew Gulak, Charlie Dempsey & Damon Kemp have also been announced.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Becky Lynch is shown arriving to the building earlier today.
Opening the show is a bout that decides the next challenger for the NXT Championship. The winner gets a title shot at No Mercy.
Ilja Dragunov defeated Wes Lee in a number one contender’s match
Dragunov pinned Lee to become the next challenger for the NXT title. Fantastic opener. Helluva match. An injury angle follows the match, as Lee is placed on a stretcher and loaded into a waiting ambulance.
Lee showed a lot of fire at the start, taking the fight to Dragunov. In return, Dragunov fights back. Lee begins to fly, but he is cut off. Dragunov with a series of suplexes, but he is knocked out of the ring by a koppo kick. Lee then torpedoes through the ropes with a tope. He went for another tope, but he is cut off by Dragunov. Lee then takes a suplex on the announce desk, just before the show cuts to its first commercial break.
The war continues during the break, and it wages on when the show returns. They eventually begin trading strikes and kicks. Looks like a few potatoes being thrown, including Dragunov eating a kick. Lee with a running Spanish fly for a near fall. These dudes are beating the snot out of each other.
Lee goes for his finisher, but Dragunov seemingly blocks it. Lee counters the counter with a tornado DDT. A moment later, Lee runs corner to corner to launch into a flip dive over the ring post. Lee goes to follow up by climbing the turnbuckles. He is cut off, and Dragunov sets for the finish with a superplex. Dragunov then drops a falling forearm smash for a close near fall.
Dragunov signals for a his finisher, but Lee blocks with a knee strike. Lee is unable to capitalize as he is on rubber legs, while Dragunov falls backwards into the ropes. Dragunov bounces off the middle rope, and he drops like a falling tree into a forearm that rocks Lee from behind. Dragunov then covers Lee for a three count.
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes comes down the ramp after the match is over to stare down Dragunov. Lee is taken away on a stretcher surrounded by medical staff, producers and Shawn Michaels. Lee leaves the building in an ambulance.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton is seen arriving to the building ahead of her title match main event tonight.
In a follow up to the cliffhanger from last week, a video package recaps Bron Breakker injuring Von Wagner in a angle that ended the previous episode. The story is Wagner has a “minor skull fracture,” and there is no timetable for his return because of his previous medical history.
Heading to the ring to address the incident from last week is Baron Corbin, who was at ringside as a guest commentator when Breakker injured Wagner. Out comes Corbin for a monologue on the subject.
Corbin says what he witnessed was “vicious,” and he adds at Wagner will never be the same after Breakker smashed Wagner’s head with the ring steps. Corbin calls out Breakker, and Breakker obliges him. Corbin begins to address Breakker when the live studio audience begins to mock him with a chant. Corbin tries to ignore them.
Corbin’s serious demeanor flips to joy as “that was freaking awesome!” Breakker lets out a holler, and he and Corbin celebrate like frat boys. That to is a ruse. Breakker turns on Corbin by calling him an idiot.
Breakker says he ended Wagner’s career because Wagner put him through a table. Breakker basks in the horror he caused last week. Corbin then starts cutting another promo on Breakker, as this segment starts to drag. They get in each other’s face and they yell. Breakker makes a challenge for a match at No Mercy. Breakker threatens Corbin, and Corbin responds by slapping Breakker. Corbin in turn slaps Breakker. A slugfest erupts into a pull-apart.
A trios match is next.
Damon Kemp, Charlie Dempsey & Drew Gulak defeated Myles Borne, Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs (with Fallon Henley) in a six-man tag team match
Kemp pinned Jensen after Borne turned on his teammates. The match was rather short, as the turn and finish came out of nowhere.
When the fighting spilled outside, Borne pulled Henley out of harm’s way, like her knight in shining armor. More like a snake in the grass. They lock eyes for a second. A moment later, Borne turns on his tag partner when he slings Jensen into the ring post. Gulak and Dempsey double team Briggs at ringside, while Kemp covers Jensen for a pinfall in the ring.
Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne get into a bar fight with a couple dudes in a pre-taped skit. The two dudes makes fun of Hail, and Jayne takes up for her by slapping one dude. Hail kicks the other dude’s ass. Hail then says they are going shopping next week. She apparently does not want dress in Chase U clothes anymore. I would not either if it led to bar fights.
Lyra Valkyria defeated Dana Brooke (with Kelani Jordan)
Valkyria pinned Brooke after a splash. Valkyria gets to shine early on, until being cut off by Brooke. Valkyria eventually fires up on Brooke. Valkyria lands a roundhouse kick, and she follows up with a flying body press off the top rope and a three count.
Brooke shakes hands with Valkyria after the match. When Valkyria turns to leave, Brooke goes for a sneak attack. She is stopped by Jordan, who pulls Brooke away.
Eddy Thorpe is being interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell. They are interrupted by a video message from Dijak. He is “marking” Thorpe territory by whipping a tree with a belt. Dijak took his belt off and whipped the tree repeatedly, which caused Thorpe to end the interview and leave.
NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio and NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes have a backstage confrontation where they exchange words. Hayes challenges Mysterio to a match. This sets up a champion vs. champion match for next Tuesday on NXT. The titles are apparently not on the line. At least I don’t think the belts are up for grabs. Their announcement later on is somewhat vague on that.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Becky Lynch. She is interrupted by Kiana James, who tells Lynch that she is not wanted here. Lynch warns James that “‘The Man’ is coming around to NXT a whole lot more.” Lynch warns that is “not good” for James.
Tyler Bate defeated Axiom in a Group A match in the Global Heritage International tournament
Bate pinned Axiom in an action-packed match. Both are so good at what they do. The match goes through a commercial break. They trade near falls in the closing moments. Lots of great action and counters. Bate executes a Tyler Driver ’97, and he covered Axiom for the pinfall.
Updated Group A standings:
Butch – 3 points
Bate – 2 points
Axiom – 1 point
Charlie Dempsey – 0 points
Butch is interviewed by Kelly Kincaid in a backstage viewing area. Butch talks about his storied history with Bate. Next week Bate and Butch meet in a tournament match.
Joe Gacy and Ava are outside by their cult’s tree in a pre-taped skit. Gacy says their tree is dying as they stand alone. They both place a hand on the tree for whatever reason. Cornball kooky stuff.
Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams have an awkward meeting where they try to make up after a tense encounter last week. In walks Wes Lee into the background. Lee is dragging a trash can to his locker, and Lee cleans out his locker by throwing stuff in the trash. Lee then takes his bag and leaves.
The Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius Creed with Ivy Nile) defeated Edris Enofe & Malik Blade
Blade & Enofe shine early on with fast-paced high spots. Brutus is getting worked over, but he fights back. Hot tag to Julius, and he runs wild. Blade tries to cut off Julius, but Blade is caught instead. They go home after a “Brutus Ball” finisher, which is essentially a Doomsday Device where Brutus does a cannonball.
Humberto Carillo & Angel Garza watched the match from a perch overlooking the ring. They have a stare down with the Creeds. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger came down the aisle to join the staring contest. Walker & Ledger are then jumped by Lucien Price & Bronco Nima. Those two teams brawl around ringside.
Becky Lynch has a warm reunion with Lyra Valkyria in a brief skit.
Because there are not enough skits on this show, Roxanne Perez is in the locker room for yet another skit. Perez is confronted by Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice. This seems to set up a match between Vice and Perez. Vice also mentions she will go on win the Breakout tournament. So that is coming back soon, because the word certainly needs another wrestling tournament.
Akira Tozawa vs. Nathan Frazier in a Group B match in the Global Heritage International tournament
Frazier pinned Tozawa to win. Tozawa is so damn good when he gets to be a serious wrestler. Dame shame Tozawa has zero points so far. Big fat goose egg is a travesty.
Frazier is impressive as usual. For the finish, they do a superplex. Frazier holds on, floats over and lifts Tozawa into a twisting neckbreaker. Frazier then covers Tozawa for a three count.
Frazier is now tied with Joe Coffey as the points leaders in their group.
Updated Group B standings:
Joe Coffey – 4 points
Frazier – 4 points
Duke Hudson – 2 points
Tozawa – 0 points (insert sad face emoji)
Mustafa Ali is interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell. Ali continues is slide into the dark side. Dragon Lee confronts Ali about the fast count from last week. Ali scoffs at that, but he does promise to give Dragon Lee the first title shot when Ali wins the North American title. Ali vows to do so.
Wes Lee is seen leaving the building with his wife. Wes Lee says he told himself if he was not going to No Mercy, he would leave NXT.
Gigi Dolan attacks Blair Davenport, leading to a pull-apart brawl.
Becky Lynch defeats NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton to win the title
Lynch pinned Stratton after a Manhandle slam.
Lynch got a superstar reaction from the live studio audience the moment she entered the soundstage. She is definitely more over than anyone on the NXT roster, which stands to reason. Lynch even carries herself more like a star than the rest on this show. “The Man” has swagger.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break. Lynch takes a bump off the apron just as the show cuts to commercial. Stratton works over Lynch during the break. Lynch is making a comeback when the show returns from that last commercial break.
They trade near falls in the closing minutes. Missile dropkick by Lynch, but Stratton kicks out. Lynch gets a shoulder up after taking a pop-up powerbomb from Stratton. Lynch blocks Stratton’s attempt at her moonsault finisher.
They tease a superplex, but Stratton counters with an avalanche gourdbuster. Stratton follows up with a swanton bomb for another near fall. Lynch catches Stratton in a cross-armbreaker. Stratton tries to power out with a deadlift, but Lynch counters into a Frankensteiner. Stratton with a double stomp, but Lynch kicks out yet again.
Stratton goes for her moonsault finisher as she springboards on the middle rope. Lynch with a springboard of her own to cut off Stratton. Lynch then executes a super Russian leg sweep off the middle rope. Stratton gets a shoulder up.
Stratton baits Lynch into getting out of the ring. Lynch is sent crashing into the ring steps, as Stratton starts clearing off the announce desk. Stratton teases powerbombing Lynch on the desk, but Lynch escapes by hopping onto the barricade. Stratton is shoved backwards, and she falls on the desk in just the right spot. Lynch leaps off the barricade with a flying legdrop on the desk. The table failed to break, but Lynch fought on.
Lynch leaps off the top rope with a Bobby Eaton Alabama Jam (flying legdrop). Stratton kicks out, and Lynch transitions into applying a Fujiwara armbar. Stratton escapes the hold, and she delivers a Liger bomb for another near fall.
For the finish, Stratton goes for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. No water in the pool as Lynch moves out of the way. Stratton lands on her feet, only for her to walk into a Manhandle slam. Lynch then covers Stratton for a three count. AND NEW…
For the fist time in her career, Becky Lynch captures the NXT Women’s Championship.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton has her sights set on a WWE main roster call-up.
Stratton appeared as a guest on Booker T’s Hall of Fame podcast ahead of her title defense against Becky Lynch on NXT next Tuesday. During the interview, Stratton was asked how much longer she sees herself in NXT. Stratton said she would love to get called up as soon as possible. Stratton feels like the latest she wants to be in NXT is around WrestleMania season.
Stratton said:
I have gotten a little taste of what it’s like to be on Raw. I really would love to get called up as soon as possible, but I do know like I have some stuff to work on. But I feel like, at the latest, I would want to be in NXT — I would say around WrestleMania time is I feel like my calling. But we shall see. Whenever the time is right. I believe timing is everything and everything happens for a reason. So whenever it happens, it’s meant to happen.
This April, Stratton said she was hoping to stay in NXT a little longer to hone in on her wrestling skills. Stratton said she would make the most of it and rise to the occasion if she did get called up in the WWE Draft.
Stratton won the NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Lyra Valkyria in the finals of a tournament at NXT Battleground this May.
The feud between Stratton and Lynch began with Stratton incorrectly listing Lynch as a former NXT Women’s Champion during a promo two weeks ago. Stratton has since made appearances on Raw and Payback to build up her rivalry with Lynch.
Stratton told the Hall of Fame podcast that facing Lynch is “as big as it can get.” Stratton said that facing any of WWE’s Four Horsewomen is a dream match for her.
Becky Lynch will challenge for the NXT Women’s Championship next week.
Champion Tiffany Stratton successfully defended the title on Tuesday’s NXT, defeating Kiana James. After the match, Lynch appeared on video and wondered what she would do next. She decided that since she’s never won the NXT Women’s Championship, she would come back to NXT next week and challenge Stratton. After the commercial break, the match was made official for next week’s show.
The feud between Stratton and Lynch started a few weeks ago, when Stratton in an in-ring promo said she would be the best Women’s Champion of all time, listing previous champions including Asuka, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair. She also included Lynch, who never held the title during her NXT run.
After the promo, Stratton started to appear in the crowd on Raw, and also congratulated Lynch on her win at Payback this past weekend and apoloigzed for calling her a former champion. Lynch told Stratton to focus on her title match and she’d see her soon.
Tiffany Stratton’s title reign faces a challenge from Kiana James tonight.
The NXT Women’s Championship will be up for grabs when Stratton faces off with James on tonight’s NXT episode. Last Tuesday, James put herself in position for the title shot when she defeated Roxanne Perez, Gigi Dolin, and Blair Davenport in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match.
While James is Stratton’s opponent for tonight, it appears that a match between Stratton and WWE main roster star Becky Lynch is looming. A confrontation between the two took place during Payback on Saturday.
North American Champion Dominik Mysterio will be the special guest referee for Dragon Lee vs. Mustafa Ali. Both Lee and Ali are angling for a shot at Dominik’s title.
A no DQ grudge match between Bron Breakker and Von Wagner is among the other matches set for tonight. The show will also include Ilja Dragunov vs. Oro Mensah, the return of Angel & Humberto, and more.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Opening the show is the women’s title match, which would lead into a major announcement concerning next week’s main event.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defeated Kiana James to retain her title
Stratton pinned James, after an eye poke and Stratton’s moonsault finisher. Becky Lynch appears after the match in a taped promo, where she announces she is challenging for Stratton’s title in the main event next Tuesday on NXT.
The match itself was well choreographed, and also seemed timed out well. James got to look strong, but not necessarily at Stratton’s expense.
Moments before they went home, Stratton grabs James’ loaded bag. Stratton goes to hit James with the loaded bag, but James ducks. James delivers her 401k finisher, but Stratton kicks out for a near fall.
Stratton had used underhanded tactics earlier in the match to shift the advantage in her favor. She does so again to set up the finish. Stratton pokes James’s in the eyes, and Stratton then sets up for her finisher. Stratton executes her “Prettiest Moonsault Ever,” and Stratton covers her for a pinfall.
Becky Lynch appears on the Titantron after the match. Lynch cuts a promo on Stratton, and Lynch announces she is challenging for the NXT Women’s Championship. Stratton defends her title against Lynch next week on NXT.
Diamond Mine is back together and back in NXT. The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile are in their gym in a skit where the NXT Tag Team Champions meet up with them. The tag champs, Tony D’Angelo and Stacks, are talking with the Creeds when Malik Blade and Edris Enofe interrupt. They take exception to the Creeds wanting a tag title shot so soon after returning. An argument ensues. To be continued…
Ilja Dragunov defeated Oro Mensah (with Noam Dar, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend)
Dragunov pinned Mensah in a really good match. The style of the bout is much different than the opener, and it was more fluid. Mensah brought the fight to Dragunov, which also plays to Dragunov’s strengths.
They fight through a commercial break, and the battle continues after the shoe returns from the a split-screen. Dragunov makes a comeback after delivering his Grüße aus Moskau lariat. Dragunov goes into a chain of suplexes for a near fall. He is soon cut off by Mensah, and he hits a spinning heel kick for two and half.
Mensah then begins to mock Dragunov, which infuriates Dragunov. He hulks up, and Mensah is powerbombed. Dragunov signals her his finisher, and he delivers Torpedo Moskau. Dragunov then covers Mensah for a pinfall.
Wes Lee enters the soundstage after the match is over. He gets in the ring to confront Dragunov, and Lee tells Dragunov that his hopes for a title shot must wait. The two have been bickering in recent weeks over which one of them is the next contender for the NXT Championship. So they bicker so more about it, until their argument is interrupted by the champion himself.
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes confronts the two, and he says he talked with Shawn Michaels about the situation. The live studio audience chants for a triple threat match. Instead, Hayes says HBK booked a number one contender’s match for next week. Lee against Dragunov is set for next Tuesday, and the winner faces Hayes for the NXT title at No Mercy.
Nathan Frazier is interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell, and Frazier addresses his viral moment from last week, where he clotheslined himself on the top rope.
Blair Davenport, Thea Hail, Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolan are backstage in a skit. This bit of community theater helps set up a match later on between Dolan and Hail. Dolan warns Hail about befriending Jayne. Hail responds by saying she is a grown women that can take care of herself.
Nathan Frazier defeated Duke Hudson (with Andre Chase) in a Group B match in the Global Heritage International tournament
Frazier pinned Hudson, thus giving Frazier two points in Group B. He bounces back with a win tonight, after a lose in his first tourney match. Hudson suffers a lose, after winning his first tourney bout.
They had a good match. Just before the finish, Hudson went for a Razor’s Edge. Frazier counters to escape the move, which leads to Frazier hitting a Phoenix Splash.
Updated Group B standings:
Frazier – 2 points
Joe Coffey – 2 points
Duke Hudson – 2 points
Akira Tozawa – 0 points
Back in the Diamond Dojo, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are talking with the Creeds. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price enter the scene to start an argument with Walker and Ledger.
Tyler Bate defeated Dabbo-Kato
Bate pinned Dabbo-Kato clean in the middle of the ring, as a David conquered a Goliath. Dabbo-Kato lost another match clean, so he is not much of monster anymore, despite them portraying his as such.
Bate tries jumping Dabbo-Kato before the bell, with mixed results. Dabbo-Kato would not go down, but Bate kept bringing the fight to him. Bate eats a big boot, and Dabbo-Kato begins to manhandle Bate.
Bate eventually fights back, and he keeps trying to knock Dabbo-Kato off his feet. When Dabbo-Kato still will not go down, Bate instead lifts Dabbo-Kato off his feet.
In a feat of strength, Bate lifts Dabbo-Kato into a fireman’s carry. Bate does an airplane spin, and Dabbo-Kato is slammed to the mat. Bate shakes off his dizziness before climbing the turnbuckles. Bate leaps off into a corkscrew senton bomb. Bate then covers Dabbot-Kato for a clean three count.
Dominik Mysterio is headed to the ring in a referee shirt with black and purple stripes.
A backstage skit in the women’s locker room leads to a shuffle between Roxanne Perez and Kiana James. They did a Punk and Perry pull-apart, which would seem to set up a singles match between Perez and James.
Mustafa Ali defeated Dragon Lee with NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio as guest referee
Ali pinned Dragon Lee, after a fast count by Dom. In wining the match, Ali earns himself a title shot against Dom at No Mercy.
The announcers scatter at one point, when Dragon Lee torpedoes through the ropes with a tope suicida. Ali quickly recovers from being sent sailing over the announce desk. Ali flips over the desk to do a Buckshot Lariat on the floor. Ali follows up with a tornado DDT for a near fall.
They go on to trade near falls. Dragon Lee gets a two count after a German suplex. Ali with a jackhammer for another two count. Ali goes for a 450, but no water in the pool. He rolls through, only to take a Liger bomb for another near fall.
Dragon Lee complains to Dom about the count, as Lee argues Dom was counting too slow. Ali rushed in to catch Dragon Lee in a victory roll. Dom drops to the mat and does a fast count. Ali scores a pinfall, after Dom rapidly slaps the mat three times.
Ali drops Dom with a right hand after the match. Ali still remains somewhat of a tweener. Is he a heel or a face? Time will tell.
Butch and Axiom wrestle to a time limit draw in a Group A match in the Global Heritage Invitational
With the match ending in a draw, each receive one point apiece. They also had a really good match.
The bout goes through a commercial break. They trade chops after the break, and Axiom makes a comeback for a near fall on Butch. Axiom goes for a standing moonsault, but Butch counters him to catch Axiom in a triangle. Axiom gets a rope break, but he eats strikes and stomps from Butch.
Axiom continues to fight back. They each reverse crossface submission hold. Axiom goes for a triangle of his own, but Butch escapes to give Axiom a snap German. Nevertheless, Axiom comes back with flurry of offense. He goes for a springboard, only for Butch to cut him off with a knee strike. Butch with a Liger bomb for another near fall.
By this point, under five minutes remain in the time limit. They each are rushing to try and finish the other. Axiom delivers the Golden Ratio, but Butch get his arm out of bounds, under the plane of the bottom rope, to break the count.
Axiom goes for a submission hold with the time limit under 30 seconds. Butch snaps Axiom’s fingers to break the hold. Butch with the Bitter End with seconds remaining. He is unable to capitalize, and time expires. The bell sounds, and the match is a draw.
Updated Group A standings:
Butch – 3 points
Axiom – 1 point
Charlie Dempsey – 0 points
Tyler Bate has yet to have his first tourney match
Von Wagner in a taped promo is seemingly addressing Mr. Stone. However, the camera pans out to reveal Wagner is talking to the announce desk, as he now has a Sabu gimmick where he likes putting people through tables. Stone walks ups, and Wagner vows Breakker will get “tabled tonight.”
The skit in the Diamond Dojo continues with more tag teams bickering among themselves. This one led to brawl. Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza confront the tag champs. Carillo and Garza then brawl with D’Angelo and Stacks.
Thea Hail (with Jacy Jayne) defeated Gigi Dolan
Hail submitted Dolan after outside interference by Blair Davenport.
Hail is still billed as representing Chase U, but Jayne is in her corner instead of the Chase U faction. Jayne also stops Hail from doing her Chase U pose during Hail’s entrance routine.
Hail wrestled with more of an edge. Although not a heel style, Hail was far more aggressive. During the bout, she is trying for an armbar. Hail ends up posted shoulder first.
Suddenly, Blair Davenport runs in and attacks Dolan at ringside. Davenport targets Dolan’s arm with a shoulder breaker. Davenport then rolls Dolan back into the ring, where Hail traps Dolan in a kimura lock. Dolan taps out, and Hail wins via submission.
In a backstage skit, Lyra Valkyria is giving Kelani Jordan a pep talk when in walks Dana Brooke. She takes exception to Valkyria giving advice to Jordan. This sets up a match with Valkyria against Brooke, with Jordan stuck in the middle.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton cuts a promo on Becky Lynch ahead of their title match next week. Stratton calls Lynch a “bitch” to conclude the promo, and the live studio audience gasp at the curse word.
Bron Breakker defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone) in a no disqualification match
Breakker pinned Wagner in what Gorilla Monsoon would have likely called the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. It was a for sure a hoss fight. Breakker gets his heat back after the match with an injury angle, which ends the show on a cliffhanger.
Wagner was wearing pants instead of his usual long tights. Not sure if that is a new look, or just something he wore for what is essentially a street fight. Breakker wore his usual singlet and gear.
The fight spills outside early on, and they brawl near the announce desk. They bang around on the desk, and Wagner throws Breakker over the table. Wagner teases putting Breakker through the desk, but they get back into the ring instead. Not for long, as the fighting quickly spills out of the ring just before the show cuts to its final commercial break.
Metal folding chairs and kendo sticks are soon used as props. During the split-screen break, Wagner teases pulling a table from underneath the ring. Breakker cuts him off, and Breakker goes to pull out the table. The studio audience cheers, so Breakker heels on them by sliding the table back underneath the ring.
The show returns from the break with Breakker repeatedly hitting Wagner with a kendo stick. Stiff shots in safe places. Wagner blocks one shot, and he fights back. Breakker cuts him off with a lariat. Wagner takes more shots from the kendo sticks, but Wagner eventually fight backs.
Breakker takes a few big boots from Wagner, but he blocks a third attempt. Breakker then does a sit-out powerbomb by Wagner. As the studio audience chants for tables, Wagner goes to pick up Breakker. Wagner buckles to his knees, selling his ribs from all the earlier shots from the kendo stick.
Breakker with a flying bulldog that drives Wagner into a chair laying on the mat. Breakker pulls down the straps on his singlet, and Breakker applies a Steiner Recliner, while using the kendo stick as a crossface. Wagner then hulks up to break the hold. Wagner reverses the kendo stick to crossface Breakker with it.
They trade lariats. Breakker drops Wagner into a gut buster, and Breakker charges at Wagner for what an attempted spear. Wagner moves out of the way, and Breakker crashes into a chair wedged in a corner. Breakker crawls over to another folding chair. As Breakker gets his hands on the chair, Wagner stomps on the chair as he towers over a downed Breakker.
Wagner has a kendo stick in his hand as Breakker gets to his feet. Breakker spat in Wagner’s face, and Wagner responds with a series of shot from the kendo stick. Wagner shatters a kendo stick on Breakker’s back. Wagner tosses aside the splintered stick, and he hits Breakker across the back with chair shot. Chokeslam by Wagner for a near fall.
The fight spills outside the ring again, where Wagner sends Breakker crashing through a gimmicked wall. Breakker is dragged out as Wagner teases putting Breakker through the announce desk. Breakker fight back, but he takes a pop-up powerbomb on the desk. The booth implodes as Breakker is put through the desk.
Wagner follows up by rolling Breakker into the ring. Breakker counters a fireman’s carry, and he hits Wagner with a low blow. Wagner then turns around as Breakker delivers a spear. Breakker goes in to score a three count on Wagner.
Breakker attacks Wagner after the match with chair shots. Breakker sends Wagner crashing into the ring steps. Breakker then picks up the top section of the steps. With Wagner’s head resting on the bottom section of the steps, Breakker appears to smash Wagner’s head with steps. In a cliffhanger ending, the show fades to black amid screams of horror.
The angle continued on social media, with Wagner being carried away on a stretcher. His head was heavily bandaged, while he was strapped down and wheeled away.
Kiana James is the new number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship.
James defeated Gigi Dolin, Blair Davenport, and Roxanne Perez in the main event of Tuesday’s NXT to earn a championship match on next week’s show against champion Tiffany Stratton. The finish had Perez lay out Davenport with pop rocks, but Gigi Dolin came in and laid out Perez. James then ran in and laid out Dolin with a codebreaker to win the match.
A number one contenders match to determine Dominik Mysterio’s North American title challenger is also set for next Tuesday. After Ali made a claim to Dragon Lee that he should be the next challenger, Mysterio and Rhea Ripley announced the two will compete in a number one contender’s match for next week Instagram post. It was also announced that Mysterio will serve as the special guest referee.
Other matches set for next week include Bron Breakker taking on Von Wagner in a no disqualification match and Ilja Dragunov facing Oro Mensah after Dragunov had an encounter with the Meta-Four on Tuesday. A match that was originally set for Tuesday, Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato, has been moved to next week as well.
Angel & Humberto, who have been seen in recent weeks contemplating their futures in a series of vignettes, will also return next week.
Here’s the current card for next week’s WWE NXT:
NXT Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton defends against Kiana James
NXT North American number one contender’s match: Dragon Lee vs. Mustafa Ali with special guest referee Dominik Mysterio
Becky Lynch has responded to a promo Tiffany Stratton cut on Tuesday’s NXT.
At Heatwave, Tiffany Stratton cut a promo saying she would become one of the greatest NXT Women’s Champions of all time, naming former champions such as Asuka, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair. She also mentioned Becky Lynch, who never held the NXT Women’s Championship during her run in NXT.
Lynch responded on X soon after the promo, saying “I haven’t been NXT Women’s Champion…yet.”
Stratton later said in another promo that “trolls on X” told her that Lynch never was champion, and called Lynch “irrelevant”.
Four women ended up challenging Stratton during her first promo, leading to a brawl. After Stratton called Lynch irrelevant, a fatal four-way match was set up for next week’s NXT, where the winner between Blair Davenport, Roxanne Perez, Gigi Dolin, and Kiana James would get the next shot at Stratton’s championship.
Lynch will face Trish Stratus inside a steel cage at WWE Payback on September 2. She will also be wrestling on next Monday’s Raw, facing Zoey Stark in a falls count anywhere match.
