By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
NXT TV
Orlando, Florida at Capitol Wrestling Center (WWE Performance Center)
Aired June 29, 2021 on USA Network
[Hour One] A narrated teaser aired to recap events from last week as well as hype up this week’s NXT show…
Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett were on commentary.
1. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs. Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai to become number one contender to the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. Madness ensued. Shirai ended up hitting Kai and Gonzalez with a moonsault. Blackheart hit Kai and Gonzalez with a suicide dive. Moon hit Kai and Gonzalez with a top rope cannonball. Stark hit Kai and Gonzalez with a dive. The show cut to picture-in-picture. [c]
Gonzalez gave Blackheart a wasteland and gave Shirai a boot. Shirai slammed Gonzalez to the mat. Stark, Kai and Moon tagged in. Stark cleaned house. Stark gave Kai a Half and Half Suplex for a two count. Stark gave Moon and Kai a baseball slide for a two count on Kai. Moon recovered and took out Kai with a discus forearm. Blackheart tagged in and gave Shirai and Kai stereo roundhouses with Moon on. Blackheart put Kai in Cattle Mutilation. Gonzalez broke up the submission.
Everyone ended up punching each other. Gonzalez prevented Stark and Shirai from giving everyone else a Tower of Doom. Gonzalez slammed many women one by one. Shirai and Stark gave Gonzalez two dropkicks. Shirai dragged Kai into a crossface which Kai escaped and gave Shirai a superkick. Shirai gave Kai a Butterfly Backbreaker. Shirai went for a moonsault on Kai, but Gonzalez took the bullet for her partner. Moon and Shirai took each other out to ringside.
Blackheart gave Gonzalez a diving senton. A bunch of finishers ensued. Kai rolled up Shirai for a two count. Shirai gave Kai a rising palm. Io Shirai gave Dakota Kai a moonsault for the win.
Io Shirai and Zoey Stark defeated Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez and Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart via pinfall in 14:01 to become number one contenders to the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Highlights from the match..
Karrion Kross was shown entering the WWE Performance Center but once he entered the building he was jumpped by Johnny Gargano. Security guards showed up to pull both men apart. The show went to commercial with Kross saying that Johnny is a dead man…
John’s Thoughts: Lots of madness and hard to track action, and I thought that was a good thing. Lots of good action here and I liked that there wasn’t an overabundance of a handful of wrestlers hanging out at ringside to allow two wrestlers to wrestle in the ring. This match utilized the large amount of wrestlers really well. Shirai and Stark going over made sense, but I wouldn’t have minded if Gonzalez and Kai went through to at least put them on another quest towards the tag titles. I wonder if Gonzalez taking the bullet in the form of the moonsault will come into play in her and Kai’s eventual breakup.
A video package aired to hype up the return of the NXT Breakout Tournament. Wrestlers that debuted in the Breakout Tournament were listed off (no mention of the winner, ACH)…
McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Bronson Reed about the return of the Breakout Tournament. Reed said he was excited to see the new faces and he wouldn’t be here as champion if not for that tournament exposure. Hit Row showed up. Isaiah Scott showed up and pointed out that he also debuted in that tournament. Top Dolla and Isaiah Scott tried to goad Reed into putting the North American Championship on the line on this episode of NXT. Reed eventually accepted…
John’s Thoughts: With Reed appearing on Main Event and dark segments, let the speculation begin as to weather or not Reed drops the title tonight and moves up to Raw or Smackdown. At the same time, I’m all in on Hit Row. I wouldn’t mind rushing a belt over to Scott.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett entered the ring. Kross dared Gargano to come out and confront him. Gargano came out and pointed out how Kross jumped him like a coward last week and he was beating Kross at his own game. Gargano said Kross is in the ring now which is Gargano’s world. Gargano joked about Kross not having talent and brains. Austin Theory showed up and The Way pummeled Kross with strikes. Kross disposed of Theory first and then slammed Gargano several times into the plexiglasss. Kross was about to hit Gargano with steel steps, but referees ran out to separate the two. Gargano recovered and gave Kross a superkick before bolting into the crowd area. Kross got into Samoa Joe’s face for a bit. The security sent Kross to the back…
A vignette hyped Diamond Mine appearing after the break…[c]
The NXT battery graphic was at 61%…
John’s Thoughts: Somebody needs a new cell phone battery. This battery has a hard time holding a charge.
Diamond Mine made their entrance…
2. Roderick Strong (w/Hideki Suzuki, Tyler Rust, Malcolm Bivens) vs. Asher Hale. Strong took down Hale with a side headlock. Hale got to Strong’s back but Strong slammed Hale’s face into the top buckle. Strong hit Hale with his signature backbreaker. Vic Joseph talked about how Malcolm Bivens lit a fire in Strong after his depressed state. Strong hit Hale with a hip toss suplex for a two count. Strong took down Hale with a high knee. Strong then made Hale tap out to a Butterfly submission.
Roderick Strong defeated Asher Hale via submission in 3:02.
Bivens took the mic and said that Diamond Mine is open for business, and this is the beginning baby…
The camera cut to Cameron Grimes heading to the ring from backstage…
John’s Thoughts: Simple and effective squash for Strong. The time off not only for Strong, but also for Bivens, helped reset their characters a bit which allows them to have a fresh start with the viewers. I like Joseph pointing out how Malcolm Bivens is so good as a motivator, that it took Strong out of his depressed state. It powers up Strong while also giving credibility to Bivens. Biven’s is a strong talker too, and I’m looking forward to see him play the role of old-school manager for Diamond Mine.
LA Knight and Ric Flair were in that car insurance commercial that’s on all the commercials of wrestling shows for some reason….
Cameron Grimes made his entrance for an upcoming match. His opponent was that random pink haired guy from the parking lot segment last week…
3. Cameron Grimes vs. Ari Sterling. Grimes took down Sterling with a frankendriver. Sterling tripped up Grimes and hit Grimes with a springboard Asai Moonsault. Barrett noted that Sterling is a 205 Live regular. Sterling hit Grimes with a slingshot move for a two count on Grimes. Grimes rallied back with clotheslines. Sterling came back with a leg lariat. Sterling tried to hit a standing Grimes with a Shooting Star Press, but Grimes stepped aside. Grimes hit Sterling with a Cave In for the victory.
Cameron Grimes defeated Ari Sterling via pinfall in 2:46.
LA Knight made his entrance and said that nobody gives a damn about Grimes winning. Knight said Grimes is a natural born loser. Grimes was cut off by “You Suck” chants from the crowd. Grimes agreed that Knight sucks. Grimes challenged Knight for the million dollar title next week. Knight did his “Yeah” catchphrase several times. Grimes said “nah nah” in terms of not giving Grimes a title shot. Knight said that he realized that there is one piece missing from the puzzle for Knight. Knight called the crowd incels. Knight said he was putting the title on the line next week, but if Grimes loses, Grimes has to become Knight’s butler. Grimes accepted to end the segment…
Kyle O’Reilly was shown heading to the ring heading into commercial…[c]
John’s Thoughts: I’m always down to watch a good Luchas De Apuestas, and this one has me very intrigued. They can go with the feelgood route of Grimes winning, but I think the more likely angle is that Grimes ends up being Knight’s “Vergil”. If that story is told right, I can see Grimes becoming a top babyface of NXT. He’s already well on his way to that.
[Hour Two] McKenzie Mitchell congratulated Zoey Stark and Io Shirai for becoming number one contenders to the tag titles. Both teams traded verbal jabs to hype up their encounter next week…
Kyle O’Reilly made his entrance. He wore a t-shirt and jeans this week (an upgrade over that one time he showed up in all denim). O’Reilly said he’s been testing himself against the best competition in the industry. He said he did that last week and will do so against Adam Cole next week. O’Reilly said their last match was gritty, violent, and unsanctioned. O’Reilly said his win last time proved that he could be in the main event and become a future NXT Champion. O’Reilly called out Adam Cole to come up with an excuse as to what will happen after O’Reilly kicks Cole’s ass at the Great American Bash.
Adam Cole made his entrance with a mic in hand. Before Cole could get to the ring, Samoa Joe and security guards made their entrance to Joe’s music. Joe walked past Cole and said that he was here to prevent a brawl. Joe told Cole and O’Reilly to continue their discussion. Cole got in the ring and said that it creeps him out that O’Reilly is obsessed with Cole. O’Reilly brought up Cole disappearing after O’Reilly put him out of commission. Cole said that O’Reilly is delusional. Cole said that Kyle O’Reilly is nothing without Adam Cole. Cole talked about being at O’Reilly’s side every time O’Reilly was successful in Undisputed Era. Cole said he carried O’Reilly on his back for the last few years. Cole said he still is the star.
The crowd got behind Adam Cole. Cole said everyone knows that fact that Cole is the best from the crowd, Joe, to O’Reilly’s wife. O’Reilly said that he’s ashamed he associated himself with Cole. O’Reilly was about to call Cole a piece of s–t, but Cole slapped the mic to the ground. O’Reilly tripped up Cole and put him in a heel hook. Cole begged Joe to get O’Reilly off him. Samoa Joe simply walked away and allowed O’Reilly to keep the submission locked. The security guards eventually got to the ring and separated Cole and O’Reilly to end the segment.
Xia Li, Boa, and Mei Ying were shown in a dark room. They cut a subtitled promo to hype up their match against Jake Atlas and Mercedes Martinez…[c]
John’s Thoughts: A good segment with an intriguing layer of Joe allowing O’Reilly to lay the pain on Cole. What is a bit interesting is NXT is pushing O’Reilly as one of their top babyfaces, but his quirky babyface character isn’t getting over with the fans. In fact, when Cole started to fire up during his promo, the crowd got behind Cole. I wonder if NXT creative will call some audibles here. Either they need to coach O’Reilly a bit by making his quirkiness less cringey, or maybe they should run with Adam Cole as a top babyface?
B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashanti The Adonis were psyching up Isaiah Scott backstage…
Entrances for the next match took place. Xia Li did a cool Bo Staff demo kata before the match…
4. Jake Atlas and Mercedes Martinez vs. “Tian Sha” Xia Li and Boa (w/Mei Ying) in a mixed tag match. Boa and Atlas started the match. Boa blocked an irish whip , but Atlas came back with boots. Atlas hit Boa with an elevated armdrag and dropkick for a two count. Mercedes and Xia tagged in. Li tackled Martinez. Li hit Martinez with a Superman Forearm. Li put the boots to Martinez. Martinez got a two count off a small package. Martinez backdropped Li. Martinez trashed talk Mei Ying from the ring while Li rolled to ringside to recover. The show cut to regular commercial.[c]
Atlas backdropped Boa to ringside. Martinez tagged in and gave Li a few lariats. Martinez hit Li with a underhook Superplex. Boa broke up the pin. Atlas and Martinez hit Boa with a double team move. Martinez caught Li with a right hand. Mei Ying got up from her throne. Martinez was about to approach Ying, but Li recovered and tossed Martinez back in the ring. Li hit Martinez with a suplex. Li got a two count (?) after a roundhouse to the head. Martinez was in a daze as she kicked out of pin. The referee called for the bell because Martinez was out of it.
Tian Sha defeated Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas via ref stoppage in 5:00 of on-air time.
Bronson Reed was shown getting ready backstage. Vic Joseph hyped up Reed vs. Scott for the NA title as the main event of this week’s show…[c]
John’s Thoughts: A bit of a rough match. Li and Martinez didn’t get enough time to really do anything memorable (their Takeover match was way better). Boa also still seems very green in the ring, to the point where they are only having him wrestle for really short bursts (Is he NXT’s Mahabali Shera? I kid, I kid. Hopefully he gets better in time). I kinda want Tian Sha to move on from this. Hopefully we get to see Mei Ying do something soon.
An ad aired for NXT UK…
Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett checked in from the commentary table. Joseph hyped up the Great American Bash…
Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa made their entrance in street clothes, bringing steel chairs to the ring. Nash Carter and Wes Lee, MSK, made their entrance, also in street clothes, and dragging steel chairs to the ring. All four men opened their chairs to sit across from each other in the ring. Ciampa said the difference between MSK and them, is that he and Thatcher make sitting in chairs look good. Ciampa told MSK that MSK are going into their match as underdogs.
Ciampa said he’s hungry, and Thatcher hasn’t won gold in NXT. Ciampa said that Thatcher is motivated and nobody elevates a title like Tommaso Ciampa elevates a title. Wes Lee cut off Ciampa. All four men got up. Lee said he respects Ciampa and Thatcher. He said he hears what everyone is saying. The crowd showered MSK with “Ciampa’s gonna kill you” chants. Carter said you need to put respect on MSK’s names. Carter said they may be the underdogs, but Ciampa and Thatcher are the challengers. Lee said they will soon find out why MSK are the current tag team champions. Carter slapped Thatcher. Ciampa held back Thatcher.
Ciampa said he wants MSK to bring their pride and titles, because they’re taking them both. Ciampa said Carter got a free one tonight, but MSK ain’t gonna be so lucky next week. MSK posed with their titles in front of Thatcher and Ciampa…
John’s Thoughts: A simple segment to hype up what should be an amazing clash of styles next week. MSK rarely have bad matches, so this should be good. What was interesting was the crowd’s reaction to MSK. The crowd was against MSK here and MSK are supposed to be the plucky babyface team. I thought MSK was doing all the right things, but I’m also blinded by MSK simply being presented way better here than in Impact Wrestling. Maybe the crowd does see MSK as annoying and tweaks need to be made. Maybe they’ll turn MSK heel? I don’t know. Either way, I think it would be totally fine if they put the belts on Ciampa and Thatcher because it would actually validate Ciampa and Thatcher while putting MSK on a redemption quest that fits their upstart presentation.
McKenzie Mitchell interviewed William Regal about next week’s Great American Bash. Regal ran through some of the advertised segments. Regal was about to talk about the Breakout Tournament, but Sarray showed up and politely asked Regal for a match against Toni Storm down the road. Regal said he’d take that into consideration. Sarray thanked Regal very much…
John’s Thoughts: I still think that Sarray is very vanilla, but I couldn’t help but smile at how polite she was there. I don’t know, wholesomeness always gets to me.
The battery charge was at 80%…
Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory jumpped Karrion Kross in the parking lot. Gargano slammed a car door onto Kross and started to trash talk to the camera because he thought Kross was knocked out. Kross got up and put Gargano in a sleeper hold (and a properly put-on sleeper too). Kross left Gargano in the middle of the parking lot and called him a smartass. Kross got in the car and was about to run over Gargano. Joe was thankfully there as he held Gargano up. Joe told Gargano that Gargano may have went too far. Joe told Gargano to get back in the PC…
Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett ran through the Great American Bash card….
Entrances for the North American Championship match took place…
5. “The Colossal” Bronson Reed vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (w/B-Fab, Top Dolla, Ashanti The Adonis) for the NXT North American Championship. Scott worked on Reed with chain wrestling. Barrett noted that Scott might be better with wrestling bigger people because he’s been training with Top Dollar. Reed reversed Scott and worked on Scott with headlocks. Scott went for a Triangle but Reed powered Scott up. Scott tried to do a jump move, but he was swatted out of the air by a Reed shove. Reed lifted Scott and gave him a Military Press Slam.
Scott tried to hit Reed with a slingshot move, but Reed fell on top of Scott to press him. Reed overpowered Scott with chops on the apron. Scott ended up staggering Reed by kicking Reed’s hamstrings. Scott tried to power bomb Reed to ringside, but Reed sat on Scott’s chest to smother him. The show cut to picture-in-picture.[c]
Scott had the advantage back from the break. Reed got to his feet and gave Scott a few chops to fend Scott back. Scott kicked Reed in the thigh again and then hit Reed with a German Suplex for the two count. Barrett noted that it was smart to use a running start to get momentum for the German Suplex.
[Overrun] After trading reversals, Scott hit Reed with a paydirt for a two count. Reed and Scott had dueling chants. Reed no sold Scott’s strikes and gave Scott a lariat. Scott came back with a dropkick. Reed planted Scott with a Death Valley Driver. Reed hit Scott with punch chop combos. Reed took down Scott with a right hand. Reed hit Scott with a front hip attack and senton. Reed went to the top rope but was tripped up by Ashanti The Adonis after Top Dolla distracted the referee. Dolla tried to get a cheap shot in but he ran into the plexiglass.
Reed tosssed Adonis into the hard camera area. As Reed tried to enter the ring, he was hit by a House Call Kick. While Reed was draped on the rope, Scott hit Reed with a 450 splash for the victory.
Isaiah Scott defeated Bronson Reed via pinfall in 13:03 to become the new NXT North American Champion.
Highlights from the match aired. Hit Row all posed at the top of the ramp. The camera also showed that Reed was disappointed over being swarmed and screwed in the match. NXT closed…
John’s Thoughts: A really good match that I wouldn’t have minded on a Takeover, without a picture-in-picture. Scott is money when given over 10 minutes. Isaiah Scott is now even more money now that he’s a part of the fresh Hit Row stable. People who knew that Reed was getting looked at by Raw and Smackdown may have assumed that they were rushing the title off him, but at the same time, it was about time they start putting steam behind Hit Row. I’ve been saying for weeks that I’m all in on Hit Row and I personally don’t mind if they put a buncha on titles on them. We don’t know what B-Fab can do in the ring yet, but I’m already sold on her as money. She can talk well, sing well, and she has a amazing look to her.
Yo! I hope they don’t call up Hit Row to the main roster, but at the same time I fear that could happen because they are too damn cool. I’d say this week’s NXT show was solid. All the segments were productive as usual. They all had a goal of building towards next week’s themed show. Not to mention, there was a title change on this week’s show. I’d say that was memorable enough (at the same time, NXT still has to find a way to produce more buzz-worthy moments for the casual-episodic crowd. NXT still struggles at that).
The NXT crowd in Orlando has never treated Cole like a heel. Why would they start now?
The only way to tackle this is to confront it head on, via Cole – go slightly meta by have him rant against the fans for cheering the heel to show what smart fans they are. Cole is a fantastic heel but his programs are always slightly spoiled by so many smarks cheering him. Either they go down that route or they turn him babyface.
“Grimes said “nah nah” in terms of not giving Grimes a title shot.
What????
It’s funny seeing Sarray so polite here asking for a match, when seeing her in Japan she was often coming out being hostile and belligerent when she wanted a match with someone. Guess it’s easier to talk trash in her native tongue.