wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 6.27.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas once again, and the two-week NXT Gold Rush event comes to its conclusion on tonight’s show. We’ll see Carmelo Hayes defend the NXT Championship against Baron Corbin, while Thea Hail gets her NXT Women’s Championship match against Tiffany Stratton. Plus Malik Blade & Edris Enofé will challenge Gallus for the NXT Tag Team Titles, Nathan Frazer defends the NXT Heritage Cup against Dragon Lee and Gigi Dolin takes on Kiana James. There’s some real potential in some of those matches and hopefully it can keep up the momentum last week brought.
Here at the Thomas house, the busy week leading up to Forbidden Door meant that I didn’t have a ton of time for movies but I still managed to get some films on my Queer As Fuck Pride Month viewing challenge watched. I saw XXY, a stellar and nuanced film about an intersex youth, as well as The Living End by Gregg Arakki which I didn’t love, even if I appreciated the anarchistic vibes it was giving out. Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet was a warmly-acted and earnest tale of queerness coming up against Chinese culture, while I liked John Cameron Mitchell’s dramedy Shortbus but can’t super-recommend it unless you’re okay with a lot of unsimulated sex.
In TV, as has been the case in recent weeks I finished up Queen Of the Universe season two and continued keeping up with Drag Race All Stars season eight, while adding Secret Invasion to the list which I’m liking off its first episode. I also started on Drag Race UK season two, which is charming.
Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.
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.
* Earlier today, Baron Corbin arrived in his $300,000 car and Carmelo Hayes arrived straight from the airport after his Raw appearance.
* We get a montage recapping NXT Gold Rush week one including Malik Blade & Edris Enofe winning their Tag Team Title shot and Bron Breakker pushing Seth Rollins to his limit but coming up short before Finn Balor attacked and Melo & Trick made the save. We then preview tonight’s matches.
* We’re starting off with the NXT Women’s Championship match!
NXT Women’s Championship Match
Tiffany Stratton vs. Thea Hail
Lock up to start and Tiffany tries to back Thea in the corner but gets blocked. She takes Thea down, then comes off the ropes but Thea with a roll-up for two. Backslide gets two as does a sunset flip, then Hail goes for the Kimura but Stratton gets to the bottom rope as Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey come out to watch.
Hail locks in a submission but Tiffany escapes, Thea with an armdrag attempt but Tiff blocks it so Thea dropkicks her out of the ring. Thea to the apron and goes for a sprinboard moonsault but Tiffany trips her to the floor and then clotheslines her down. Thea rolled into the ring, Tiff sets up in the corner and hits the handspring back elbow followed by a double stomp off the ropes for two. Tiffany with the hip check off the ropes, cover for two. Thea quickly goes for the Kimura, Tiffany flees to the outside but Thea hits a springboard Coffin Drop. She rolls Tiffany in but Tiff hits a sit-out powerbomb for two as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Tiffany has Thea in a chinlock. Thea to her feet but gets kneed in the gut. Thea sent to the corner, she comes out and hits a single arm DDT! Thea building momentum now with a few knockdowns and a hip check in the corner, takedown follows and she goes into the Chase U stomps, finishing with a senton. Sprinboard Coffin Drop off the bottom rope gets two.
Thea goes for the Kimura again but gets slammed down. Tiff goes for the powerbomb but Thea escakes and goes for the Kimura, Stratton goes for the ropes and Dempsey pulls the rope away in front of the ref. Hail argues with Gulak and Dempsey, the ref gets involved and Thea locks in the Kimura! Tiff taps but the ref doesn’t see it. Thea back up but gets rolled up for three.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton (9:07)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very good effort here, both of these ladies worked very hard and looked good. The ending keeps the title on Tiff as expected but Thea looked strong.
Post-match, Gulak and Dempsey berate Thea. Duke gets involved and is attacked and beat down! Gulak and Dempsey get in Thea’s face — AND ANDRE CHASE IS BACK! Chase lays out Dempsey and Gulak, Duke back in the ring — it’s time for twin windup jabs and Dusty Elbows! Gulak and Dempsey bail the ring and Chase U celebrates.
* Ilja asks what it means to be Unbesiegbar He says his body welts and bleeds like any other man. He chooses to endure it, embrace it, and become it. His body is fallible, but his mind is unbreakable and his will is uncongquerable. He feels an eternal flame inside him and the agony of combat will never defeat it no matter the evil that stands before him. His essence will always be Unbesiegbar.
* Gallus haven’t heard from Joe, but they say Stacks will get what’s coming to him. First Blade & Edris, then Stacks. Meanwhile, Edris and Blade hype themselves up.
* Last week, Dana Brooke was being checked out when Kelani Jordan came in to introduce herself. They commiserate about their gymnastics experience and Kelani puts Dana over for fighting through pain. She’s glad Dana’s here and Dana says she’d like to meet Kelani in the ring at some point when she’s healed up.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Gallus vs. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade
Malik and Mark start off in the ring and lock up, Mark puts Malik on the mat. Headlock by Coffey, he’s shot into the ropes and runs Malik over but Malik avoids the cover. Lock back up, Malik escapes and Mark isn’t pleased. They circle and lock back up, Malik with a headlock but gets pushed into the corner and Wolfgang tags in, Malik rolls to escape.
Malik with a headlock, shot into the ropes and ducks some clotheslines. Sunset flip but Wolfgang catches him and gets him on his shoulders, Malik escapes and hits a kick. Enofe tags in for an axehandle off the top. Wristlock by the challenger, Wolfgang picks him up but he slides off. They repeat that, Enofe to the second ropes and leaps but is caught and put in the corner. Coffey tags in but Enofe escapes to the outside.
Back in for a headlock, he’s sent into the corner but goes up and over. Tag and an armdrag, Melik comes in for a headlock takedown. Headlock, Malik shot into the corner and hits a back elbow. He strikes away and comes off the ropes with a clothesline, Edris tags in and double dropkicks to both champions! Coffey taken down, Malik tags in for a frog splash for two. We’re going to PIP break as Angel and Humberto are watching from the raised stage.
We’re back as Malik ducks a clothesline and hits a dropkick. Mark back up and pushes Malik into the hostile corner, Wolfgang tags in and lifts Malik to drop him on the ropes. Wolfgang batters Malik in the corner and tags in Coffey, who lays in a kick to the gut. He rolls Malik over for a two-count. SLeeper to Malik, Wolfgang tags in and they beat in Malik before Wolfgang starts to wrench the neck. He locks in the Million Dollar Dream and slams him to the mat. Malik back up, but Mark tags in and goes to the second rope for a shoulder tackle for two.
Front facelock from Mark but Malik is back to his feet. He pushes to get the tag but Mark blocks it; Malik leaps and makes the tag and Edirs comes in hot! Strikes to Wolfgang, Mark spins Edris around and gets nailed by some shots. Enofe goes for a double leap off Coffey’s back but slips and hits hard. YEESH. Enofe manages to nail Mark for a two-count, Blade tags in and they lay Coffey out for two.
Blade goes for a frog splash and Edris hits an top rope elbowdrop, cover but Wolfgang breaks it up. Blade catches Wolfgang in the ropes and ties him up for shots to the head, he leaps out of the ring but is caught by Coffey. Stacks is here! He goes to dive for Mark but hits Edris! Stacks rolls Edris in and Wolfgang covers for three.
Winner: Gallus (13:16)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: This was a very good match with a very notable exception in that botch from Edris. Unfortunate but it happens sometimes. Stacks’ actions continue to be enigmatic; not sure where this is going yet.
* Up next is a Schism family discussion after the break. Yay.
* McKenzie is with Meta-Four and asks about tonight’s Heritage Cup title match, but Dar is still sad and doesn’t want to talk about it. Lash cuts in and talks about their nails, and she and Lash talk about their win last week. She says Ronda and Shayna may be next. McKenzie brings up the Heritage Cup again and gets cut off, and the group leaves. Noam says McKenzie sucks.
* The Schism is in the ring and says that she called the meeting because their inner tension has led to turmoil and they need open and honest communication. Gacy tells The Dyad to talk freely.
Jagger says they Gacy brought them in a year ago and made promises, but they’re not seeing it. They’re boosting Schism, not the other way around. Jagger says he and Rip have been together for 18 years and that
Ava says that isn’t necessary and Gacy says it’s okay. He gets it, and says he’s made mistakes but that Jagger never would have been able to say all that before because his best friend never let him have a voice. Gacy says they were two lost souls in obscurity before he gave them a home. Rip says they were in a bad place, beaten and confused. Joe showed them a new way but they’re starting to see cracks. Joe started with inclusivity, then moved to exclusive and then flipped back. They’re starting to see who they are and maybe the problem is —
Ava cuts them off. Gacy says he made mistakes, but preaching inclusivity led to Ava, and he’ll never apologize for that. He asks if The Dyad hesitated and didn’t commit themselves fully? He asks why they’re not in the same clothes. He says he sees two men ready to take down the world which was not the case a year ago.
Here comes Diamond Mine! Brutus says he’s sick and tired of the Schism Dyad family affair. Jagger and Reid says this has nothing to do with any of them, but Julius says it does since Ava cost them their win. Julius says Dyad don’t want to be here, and they don’t want them here so hurry up and implode.
Gacy says the Diamond Mine is more toxic than Schism ever was. Julius says they’re not going to let Schism infect NXT. Gacy suggests The Creed Brothers vs. The Dyad next week, but this time the loser leaves NXT. Reid and Fowler aren’t happy about that. Julius loves it though and says it’s a deal.
* We get a vignette from Bronco Nima & Lucien Price talking about how they grew up with football which led them get their rage out. The bond they had was built to last and they used to live for Friday Night Lights. College came and they split, but they’re back and on the same team ready to unleash. They didn’t come to play; t6hey came to dominate.
* SCRYPTS and Axiom are with Hank and Tank and the latter suggest Axiom and SCRYPTS team up. Nathan Frazer comes in and Axiom congratulates him on winning the cup, saying good luck tonight. He leaves and SCRYPTS says Axiom has his eye on the cup. Axiom says he’s drawn to it.
* Melo and Trick are backstage with Trick pumping Melo up. He says tonight is Melo’s night. Rhea Ripley walks in and Trick talks a bit but Rhea shuts him up. She says that Finn was handling Judgment Day business last week, and next time they jump into that business they’ll become Judgment Day’s business.
NXT Heritage Cup Match
Nathan Frazer vs. Dragon Lee
Round One (0-0)
Handshake to start and then they circle and lock up. Armdrag takedown by Frazer, Lee counters with one of his own and they break, backing up. Lock back up, Lee with a wristlock. Frazer reverses, Lee reverses back and Lee flips out of the hold.
Test of strength, Frazer turns it into a headlock and takes Lee down. Axiom is now watching as Frazer cinches the headlock in. Lee backs Frazer into the corner as Axiom and SCRYPTS are talking on the outside, Frazer with a springboard takedown and they trade reversals and ducks on kick and roll-up attempts. Both men to their feet and lock up, Lee back in the corner as time runs out.
Round Two (0-0)
Back into it and Lee with a wristlock behind the back. Frazer snapmares out of it, Lee into the ropes and so is Frazer. Frazer hits a high velocity dropkick that sends Lee into the corner. Chop in the corner and a forearm shot, he goes back in but Lee with a back elbow followed by a dragon screw legwhip. Fr4azer set on the top, Lee with a super rana but Frazer rolls through for the first fall!
Round Three (0-1 Frazer)
Back into it and Frazer goes under the legs, coming off the ropes with a diving back elbow. Rana by Frazer but Lee lands on his feet and knocks Nathan to the outside. He comes off the ropes with a dive as we go to PIP break.
The rest of round three occurred during the break and ended with Lee nearly getting a fall after some high-impact offense.
Round Four
Lee continued the offense at the start of round four, getting a near fall early in the round. We’re back as Lee goes for a suplex, but Frazer counters into a roll-up for two. Lee sent to the outside, Frazer leaps right on top of him and then rolls him in. Frazer to the apron, he goes for a springboard splash but Lee dodges. They trade big kicks, Lee with a German suplex but Frazer lands on his feed. Lee catches Frazer and hits a big powerbomb for three!
Round Five
Lee charges in and gets caught with a crescent kick. Frazer goes up top but takes too long as Lee gets up and nails him. He sets up the Tree of Woe and climbs up for a double stomp. Lee backs up and goes to charge in, but Frazer with a belly-to-belly right into the corner!
Frazer puts Lee up top and climbs up for a superplex. Lee is fighting off, Frazer pushed off but lands on his feet, he superplexes Lee but Lee right back with a sitout powerbomb for two!
Both men slow to get up now, they get to their knees and trade shots. Back to their feet, Lee unleashes on Frazer with shots to the head, he comes off the ropes and Frazer follows but Lee catches him with a roll-up for two. Lee goes for the powerbomb, Frazer catches him and they go into trading rollups, Frazer gets his at the last second.
Winner: Nathan Frazer (2:59 into Round Five)
Rating: *** 3/4
Thoughts: It loses a tiny bit for lack of selling, but man this was ridiculous. It went quicker than I could recap at times and Frazer was obviously going to retain but Lee looked great.
Lee hands over the Cup in a show of respect and Nathan celebrates.
* We get a montage to remind us of Raw Underground ahead of next week’s match between Eddy Thorpe and Damon Kemp. That’s followed by Gable Steveson with Eddy, saying he’s tracked Damon’s career for a long time. Eddy is ready to train and we get a montage. They’re cooling down after and Gable tells Eddy not to let Damon get in his head. Eddy says Damon is annoying, and Gable says “Tell me about it.” They go back to the training montage and after, Eddy thanks Gable. He asks Gable to come out with him next week, and Gable says he’ll be honored and wave to Damon’s parents who he knows will be watching (ha ha).
* Wes Lee is backstage when Mustafa Ali comes in looking hypes. He says he wants to apologize for slapping Wes and says he was excited and may have gotten too involved. Wes says “You think?!?!” He critiques the reffing and Tyler Bate comes in to say it would be different with a different ref and he wants a rematch.
Ali says that they both agreed to him as ref and he wants his shot. Bate suggests he be referee and they start arguing with each other as Wes walks off.
* Robert Stone is backstage looking for Von and finds him looking sad. Von says seeing those photos and everything his family had to fight through. The trauma everyone went through. Von says Stone doesn’t get it, and he can’t do this so he walks off.
Kiana James vs. Gigi Dolin
Circle and lock up to start, Gigi backs Kiana into the ropes and Kiana reverses. Gigi with a takedown and cover for one, Kiana does the same. Gigi with an armdrag takedown and works the shoulder. Kiana manages to get to the ropes and Gigi breaks it at three, then catches a kick and takes Kina down. Kiana gets to the ropes but Gigi yanks her into the air and she lands hard.
Kiana bails to the outside for a breather and comes in but gets taken back down and kicked in the head. Gigi off the ropes for a hip to the face and then a basement dropkick. She bends back into a cover for two.
Kiana back up and slaps Gigi in the face, talking shit. Gigi fires back with repeated shots, Kiana with a back elbow. They grapple and tumble to the outside as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Kiana is in control, but Gigi fires off with a punch and hits a backdrop off the ropes. Kiana goes to the outside, Gigi follows and rolls her back in. Kiana rolls right back out the perpendicular side and kicks Gigi in the head. She rolls Gigi in and covers for two.
Kiana lays into Gigi and yells that she’s nothing, then covers for two again. She locks in a chinlock. The crowd is behind Gigi, who gets to her feet and fights out of it. Clothesline to Kiana and another, then a big boot. Gigi goes for a kick, Kiana ducks and gets sent into the ropes — double clothesline.
Kiana crawls to the corner for her purse and grabs it, the official warns Kiana and Gigi kicks Kiana. Crucifix bomb finishes it.
Winner: Gigi Dolin (9:03)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Perfectly fine match that stands as evidence that Gigi and Jacy are doomed as opponents. They didn’t have chemistry and while this wasn’t great here, it was a lot cleaner than Gigi’s matches with Jacy.
Kiana attacks after the bell and hits a leaping single-arm DDT, then goes into her back for orange paint to dump on Gigi. Blue paint follows — hey, she’s the NXT 2.0 colors! Kiana stands over Gigi.
* Tony D’Angelo is waiting for visitation, and it’s Joe Coffey. He says he thought Stacks gave him a free ride. Joe says things aren’t how they seem and a lot has changed. Tony says Joe is lucky and Stacks will handle him. Joe says Stacks has it handled and that the underboss has ambition, and a mind of his own. Tony says Stacks is family, and Joe says Stacks sold Tony out. Tony doesn’t believe it, and Joe plays audio of Stacks telling Joe to do what he says. Stacks tells Joe to lay low for a week because there’s a new boss. Joe says things aren’t what they seem and stands up, walking off.
* Earlier this week, Roxy was doing a Snapchat Q&A when Blair Davenport asked what it’s like not feeling safe anywhere she goes. Blair then attacked Roxy and said “That’s a wrap!”
* Jacy is bitching backstage about how Lyra stormed up to her because she was talking about Lyra, and how Lyra won’t make it in this business if she can’t handle one little comment. Jacy says if she shows her face tonight, she’s going to tell her to fly back to England. Lyra walks up behind Jacy, turns her around and hits her. Jacy can’t believe it but Rhea Ripley says Lyra’s a badass and leaves.
* The Dyad are pissed about Joe making the call for the tag match and Ava is trying to calm them down. They’re angry at Joe for making decisions about their careers. Ava says Joe has a plan, and they say he’d better because if he doesn’t, they will
Set For Next Week:
– Loser Leaves NXT Match: Dyad vs. Creed Brothers
– Tyler Bate vs. Mustafa Ali
– Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport
– NXT Underground Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp
NXT Championship Match
Carmelo Hayes vs. Baron Corbin
The two circle and lock up, Corbin pushes Melo into the ropes and goes for End of Days but Melo flips out of it. Corbin runs Melo over but they get back up and Melo hits a Code Breaker. Corbin escapes to the outside and Melo dives off the top rope onto him as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Corbin knees Melo in the gut and sends him through the ropes. Corbin to the floor, Melo hits a kick to the chest but Corbin shakes it off and sends Melo over the guardrail. He moves in but Melo lays in strikes to back Corbin up and leaps off — but Corbin moves and then hits a massive big boot! He rolls Melo in and covers for two.
Corbin lays in elbow strikes to Melo’s shoulder and then locks in a chinlock. Melo gets to his feet and gets to the ropes to force the break, Corbin with a kidney shot and goes for a back suplex but Melo flips out and hits a couple of dropkicks. Springboard clothesline, cover for two.
Trick cheers on Melo on the outside, the champ is up and grabs Corbin but Corbin with a throat thrust. Melo comes off the ropes into a big tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Corbin takes the vest off and drops it on Melo, he picks the champ up and hits an elbow to the face. Another one follows and Melo is dropped to the mat. Corbin puts Melo up into a short-arm elbow and then trash talks the NXT audience.
Melo up in the corner and Corbin with fists to the head. He backs off for a second and then hits another lower back shot. Off the ropes for a clothesline, cover for two and a half.
Corbin sets Melo on the top rope and climbs up, but Melo strikes back. He catches Corbin’s head and delivers shots to the back, then one to the jaw to knock him to the mat. BIG frog splash by Melo but he’s slow to cover and gets two.
Corbin is up now but takes fists to the face. Melo jabs away at him and gets shoved back, pump kick! Corbin on the apron and gets bent over through the ropes, Fade Away hits! Melo grabs Corbin and picks him up, shoved in the corner but hits a thrust kick and a Code Breaker. Springboard attempt at a DDT, cover gets a nearfall.
Melo now is going to climb but Corbin dives and grabs his leg. Melo kicks away at Corbin and beats him down. He climbs up, dives but Corbin moves. Corbin catches Melo for a chokeslam but he moves and rolls him up for two. Melo goes for the Code Breaker but gets caught, DVD! Corbin with a chokeslam backbreaker, cover for a nearfall.
Corbin slowly gets Melo up to his feet but Melo shoves him off and rolls to the outside. Corbin chases and charges, Melo moves and Corbin hits the steps. Melo on the apron, he goes for a rana but Corbin catches him for a powerbomb onto the commentary booth. Corbin talks shit and then lays in elbows top the back of the head. He rolls Melo in and covers — only two and a half!
Corbin is looking angry now, he yells at Melo to get up. He yanks Melo up and knocks him back down. Another fist to the head, and a third. Corbin off the ropes — and Melo up for a knee! He hits a knee to the jaw, comes off the ropes — Corbin with the Deep Six! Cover but Melo kicks out again just before three!
Corbin grabs Melo by the arm and picks him up to his feet. He goes for End of Days, but Melo counters with a snapmare. Kick to Corbin on the apron, he leaps but Corbin goozles him. Melo with a kick to escape and leaps over the ropes for a DDT to the apron. Nothing But Net finishes it!
Winner: Carmelo Hayes (16:32)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: Fantastic work by both men here that really elevated Melo as a champion. Say what you want about Corbin but he delivered great work against Melo the past few weeks and this provided a good culmination of that.
Melo celebrates with the title and next week’s matches are given as a reminder.
* Bron is yelling at Shawn in his office about how he’s done everything in NXT and he can’t be controlled. He walks out and tells the cameraman to shut up, we’ll all find out next week.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
