Great American Bash 2024 concludes with three more championship matches taking place tonight.
For the second consecutive week, NXT will be on Syfy due to the Olympics. An NXT Championship match headlines tonight’s broadcast with Oro Mensah challenging Ethan Page for the gold. It’s the second defense Page has made since becoming champion at Heatwave last month.
Kelani Jordan puts her NXT Women’s North American Championship on the line against Tatum Paxley. Plus, the NXT Tag Team titles will be defended as Nathan Frazer & Axiom take on the recently reunited MSK (Wes Lee & Zachary Wentz).
Wentz is able to appear for NXT as part of WWE’s relationship with TNA Wrestling. Following his concert last week, TNA star Joe Hendry is set to appear again when he faces Joe Coffey tonight.
Former NXT Champion Trick Williams will be in action against Pete Dunne on tonight’s show. Wren Sinclair vs. Kendel Grey has also been announced.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Week two of Great American Bash begins with a recap of the first week. Highlights from last Tuesday showed results of the top matches and angles.
Opening the show is men’s singles match from a sound stage at the Performance Center, and NXT is taped in front of a live studio audience. The top star of the NXT brand, Trick Williams, is set for a singles match against Pete Dunne, who is a main roster wrestler with a previous history in NXT.
Pete Dunne defeated Trick Williams
Dunne pinned Williams clean in a really good match. As a pure wrestling match, this was one of Trick’s best. He drops the fall, which could easily lead to a return match.
Williams overpowers Dunne early on, until Dunne takes him down. Dunne goes to work with joint locks. Ground and pound and a triangle applied by Dunne, but Trick powers out with a dead lift into a powerbomb. They go on to trade stiff chops like this was Ronnie Garvin against Greg Valentine.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break. The show goes into the break after Tricks counters a springboard into a neckbreaker. During the break, they spilled out onto ringside, where Dunne stomps Trick’s hand on the ring steps. Dunne is working over Trick as the show returns from the break.
Comeback by Trick. He does a kip up as he fires up. Dunne tries to counter, only for Dunne to take a Rock Bottom. Nevertheless, Dunne is eventually able to counter Trick. Dunne drops Trick with a kick, and Dunne climbs the ropes. Trick cuts off Dunne, and Dunne takes an avalanche flapjack off the top turnbuckle.
They trade strikes and kicks, and Trick gets a near fall after delivering a pump kick. Dunne comes back with some fire, and Dunne viciously stomps on Trick. Trick does another kip up, this time while in a test of strength with Dunne. Trick fires up, but Dunne has yet another counter for Trick.
Dunne snaps the fingers, and Trick sells at first. Trick then snaps, and he hulks up. Blinded by rage, Trick misses a jumping knee strike into a corner. Dunne capitalizes with the Bitter End, and Dunne floats over into a pin on Trick.
Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are hosting a barbecue in a skit. Lexis King messes around and finds out, as he is kicked out of the BBQ. Robert Stone and Stevie Turner then sit down to have an eating contest. To be continued…
NXT Champion Ethan Page is in the trainer’s room, and he has word with one-half of the NXT Tag Team Champions, Nathan Frazier. They exchange barbs.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Kelani Jordan vs. Tatum Paxley to retain the title
Jordan pinned Paxley after a frog splash. Jordan sold her knee for much of the match, but she fought through the adversity. Good character development for Jordan, and her next title program is seemingly set up with an angle after the match involving Wendy Choo.
They each showcased their acrobatics early on in the match. The studio audience starts dueling chants at one point. Jordan with a corkscrew plancha to the floor. Paxley crawls underneath the ring. Jordan looks under the ring, only to fund a voodoo doll of herself. Paxley then ambushes Jordan with a chop block.
The title bout goes through a split-screen break. Paxley works over Jordan’s knee during the break. Rally by Jordan as the show returns from the break. Double down, and out comes zombie Wendy Choo.
The match goes on, and Jordan goes for a handspring into the ropes. Her knee buckles, and Jordan crumples to the mat. Paxley tries to capitalize, but Jordan has counters. Jordan recovers, and she goes for a split-legged moonsault. No water in the pool, as Paxley rolled away. Paxley then climbs the ropes and does a 450 splash for a close near fall.
The bout continues and they fight on top of the turnbuckles, setting up a Spanish Fly. Jordan then pulls herself onto the top rope with one leg. Jordan then leaps off into a frog splash, and Jordan covers Paxley for a pinfall. Wendo Choo lays out Paxley after the match, and she glares at Jordan with a zombie stare.
Wren Sinclair is once again blackmailing Charlie Dempsey, and Dempsey agrees to allow Sinclair into his faction if she wins her next match.
Nathan Frazier is getting worried his tag partner Axiom is going to no-show, when in walks Axiom. The tag champs then go off to talk strategy, although Frazier is clearly irritated with Axiom.
Pete Dunne is cutting a promo when he is jumped by Trick Williams. They have a pull-apart brawl, so there is clearly a return match in their future.
NXT Champion Ethan Page defeated Oro Mensah (with Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson) to retain the title
Page pinned Mensah to win the match and retain his title. Page worked hard, but this was basically The Oro Mensah Show.
Quick pace at the start. The beginning was much more PWG than WWE, until the show cuts to a commercial break. The pace slows, but the pace quickens again when the show returns from the break. Mensah goes for a lionsault, and Page cuts him down with a drop kick. That nets Page a near fall.
Mensah sells his back, playing up a spot during the break. Nonetheless, Mensah fight back. Mensah pops Booker T on commentary, as Book shouts “WOW” after Mensah delivers a Booker T-style scissors kick. Near fall for Mensah.
They tease a superplex spot. That was smokescreen transition for the match to go outside the ring, as Mensah boots Page off the apron. Mensah sails through the ropes with a tope suicida. Back in the ring, another near fall for Mensah. Missile dropkick by Mensah, and Mensah follows up with a wrecking ball dropkick.
They fight around the set onto a gimmicked picnic area. Page slams Mensah on a picnic table. Page follows that by giving Mensah a Razor’s Edge on the table. Page drags Mensah back to the ring to give him a DDT, yet Mensah kicks out for a near fall. Mensah gets several more near falls, leading into Mensah delivering a spinning heel kick. Mensah connects and goes for a cover. The referee holds up his count, as Page’s left leg is under the bottom rope.
Mensah slips on the ropes going for a springboard. Crash and burn. Page boots Mensah in the face, and Page executes the Ego’s Edge (Razor’s Edge). Page then covers Mensah for a three count, and Page retains the title.
After the match, Page breaks the fourth wall while cutting a promo, as he looks directly into a camera. Page says this is no longer NXT. He exclaims, “It’s N-X-MEEEEEE!”
The Rascalz are interviewed ahead of MSK’s title match later tonight where they challenge for the NXT Tag Team Championship.
The Hank & Tank BBQ continues, and a frat bro in a romper is put through a table. Lola Vice punches the bro in the gut for making a sexist remarks. Sola Ruca and Jaida Parker then put the bro through the a table with a double team powerbomb.
Joe Hendry defeated Joe Coffey (with Mark Coffey & Wolfgang)
Hendry pinned Coffey to win the match. Hendry was over huge with the studio audience. Before the bell sounds to start the match, Hendry leaps over the ropes for a dive on Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. Crowd chants “we believe” as Hendry is running wild. He is soon cut off by Coffey.
Hendry fights back, and he steps out of harm’s way when Coffey springboards off the middle rope. Coffey lands with a thud. They wrestle on. Coffey is clotheslined out of the ring as the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Hendry is being worked over when the show returns from the break. Wolfgang and Mark Coffey pull Hendry out of the ring to attack him. Hendry fights them off, and does an Eddie Guerrero spot. Hendry toss a chair to Wolfgang, and Hendry takes a phantom bump on the announce desk. The ref spots Wolfgang with the chair, and the ref ejects Gallus from ringside.
A rally for Hendry as he plays to the crowd. They eat it up. Hendry delivers a chokeslam, and Hendry covers Coffey for a three count.
In a post-match interview, Hendry says he likes it in NXT. Hendry says he might stay a while longer, and a lot of people in the locker room have a problem. Hendry says they can meet him next Tuesday. No need to even speak his name, Hendry vows to appear.
At Chase University, Ridge Holland announces in class he has a tag team title match booked for Chase U. Duke Hudson pops, but his bubble is soon burst as Holland informs him he challengers for the titles will be Holland and Andre Chase.
The Hank & Tank BBQ continues, with Shawn Spears again trying to get inside the head of Brooks Jensen. The Good Brothers show up the BBQ, and they insult Hank & Tank. That led to a brawl, and it also appears to set up a tag team grudge match between the two teams.
Wren Sinclair (with Charlie Dempsey & Myles Borne) defeated Kendal Gray (with Carlee Bright)
Sinclair won via pinfall, and in winning, Sinclair earns a spot in No Quarter Catch Crew. Dempsey teased cheating on behalf of Sinclair, but he thought better of it. Sinclair won after delivering headlock DDT. Sinclair is beginning to begrudgingly respect Sinclair’s in-ring ability.
Je’Von Evans is the focus of a video package. It focuses on Matt Bloom being his coach in NXT.
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom defeated Wes Lee & Zachary Wentz (with Trey Miguel) to retain the titles
Fast-paced action and high spots galore, as one might expect with these guys. It made for an exciting bout. Big angle after the match with Wes Lee turning on The Rascalz. Really good match, and a great angle afterwards.
The match goes through a commercial break. The champs each do a dive, and they pose with their title belts as the show cuts to the break.
There were some really cool spots in this match. Hard for me to do them any justice on paper, but the crowd was super into the action. They build to stereo hot tags, and the fast paced action continued. Lots of double team and tandem spots.
Axiom & Frazier do their stereo finisher combo (Spanish Fly by Axiom and a Phoenix Splash by Frazier), but the subsequent pinning attempt is broken up.
Playing on the dissension within their team, Axiom mistakenly superkicks Frazier. Wentz capitalizes by springboarding into a cutter. Frazier kicks out for a close near fall, and the crowd goes wild. Wes Lee tags in, and a moment later he is going for cover. Axiom jumps in to break up the pin.
Just before going home, Frazier executes a superplex on Lee. Frazier floats over and lifts Lee into a vertical suplex. Axiom comes in to deliver a kick, as he and Frazier do a version of reDRagon’s old finisher, called Chasing the Dragon. Lee kicks out for yet another close near fall. Frazier then hold Lee so Axiom can hit the Golden Ratio. Axiom then covers Lee for the deciding pinfall.
Wes Lee is broken after the match, as he is helped to his feet by Wentz and Trey Miguel. Lee is told by Wentz they will get another title shot again. Miguel is in tears over the loss. Suddenly, Lee superkicks Miguel, and Miguel is laid out.
Wentz screams at Lee, as Wentz is in disbelief. Lee then attacks Wentz, giving him a low blow. Lee stands over Wentz, and Lee screams at Wentz that they left him alone. Lee punches Wentz several times, and Wentz is kicked out of the ring.
On the floor, Lee sents Miguel crashing through a barricade at ringside. Lee then delivers a running knee strike that sandwiches Wentz in the ring steps. Lee then leaves. He stops briefly to turn back and look at his carnage, as the show fades to black.
