SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
AUGUST 29, 2023
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT THE CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS (@spookymilk), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
NXT Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Backstage Correspondent(s): McKenzie Mitchell
Tonight after the show, join the PWT Talks NXT self-proclaimed “gang of idiots” to break down the show with calls and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (515) 605-9345
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: pwtorchnxt@gmail.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW POST-RECORDING
[HOUR ONE]
-Internet dropped in my house literally on the “Executive Producer Dick Wolf” screen a few seconds before NXT started, so it appears I’ll be slumming it on my phone here.
(1) CREED BROTHERS (Julius & Brutus) vs. THE DYAD (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid) (w/Joe Gacy & Ava) – Steel Cage match
Gacy and the masked men attacked Brutus outside the ring and the bell rang for some reason. Inside, the Dyad double-teamed Julius. He managed suplexes on both, and then after absorbing some punishment, hit another suplex, this time on both at once. The numbers took over and Dyad flattened Julius with a double clothesline. They leaned on him with boots for a while. In a rare misfire, the inside-the-ring cameraman was easily visible for a few seconds as we got a shot from the outside camera. The Dyad worked over Julius near the ropes. After a rope run, Dyad flapjacked Julius into the cage. The match went to split-screen. [c]
Back to full-screen, it was still an essential handicap match with a long heat sequence on Julius. Out on the ramp, a couple of masked guys crawled out, having been beaten up. Brutus appeared with one on his back, and he slammed him. Brutus battered masked guys on the way to the ring and chased down Gacy to get the key, but Gacy mocked him with it. Brutus went to the door and casually tore it off the cage and put it in the ring. A holy shit chant was silenced because words are scary. Brutus pinned the Dyad members between the ropes and cage and ran at each with the steel door repeatedly. Brutus continued his showcase and battered the Dyad, then helped his brother to his feet. The two teamed up on Reid, tossing him into the cage on one side, then another. They set him up for the Doomsday Device but Fowler broke it up.
The Dyad got back into it with some team offense, then tried to lean on Brutus’s head with the hard edge of the door. Julius put a stop to it and the two reverseand pinned the Dyad down, then moved the door out of the way. Julius held up both heels at once and Brutus hit the pair with a Brutus Ball. Time for more silencing from the censor. The Creeds hit their finisher and each member covered a heel for the win. They stood tall afterward with Ivy Nile on their shoulders.
WINNERS: The Creed Brothers in about 15:00.
(Wells’s Analysis: A long heat sequence followed by an absolute squash. It seems they wanted it to eat up time but, as usual, they weren’t willing to make The Dyad look like an actual threat. Good spots on the way, though.)
-Roxanne Perez cut a pre-recorded promo for the four-way women’s #1 contender’s match later tonight. She’s done caring about potential – she wants it now. She said she’ll start the road to regaining what she never lost in the first place.
-Vic and Booker stood on the ramp and promoted the Global Heritage Cup Invitational. It’s going to be done in groups, so if this is like a league tournament in the style of New Japan, hopefully they really explain it to the announcers (and to us) unlike the half-job they did explaining it during the Cruiserweight Championship tournament a few years ago. [c]
-Tony D, Stacks, and Carmelo Hayes celebrated being champions. The Street Profits showed up to a big pop. Hayes called them one of the best teams ever but said he had to head out to remove an asterisk from his record. A group of women – Dana Brooke, Kelani Jordan, Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice – fought through the scene and the Street Profits got excited about the brawl.
(2) BUTCH vs. CHARLIE DEMPSEY (w/Damon Kemp) – Global Heritage Invitational Group “A” match
It is indeed a round robin affair, and they announced that the top point-getter of group A would face the top of group B. Noam Dar and the rest of Meta-Four watched from a posh little “room” away from the ring.
Butch dominated with some brutish offense early, but Dempsey hit a northern lights suplex for two. Mat reversals led to an armbar by Dempsey. Butch reversed and worked the digits but Dempsey again reversed and wrenched Butch’s arm, then stomped on it in the style of Butch or Zack Sabre Jr. Rope run and a lariat by Butch. Butch worked Dempsey’s fingers and did his own stomp. Ground and pound by Butch. Forearm exchange led to an enzuigiri by Butch. Dempsey ducked a lariat and hit a German suplex with a bridge for two. Butch hopped into a guillotine but Dempsey reversed to a double underhook and he bridged for another two. Dempsey tried a mat submission but Butch worked his fingers again to escape. He kicked a grounded Dempsey in the back of the head and went up. Dempsey popped up and joined him, but Butch landed on his feet as he let go of Dempsey. Bitter End finished.
WINNER: Butch at 4:50.
(Wells’s Analysis: Funny that the Invitational to produce a challenger for the Heritage Cup doesn’t involve rounds matches, but too many of them would be a bad thing, so I agree with this. A tough match to recap as the ultra-technical British style was on full display. I love the style but it’s taxing to keep up with it)
-Ilja Dragunov headed to the ring. [c]
-McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Dragon Lee about his pinfall over Dominik Mysterio. He started talking about the match, but Mustafa Ali stepped in and said he knows he’s going to talk about deserving a shot, but he already had one one-on-one. Mustafa tried to get Lee to agree that everyone deserves a shot, then reiterated that Lee got a shot and struck out. I love Ali in this role every week.
-Ilja Dragunov stood in the ring and put over Trick Williams and he deserves everyone’s respect. He said nothing stands in his way of the NXT Championship now. Noam Dar, still watching from the room, interrupted and said it’s pathetic that Dragunov is coming out to beg for a shot when Dar already has his championship and he gets to watch as everyone fights for a chance to lose to him. Dar had Oro Mensah insult him in German. Dragunov eventually tired of their act and started toward the lounge and Dar begged him away. Dar acted like he wanted to make a match with Dragunov next week, but Oro Mensah cut him off and made it himself against Dragunov. Dragunov returned the favor with an insult in German, and he put Mensah on the mat as Meta-Four looked concerned.
-Von Wagner cut a promo on Bron Breakker and promoted a No DQ match for next week.
-Lola Vice and Elektra Lopez entered ahead of their tag match. [c]
(3) DANA BROOKE & KELANI JORDAN vs. LOLA VICE & ELEKTRA LOPEZ
Jordan dropkicked Lopez and hit her with a rope-assisted arm drag. Vice tagged in and Jordan trapped her in a headlock. Thirsty vocal males chanted for Lola. Lopez tagged in and the heels hit a hip pincer attack on Jordan. Jordan rolled up Lopez for two, but Lopez slammed her and hit a backsplash in the corner and dropped an elbow for two. Vice tagged in and hit a spinning backfist for two. Vice hit a knee to the midsection and tried another, but Jordan caught it and flattened Vice with a kick. Lopez and Brooke tagged in. Lots of boos for Brooke. Brooke threw repeated punches and back elbows in the corner as she continues to transition into heeldom through this story with Jordan. She stacked up the heels in a corner and hit a cartwheel back elbow. Bulldog on Lopez got two. Jordan tagged in and hit an assisted moonsault. Vice broke it up. Brooke got into the ring and fought off Vice. They spilled outside and Vice put her into the steps. In the ring, Vice hit a spin kick and Lopez, holding Jordan, slammed her. It finished for the heels.
WINNERS: Lola Vice & Elektra Lopez at 4:01.
(Wells’s Analysis: A small step forward in the Brooke-Jordan eventual breakup and an excuse to put over the budding heel team. It kind of hurts that the crowd is ridiculously into Vice, but that aside, this was a fine little match)
-Eddy Thorpe and Dijak, not together, walked through the back ahead of their match. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
-Gigi Dolin cut a pre-recorded promo. She said a four-way match to determine a new challenger is chaos. She said the stupidest thing Tiffany Stratton ever did was allow her in this match. She said she’ll see her next week.
-Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams ran into each other in the back. Williams was going to talk about his meeting with the Street Profits, but Hayes cut him off and said he had to show that he can beat Ilja Dragunov without Trick’s help. He asked Williams if he thinks he can beat Ilja. He didn’t like Trick’s tone. It got chippy and Hayes walked off. With Hayes out of earshot, Trick looked his direction and said “I don’t think you can…I know you can.”
(4) EDDY THORPE vs. DIJAK
Dijak tried to attack on the ramp, but Thorpe dropkicked him. Thorpe rolled Dijak inside and hit a corner boot upon the bell for two. Brainbuster for a long two. Thorpe went for a running chop to a grounded Dijak, but Dijak caught him for a chokeslam for two. O’Connor roll by Thorpe for two. Big back kick by Dijak, who then ran into a spin kick. Palm strike exchange. Boot by Dijak and a lariat by Thorpe. Both guys sold on the mat. There was a round of applause for the large amount of impact offense. Dijak removed his belt and wrapped it around his hand, but Thorpe blocked a shot and it was eventually tossed outside. Thorpe tossed Dijak into a post and out, then hit him with a plancha. He set up Dijak on the apron but Dijak booted him to the announce table, then tossed him over it and into the swivel chairs. He rolled Thorpe back inside and grabbed a chair and went inside. He ran for a shot and missed. He went to the outside and as the referee dealt with the chair, Dijak grabbed his belt and used the loaded fist on an approaching Thorpe. Back inside he hit his finishing kick.
WINNER: Dijak at 4:20.
(Wells’s Analysis: Dijak definitely needs the wins right now but doing it this way keeps him in a heel context and keeps Thorpe fighting for something to overcome. A good, quick strong style match)
-Kiana James cut her promo. She said everyone here has had the same opportunities, but they fall short. She said what separates her from them is that she doesn’t make excuses. She said she’ll do whatever it takes to get her hand raised.
-Baron Corbin was complaining to a stagehand. Bron Breakker approached him and wanted thanks for saving him last week. Corbin said he didn’t need to be saved. Breakker said he was going to put Von Wagner away, and Corbin better not get involved. Corbin said he doesn’t care about either of them, and suggested Breakker doesn’t get put through a table next week.
-Vic promoted a tribute to Bray Wyatt after the break. [c]
-Angel Garza woke up and once again received visions from Humberto Garza. Humberto Carrillo went to the apartment and the two realized they’d had the same dream. Garza woke up with a big welt over his upper chest and Carrillo said he wasn’t crazy, because he had one too. He said Humberto Garza is looking over them and giving them a fresh start. Interspersed with their words, a Los Lotharios shirt was ripped apart. They return next week. This was…something.
-The announcers mentioned Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt, and then threw to a video package. It was the same moving video from SmackDown. Once again, the shot of Bray brushing his daughter’s hair was one too many shots for me to handle. This dissolved to a “Thank you Bray” chant and the fireflies were out (including Vic and Booker’s). They once again went to the empty rocking chair. [c]
-Blair Davenport was smiling because she’s looking forward to her opponents screaming in pain. Tonight she gets three for the price of one.
-Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio cut an Instagram promo. They were suitably annoying and said Dominik was champ for life. Mysterio said Mustafa Ali and Dragon Lee could fight it out and he’ll face the winner at No Mercy. He said since it was so important, he’ll be the guest referee. Ripley said he’ll look so good in the shirt.
(5) NATHAN FRAZER vs. JOE COFFEY (w/Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) – Global Heritage Invitational match – Group B
Last time I didn’t add that matches have a 12-minute time limit, and a pinfall or submission is worth two points while a draw is worth one. This is identical to New Japan’s G1 rules.
Coffey worked an armbar and grounded Frazer, who flipped around until he could reverse. Coffey wound up for punches and Frazer wrenched the arm. Coffey escaped. Rope run and Frazer was tripped briefly by Wolfgang or Mark Coffey on the outside (EDIT: after the fact, I saw a replay online and I had missed this split-second where Frazer got tied up and hung in the ropes in a very quick, very scary moment, though it certainly seems he’s fine). Frazer headlocked Coffey on the mat and Coffey reached a standing base and shoved him off, then dropped him on the top rope. Back suplex by Frazer got two. Meta-Four continued to watch from the lounge. Noam Dar was looking through opera glasses (backwards). Frazer dumped Coffey and the match went to commercial. [c]
Frazer hit a Skull End slam to get back into it. Vic mentioned some of the tournament matches will be on Level Up. I’ve never watched Level Up, but I’m a sucker for tournaments. Glasgow Sendoff by Coffey into the buckle. German with a bridge got two. Coffey charged and got dumped. Frazer hit a tope (he mostly missed, but Coffey sold it). Back inside, a frog splash by Frazer got two. Two and a half minutes remained. Frazer went up and Coffey followed. Frazer flipped through a superplex. Frazer hit a superkick and went up. Phoenix Splash missed. Coffey hit a wicked lariat right after to finish.
WINNER: Joe Coffey at 10:10.
(Wells’s Analysis: A nice big vs. small match that I wish had been entirely aired. The announcers showed the bracket with Akira Tozawa and Duke Hudson to go next on Level Up this Friday. They’ve been much better at handling this tournament and making it clear, and a little cross-promotion makes sense as well)
-Andre Chase held class. Chase mentioned that Duke Hudson is representing Australia in the Global Heritage Invitational, but admitted he thought he was from New Zealand. Thea Hail wasn’t in class, but she showed up afterward. She blew off missing the class. Duke found himself caught in the middle and tried to please both of them as they had a disagreement. Thea said she wasn’t going to study hall because she had plans to go out. She joined Jacy Jayne and left the area. The boys looked on, curiously.
-@NXT_Anonymous caught Fallon Henley talking to Myles Borne, who was cleaning garbage from a ring. She said he shouldn’t let Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak treat him that way. She invited him to be part of a six-man on NXT next week and he jumped at the chance.
-Roxanne Perez and then Gigi Dolin made their entrances ahead of the main event. [c]
-Wes Lee was out clearing his mind and sent an update via Instagram. He said he wasn’t done with Carmelo Hayes, because Hayes didn’t beat him – he beat himself. He said the NXT Championship is “coming to the Wes side.”
-Tyler Bate caught up with McKenzie Mitchell about Group A. He put over Axiom and Charlie Dempsey, and then mentioned his long history with Butch. He said to clear his palate, he had an issue with Dabba-Kato. He asked him to allow him to be the David to his Goliath and said he’d wait for him in the ring next week.
-Vic ran down some of next week’s matches – Von Wagner vs. Bron Breakker in a No Disqualification match, and Tiffany Stratton vs. the winner of our main event.
(6) ROXANNE PEREZ vs. GIGI DOLIN vs. KIANA JAMES vs. BLAIR DAVENPORT – Four-way match to determine the Women’s Championship #1 Contender
Kiana James had a new entrance video where a helicopter lands and she walks out to the ramp shortly afterward as if she had exited it. Davenport entered last.
James and Dolin were dumped early. They brawled outside as Perez went at Davenport. Dolin tried to reenter and Perez knocked her back out with a right that showed a mile of light. Standing switches inside and Perez rolled up Davenport. The other two reentered and women kept breaking up counts to try their own. The faces rolled up the heels and simultaneously got two counts. The faces paired off and went to the apron and exchanged rights. Dolin dropped Perez on the apron. Dolin followed up by putting James into the barricade, but James took out Dolin and then Davenport. Perez hit a tope on James to take momentum heading into the split-screen commercial. [c]
The four were interlocked in a submission chain. Davenport broke free and beat down all of the others to boos.
[OVERRUN]
Perez and Davenport went up a turnbuckle. James joined and finally so did Dolin for the pyramid slam. “NXT” chant. Dolin dominated all with kicks and rights. Hip attack and a basement dropkick for Davenport. Cover for two. She lifted Davenport for her finisher but Davenport fought her off and yanked her to the ropes. James yanked Dolin “into” the post in another spot where a better camera angle would’ve saved it. The heels fought until Perez hit them from the top and used headscissors and dropkicks to take over on offense. The heels got set up in opposite corners for elbows. Davenport got cleared out and Perez hit mounted punches on James until noticing Davenport had reappeared and she slammed her.
Dolin got involved again but Perez hit a neckbreaker on her for two. Perez set up Pop Rox on James but Davenport blocked it and dumped James. She hit her finisher but Dolin stepped on her to break it up. Gigi hit a half-and-half on Davenport for two, broken up by Perez. Perez dumped Dolin and hit her with a rana from the apron. She hit Pop Rox on Dolin on the outside, but Davenport kicked her in the back as she did it. Back inside, Davenport hit a double stomp on Perez. She set up her finisher but Perez rolled through and hit Pop Rox. Davenport went tumbling out of the ring. Dolin appeared and went for the Gigi Driver but Perez fought it by grabbing a rope. James reappeared out of nowhere, cleared out Perez, and hit her finisher on Dolin to finish. She and Stratton had a staredown afterward.
WINNER: Kiana James at 11:38.
(Wells’s Analysis: Hard to cover, as many four-way matches are, as the women kept up a furious pace throughout. There were a couple of not-so-snug moments that hurt it, but for the most part this was a crowd-pleasing spotfest. The babyfaces would have been the obvious choices to win, but I had a feeling about James when they debuted a new entrance video for her. As this is heel vs. heel, a title change is unlikely, but once again James is in a position to sink or swim in a big spot)
-Carmelo Hayes walked up to Shawn Michaels’s office, opened the door, and said “Hey, we need to talk.” He entered (we didn’t see Michaels, as usual) and closed the door. The show went off at 8 past the hour, as usual.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This episode sure did a good job of setting up the next one. We have a championship match and a strong challenger after this week’s big win, and all of the losing women had strong showcase segments in the match to keep them hot. The Global Heritage Invitational got off to an interesting start and the company seems committed to making it feel important, and is putting some matches elsewhere in the hopes of drawing eyes to Level Up. In my case, it may even work. There are honestly too many positives to mention as far as setting things up for next week and beyond.
And then there’s the strange Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo segment, but that’s what podcasts are for. Bruce Hazelwood, Nate Lindberg and I will try to make sense of it on PWT Talks NXT. Check us out tonight or stream tomorrow.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.