wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 5.25.21
Loading...Hello there, NXT fans! It’s Tuesday evening, which means it’s time for another episode of NXT. I’m Jeremy Thomas, as usual, and tonight we have a huge show as Karrion Kross defends the NXT Championship against Finn Balor in an NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver rematch, Franky Monet’s in-ring debut, Ted DiBiase and much more! There’s a lot going on so without further ado, let’s get right into it.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
Previously On: We get a recap of the Karrion Kross feud with Finn Balor and clips from the Prime Target segment from last week.
Wade, Beth, and Vic break down tonight’s show, and we’re kicking it off with the women’s tag match! IT’S SHOTZI TIME, FOLKS!
Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Shotzi starts with Raquel and quickly leaps on her back, but gets thrown off. She goes for a roll-up and gets facepalmed to the mat, tries leaping on her and gets tossed into her corner. Moon comes in, cruicifix but Raquel stops her. Ember with a crossbody but Raquel catches her, Moon with a rana for a one-count to finally get Gonzalez down! A roll-up for another two-count, and Raquel chases Moon out of the ring and back in. Crossbody caught by Raquel, who tags Dakota in and slams Ember. Kai with a pin attempt for two. She tags Raquel back in, who tosses Moon hard into the corner and tags in Kai. Kai charges in but Ember moves and Shotzi tags in. She hits a reverse Slingblade on Kai and a big senton against Kai against the ropes! Pin attempt gets two. Ember tagged back in, Kai sent into the ropes for a drop toe-hold, a slam and a senton for two. Ember and Shotzi fail a couple of times to make the tag and finally hit it, Shotzi with a Texas Cloverleaf on Dakota! She has her in the center of the ring, but Kai gets to the ropes with help from Raquel. Gonzalez tags in and hits elbow drops on Shotzi, cover gets two. And we’re on break!
We’re back and both Shotzi and Kai are down. Ember and Raquel tag in, Ember is in hot and hits a couple of kicks before battering her with punches and comes off the ropes with knees to the ribs. She ducks a clothesline and comes off the top with a dropkick. She goes to the apron but Kai stops her and the distraction lets Raquel take her down. Kai in, she goes for the pin but Shotzi off the top to break the pin! Shotzi tags in and takes it to Kai, facebuster gets a two count. Kai is whipped into the corner and Moon tags in, Shotzi goes up top but Raquel saves Kai and eats a crossbody for her troubles. Kai attacks but gets caught by Ember, Scorpion submission hold nearly gets the tap but Raquel breaks it up. She goes for her single-hand power bomb but Moon COUNTERS WITH AN ECLIPSE! Shotzi and Ember hit Kai with a double-team shot and get the pin!
Winner: Shozti Blackheart & Ember Moon (11:24)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Hot starter for the show, with both teams playing their roles well. Shotzi and Ember getting the win is the right call. Nothing to complain about here, everything worked well and the action was great.
Raquel attacks the winners afterward and tells Kai to pick Ember up, then grabs Shotzi on the outside and slams her into the Plexiglas multiple times and the ringpost. She tells Ember she’s next if she messes with them again and hits the Snake Eyes on Shotzi into the guardrail. Kai and Raquel head to the back.
* Tomasso Ciampa and Thatcher are backstage and Ciampa acknowledges they put the cart before the horse last week and talk about GYV attacking them. They won round one, and GYV won round two. Ciampa says there will be a round three and walks off. Thatcher flips out and says he’ll enjoy breaking their limbs.
* We get a promo for Bobby Fish vs. Pete Dunne tonight. It’s next.
* Earlier tonight, Finn Balor arrived at the arena.
Pete Dunne vs. Bobby Fish
Fish swings right away and takes control, striking through a wristlock attempt and kicking Dunne to the mat. He batters Dunne against the ropes but when the ref calls him off, Dunne hits a cheap shot to take Fish down. Dunne begins to work the joints, focusing in Fish’s left ankle. Fish twists free but Dunne mounts him for some shots and then gets up to stomp his face. Dunne flips Fish to the mat and wrenches the left arm, then flips him to the mt again and locks in a headlock. Fish gets up and hits an elbow to fire back. Dunne gets control briefly but Fish counters into an armbar. Dunne to his feet and he hits a forearm, Fish holds on but another forearm breaks it. Fish counters by sending Dunne into the top rope, then kicks him to the outside of the ring. We’re on break!
We’re back and Dunne has managed to get control back, locking in Fish’s legs as he slaps Fish in the back of the head. He pulls Fish to his knees and kicks him in the head, but Fish fights through and drives Dunne into the corner! Leg whip, and he follows in. Dunne gets a shot in but is quickly spinebustered to the mat! Fish locks in a sleeper, but Dunne works the digits to break the hold. Dunne gets Fish to the mat and drops both knees on Fish’s tricep. Dunne outside and charges, but Fish with a back bodydrop to send him to the mat. He slams Dunne into the barricade. They get into the ring, Fish blocks a Kimura and hits a BIG throw partially into the ropes. Both men up now, Fish takes control with knees to Dunne’s ribs and backing him into the corner. But Dunne comes back and hits a German suplex, then a kick to the jaw. Fish comes back, big leaping uppercut that gets two. Both men down, but then Dunne locks in an armlock and then snaps the fingers! Fish through rolls through and works into an armbar of his own. Dunne rolls through, hits a back suplex into a TKO for the pinfall.
Winner: Pete Dunne (12:09)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Great stuff all in all. There was also a lot of no-selling amid all the tide-turning and that got a bit repetitive, but it wasn’t a huge problem by any stretch.
Oney Lorcan attacks Fish after the match and throws him into the turnbuckle tricep first. Lorcan rips the apron off and hooks Fish’s arm into the rope, then stands on Fish’s chest and wrenches the arm down. They get backed off, but Lorcan gets throw and kicks Fish in the arm! The heels leave as Fish is attended to by officials.
* Up next is a recap of Cameron Grimes’ big win.
* We get a promo backstage from Mercedes Martinez. She says she didn’t win last week but she learned from it, and her road back to a title shot begins tonight. Boa is in the background watching her as she walks off.
* We get a promo from Hit Row, with B-Fab saying they put everyone on notice last week. She says now it’s time for Hit Row to go gold. Swerve says all eyes will be on the main event, and he can’t wait to cross Karrion or Finn off the hit list. Top Dolla and says they have the Tag Titles in their sights, and Ashante says that Kushida’s time is up. Swerve says Reed is colossal, but what’s Godzilla to King Kong? And if you don’t know, now you know.
Mercedes Martinez vs. Zayda Ramier
Bell rings and they circle. Lockup, Martinez powers Ramier down. But Zayda takes control and hits a big dropkick, then counters an Irish whip in the corner to hit a big leap off the ropes onto Martinez. Kick to Mercedes and Zayda hits a kick for a two-count. But Martinez quickly takes back over with a punch, followed by three double underhook suplexes. Pinfall gets two and Martinez locks in a Dragon sleeper. Ramier gets to her fight and goes over and off the shoulder. Mercedes however gets a big spinebuster for two. Forearms to Zayda, off the ropes and Zayda ducks before taking Martinez down and locking in a sleeper. Martinez to her feet and then she backs Zayda in the corner to break it. She puts Zayda on the top, hits some shots and then slams her off the apron. Big high knee, then a Air Raid Crash for three.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez (3:27)
Rating: * 3/4
Thoughts: Quick, hard-hitting, and effective. Exactly what it needed to be.
After the match, the lights go out and then come back all red and smokey. Tian Sha appears on the Tron, but it goes black again. When it comes back, Martinez is marked on her hand. Freaked out, she backs away.
* Ted DiBiase is backstage talking with Toni Storm. He walks off and throws money at Robert Stone with a laugh as we go to break.
* Kross is prepping for tonight as Scarlett serves as his motivational expert on the Tron.
* It’s time for the Million Dollar Face-Off between Ted DiBiase and Cameron Grimes. Grimes is out first and gets the mic, but before he gets a full word out DiBiase’s music hits. Big Money Ted comes on down to the ring, and he gets a mic. “DiBiase” chants abound.
Grimes says everyone wants to know: why? Seriously, why? Grimes says he wasn’t always rich, but when he got there and started flaunting it a bit, Ted showed up to embarass him. He says he looks up to Ted and saw that with money, he can treat people terribly and people will still like him because he has money. He could kick a kid’s basketball away and people will still like him. Grimes says he guesses it’s true: never meet your idols.
DiBiase says they have a lot in common, and asks him to consider the fact that the reason he put Grimes through all that is because he sees a bit of himself in Grimes. He says he’s here because he’s looking for that one individual who embodies everything the Million Dollar Man looks for. He says it’s not all about money or humiliating people with it; it’s about performance in the ring. And Grimes has it, but since he got rich, he lost his focus and he needs to regain it.
Right then, LA Knight’s music hits and he comes to the ramp. Knight says he hears Ted talking about his Million Dollar Legacy, and he sees a million dollar opportunity. He says the search is off, because he’s a guy who does get the job done and is a perpetual motion machine of badassery, who didn’t just strike it lucky with virtual money. Grimes says it’s a conversation between millionaires, but Ted wants to hear him out. Knight shuts up the crowd and says Grimes is right; he’s not a millionaire. He’s living comfortably, but with Ted they can take the Million Dollar legacy to new heights. Ted says he knows who Knight is and has a lot of success, even maybe having a shot at being a megastar on NXT. He has a million dollar body and mindset. Grimes interrupts and says Knight is jacked, but he’s no Cameron Grimes and the Million Dollar Face-Off was between him and Ted. He approaches Knight and tells him to get out of the ring or he’ll get his ass kicked to the moon. Knight attacks when Grimes turns is back, stares at DiBiase, and leaves the ring. Ted stands over Grimes and says, “Kid, you’re just never gonne get it, are ya?” He laughs and exits the ring, leaving with Knight as Grimes stares on from the ring.
Thoughts: Good stuff here, playing Ted and Grimes off each other and getting another good talker involved in Knight. I have no idea who the babyface is here, but I’m interested in watching even if it is pretty muddled in terms of alignment.
* Up next: Franky Monet’s in-ring debut!
* McKenzie is trying to interview Indi Hartwell, but she’s running around looking for Dexter Lumis. She walks in on Ever-Rise recording their show and it almost turns into a fight, but Drake shows up and says he saw Lumis in a room nearby. She walks in and turns on the light to find a whole bunch of creepy pictures revealing that he heard her call him a loser. She is upset and runs off. Poor InDex!
Franky Monet vs. Cora Jade
Apparently Franky’s robe is 35,000 Euros. They lock up, and Franky backs Cora into a corner. She backs off, mocking COra, and they lock up but Franky does a hair pull to take her down. Core hits a kick and charges in, but Monet with an elbow to the back of the head. She backs Core into a corner and hits a couple of kicks and an overhand slap. She slams Cora into the second turnbuckle, and charges in multiple times with double knees! Monet picks Jade up, backs her into the ropes and hits an overhead slap to the chest. Jade off the ropes, kick to the gut, knee lift and then a big clothesline. Franky grabs Cora and talks trash, Jade fires back with a bunch of shots but gets thrown into the ropes. She flips around Franky’s body and hits a side legsweep for two, but Franky hits a big slam and then nails a powerbomb. Road to Valhalla for three and it’s over.
Winner: Franky Monet (3:10)
Rating: * 3/4
Thoughts: That was exactly the kind of dominant win needed to establish Franky right off the bat. Nothing amazing, but it did its job fine. RIP Cora Jade.
* GYV cut a promo on Ciampa and Thatcher, saying it’s nothing personal and just a receipt to put them in their place. James says that they’re not her to settle a feud; they’re done with Tomasso and Tim and are going to be watching MSK closely because they’re the leaders the NXT Tag Team division needs. They’re Grizzled Young Veterans and soon to be recognized as the next NXT Tag Team Champions.
* We get a recap of the past week for Bronson Reed since he won the title, and he’s live up next.
* We’re back with a vignette from Imperium.
* Bronson Reed makes his way down to the ring with his NXT North American Title in a snazzy suit. He gets a mic and a “You Deserve It” chant gets going. Reed says it’s been 14 years to get here and it wasn’t an easy road. It wasn’t just 14 years of climbing the mountain; it was falling and getting back up over and over again. And he had a lot of doubters who told him no, but this is proof that you don’t need anyone to give you permission. He says that the NXT locker room has a colossal mountain to climb to get his title.
That brings out Legado, and Santos says that he brought tears to their eyes. Wilde even gives him tissues. But Santos can’t relate to any of that; he was born a champion. He wasn’t even born to belong in this business; this business belongs to him. Santos says something caught him eye afterward and makes a weight joke, then says it was the North American Title. He says he sees the NA title and sees USA and Mexico. Wilde asks “What about Canada?” Santos says Canada doesn’t count. He says the NA Title belongs to him and says that his reign is over, because he’s about to take what’s his. Legado have surrounded Reed, but MSK run out and back him up. Wilde and Mendoza get run off, and Reed takes out Santos who rolls out of the win. Reed and MSK star off with Legado as we get closer to the main event and go to break.
* We’re back with William Regal, who hypes tonight’s main event. He says we’ll need a new #1 contender afterward, and announces Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano for next week. The the winner faces the champion at NXT Takeover: In Your House.
* Also set next week is an NXT Championship match between MSK and Legado del Fantasma.
NXT Championship Match
Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross
Hyped up crowd tonight. They test each other, Balor hitting a couple of quick low kicks before he locks in a headlock. Kross sends Balor intot he ropes and drops him with a shoulder, then throws Balor to the outside. But Balor gets to his fight, comes back in and sends Kross into his ropes, hitting a low dropkick,. Kross goes to the outside angrily as we go to PIP break.
Kross slowly gets back in, and they face off with Balor hitting a couple of kicks before Kross goes in with a waistlock takedown. Balor slips free and spins over Kross back before backing off. They face off again, Balor goes for the leg butKross catches him and goes for a rolling armbar. He nearly locks it in, Balor rolls Kross onto his shoulders for a two-count. Kross keeps the armbar on but Balor gets free and locks in Kross’ legs. He gets Kross to his feet in a chancery and controls him down into a shoulder lock. Kross up but Balor slides off his back and locks back in the shoulderlock, and when Kross gets to his feet he hits an armdrag and continues to work on the arm.
Back from PIP break, and Kross picks Balor up from the shoulderlock to bodyslam him to the mat. Balor set headfirst into the turnbuckle, then shoved into the corner for an avalanche. Balor goes for a high kick but gets knocked down, Kross with a suplex on the challenger. Stomp onto Balor’s foot, and he shoves Balor back to the mat. Forearm vice to the head and jaw of Balor, who gets free but gets punched to the mat. Kross for another short arm clothesline but Balor goes up and over into an abdominal stretch, followed by an elbowdrop and a cover for two. Balor is working over Kross, but Kross shakes it off and begins to hit shoulder blocks to the gut in the corner. He turns Balor around and repeats the process to the spine, followed by a hard kick right to the same! Kross chucks Balor across the ring, then picks him up like a ragdoll for a German suplex. He goes for it again, but Balor turns it into a crossface. Balor goes for a kick to the chest, Kross catches him but he somersaults and hits a double stomp to the chest. Balor is now working the midsection, he backs off and Kross moves in quickly to take Balor down with a shot to the spine. Kross throws Balor out and Kross follows out, but Balor takes over and traps Kross in the ring skirt. Kross gets free and EATS A KICK TO THE FACE as we’re on another PIP break.
Kross down on the outside, Balor down on the inside as Scarlett talks Kross into standing. Balor now up and coming around the ring, he slams Kross into the barricade and stomps before rolling back into the ring. He’s back out quickly, kicking at Kross, then acknowledges the crowd before finally picking Kross up and rolling him into the ring. Balor in but he eats a BIG boot by Kross. Kross stomps on Balor’s hand and drives the point of his elbow into Balor’s collarbone, then suplexes him. Balor picked up, Balor is fighting back but gets hit with a big suplex! Kross covers for a nearfall. Kross puts Balor in powerbomb position but Balor counters with a backdrop.
Back out of PIP break and Balor is slowly getting up, followed by Kross. They trade shots and Kross picks Balor up to slam him into two corners followed by a powerslam for two. He stalks Balor but Finn fights back with an elbow, then a kick. He hits Kross, Kross picks Balor up but Balor with an inverted DDT. Cover gets one and Kross is RIGHT BACK UP! Kross takes Balor down and locks in the straight jacket in the middle of the ring. He manages to twist and turn and get a hand on the ropes to force the break. Kross gets Balor up and throws him to the outside, slamming him repeatedly into the Plexiglas. He grabs Balor, picks him up into powerbomb position and slams him into the glass! Kross rolls Balor in at eight and follows, he picks Balor up into powerbomb position, pulls him up AND BALOR COUNTERS WITH A DDT! Balor up to his feet, Slingblade takes Kross down. Kross up and gets clotheslined to the outside, Balor off the ropes with a dive over the top — AND KROSS IS RIGHT BACK UP! He grabs Balor and drops him back-first into the commentary table! The ref is counting, but Kross gets Balor in and follows — right into a kick and several shots. Kross knocked down, double stomp to the chest, Balor off the ropes with a front dropkick to Kross. Balor goes up top, he goes for the Coup de Grace and Kross rolls out of the way. Kross slams Balor into the turnbuckle, German suplex to the challenger. He picks Balor up, Saito suplex connects. Kross takes aim — Balor counters with a roll-up! Kross out at two, Balor goes for an abdominal stretch that turns into a roll-up but Kross powers out and lays in forearms to the back of Balor’s neck. Balor slips through and batters the back of Kross’ neck. Kross is up and staring off with Scarlett, Balor locks in a sleeper! He kicks at Kross’ sides, but Kross gets out. Balor in a Triangle choke, Kross is fading but he comes up, picks up Balor with his arm and power bombs Balor! Balor is up and hyped, Kross drops him with a clothesline and then hits forearms to Balor’s back. He starts to stomp away at the fallen Finn, then locks in the straightjacket. Balor goes out and Kross retains.
Winner: Karrion Kross (22:41)
Rating: *** 3/4
Thoughts: Great pacing here. Balor and Kross work well together and this had a lot of drama to it, particularly in those final minutes. I don’t think many believed Kross would lose the title this quickly so there wasn’t much suspense, but what there was can be put down to that ending sequence. Kross has his critics, and I absolutely get it. But he was appropriately put over as a monster here and filled that role well in the match. I certainly enjoyed it.
Kross and Scarlett strike a pose over the fallen Balor, and we’re done for the night!
