SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT ON USA
MAY 25, 2021, 8PM EST
LIVE IN ORLANDO, FLA., AT CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix
Join the “PWT Talks NXT” Dailycast with me, Tom Stoup and Nate Lindberg to break down the episode:
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[HOUR ONE]
-Finn Balor and Karrion Kross hype for tonight’s main event. Most (maybe all?) of the footage was taken from last week’s Prime Target segment. The announcers stood in front of the camera and hyped the match, as well as Pete Dunne vs. Bobby Fish, Franky Monet’s debut, and a “Million Dollar Faceoff” between Cameron Grimes and Ted DiBiase.
(1) SHOTZI BLACKHEART & EMBER MOON vs. RAQUEL GONZALEZ & DAKOTA KAI
Babyfaces were introduced first with a metal theme. Shotzi fired Ember up as the heels were being introduced. Gonzalez and Blackheart opened the match.
Snap mare by Gonzalez. Blackheart tried to roll up Gonzalez, who wasn’t having it. Blackheart attempted a monkey flip and got tossed casually to her own corner for the tag. Moon couldn’t take down Gonzalez either, who fought off her offense until Moon hit a rana with a rollup for a quick near-fall. Another rollup for two. Moon showed Gonzalez how close it was with her fingers. Gonzalez battered Moon a little and both women tagged. Blackheart controlled and hit a reverse sling blade, and then a senton against the ropes for two. Tag to Moon. Rope run and the faces struck with a dropped elbow and then a moonsault for two. Another tag to Blackheart, who worked a Texas Cloverleaf on Kai, who crawled close enough to the ropes that Gonzalez yanked her the rest of the way to boos. Gonzalez tagged in and took down Blackheart for two heading to commercial about four and a half minutes in. No split-screen, so we may be saving both of those for the main event tonight.
Moon controlled Gonzalez upon return. She danced a little before a stiff right. She hit a jawbreaker that didn’t go smoothly. Kai got in a cheap shot, then a tag and the heels teamed up and Kai covered and Blackheart made the save. Moon shoved off Kai and Blackheart made the tag. Clothesline, enzuigiri, discus punch and question mark kick from Blackheart. Facebuster for two. Gonzalez took a top-rope shot to save Kai but Moon put on a submission move. Gonzalez saved and threatened a slam but was thwarted with a standing Eclipse. The faces hit a tandem move on Kai to finish.
Immediately after the decision, Gonzalez laid out Moon, then made her watch as she slammed Blackheart against the Plexiglass and post outside, and then hung her up on the barricade. Kai and Gonzalez stared from the ramp.
WINNERS: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart at 11:24.
(Wells’s Analysis: There was so much interference in this match, it was hard to get into. It’s hard for heels to break rules when none are ever enforced. Other than that, the action was good, and surprisingly the heels just got together for a post-match beatdown rather than continue the tease of their inevitable breakup)
-Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher cut a promo from their chairs on Grizzled Young Veterans. They’re going to enjoy breaking GYV’s limbs.
-Before the commercial, we got a brief hype segment for the next match, Pete Dunne vs. Bobby Fish.
(2) BOBBY FISH vs. PETE DUNNE (w/Oney Lorcan)
Fish, who entered second, had a new rock theme that was harmlessly forgettable. The two went at each other quickly. Fish threw some knees against the ropes and Dunne threw a sucker punch when the ref separated them. Dunne twisted up Fish’s left leg by the ankle and Fish grabbed at anything he could to get out of it. Dunne got up and stomped Fish, then battered him to a corner. Dunne snapped backward while trapping Fish’s left arm, and Barrett framed it as Dunne attacking the repaired triceps muscle. Fish tried to fight back with a few shots and then a couple of reversals later, Fish put on a Fujiwara armbar. He had to transition to a regular armbar and then he dropped Dunne on a rope, then beat him to the ramp side and dumped him as the match went to commercial.
Dunne was in control upon return from commercial. He tied up Fish’s legs with his own and smacked the back of Fish’s head. Dunne held an arm and threw boots until Fish backed Dunne to a corner, threw some shots and exploded out of the corner with a dragon screw. Spinebuster by Fish grounded Dunne. Sleeper by Fish but Dunne worked the digits to free himself and then dropped knees on Fish’s arm. Action went outside and Fish got the better of things and hit double knees against the Plexiglass. They went back inside and Dunne hit a standing Kimura Lock but got suplexed back into the ropes and covered for two.
Dunne and Fish traded knees while locking up. Fish got the upper hand and took Dunne to a corner. Dunne played possum and suplexed Fish. Dunne ran and missed and Fish hit a knee to the mouth for two. Fish tried to follow up but Dunne grabbed the arm and then worked the digits and snapped them. Fish rolled through and reversed, then went for a Fujiwara armbar but Dunne reversed and hit Bitter End.
WINNER: Pete Dunne at 12:11.
After the decision, Oney Lorcan charged in and attacked Fish and yanked him to the apron and tore his arm back against the edge. Officials tried to break it up and Lorcan ran in for one more kick to the arm.
(Wells’s Analysis: This was a pretty decent technical match, and Fish held his own in the extremely rare singles showcase for him, though that’s about to change. I never did get a feeling that Fish was a threat to Dunne, though, and Fish was largely background in the Undisputed Era and has an uphill battle to climb to get over on his own)
-Mercedes Martinez walked and talked in the back. She said she learned from her championship match loss, and tonight was night one on the road back to the title. She disappeared from frame, and Boa appeared around a corner from where Martinez was just walking, and was clearly stalking her.
-Hit Row segment. All four got their time to speak before Swerve said he was going to cross Karrion – or Finn – off his hit list. Ashante made some threats to Kushida’s Cruiserweight title and Top Dolla suggested he’ll be chasing Bronson Reed’s North American Championship. Another very good, fiery segment from this crew.
(3) ZAYDA RAMEER vs. MERCEDES MARTINEZ
Quick takedown by Martinez. Front facelock but Rameer escaped and dropkicked Martinez. Back elbow in the corner. Irish whip, reverse, and Rameer jumped briefly out of trouble and threw some rights. Spinning heel kick got a one count for Rameer. Rope run and Martinez laid out Rameer with a forearm. Double underhook suplex, and another from Martinez and a two count. Dragon sleeper by Martinez, but Rameer reversed for one. Spinebuster by Martinez for two. Rope run and Rameer hopped up for a sleeper, but got backed into a corner. Martinez put Rameer up a corner and followed. Martinez slammed Rameer to the floor. Running knee and Air Raid Crash finished.
WINNER: Mercedes Martinez at 3:26.
The lights went out shortly after Martinez’s music played, then red light came up and Mei Ying appeared on the tron. The lights went out again, then came back up on Martinez, who now had the Tian Sha marking on her left hand, suggesting she’s next for Xia Li.
(Wells’s Analysis: Martinez could be on the top of many a division, but it seems like this squash win is to keep her warm so Li gets something from beating her. Li’s been a bit of a background player for a few weeks, so it’s good to see her getting into something, even if she herself played no part in this segment. Rameer continues to be an engaging enhancement talent to watch)
[HOUR TWO]
MILLION DOLLAR FACEOFF
Cameron Grimes entered and took the mic. A couple of words in, Ted DiBiase’s music played to cut him off. Both had mics. Grimes asked DiBiase a one-word question: why? He said he wasn’t always rich, and now that he’s able to flaunt it a little, DiBiase is undercutting him. He said he looked up to DiBiase. He said now that he had money, he could treat people terribly and they’d still like him. He said it’s true what they say: never meet your idols.
DiBiase said he likes Grimes, really, and they have more in common than Grimes thinks. He said the reason he put Grimes through it was he looks at Grimes and sees himself. Tonight, he’s here because he’s looking for one individual that embodies the Million Dollar legacy. It’s not all about humiliating people with money – it’s about in-ring performance. He said Grimes has got it, but since he got rich, he lost his focus.
LA Knight’s music played to cut DiBiase off to the surprise of both guys. Knight had a mic on the ramp. He said he hears DiBiase talking about his legacy and he thinks he sees a Million Dollar opportunity. He said walking down this ramp is a man who gets the job done. He didn’t just strike it lucky with virtual money – he’s walking, talking gold. Grimes tried to send off Knight but DiBiase asked him to let him talk. Knight acknowledged he’s not a millionaire yet but he’s the one that’ll go to the top for him. DiBiase said he knows very well who Knight is, and he has a shot at becoming a megastar on NXT. Grimes cut off DiBiase and said Knight is jacked but he’s no Cameron Grimes. Grimes got in Knight’s face and told him to leave the ring or he’s going to kick his ass to the moon. Grimes turned to DiBiase just for a moment and Knight dropped him with a stunner. DiBiase looked down and said “Kid…you’re just never gonna get it, are ya?” and did his laugh. On the ramp, DiBiase walked up and out with Knight.
(Wells’s Analysis: Not sure if we’re supposed to believe there’s more to the Knight-DiBiase pairing than just tonight or not. I still don’t know exactly how DiBiase fits into everything, but now Grimes and Knight have their next feud lined up. It appears NXT isn’t going to fight the tide with Grimes anymore and will let him be treated as a babyface. As long as they still allow him to be a petty prick, it’ll work)
-Franky Monet left the makeup chair to prepare for her debut.
-Indi Hartwell was looking backstage for Dexter Lumis as McKenzie Mitchell followed and tried to interview her. She ran into Ever-Rise, who tried to mess with her, but Drake Maverick entered the frame and said he saw Dexter a couple of hours ago in a room just out of frame. Hartwell went to that room, and the lights came up on a large number of drawings put up on the wall showing Lumis’s heartbreak. Hartwell frantically searched for Lumis to explain.
(4) CORA JADE vs. FRANKY MONET
Monet backed Jade (formerly Elayna Black) to a corner, then broke. She took Jade down and slammed her face to the mat. She mocked Jade, who threw a big boot. Monet fought off a strike and took Jade to a corner for some kicks and a palm strike. She put Jade’s head into the second rope, then hit the back of Jade’s head with double knees, then did the same to the front against the bottom buckle. Monet took Jade to the ropes for another palm strike. Back kick by Monet. Kneelift and a lariat by Monet. Monet lifted Jade and soaked it in for too long and Jade hit some shots. Russian leg sweep by Jade got a one count but Monet hit a spear shortly after, then a powerslam. Monet’s finisher was unnamed, but Beth Phoenix said “That looks familiar,” since it was her Glam Slam.
WINNER: Franky Monet at 3:09.
(Wells’s Analysis: It was a plenty decent, overpowering debut for Monet, but I come out of it wanting to see more of Jade more than Monet. I know enhancement is how they work a lot of folks into the roster, but I feel like Jade has more upside than to get that particular treatment)
-GYV cut a brief promo on Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa.
-Walter cut a promo starting with dealing with the failure of now-jobless Alexander Wolfe. He said the group would be starting by righting the wrong of no longer being NXT Tag Team Champions. I don’t love them even acknowledging Wolfe after his firing last week right after being beaten out of Imperium, but at least it was brief.
-Bronson Reed made his way to the ring a big & tall suit. He soaked in a “you deserve it” chant and thanked the audience. He said it took fourteen years and it wasn’t an easy road. It was years of falling and getting back up to climb the mountain. He said this is proof to any kid that they can become a champion if they work hard and grind it out. Now that he’s got it, good luck taking it from him. He said he had a big mountain to climb, but anyone who wants it has a colossal mountain to climb.
Legado del Fantasma’s music played. They hit the ring and mockingly clapped. Santos Escobar said Reed had a telenovela story and he brought tears to his eyes, but he can’t relate, because he was born a champion. He said after Reed’s victory, something caught his eye – the North American title. He said he was the emperor of lucha libre and the North American title represents Mexico, so the belt belongs to him. Legado tried to corner Reed but MSK, in street clothes, made the save and cleared them out. The faces jawed from the ring to Legado on the ramp. Critically, it seemed the MSK boo-birds have either died out or taken the night off.
-William Regal said after tonight, we’ll need a number one contender. He’s evaluated the roster, and next week, we’ll get a triple threat match between Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne and Johnny Gargano. O’Reilly and Dunne are justified in kayfabe, but Gargano literally just lost a lesser belt. Oh well; it’ll obviously be good stuff.
(5) FINN BALOR vs. KARRION KROSS (c) (w/Scarlett) – NXT Championship match
Finn entered first. Barrett called this the biggest rematch in NXT history. Scarlett nad some streaky, sequined face paint at the sides of her face. After the introduction, Balor was just sitting atop a corner, seemingly unimpressed. Alicia Taylor handled formal intros.
The bell sounded at 16 to the hour. Feeling-out process. Headlock by Balor. Rope run and a block by Kross. Forearm by Finn, Knee by Kross, who then dumped Balor, who landed on his feet. Balor smiled, reentered, and hit a basement dropkick that cleared out Kross heading to split-screen commercial.
Kross was dominating upon return. He took Balor to the corner for some lariats. He took Balor to the middle of the ring for a running knee, then worked a rear chinlock. Balor reversed an abdominal stretch into one of his own and dropped some elbows, then covered for a one count. Finn threw some rights to the abdomen but Kross reversed and blocked Balor repeatedly to the corner. The ref broke it up and checked on Balor. Big beale by Kross. German suplex by Kross. He set up another but Balor reversed and slapped on a crossface. Kross blocked so Balor threw some kicks. Double stomp by Balor. Kross composed himself and tossed Balor outside. He attempted to chase but Balor trapped him between the apron and skirt, then ran for a PK and Kross sold it too quickly, which caused Balor not to make any contact and instead fall backward on the apron. The match went to split-screen.
The two were exchanging shots upon return. The crowd throughout the match was at least 90-10 in favor of Balor in a rare huge split in at the top of the card. Spinebuster by Kross. Chop by Balor. Kross begged for more. He went for a powerslam but Balor hit sling blade for one. Double stomp by Balor but Kross seamlessly transitioned by dropping Balor into a sleeper in a nice spot. Balor reached the rope to break. A corner graphic promoted next week’s triple threat, but also a match between Legado del Fantasma and MSK.
[OVERRUN]
Action went outside briefly and Kross tossed Balor into the Plexiglass, then back inside. Powerbomb was reversed into a DDT. Sling blade by Balor. Balor clotheslined Kross to the outside and hit a rolling senton to the outside. Kross no-sold it and slammed Balor onto the announce table, which didn’t break. “This is awesome” chant.
The action went inside. Quick reversals led to another double stomp by Balor. Shotgun dropkick into the corner by Balor to set up Coup de Grace, which missed. Kross lifted up Balor and rammed him to a corner. German suplex by Kross. Saito suplex by Kross. Kross set something up but got rolled up for two. Balor turned an abdominal stretch into something of a crucifix, but Kross escaped and threw some shots to Balor’s back. Balor slipped out and threw shots to Kross’s back until the ref broke it up. Kross went over to the rope to have a word with Scarlett and Balor hit a sleeper. Balor transitioned to a triangle and Kross attempted to fight it. The ref was about to call it when Kross yanked the ref’s arm, then slammed Balor.
Reset. Both guys got fired up. Kross hit a lariat and a couple of forearms to Balor’s back. He stomped Balor until the ref counted it toward a DQ. Kross snapped on the Kross Jacket to finish. The show faded out at the usual eight minutes past the hour.
WINNER: Karrion Kross at 22:42.
(Wells’s Analysis: Kross hasn’t had a lot of tests in longer matches, and his results have been mixed, but this match effectively told the story of Kross being essentially unbeatable and unstoppable. His no-sell moments, used in moderation, are very effective in this setting. This removes Finn Balor almost entirely from the title picture for now, and given that he’s been saying he’s very much looking to get to Raw or SmackDown again, it could be a farewell (though in NXT it’s always tempting to call a title match loss a farewell). Now NXT has to do a little work to sell a soon-approaching TakeOver main event that currently has no issue attached, regardless of which guy goes over in the triple threat)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This episode felt as easily digestible and yet forgettable as many recently, even with the championship match attached, though we may have seen some TakeOver issues start to take shape with some unlikely players like Xia Li and Mercedes Martinez (that match could easily be settled on TV, of course). Legado vs. MSK also seems like it could be easily dragged out to TakeOver, but I get the feeling MSK will dispatch them next week without much incident and move on to Imperium at TakeOver. We also may be getting Bronson Reed vs. Santos Escobar on that show; I thought Escobar was an absolute lock to go to that division eventually, but I thought he might be saved a little bit while others did some jobs to beef up Reed’s title reign. We also got a fun step toward a feud between Cameron Grimes and LA Knight, which could be a wonderful war of words if it gets the time.
Join Tom Stoup, Nate Lindberg and me live for PWT Talks NXT tonight or stream tomorrow. Cheers.
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