wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 6.6.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas as usual, and after last week’s main roster invasions we have an interesting episode on tap. Tonight’s show will see Mustafa Ali take on Joe Gacy after ALi made the save for Wes Lee and Tyler Bate last week. Meanwhile, a battle royal will be held to determine Tiffany Stratton’s first NXT Women’s Championship defense, and Ava will make her TV in-ring debut as she teams with The Dyad against Ivy Nile and The Creed Brothers. Plus Ilja Dragunov makes his return after beating Dijak at NXT Battleground, and we’ll probably have more from Baron Corbin after he attacked Carmelo Hayes to close out last week’s show.
Here at Thomas HQ, I’ve stared a viewing challenge for myself for Pride Month. The Queer As Fuck viewing challenge has me watching 30 films for the month of June, all of which are ones from Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince’s book 50 Years of Queer Cinema: 500 Of the Best Queer Films Ever Made that I either have never seen or its been so long since I’ve seen them that I don’t remember much about them.
Thus far I’m right on schedule with six films under my belt. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a near-perfect film with just one major flaw in terms of a particular character, while Basic Instinct (which I have seen, it had just been a while) remains a divisive and problematic but fantastic erotic neo-noir. Bound, on the other hand, is pretty much perfection and a vastly-overlooked neo-noir from the 1990s. I also watched the delightful TV concert special Liza with a Z from the iconic Liza Minnelli, 2007’s Water Lilies which is a well-made queer coming of age story and Cruising, which I didn’t love but I appreciate it exists because it captures a specific time in gay life and does some interesting things, even if it is basically a giallo without the style but with fisting and jockstraps.
In TV updates, I began watching the new season of Queen Of the Universe as well as Drag Race All Stars which both remain a good time, got more of Drag Me to Dinner watched (which I’m adoring), and did some back episode-watching of Dropout TV’s Um Actually which is always fun.
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.
* we start off with Baron Corbin coming into the building and walking past several NXT talent dismissively. He tells a PA to hit his music and makes his way to the ring. We get a recap of Corbin attacking Melo last week.
Corbin gets a mic and says that he never thought he’d walk back through these doors and when he got the call, he clearned out his locker and never looked back. Over eight years he ascended to the top of Raw and Smackdown and while he was main eventing PPVs, other NXT stars came up and got raw and hungry. But something changed and now they come up full of ego and twiddle in the back on their cell phones, acting like they should be thanked for coming up.
Then he walks in here and sees stars talking about their legacy or complaining that they haven’t been called up, and it makes them sick. They have guaranteed contracts and are living in a house that he and others built, taking it from FCW to selling out Barclays Arena. He tells the fans to get off his bandwagon, and says he walked in tonight and stars couldn’t even look him in the eye and give him the respect he deserves. He says he’s going to make the stars of NXT regret ever signing a contract and says they’re soft, weak, and not as good as they think they are.
Corbin says that lies on Melo, who walks around like his stuff doesn’t stink. He says Melo got a taste of the main roster last week when he put him down and held his title over his head.
AND HERE COMES ILJA! Ilja tells Corbin to give him the chance to introduce himself. He’s Ilja Dragunov. Corbin says he knows who he is, but asks who he wants. Ilja says he wants to look Corbin in the eyes and say he’s not soft and weak, he’s the most animalistic, intense man in NXT and has beaten everyone in NXT. And after Battleground he’s the first in line for the title.
Corbin says he retired Kurt Angle and is the last man to pin Roman Reigns. Ilja says Corbin is targeting Melo to make a point, but he’s targeting Melo for the title. And if he has to torment Corbin to do it, so be it. Corbin says there’s a big difference between what he wants and what he gets, and that he jumped the line because he’s a star. Ilja says Corbin makes choices, and he makes challenges. He challenges Corbin for tonight, and Corbin asks if Ilja’s sure. Ilja says Corbin can’t bring it as hard as Battleground and shows off his bruise. Corbin says Ilja will be covered in them, and Ilja says he welcomes the challenge before leaving. Corbin poses for the crowd — and Trick attacks! Corbin gets clotheslined over the top and officials hold him back.
* Earlier today, Thea Hill is sore after training. Duke walks up and Dempsey sticks his head out, saying “Not bad.” Thea says Charlie and Drew are toughening him up and tries out a submission move on Duke. Duke says Thea doesn’t like them, and that you can’t “crunch” someone in a battle royale. Thea says Duke believes in her and she can do it.
* During the break, Bron Breakker attacked Ilja backstage and apparently injured him for saying he was tough.
Ava & The Dyad vs. The Creed Brothers & Ivy Nile
Julius and Fowler start off and lock up, Julius shot into the ropes and reversed an armdrag into a takedown and elbow lock. Fowler tries to fight his way out and eventually backs him into a corner, Reid tags in and striukes away at Julius. But Julius ducks a clothesline and nails a waistlock takedown. Knee to Reid’s side, Brutus tags in and they trade kneestrikes on Reid.
Brutus nails Reid and picks him up, Julius tags in and nails Reid. Reid fighting back through and knocks Julius down, he grabs Julius but is caught in a suplex. Julius STANDS UP with Reid in suplex position, Brutus tags in and takes over. He keeps Reid held and Julius tags back in for the handover back — Julius finally drops him!
Forearm to Reid, who reverses a whip into the corner, monkey flip but Julius lands on his feet and hits a dropkick. Off the ropes, Julius gets an elbow and Ava tags in. She slaps Julius, then Ivy comes in — and Ava tags in Fowler. Julius back in but gets taken down. Headlock by Julius, he comes off the ropes and Brutus tags in for an axehandle off the top. Fowler goes for a German suplex but Brutus lands on his feet and hits a gorilla press slam and moonsault.
Julius tags in and gets slammed onto Fowler — Nile in and suplexes Brutus on Fowler! Fowler rolls out of the ring and Ava is coming in as we go to break.
We’re back with Fowler having Brutus in a headlock to wear him down that turns into a chinlock. Brutus to his feet and gets kneed in the cut, Fowler with a shot to the jaw. Brutus fights back and knocks Reid off the apron but gets distracted by Reid, allowing Fowler to knee him in the back. Ava nails Ivy and Reid tags in, assisted flipping neckbreaker by Reid for two.
The Dyad stomp away at Brutus and Fowler wrenched on his face. Suplex blocked by Brutus, who hits one of his own and tags in Reid, who locks in a sleeper to try and stop the tag. Brutus crawls closer and makes the tag to Julius, who comes in hot. Repeated belly to belly suplexes to both Dyad members, then a double belly to belly to cap it off! He leaps up top for a double moonsault and grabs Reid, Fowler blocks it and gets Julius in the corner for a dropkick from Reid. Brutus comes in with a cannonball, Julius clotheslines Reid.
Nile tags in! Ivy and Ava face off, they trade strikes in the center of the ring. Ivy ducks a clothesline and kicks the shit out of Ava. Leaping thrust kick, she goes into the ropes and Ava with a kick but Ivy with a dragon sleeper. Reid blocks it but is caught with his own dragon sleeper. Ava hits Ivy with a mask behind the ref’s back for three.
Winner: Schism (13:27)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: The Creed and Dyad stuff was great, Ivy is very good but Ava is still…rough. The finish was about as expected, but Ava needs some work still to be sure.
* Stacks is visiting Tony D in prison and they talk over the phone. They talk about guys who are in there, and Tony says the guards got him a subscription to Peaock so he can watch it the same day. Tony asks who the rat is, and Stacks says he put in a word to Kim Kashdashian who is good at getting people out. Stacks says he thinks it’s Gallus but it could be Legado or others. Tony says trust his gut; it’s Gallus. He says forget about what Coffey did last week, but be smart. Stacks says what should he do about it, and Tony says figure it out.
* Earlier today, Robert Stone and Von Wagner are at a therapist’s office. Stone hopes this works out because they’ve had problems with the last few, and we get clips of Von telling one guy to go fuck himself. Von says he was a jackass. The next clip is Von threatening a guy for asking him to share.
Stone says they’re on the verge of a breakthrough and a man walks out of the office crying and saying “Thank you.” Von says this is done and that’s not him. He’s not doing this for anyone — and then the therapist appears and she’s attractive. Von says he’ll give it a shot and goes in alone, winking to Stone.
Dani Palmer vs. Blair Davenport
Lock up to start, Dani backed into the ropes and they hockey for position. The ref calls for the break, Blair with a slap and Dani fires back. Dani goes up and over in the corner and goes for a rana, but Blair catches her and slams her down, falling out of the ring. Blair brings her back in and hits a short-arm knee off the ropes, then a gutbuster.
Waistlock by Blair into a takedown. Dani gets to her feet and elbows out, rolling Blair up for two. Blair with an immediate kick to the gut after and a whip into the ropes right into another kneelift. She kicks Dani around the ring but Dani catches one and gets to her feet. Dani with strikes and a double knee to the face, cover for two.
Dani goes up top but Blair grabs her and pulls her down by the hair. BIG knee to the face, Falcon Arrow finishes it.
Winner: Blair Davenport (3:01)
Rating: **
Thoughts: A few sketchy moments from Dani, but a serviceable squash match.
* Dana Brooke has arrived in the NXT parking lot. She wants to be part of the battle royale for the NXT Women’s Title #1 contender’s match.
* McKenzie is backstage with Tiffany Stratton who asks about Dana. Tiffany says she’s not shocked because of course Dana wants a shot. Come one, come all. She’s already made the title the most desirable in WWE and everyone who will be in the ring wants what she has. She’s asked who she thinks will win and says she can only see Lyra Valkyria pulling it off because she pushed Tiff at Battleground. But it won’t matter.
Baron Corbin vs. Trick Williams
They circle to start, Corbin with a knee lift to Trick and lays in some fists. He batters Trick in the corner and whips him across the ring, then comes in to knock Trick down. Corbin chokes Trick against the ropes for a four-count, then nails a kidney shot.
Corbin with knees to the side and goes for a shot in the corner, Trick battles out but gets knocked down. Corbin with a whip across the ring and comes in with an avalanche. He talks trash but Trick battles back with shots to the jaw, he comes off the ropes but eats a back elbow.
Trick sent across the ring again into the corner but dodges the splash, he lays in some big strikes and pushes Corbin up into an uppercut! Corbin out of the ring as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Corbin has Trick in a Million Dollar Dream, but Trick escapes out and knocks Corbin to the outside. He sends Corbin headfirst into the apron and then goes for a charging knee, but Corbin dodges and Trick hits the table. Corbin lays into the knee hard, rolls in and out to break the count, and then sends Trick knee-first into the steel steps.
Corbin rolls Trick inside of the ring, he stomps away at the knee. Trick thrown into the ropes and hits a spinebuster, then turns it into a single leg crab. Trick gets and eventually gets the ropes for the break and kicks Corbin back. Enzuigiri by Trick!
Trick lays in strikes to Corbin, backing him in the corner. He gets pushed out but hits a dropkick and kneelift. He comes off the ropes for a leaping clothesline and takes aim — neckbreaker and cover for two.
Corbin fights back, he goes for a chokeslam but Trick escapes and hits another enzuigiri. Trick runs in — right into the Deep Six for a nearfall. Corbin sets Trick on the top rope, Trick fights back and knocks Corbin back. Corbin charges and Trick dodges — Corbin hits the corner. Trick with right hands and Baron is down! Trick lies in wait and goes for the spinning kick but his knee gives out and Corbin hits End of Days for three.
Winner: Baron Corbin (11:25)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Corbin beating Melo’s sidekick was obvious here, but credit to Trick for giving a good match here. Corbin worked pretty well against him; it wasn’t an amazing match but it was perfectly competant.
Corbin says he’s headed to Smackdown to get into Money in the Bank and will see Ilja next Tuesday.
* Nathan Frazer’s Hard Hitting Home Truths is back. He says the landscape has continued to shift since Battleground, pointing out the free agents and Noam Dar’s new allies. He notes that they didn’t help him last week thanks to himself and Dragon Lee. He says Dar’s still Heritage Cup champion and they’re not fans of the group but have to deal with it. He now has a guest in Senior International Correspondent Dragon Lee.
Lee talks in SPanish and Frazer says “See?” Lee has the top five names for Dar’s group which include the Ora Menssa Experience and the Jakara Jackson Five (Minus One). #1 is Noam’s Rent-A-Friends, which Frazer likes because it’s the truth. He says Dar’s a fraud and challenges Frazer to the Heritage Cup next week. Lee says he’ll be in Frazer’s corner.
* McKenzie is backstage with Mustafa Ali and asks what brings him to NXT? He says he’s free agent Ali and can show up where he wants, so he’s writing the story. And his next chapter is Mustafa Ali is a champion. Lee comes in and says he’s excited he’s here and Ali says he doesn’t want to be handed title shots; he wants to earn it. Maybe it will be them down the road — if Lee is still champion then.
Mustafa Ali vs. Joe Gacy
Lock up to start, they break and go back into it. Ali with a headlock, Ali sent into the corner and comes out into a body block. Gacy with fists in the corner and he sends him across the ring, Ali goes takes over but gets sent to the apron. He tries to jump in but is knocked to the floor. Gacy rolls him back in, cover for 1.
Gacy with a headlock, Ali strikes his way out of it but gets put down with a uranage for two. Gacy right back into the headlock, Ali elbows out but is picked up for a back suplex, he lands on his feet but is DDT’d for two.
Gacy lies in wait and charges into the corner, Ali dodges and hits a neckbreaker. He goes up top but is decked by Gacy, who climbs up for a superplex. Ali blocks it and headbutts Gacy, sunset flip power bomb! Ali flips back up to the top, 450 finishes it.
Winner:Mustafa Ali (X:XX)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Perfectly fine squash match.
The Dyad attack immediately after the bell and beat Ali down, Wes and Tyler come out to even the odds and make the save. Gacy gets superkicked by Ali and is pulled to safety by The Dyad.
* Fallon Henley is getting pysched up by Briggs and Jensen. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade come in angry that they got Hank and Tank to fight each other, but Briggs and Jensen says it worked for them. They ask Briggs & Jensen questions about each other and they’re answering correctly. Hank and Tank come in and they start sharing how well they know each other. Hank asks Briggs and Jensen want some beers after the battle royal and say yes, they invite Malik and Edris and they say later. Malik says they’re not on the same page and Gallus walk in to mock them before leaving. Edris says they’re doing this, and Blade says yes.
* McKenzie is with Noam and his group and asks about them, and he says they’re “their” group. He calls Ora Mensah underappreciated, and Ora says Noam believed in him and he’s flying to a new stratusphere. He puts over Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend, saying Lash is the anchor that will beat her in every way. Lash says the screen can’t handle all this brightness.
McKenzie asks about Frazer’s challenge and Dar says he’s never losing the cup, and there’s no stopping The Meta-Four. That’s a name.
Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp
Lock up to start, Thorpe backed into the ropes and shoved. Eddy with a takedown into a headlock. Back to their feet and Kemp tries to shoot Eddy off to no luck, but he eventually foot stomps his way free. He comes off the ropes but Eddy hits a neckbreaker. Boston crab but Kemp kicks free. They go into the corner and Kemp whips Eddie across the ring, Eddy up and over but Kemp catches him into a somersault slam and cover for two.
Kemp with shots and a belly to belly release suplex. Kemp with a stomp and a couple of elbow drops, he grinds his boot into Eddy’s face. Kemp goes for a uranage backbreaker and Eddy fights it but is eventually hit with it. Kemp with a chinlock with a knee in the back. Eddie is pulled onto his back, but he eventually gets to his feet and elbows out. Eddy with fists to Kemp and chops, into the ropes and an elbow by Eddy. Strike combo by Thorpe, who comes off the ropes for a big elbow drop, cover but Kemp gets his foot on the ropes.
Eddye grabs Kemp in a front facelock, he escapes and they almost run over the ref. German suplex by Kemp for the pin but Kemp’s foot was touching the ropes.
Winner: Eddy Thorpe (4:08)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: As good as a four minute match is gonna be.
* Gigi is on the phone with her brother and says Weaponized Steel Cage match last week or not, she’s winning this battle royal. Kiana James walks in and says that was the before phone call and won’t be winning. She mocks Gigi’s background and Gigi says she can’t wait to send Kiana over the top. Dabba-Kato walks through their frame for his match.
Dabba-Kato vs. SCRYPTS
SCRYPTS dodges an attack by Dabba to start and lays in punches that have no effect. He starts kicking but gets knocked down, Dabba sends him into the corner but he leaps and springboards into an attack. SCRYPTS off the ropes and gets his head kicked off. Bodyslams by Dabba-Kato, followed by a lifting bear hug.
SCRYPTS elbows out but gets grabbed and thrown through the ropes to the floor. Dabba-Kato comes out and grabs SCRYPTS for a big chop against the announcer’s booth. He picks SCRYPTS up but Axiom is there. He pie-faces Axiom and rolls SCRYPTS in, following. He goes for the choke slam and Axiom is on the top. He leaps over Dabba and escapes, SCRYPTS leaps into the ring for a takedown and rolls him up for three.
Winner: SCRYPTS (2:52)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: Well, that happened. Not much to say about it, it was a fluke win out of a squash match.
Dabba-Kato destroys SCRYPTS and Axiom post-match, slamming the latter onto the former.
* Joe Gacy is livid backstage and says the fake friendship between Lee and Bate is as phony as Ali’s positive mental attitude. Gacy says it ends next week. The Dyad says don’t forget they made a statement today. Gacy says they did, but he’s fallen short both tonight and at Battleground. He needs to reflect and rectify. Ava babbles about roots and trees, and Reid says next week they have his back.
* Mustafa Ali thanks Tyler Bate and Wes Lee for having his back. Tyler says next week they tear the Schism from its roots. Ali says there’s still some magic between Bate and Lee and says they love this, they love competition and fans want to see them go at it one-on-one. Bate says he doesn’t want to jeopardize their friendship but Wes appreciates him coming up front so they’re down with it.
Set For Next Week:
– Tyler Bate, Wes Lee & Mustafa ALi vs. The Schism
– Baron Corbin vs. Ilja Dragunov
– NXT Heritage Cup Title Match: Noam Dar vs. Nathan Frazer
NXT Women’s #1 Contender’s Battle Royal
We start off with a brawl of course, with competitors pairing up. Jakara and Lash are being on different people, Jacy Jayne eliminates someone over the top and Jakara gets kicked off the apron, but Ora catches her for the save. Cora Jade sends Lola Vice over the top on the other side of the ring.
Kiana puts Gigi on the apron but Gigi kicks her, she pulls Kiana onto the apron and hits an uppercut. Gigi gets knocked off to the floor and Kiana gets back in. Lash puts someone on the apron and she escapes to the outside side of the ringpost, but Jakara trips her and she falls.
Jakara is put back on the apron and Ora makes the save, but Thea goes through the ropes and hits a Coffin Drop on them to eliminate Jakara. Lash goes through the ropes and drops Thea onto the ring steps. Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz are double teaming Lash, they’re fighting on the apron and knock her down before being pulled off and eliminated by Lash and Jakara. And we’re on PIP break.
Elektra Lopez was eliminated by Lyra during the break. We’re down to eight now (plus Thea on the outside), and here comes Blair Davenport down the aisle. Roxy hits a charging uppercut on Kiana, then on Jayne. Russian legsweep by Roxy on Cora and she goes under the ropes to attack Blair. Pop Rocks to Blair but Tatum Paxley self-eliminates to save Blair and beat down Roxy. Roxy is rolled into the ring and Jacy throws her over the top.
Jacy is talking shit but turns around into an enzuigiri from Lyra. Lyra with a missile dropkick to Dana brook and then drops Fallon Henley. She sets Fallon on the apron but thrown over the top by Jacy. She skins the cat and hits a rana on Jacy to eliminate her, but falls to the floor as Cora dropkicks her.
Final four are Fallon, Dana, Cora, and Kiana (and Thea). Fallon with a blockbuster to Cora, she battles with Kiana on the corner and gets her over the ropes, but Fallon backdrops Kiana over the top. She escapes a charge by Dana, but Dana hits Cora and Fallon with a double clothesline. She splashes both girls in opposite corners, Dana eliminates Fallon but Cora gets her over the top. Dana hangs on and kicks Cora off her, getting back in the ring. Double clothesline and Thea is now in!
Cora tells Dana to get Thea, and Dana suggests a team-up with Thea. They double team Cora and try to send her over the top. Cora is fighting free but Thea comes off the ropes with a shot that hits Dana. Thea sent over the top, Cora kicks her hand but she gets a moment’s reprieve from Dana. Cora down now, my feed went wonky but when it comes back Thea has pushed Dana and Cora over the top for the win!
Winner: Thea Hail (13:20)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: It was a fine battle royal, nothing special but it was never particularly bad. Hail getting the win is a delight though, so I’ll give it that.
Afterward, Hail celebrates with all of Chase U and the Cavinder Twins.
The cameras catch up with Bron on the outside and ask him why he attacked Ilka. Bron says he’s not going to let Ilja claim he’s the top guy in NXT and will hold everyone accountable. He takes shots at Seth Rollins and challenges Rollins to prove he’s the workhorse and top dog. He challenges Rollins to put the World Heavyweight Title on the line against him.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
