The show begins with a video package recapping Heatwave from last week.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker opens the show marching to the ring with his title belt slung over his shoulder. He addresses the live studio audience in Orlando by asking, "Where my dawgs at?"
After the cheap pop, Breakker asks NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate to join him in the ring for a talk. I thought the talk show segment was booked for later in the show, but okay.
Out comes Bate to confront Breakker in the ring. This leads to Bate challenging Breakker to a unification match. Breakker on the house mic puts Bate over at first, but he cautions Bate this is not NXT UK. This is the NXT, where "the greatest superstars in the world are," according to Breakker.
Breakker does agree with Bate that there should one champion of NXT, so Breakker accepts the challenge. Breakker says it will be title vs. title at Worlds Collide.
With a main event booked for Worlds Collide, the two NXT champions shake hands. They then hold their belts up for a face to face staredown.
A vignette introduces the viewing audience to Gallus. The faction then enters the soundstage, set for a match that is up next. But first, something else.
Before the show cuts to its first commercial break, there is commotion in the backstage area. Fallon Henley and Lash Legend are being separated after getting into a quarrel.
Henley is pulled away from her quarrel by Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen. They head to the ring to defend their belts in a tag title match.
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang with Joe Coffey) defeat NXT United Kingdom Tag Team Champions Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs (with Fallon Henley) via countout
**3/4
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Brooks & Jensen lose are counted out after brawling at ringside with Pretty Deadly. Fallon Henley also brawls with Lash Legend.
Decent enough match, but with a lame finish. Granted, it does build to a mixed trios match, but Gallus in my opinion could have used a more dominant win in their 2.0 debut.
Gallus gained control as the match got going, but Brooks & Jensen fight back and rally. A melee breaks out, with Brooks & Jensen standing tall as the show cuts to a commercial break.
The babyface rednecks did well during the break, but Jensen is soon cut off as the show is returning from commercials. Gallus work over Jensen for a little while, until a hot tag.
Briggs tags in, and he cleans house. Gallus bumps and feeds as Briggs runs wild. Suddenly, Lash Legend appears at ringside to taunt Henley.
Henley jumps into Legends arm like this was a rom-com, but a brawl breaks out instead. Pretty Deadly then run down to ringside, and they begin brawling with Brooks & Jensen.
A skit begins with Andre Chase in the ring addressing Chase U students. Chase has brought in Charlie Dempsey from NXT UK for a training session. Dempsey was "going to teach the class some moves," meaning he stretched them like Stu Hart in the Dungeon.
Dempsey stretches Bodhi Hayward, and Hayward taps. Dempsey tortures him by not breaking the hold, and Chase has to separate them. An angry Hayward yells at Dempsey, and Chase questions whether he should have brought in Dempsey.
Dempsey calls the class "soft," and he tells them to do some homework and google Billy Robinson.
The Grayson Waller Effect
Waller hosts a segment spoofing late night talk shows like The Tonight Show. Waller even has a desk and everything. There is also a weird picture-in-picture aspect. An inset shows a medium shot of Waller at all times. Very odd.
Apollo Crews joins Waller as his guest. They waste no time in bickering, but the arguing seems like a waste of time at first. Then there is some real shade.
Waller brings up Crews having a fake accent, which was part of a character on the main roster. Crews responds well and says he will always be a "Nigerian warrior."
Crews and Waller continue to bicker back and worth. Waller accuses Crews of breaking up Diamond Mine. They both get out of their chairs as they bicker some more.
Crews calls Waller a "low budget version of The Miz." The crowd taunts Waller with a chant.
Waller insults Crews by asking Crews what he tells his kids about daddy not being able to cut it on Mondays and Fridays. Very inside baseball.
Crews says he tells his kids that dad was a champ on Monday, a champ on Friday, and Crews will soon be a champ on Tuesday. Crews then decks Waller with a punch.
Crews stands over a fallen Waller and says that is the "Apollo Crews effect."
Pretty Deadly argues backstage with Gallus, and Gallus had to be held back.
A vignette features hype building up the NXT UK Champion.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Mr. Stone and Von Wagner, and they cut a promo on Bate ahead of a match later on tonight with Bate against Wagner.
Cameron Grimes defeats Javier Bernal
**1/4
Thumbs Up
Grimes pins Bernal in Bernal's 2.0 debut match. Joe Gacy & The Schism (not a band name by the way) watch from a perch overlooking the ring.
Bernal was cocky and confident going into the match, then he loses clean. Heck of a way to get him over a new character.
Bernal showed a lot of fire and he got plenty of offense, but he also gets dropped on his face at one point.
For the finish, Grimes delivers a Cave In before scoring a pinfall. Grimes looks good in the ring as usual.
A vignette highlights Blair Davenport ahead of her debut match tonight on NXT 2.0.
Alba Fyre in a pre-tape promo warns the NXT roster: where there is smoke, there is Fyre.
Blair Davenport defeats Indi Hartwell
*3/4
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Davenport pins Hartwell to win the match.
They have a competitive match, but this is a showcase for Davenport. She executes a high angle brainbuster that looks like it was a struggle. Hartwell lands badly, and Davenport covers her for a pinfall.
Davenport is not done. She attacks Hartwell after the match, and Davenport delivers a hard knee strike. Davenport then grabs the house mic.
Davenport brags about herself, saying she just wasted one of this roster's best. Davenport goes on to lay claim to the NXT Women's Championship.
NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose interrupts Davenport for a confrontation.
Meiko Satomura arrives in NXT 2.0
Mandy Rose gets in the ring to tell Davenport that Rose herself is the most dominant women's champion in NXT. Rose reminds everyone to put some respect on her name.
In a glorious surprise, NXT United Kingdom Women's Champion Meiko Satomura enters the soundstage to join the confrontation.
Satomura gets in the ring to confront Rose to tell Rose that Satomura herself is the most dominant champion.
Rose calls Satomura a legend, but Rose also says that the best way to put some respect on her name is to beat a legend like Satomura.
Satomura challenges Rose to a champion vs. champion match at Worlds Collide. Davenports chimes in, demanding they not forget about her, as Davenport is the number one contender. So, Satomura makes it a triple threat match instead, seemingly with both championships still on the line.
Tiffany Stratton in a backstage interview claims she is superior to Wendy Choo. She then says "the unified title" (called just that) will be all about her.
Tony D'Angelo basically tells the former members of Legado del Fantasma that tonight starts a clean slate with them.
JD McDonagh is convalescing over his loss to Bron Breakker, but McDonagh warns that he pain tolerance for Breakker only grows. McDonagh sarcastically wishes Breakker luck at Worlds Collide, and McDonagh says he will "see you on the other side."
Wes Lee is talking with the new NXT Women's Tag Team Champions, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. They are all confident, but this did not seem to lead anymore.
Dexter Lumis returns and In-Dex reunites
Indi Hartwell is sitting on the ring apron and she is sad. Hartwell says this is rock bottom for her. It sucks. Hartwell blames herself, saying she is the problem.
Hartwell is bemoaning her run of bad luck when Dexter Lumis appears across the ring behind her. She turns, and their eyes meet for an enchanting moment. They crawl into the ring and meet face to face. They hug in an embrace, and then they kiss.
Lumis carries away Hartwell in his arms. In-Dex is together again, albeit for a brief moment. They go backstage, where Lumis hands Hartwell a folded piece of paper.
Sirens are seen flashing outside as Lumis exits the building. Law enforcement officers move in on Lumis, and they take him into custody. Hartwell unfolds the piece of paper, and it is a love note.
Cora Jade cuts a heel promo where she insults the viewing audience.
The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid with Joe Gacy) defeats The D'Angelo Family (Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro with Tony D'Angelo & Elektra Lopez)
***
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Fowler pins Wilde to win the match, after The Dyad execute a double team finisher.
Cameron Grimes watches the match from perch overlooking the ring, similarly to how Schism was watching him earlier in the show.
D'Aneglo yells at Wilde and Del Toro after the match.
Later on, Santos Escobar pulls up driving a SUV. Wilde, Cruz, and Lopez are in the parking lot when Escobar lowers down the window to tell them he did not leave without them. La familia sticks together, so Escobar tells them to get in the SUV. And away they go.
Javier Bernal has words with Hank Walker, after Bernal is rude to a woman backstage.
NXT United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defeats Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone) in a non-title match
***
Thumbs Up
Bate pins Wagner clean to win the match.
David against Goliath much of the way as Wagner dominates Bate. The UK champ fights from underneath. Wagner is manhandling Bate when Mr. Stone instructs Wagner to throw Bate out of the ring. Instead, Bate counters Wagner.
Comeback by Bate leads to him leaping over the ropes into a dive to the outside. Wagner soon cuts off Bate, and Wagner again manhandles Bate. Yet, Bate continues to fight back.
Bate slingshots off the ropes into a lariat that takes Wagner down to a knee. Bate goes for another slingshot, but Wagner gets back to his feet to catch Bate with a gozzle.
Bate counters a chokeslam, and he nails Wagner with the "Bob and Bang" left jab. Kobbo kick by Bate, and he follows with a suplex on Wagner that positions Wagner for the finish.
Bate leaps off the top rope, and Bate lands a twisting corkscrew senton on Wagner. Bate then scores a three count.
Roderick Strong is arguing with the Creed Brothers in the locker room when they are interrupted by Briggs & Jensen. The Creeds hold the NXT Tag Team Championship, while Briggs & Jensen hold the NXT UK tag straps. This leads to a challenge for a titles for titles match at Worlds Collide. Another unification match is set. Didn't they kick Roddy out the group only for Roddy to attack them with Gallus? This interaction baffled me.
Wendy Choo defeats Tiffany Stratton in a Lights Out match
***
Thumbs Down
Choo pins Stratton in a no DQ match. Lots of weapons and gimmicks help the match, but a bad lighting gimmick detracts from the action itself.
Choo got a special entrance where she woke up on a bed that was sitting on top of the entrance ramp. While Choo is wearing her usual onesie pajamas when she wakes up, she takes off the onesie to reveal new gear. Choo for the match is wearing a romper singlet and kickpad socks.
Choo retrieves a loaded pillow, and Choo clobbers Stratton with the pillow. The pillow case is filled with Lego pieces, and Choo dumps the Legos out on the mat. Legos spill out into a pile.
Stratton gives Choo a fallaway slam that seemingly is supposed to send Choo into a bump on the pile of Legos. Except the slam comes up short, and Choo misses the Legos. So, they call an audible, and Stratton gives Choo a scoop slam on Legos.
Stratton gets her purse again, but that backfire on her. Stratton attempts to throw makeup powder, but Choo counters by kicking the powder into Stratton's face. Choo then puts Stratton through a bed frame with an uranage slam.
Choo jumps off the top rope into a super Vader splash, and Choos scores the deciding pinfall on Stratton.
The episode closes with a backstage scene where the contracts are being signed for the men's and women's title unification matches at Worlds Collide.
Overall: Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
By: #GeraldRoberts
How was NXT 2.0 tonight?
Thumbs Up
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Thumbs Down
留言