SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT ON USA
SEPTEMBER 7, 2021, 8PM EST
TAPED 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 and Nate Lindberg to break down the episode:
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[HOUR ONE]
(1) EMBER MOON vs. KAY LEE RAY
No recaps of the previous week again; we went right to Moon’s intro. Wade acknowledged Moon’s recent slide, which isn’t likely to change here.
Headlock takeover by Moon. KLR scissored out and wrenched back on Moon, who escaped and snapped on a headlock. Rope run and a block by Moon. Single-leg dropkick by Moon and a cover for two. Moon missed a charge in the corner and Ray yanked her down by the arm, working her left shoulder. Ray planted Moon for a two count. Ray worked the digits briefly and transitioned into a cross-armbreaker on the mat. Moon rolled her up to break. Another rollup by Moon for two. Headscissor takedown by Moon. Lariats and kicks by Moon. Step-up enzuigiri. Backsplash in the corner followed by a lungblower off the top for two. Moon worked a crossface and Ray rolled her up but Moon rolled through that and kept the hold on. Moon transitioned to a triangle choke and Ray threw some desperation forearms to break. Moon charged Ray in the corner and Ray quickly flatlined her into the corner heading into split-screen. [c]
Ray evaded a suplex and hit a DDT for two. Moon tossed Ray into a corner and rolled her up with an inside cradle for two. Ember fired up but Ray hit her with a superkick. Moon set up Ray in the tree of woe and threw kicks, including a vicious one to the side of the neck. Cover for two. Ray snapped Moon back into the buckle and hit a tornado DDT for two. Both fought off suplexes, and Moon lifted Ray and dumped her out to the ramp side of the floor. Tope by Moon. Back inside and Moon went up, where Ray caught her and put her on the mat with a hair mare. Ray came off the top and covered for two. Forearm exchange. Moon hit Made in Japan for two. “This is awesome” chant. Moon tried to run the ropes but Ray locked her in place. Quick rollups by both. Out of the quick reversals, Ray hit the Gory Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Kay Lee Ray at 14:39.
(Wells’s Analysis: This works as a big win out of the gate for KLR even though Moon’s been struggling as a single for a bit. A very strong opener)
-McKenzie Mitchell found Pete Dunne’s unnamed faction, where Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch were talking about taking back the titles as well as ending MSK tonight. [c]
-Candice LeRae was hosting a bachelorette party for Indi Hartwell. Wrestlers known and unknown to TV audiences were in attendance. Cora Jade said aside to someone “It’s a WWE wedding, it’ll never happen.” Indi thanked Candice for being a huge inspiration to her. Indi and Candice wondered what was happening at the bachelor party and left abruptly, apologizing to the guests.
(2) CARMELO HAYES vs. SANTOS ESCOBAR (w/Legado del Fantasma)
Electra Lopez joined Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza as they walked the ramp.
Escobar took Hayes to a rope and broke clean, but motioned dismissively at Hayes. Escobar held the ropes open, mockingly offering an exit for Hayes. Hayes worked a wristlock and ran the ropes for a huracanrana. Hayes repeated Escobar’s rope taunt. Hayes tried a headscissor takedown but Escobar planted him. Escobar put Hayes on the mat and battered him with kicks. DDT by Escobar for a one count. Palm strike in the corner by Escobar. Quick reversals led to a rollup by Hayes for two. Back kick by Hayes. Pump kick by Hayes, who tried something on the apron but got tossed off the apron into the announce table. [c]
Escobar was in control. He threw a couple of knees and covered for two. Corner lariats by Escobar. Double knees by Escobar, who set Hayes up on the top rope. Escobar went up and hit a huracanrana for two. Hayes looked to block a submission and Escobar threw some clubbing forearms instead. Action spilled outside and Escobar put Hayes into the steps, then set him up on the steps and worked a Boston Crab there for a second. The two reentered at the count of eight and Escobar covered for two. Escobar got to taunting some fans, and Hayes hit a legdrop. Escobar took issue with the announcers and Hayes blindsided him again. Back inside and Hayes hit a cutter for two. Hayes tried a springboard but Escobar waited and hit a kneelift. Lungblower by Hayes, who covered for two. Escobar went to the apron and Hayes hit a DDT there. Wilde & Mendoza distracted the ref and Electra Lopez bodyslammed Hayes on the NXT logo. Hayes walked into the ring where Escobar hit the Phantom Driver.
WINNER: Santos Escobar at 13:50.
(Wells’s Analysis: Another strong match with Hayes naturally not able to overcome a strong opponent who also has loads of allies. Escobar continues to brilliantly work a style that creates a good match but still remains in a heel context.)
-Malcolm Bivens introduced us formally to the Creed Brothers, now given first names – Brutus and Julius. Look for Brutus to stab Julius in the back down the road, I guess. He hyped their in-ring debut tonight. Brutus in particular still looks like he has no idea how to appear intense or intimidating, though he has a tremendous real-life wrestling pedigree. [c]
-McKenzie Mitchell interviewed William Regal, who announced a fatal four-way next week to determine the #1 contender – Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, LA Knight and Tommaso Ciampa will compete.
(3) CHUCKIE VIOLA & PAXTON AVERILL vs. BRUTUS & JULIUS CREED (w/Diamond Mine)
Brutus brutalized one of the enhancements in a corner and dumped him viciously to the outside. Enhancements made a tag and Brutus hit a great double-underhook suplex. Tag to Julius and the two teamed up for a fireman’s carry into a suplex. Julius hit a great suplex, then tossed the non-legal enhancement into the ring so he and his brother could smash them together. Julius hit his finisher.
WINNERS: Brutus & Julius Creed at 2:15.
(Wells’s Analysis: Wow. Whatever these two lack in stage presence doesn’t extend to the ring, because they are wonderful to watch in there. They’re mean, relentless and wildly motivated. A fantastic first outing on TV) [c]
-McKenzie asked Ember Moon about things not going her way. She said she lost her tag titles, her tag partner and everything in between. She said Kay Lee Ray woke her up. She doesn’t want to feel this way anymore. She knows what she has to do, so stay tuned.
[HOUR TWO]
-Hit Row vignette from the mixing studio. They cut a strong revenge promo against Legado del Fantasma. If you didn’t know, now you know.
(4) KACY CATANZARO & KAYDEN CARTER vs. IO SHIRAI & ZOEY STARK (c) – NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship
Alicia Taylor handled formal intros. Catanzaro and Stark opened. Catanzaro worked a brief headlock and hit a rana but Stark hit her feet. Shirai tagged in. Rana by Shirai and Carter hit her feet. There were a couple of young girls shrieking as loud as I’ve ever heard. Carter hit a dropkick, then worked an armbar. Catanzaro tagged in and missed a charge, and Shirai set her up on the second rope and planted her on the mat heading into commercial. [c]
Stark was working Catanzaro’s arms. Catanzaro made a blind tag as Stark had her up for a slam. Carter took over on offense and cleared Shirai from the corner. Scissor kick by Carter and a cover for two. Carter missed a kick and Stark hit a superkick. Shirai hit a missile dropkick after tagging in and covered for two. These indiscriminately shrieking kids are distracting huge from the match. Shirai worked a crossface for a moment. Rope run and Shirai put Carter down with a forearm. More strikes from Shirai. Kacy tagged in and the challengers teamed up for a splash and Kacy covered for two. Another tag to Carter. Shirai fought out of a fireman’s carry and hit a German suplex. Stark tagged in and the champs seemed to have a little disagreement about who should be in the match. Stark charged her corner and missed when Carter moved, and Shirai spilled to the ground. Kacy tagged in and the two combined on a giant splash. Io hit a dropkick from the outside to break. Stark hit a few kicks and covered for two. Kneelift. Tag to Shirai, who hit Over the Moonsault, still errantly called “Moon Over Moonsault” by Vic for the win.
WINNERS: Io Shirai & Zoey Stark at 12:01.
After the match, the challengers were going up the ramp when they were jumped by Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. The trio left the two lying. Mandy was wearing a facemask to sell the shot to the face last week.
(Wells’s Analysis: The match had a long commercial segment and some long heat segments, and never hit a particularly high gear though all the work was fine. Much worse were the shrieking kids, who are determined to be the center of attention)
-Kyle O’Reilly gave an interview from a PC ring. He talked about the blowoff with Adam Cole without mentioning Adam Cole by name. He said next week, another chapter begins. [c]4
-Dextr Lumis, Johnny Gargano, Odyssey Jones, Drake Maverick and the zombie referee from months ago were all in a limo heading for the bachelor party. Cameron Grimes stormed in and said the party, and the wedding, was on him. He called for a truce and Grimes shook his hand. The guys went go karting as Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell spied on them. They then went on to axe throwing, and the instructor asked if any had experience with an axe. Dexter raised his hand. He made the best throw, but also taught Gargano how to make a good throw. They shared a thumbs up. The guys moved on to a trampoline, then laser tag. The team was against another team of probable PC wrestlers. Lumis choked guys out and Gargano picked the pieces by making the shot. Gargano and Lumis finally shared a high five at the end, with the zombie ref finally breaking and saying “He’s not that bad, eh.” Gargano said “Let’s go have a wedding,” and Dexter actually smiled.
(Wells’s Analysis: Okay, I loved it) [c]
-Franky Monet and Jessi Kamea decried the impending wedding. Robert Stone stormed in, out of breath, and said he was fresh from a meeting with William Regal and next week Franky Monet would face Raquel Gonzalez for the Women’s Championship.
(5) VIRGINIA FERRY vs. MEI YING (w/Boa)
Ferry sold the fear. Ying Snapped on a sleeper and planted Ferry, then booted her. Throat chop by Ying. Cartwheel into another shot. Ying laid out Ferry with a throat clamp and covered. Ferry sold it like death. The perfect debut for Ying.
WINNER: Mei Ying at 0:48.
-LA Knight gave an interview from a car, where he said a lot of fans would be crying when he wins the four-way next week. He told Samoa Joe he’d see him soon. [c]
-Tommaso Ciampa gave his promo ahead of the four-way next week. Goldie is his goal.
-The announcers hyped next week’s women’s championship match as well as the InDex wedding.
(6) MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee) (c) vs. ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH – NXT Tag Team Championship
Carter and Burch opened. He no-sold a “Welcome back” chant. The two locked up and worked their way to a corner for a break and reset. Burch twisted Carter’s arm and grounded him with a headlock. Rope run and Carter ducked a shot and hit a dropkick, then another. Lorcan tagged in and worked Carter’s arm and threw an uppercut. Carter rolled through a suplex attempt and Lee tagged in. Quick shots by MSK and Lee hit a brief front chancery. Carter tagged in and Burch tagged in also. The heels trapped Carter and took him down. Another couple of quick tags and the heels worked some offense until Carter came off the ropes with a twisting cross-body on both. Lee tagged in and the two dropkicked the heels to the floor heading into split-screen. [c]
Burch took down Carter with a headlock. Backdrop by Burch, who covered for two. Lorcan tagged in and threw a nasty chop. He begged for Carter to return fire as he threw more chops. Suplex and ground & pound by Lorcan, who taunted Lee in the face corner. Burch and Lorcan made quick tags and worked a heat segment on Carter, who finally hit a jumping knee on Burch. Lorcan tagged in but Lee made the hot tag and took out Burch, then dominated Lorcan with a stiff forearm in the corner, then a German suplex with a bridge for two.
[OVERRUN]
Lee tagged Carter and they did their tandem splash. Burch made the save. The heels were cleared from the ring and both faces hit impact moves on them. Back inside and Lorcan got his knees up on a senton attempt. Anklelock by Lorcan. Lee went for the save but Burch caught him with a crossface. Carter rolled through and finally broke the hold. “This is awesome” chant. Everyone got shots in, leading to Lorcan charging Carter in the corner, where he armdragged him into the turnbuckle. MSK hit their team finisher.
WINNERS: MSK at 12:23.
After the decision was rendered, Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland entered and laid out Burch, then Lorcan. They started to leave, but Holland couldn’t resist going in for more shots. The show ended relatively early at five past the hour.
(Wells’s Analysis: Nothing wrong with the match, though it was all in the name of an angle anyway, which gave the show a boost after the two decent but unspectacular championship matches, neither of which felt like there was any chance for a change. Lorcan and Burch are tailor-made underdog babyfaces, so now they can return to that role)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Tonight’s show had four matches over twelve minutes, all under fourteen. While there was some good wrestling throughout, I find myself thinking most about the bonkers bachelor party and what it all means ahead of a wrestling wedding, which historically is very bad for one or both parties involved. This unofficially ends a chapter of NXT as we get a fresh coat of paint next week. From what’s being booked from a match standpoint I can’t say I’m expecting major changes other than aesthetic ones, but I’m certainly intrigued. Check out PWT Talks NXT tonight or stream tomorrow. Cheers.
The Way is done; I suppose Theory will debut on the “main roster” soon. I wonder why they won’t acknowledge Candice’s pregnancy onscreen?
LA Knight should never EVER be filmed in that light again. He looked 100 years old.
I suppose Lumis will swerve by speaking and turning on Gargano and spurning Indi, reversing the previous face/heel dynamic.
oh and yeah – those screaming kids were REALLY a nuisance >;(