McKenzie Mitchell and Sam Roberts are the hosts for the pre-show, which is mostly hype and ballyhoo.
Besides video packages and such, the pre-show has a few promos. That includes a promo from the Toxic Attraction trio. Others on the card, like NXT Champion Bron Breakker, are seen arriving to the building. No matches air on the pre-show.
The voice of NXT UK, Andy Shepard, appears on the pre-show via a virtual link. Shepard helps break down the unification matches from his perspective as the lead announcer of the NXT UK brand.
The soundstage in Orlando looks like it does for most every NXT telecast, with the exception of a different graphics on the LED screens. The live studio audience is hot at the start.
The main card is opening with one of the few titles that is not a unification bout.
NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeats Ricochet to retain his title
***1/2
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Hayes pins Ricochet in what is an exciting opener. Great bout to kick off the show. Hayes in the closing moments counters Ricochet, and he cradles Ricochet with a small package to score a three count.
Ricochet shines in the first part of the match, looking like a superstar. Hayes fights back and he gain control of the match. Superkick by Hayes leads to a close near fall. Another great near fall, after Hayes springboards into a lariat to cut off a handspring high spot from Ricochet.
They trade lariats with neither going down. They then collide in mid-air when both go for a springboard clothesline, leading to a double down. They get back on their feet, and they trade strikes.
Parade of high spots as they keep trading moves. Ricochet goes for a cover, but Trick Williams puts Hayes' foot on the bottom rope to break the count. Ricochet, in turn, sails through the ropes to hit Williams with a missile dropkick.
Ricochet is distracted with Williams, allowing Hayes to catch Ricochet in a cutter for another two count. Moments later, Ricochet pops up to the feet and counters Hayes, setting up a superplex.
Fighting spirit exchange as they again trade strikes and big moves. They keep trading near falls, as the studio audience chants for them to "fight forever."
Ricochet spikes Hayes with a poison rana, and Ricochet looks to measure Hayes for a finisher. Williams interferes, but he is thwarted by Ricochet.
Ricochet goes for a shooting star press, and he lands on his feet when Hayes rolls out of the way. Hayes catches Ricochet in a small package, and Hayes cradles Ricochet for the deciding pinfall.
Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson) become the unified NXT Tag Team Champions after winning a fatal four way elimination match, defeating defending NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed with Damon Kemp), NXT United Kingdom Tag Team Champions Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen (with Fallon Henley) and Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang with Joe Coffey)
***1/4
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Pretty Deadly win the four-way elimination match after Damon Kemp turns on the Creeds, costing the Creeds the titles. Briggs & Jensen are eliminated first, followed by Gallus. Pretty Deadly then goes on to defeat the Creeds, thanks to Kemp turning on his stablemates.
The NXT UK Tag Team Champions are the first eliminated when Mark Coffey pins Brooks Jensen. Jensen trips going for a spot off the top rope, and he crashes into the ring. Not missing a beat despite the botch, Gallus executes tandem offense, leading to Coffey pinning Jensen.
Second elimination is Gallus, after Julius Creed pins Wolfgang. The Creeds reemerge as a house of fire, after spending several minutes down selling. Creeds deliver a cannonball Doomsday Device. Julius hits Wolfgang with a sliding lariat, and he covers him for a pinfall.
Two team remain as the Creeds face off against Pretty Deadly. The heels work over Brutus Creed. He is finally able to tag out, and Julius runs off after a hot tag.
Briggs & Jensen brawl with Gallus, as the eliminated teams filter back on stage for a melee. Meanwhile, Julius is the ring deadlifting Prince into a delayed vertical suplex. Near fall for Julius as the brawling at ringside continues.
Julius pulls the strap down on his singlet, signaling for a finisher. Wilson tries storming the ring with a metal folding chair, but Damon Kemp makes a save by spearing Wilson. The turn can be seen from a mile away.
Kemp picks up the chair, while Julius has his back to him. Kemp hits Creed with the chair. Kemp then gives Julius a uranage into a backbreaker, and Julius is a laid out.
Prince crawls over to steal a pin as he covers Julius for a three count. Pretty Deadly become the unified champs, thanks to a treachery from Damon Kemp.
Tony D'Angelo and Stacks are talking when they see Cameron Grimes passing by them. D'Angelo stops Grimes, and he basically asks Grimes to discuss him joining the family. Grimes declines to chat.
NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose defeats Blair Davenport and United Kingdom Women's Champion Meiko Satomura in a triple threat unification match
***1/2
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Rose pins Davenport to become the unified women's champion of the brand.
Unile the previous unification match on the card, this bout was one fall to a finish. So a champion could lose her title without dropping a fall, which happens to Satomura.
Rose gets a special entrance, arriving in a fancy sports car. Rose also appears to have a new version of the NXT Women's Championship belt, with an updated color scheme on the main plate. Same for Breakker.
Satomura gets a Goldberg entrance of sorts, as cameras follow her to the ring. She deserves the world, because she has been so great in the ring for so long.
Satomura remains as smooth as ever. Her experience stands out above her two opponents, even if they also did well in the match.
Good near fall at one point after Rose gives Davenport a superplex, and Satomura capitalizes with a splash off the top rope.
The live studio audience eventually gets super invested in the match, even if they were quieter at the start than they are for previous bouts. They are won over by the end, despite a heel win. Overall a good crowd all night.
In the closing moments, Davenport rolls ups Rose with a schoolgirl. Satomura rushes in to break up the pinning attempt, and Satomura strikes with her Scorpion Rising kick on Davenport. Satomura is lifting Davenport to her feet when Rose sandwiches them with Kiss By the Rose (running knee strike). Rose then covers Davenport for a three count.
Rose has become the unified women's champion of the NXT brand.
NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter & Katana Chance defeat Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. to retain their titles
***
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Chance pins Doudrop to win the match, after a distraction by Toxic Attraction.
Toxic Attraction (Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolan) run in just before the finish. Nikki jumps off the apron on to Toxic Attraction, and Nikki brawls with them at ringside. That leaves Doudrop alone against both Carter & Chance. The champ execute their tandem finisher, and Chance pins Doudrop to retain to the titles.
Not necessarily a bad match, but still the weakest on the show so far. In their defense, they were put in a death spot. Likewise, a lame distraction finish did not help matters. The two teams tried with what they had, but this is filler.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker defeats NXT United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate in a unification match
***1/4
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Breakker pins Bate to become the unified men's champion of the NXT brand.
Special entrances and ring introductions for both, which helps give the match a true main event feel. Breakker seems like a sure winner going into the match, but Bate is so such a good pro wrestler he gets the audience to buy into him as a threat.
Breakker is protected, at times at the expense of match itself (which is mainly in the first half of the bout). However, Bate gets to shine at times as well. He excels when given the chance within the story of the bout. Hopefully, there are good plans for him after this match.
Bate gets some near falls as he gains control of the match in the second half. The crowd starts a NXT chant, and the match was good, but it seems as if everyone was waiting for the inevitable. Then they start to cook, and the crowd starts to really invest.
Breakker gets a near fall after using a flying bulldog, which honors his father Rick Steiner. Bate keeps kicking out after a few more near falls, and they fight on.
The match heats up in the closing minutes. The studio audience begins dueling chants. Counters, reversals, and power moves galore. The power moves are not only from Breakker, as Bate rallies with some power moves of his own.
Deadlift by Bate into a Tyler Driver '97 for another near fall, in what was arguably the best spot of the match. The crowd buys it as a false finish.
Breakker executes one of his finishers, dropping Bate from a military press into a powerslam. Bate drapes a leg on the bottom rope to break a count.
Down come the straps on the singlet, as Breakker means business. He measures Bate, but Bate seemingly has plenty more fight left in him. Bate counters, and he peppers Breakker with strikes.
Another attempt at the Tyler Driver is blocked, but Bate uses a victory roll for another one last near fall. Breakker kicks out.
Bate slingshots himself off the ropes, and Breakker is there to meet him with a Steinerline. Breakker then covers Bate for a three count.
Breakker has become the unified champ. Bate shakes hand with Breakker in a show of sportsmanship. A victorious Breakker then holds up both titles belts as the show closes.
What, no singalong? Where's "American Pie"?
The last stop on the journey of NXT UK appears to be a soundstage in Orlando. Let us see what tomorrow brings. Here's to NXT Europe rising like a phoenix.
Overall: Thumbs Up
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