Cook’s WWE NXT Review 7.7.26

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for the latest edition of WWE NXT on the CW! We’ve got some Fatal 4-Ways leading to some #1 contenders tonight, along with Nattie’s annual title shot. Sounds like a good time to me!

If you already subscribe to the 411MANIA Wrestling Newsletter, earlier today you received some of my thoughts on CM Punk winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, Sheamus getting his release from WWE & El Hijo del Vikingo needing some knee surgery. If you don’t already subscribe, do so right now! Yes, before we get to the show because if you’re like me you won’t remember to do this a minute from now.

Cook’s WWE NXT Review 7.7.26

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

We’re in Orlando! Kali Armstrong is in the ring and has something to say! She heard the folks saying that Kendal Grey deserves it, and there’s her target. She wants to get what she deserves right now. Lola Vice makes her entrance and lets Kali know she needs to wait in line. Kelani Jordan comes out and is tired of all these people stepping in line ahead of her. They all exchange strikes & Kali comes out on top.

Kendal Grey & Wren Sinclair are WALKING!

Fatal 4-Way NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) vs. Dorian Van Dux & Sean Legacy vs. BirthRight (Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo & Uriah Connors) vs. DarkState (Osiris Griffin & Cutler James): There’s already too many people in the ring and we’ve got one team left. Stereo bodyslams to start. I’m waiting for these teams to slow things down but its not happening.

We return and DarkState is working people over. We see people trying crazy moves and getting taken out. Top rope elbow gets two. Everyone tumbles outside so DVD & Sean can get a near-fall. Dives onto the floor! A lot of dives! Saqoun Sugars wanders through the crowd. After everything else happens, DVD hits a splash and Sean hits a 450 for three!

Winners: Dorian Van Dux & Sean Legacy (10:07 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
A bit of a clustermess here, but exactly what you’d expect from this tag team division. DVD & Legacy do seem to be a solid team.

Jaida Parker talks about her recent issues and I wish I didn’t know about her & Jey Uso because now I can’t bother listening.

Emily Agard talks to Saquon Shugars, who goes on about the baseball bat in his hands. He’s got his eyes set on DarkState.

Tank vs. Keanu Carver: Keanu hits a big kneelift, Tank sends him over the top rope. Keanu sends him down to the mat. Keanu works Tank over and decks him. Keanu hits a powerbomb for a nearfall. Tank fights back. Tank hits a swanton for two. Carver fights out of a full nelson, hits a high knee on Tank. A power bomb gets the win for Carver.

Winner: Keanu Carver (4:45 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **
You’d expect Keanu to win in short fashion here and that’s exactly what he did against a tag team wrestler. Not really impressed here by much, just basic Keanu Carver stuff they want us to buy into.

Naraku lets us know that he will disrespect Tony D’Angelo’s career.

Mason Rook confronts Kam Hendrix & Tate Wilder.

Nattie talks to her girls about her title shot later tonight.

Fatal 4-Way Women’s North American Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Lizzy Rain vs. Izzi Dame vs. Layla Diggs vs. Thea Hail: Things break down right away. Some near-falls exchanged. Izzi takes control in the ring, Rain fights back with an elbow and some chops in the corner. Rain hits a sitout suplex but Dame rolls outside. Hail dives onto all three on the floor and we go to commercial!

We return and get two near-falls! Hail with a big kick to take down Diggs. Hail taking control, hits a crossbody, then a springboard gets broken up. Rain hits a double cutter, goes up top and dives into a cutter from Dame for two. I think these girls are trying to tire the hot ref out. Thea & Izzy go at it. Series of strikes takes everyone out. Izzy & Lizzy go at it. Thea sneaks up on Lizzy for a nearfall, killing the buzz. Layla hits a moonsault and gets the three count!

Winner: Leyla Diggs (10:53 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **
A bit of an upset, but well deserved. Diggs has a ton of potential and it’s worth seeing what she brings in a match against Zaria.

Diggs will take on Zaria next week on NXT!

Reina Volcan is the woman that attacked Tatum Paxley at the end of last week’s episode. I am impressed.

Vic Joseph & Booker T chat about upcoming events until Tavion Heights grabs the microphone and admits he hasn’t reached the heights he wants to yet. He wants to apologize to Myles Bourne man to man, but the Vanity Project comes out again and demand other apologies. Jackson Drake talks some smack before they beat Tavion down. Myles comes out and they deliver some suplexes to send the VP outside.

Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno talk to Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux about their futures.

Shiloh Hill vs. Niko Vance (w/Izzi Dame): Niko takes the advantage early, misses a diving headbutt. Hill gets a rollup for two. Vance sends Hill into the corner. Hill responds, then hits a clothesline for two. Shoulderblock by Hill. Vance takes Hill down, gets a two count. Hill hits a DDT. Vance still comes back but gets backdropped. Hill strikes Vance down and gets the near-fall. Izzi provides the distraction with Tristian Angel on the outside and Vance hits the strike for three.

Winner: Niko Vance (4:41 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **
I still haven’t seen much from Shiloh Hill, but this match was here to further two angles.

While all of that is going on, the Chairman Shawn Spears comes down and levels Vance with a chair! There’s still an issue there!

Next Week: Zaria vs. Layla Diggs! Vanity Project vs. Legacy & Van Dux! Naraku vs. Tate Wilder!

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Kendal Grey (c) (w/Wren Sinclair) vs. Nattie (w/Nikkita Lyons & Karmen Petrovic): Some grappling to start. They go back & forth. Kendal gets dropped by Nattie, but finds an ankle lock. Nattie sends Kendal outside at the feet of her minions. Wren tries to fight them off but that doesn’t go well for her. We go to commercial!

We return & Nattie has the ab stretch locked in. Kendal fights out, but still gets covered for a two count. Kendal hits some shots in the corner. She goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Kendal hits some suplexes. Nattie hits one of her own for two. Kendal gets an inside cradle for two. Nattie fights out of an ankle lock and kicks Kendal in the head. Choke by Nattie! Kendal fights out. Kendal tries a dropkick off the top, Nattie turns it into a Sharpshooter. Kendal finds the ropes. After some attempted reversals, Kendal hits the Shades of Grey clothesline for three!

Winner: Kendal Grey (9:06 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
I think Kendal passed any test Nattie wanted to put her through.

Jaida Parker sneaks up behind Nattie and takes out her minions so they can talk some smack and that’s the end of our live event. So long for now!

If you’d like to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the legendary Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on social media from time to time. To be honest, e-mail is a better option and you can reach me at [email protected]. I’ll be more likely to respond there.

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

I can't say I was a huge fan of the multiple 4-way matches or the Nattie title shot that has to happen every year, but NXT worked their way through these things. We move onto next week when hopefully I'll get to see the human waterbed.