wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 8.30.22
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! As usual, I’m Jeremy Thomas and we have a busy weekend coming up! Nestled among WWE Clash at the Castle and AEW All Out is a little show called NXT Worlds Collide. Tonight’s NXT is the go-home show for that Peacock PPV and we’ll see Diamond Mine and Gallus do battle tonight in six-man action, while another US vs. UK match tonight will see Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, & Fallon Henley take on Pretty Deadly & Lash Legend. Plus we’ll no doubt get more from Bron Breakker & Tyler Bate, the Women’s Championship three-way and more. It looks to be an eventful night — maybe they’ll forget about the Grimes/Gacy stuff? (I can hope.)Gacy too.
Here at Thomas HQ, I’ve been doing a lot of TV catch-up but I always have time for some movies. Over the past week I saw the fantastic Princess Diana documentary The Princess on HBO Max, as well as the less-fantastic but still interesting Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee on Netflix. In terms of non-documentaries, I watched the tired trope-filled Kevin Hart/Mark Wahlberg comedy Me Time which has both actors on autopilot, as well as the mediocre Easter Sunday. I closed out my movie-watching over the last week with a couple rewatches: the enjoyable slasher Sleepaway Camp and the amazing Moulin Rouge, which definitely holds up.
In terms of TV, I began the D.B. Cooper Netflix docuseries D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! which is compelling stuff, and am keeping up with both She-Hulk and House of the Dragon which I’m enjoying. I also watched the last couple episodes of HBO’s The Anarchists, which is compelling but also infuriating and a little sad. 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’re in the Capitol Wrestling Center and starting with Grayon Waller vs. Apollo Crews. Waller gets a mic but Apollo’s music starts before he can speak.
Grayson Waller vs. Apollo Crews
Lockup to start, Waller with a waistlock reversed into some counter-wrestling back and forth. Crews with a wristlock, reversed by Waller and reversed again into a headlock. Crews into the corner but goes up and over Waller and hits him with an armdrag. Back into the counter-wrestling, Waller with a springboard armdrag and cover for two. Crews comes off the ropes and runs Waller over, he follows up with a clothesline and sends Crews into the corner for a couple headsmashes. Big fist knocks Waller down, and an Irish whip sends Waller into the corner, coming out into a back bodydrop.
Crews plays to the chants a little bit, which allows Waller to hit a jab on him. Irish whip reversed, Crews with a dropkick and some showboating. Kick to the gut, whip into the ropes and a back elbow to Waller. Crews with standing shots to Waller’s back and a VERY delayed vertical suplex. Crews to the apron, springboard senton, cover for two.
Waller into the ropes but goes up and over Crews, poking Crews’ eye which looks like it was accidental. WWE medical comes out and checks on Crews as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Waller has been in control since the match resumed during the break. Crews fights out of a headlock and starts in with punches. He charges but Waller dodges and he hits the apron, Crews with a shot to Waller and he goes for a slingshot senton but Waller CATCHES HIM in a sleeper! Waller gets Crews on the mat and lays in punches to the back of the head, cover for two.
Waller yells at Crews that he runs NXT and kicks at his head, Crews with an enzuigiri though to shut Waller up. He slips off Waller’s back and hits a back kick, then drops him with clotheslines. Kip up from Crews, he hits a BIG splash in the corner and goes to the middle rope — BLOCKBUSTER for two.
GBorille press but Waller slips off to the outside, he hits his diving Stunner from the outside for the pin.
Winner: Grayson Waller (11:10)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This match was a little weird due to the eye poke, whether it was part of the match or not. Beyond that, they had a really solid TV match and a decent opener for the show.
* We get a vignette highlighting Meiko Satomura’s accomplishments.
* The Creeds are backstage with Damon Kemp, saying Gallus are pussycats and they’re dogs. Roderick Strong comes in and says he pulled the security footage from the cameras that exonerate him but Julius says they don’t have time for that. Strong leaves and Damon Kemp says he doesn’t even trust Strong.
Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley come in (Tatum has a mask on) and Ivy reads them a riot act, telling them to get it together.
* Bron is in the locker room when FINN BALOR SHOWS UP! Finn says he’s the guy who’s held that title more days than anyone and made it the industry standard. He says it’s Bron’s responsibility to hold that tradition so he’s going to give Bron advice: don’t underestimate Tyler Bate. He wishes Bron good luck and leaves.
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs. Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley
Kayden and Ivy start off with a lockup, waistlock takedown by Nile. Kayden back to her feet but taken down again, cover for one. Nile with a sunset flip for 1, Kayden reverses for one and then kicks Nile. Katana holds Ivy against the ropes as Kayden comes off with a dropkick. Katana in and trips Nile, Kayden now on but gets caught with a wheelbarrow facebuster.
Paxley in now and whips Kayden into a shot by Nile in the corner. Spinning standing senton, cover for two by Tatum. Kayden escapes a waistlock and rolls Kayden up but quickly gets dropkicked. Carter does a 619 to escape Paxley and rolls her up for two, then locks in a front facelock. Chance in now, she trips Paxley and hits a slingshot senton for two.
Paxley catches Chance in a powerpomb position but Chance escapes and they take each other down with clotheslines. Chance grabs Paxley’s foot and while they battle on the inside, Gigi Dolan pulls Nile off the apron. Toxic Attraction lure Nile away and take her out as Katana and Kayden hit their finisher for three.
Winner: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (4:16)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: As good as a four-minute match could probably be.
After the match, Chance & Carter say they’ll do that again too, and Chance says they’ve defeated all the teams in NXT to win the titles and NXT UK has no one to collide with them so they’ll have a party in the parking lot to cele–
WAIT A MINUTE! DOUDROP IS HERE! And NIKKI A.S.H.! They hit the ring and Doudrop says she loves a good party, but she would rather they dance in the ring. Nikki says they should dance at Worlds Collide for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. The match appears to be agreed on, and they to the threatening handshake.
* Kiana James is in her office on the phone saying something is unacceptable. She hangs up and then addresses the camera, saying shge can get things dune only Zoey Stark who couldn’t beat Mandy Rose and then got injured. They have a term for that: a try-hard. She says Zoey suffers from delusions of adequacy and won’t get another title chance for a long time after Kiana beats her.
* Joe Gacy and Dyad are here, having a recognition ceremony which allows more branches to grow. He says Grimes may be rich in wealth, but time is money and it’s time for him to decide his future. The offer is his to accept.
* Melo and Trick arrive but only want to talk about their opponent for Worlds Collide.
* Gacy is in the ring with Dyad and babbles about Worlds Colliding, and the audience is chanting something profane enough that the promo got cut off. Gacy says Jagger and Reid scored a victory for everyone by beating Legado last week and will be rewarded with Happy Face pins. Get a little blood drop on those and they’ll be cool, Joe.
Gacy says it’s a recognition of climbing higher in schism’s tree. Dyad say they’re gracious and whole thanks to Gacy and have learned there’s inner strength when they’re together. Gacy is moved and inspired by their growth and says their ascension has led to more room in the grass under Schism’s tree. He says he’s reserved a special seat for Grimes to join them and follow in Dyad’s footsteps.
And here comes Grimes! He steps into the ring and Gacy says it’s good to see Cameron. Grimes says he didn’t come out to be part of the celebration, but instead because he needs to talk to Gacy. He says they’ve been following him everywhere and asking him to join, and he thinks he has an answer. The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense: he doesn’t need Gacy! Grimes doesn’t need anyone to go TO! THE! MOON!
Gacy says Grimes’ loneliness is killing him (and IIII must confess, I still believe — ahem, sorry). He says Grimes is one of the toughest stars in NXT but wears a mask that hides his insecurities. Gacy says he lost the NA Title and fell victim to Bron, and tells Bron to admit that they’re right and he’s lonely.
Grimes says the bad part is Gacy is right. He lost the title, he lost to Bron, but he got himself in all those situations and don’t need nobody. So before things get worse, he’s out of here. Gacy says it’s another night without a championship, a family, and a father. And that’s too much; Grimes attacks! He clears the ring except Gacy, who hugs him. Confused, Grimes leaves.
* Roxanne is still sad about losing the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles and being turned on by Cora Jade. She says when Cora hit her, she literally felt her heart break into two. And going into Heatwave, she wanted nothing more than to hurt Cora, but she couldn’t do it and in that moment their memories and friendship ran through her mind. And she paid for it — lesson learned. She sends Cora a mean message and deletes the contact from her phone, saying their friendship is over but they aren’t.
* Tyler Bate is backstage when Fit Finlay comes up with an iPad. It’s Butch! Butch talks about their history trading the NXT UK Championship and tells Bate to unify the titles for the memory of NXT UK and the future of NXT Europe.
Brooks Jensen, Josh Briggs, & Fallon Henley vs. Pretty Deadly & Lash Legend
Henley and Lash start out, Lash slaps Henley and eats a slap of her own! Quick cover for one before Lash gets up and beats on Henley, grabs her and slams her into the ropes a few time before dropping her. Henley sent into the corner and comes out into a slam, but she comes back and clotheslines Lash over the ropes before leaping onto her on the outside. Legend thrown back into the ring and she tags out to Kip. Henley slaps him, and Briggs in now. He catches Kip with an inverted atomic drop and then sends him to the outside.
Kip back in and stomps on Brigg’s foot, Elton tags in and comes off the top but gets caught. Jensen tags in, Elton into the ropes and gets run over. Kip in and gets sent to the outside, and Lash soon follows. Briggs and Jensen grab Henley and throw her over the ropes onto the heels as we go to break.
We’re back with Briggs being battered by Elton Prince, keeping him on a knee. He gets sent into the ropes, and Briggs catches him with a sidewalk slam. He swings at Kip but Elton catches him and Kip tags in, takedown to Briggs. Kip with mounted punches to Briggs, cover for two.
Kip with stomps to Briggs, who tries to fight his way out. Kip knocks Briggs down with a kick and wrenches on the neck. Splash in the corner, Elton tags in and hits Briggs with a knee, then batters him down. Choke against the middle rope for four, the ref warns Elton as Kip and Lash attack Briggs.
Elton grabs Briggs and Kip tags in, Euro uppercuts to Briggs but he’s fighting back. Kip trips Briggs and lays into him but gets slapped HARD. Kip goes into a sleeperhold, right in the center of the ring. Briggs gets to his feet and dumps Kip over the ropes, but Elton gets the tag and takes Briggs down, locking in his own sleeper. Briggs to his feet, he staggers over – TAG to Jensen! Jensen comes in hot and batters Prince, atomic drop and a bulldog. Famouser! Jensen gets distrated by Kip and Elton attacks, they hit a double shot.
Jensen goes for the tag, Kip grabs him and the boot comes off! He kicks Kip away and goes for the tag, Gallus are out here and Briggs attacks. In the chaos, the heels get the pin.
Winner: Pretty Deadly & Lash Legend (12:32)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Solid if not great match. It perhaps went a bit too long for these six, but it all played out pretty solidly and Henley and Legend were wisely kept to a minimum.
Things get brawly after.
* Mandy asks where Gigi and Jacy are on the phone when SHAYNA BASZLER ARRIVES. Mandy says she’s gonna pass Shayna as champion soon and doesn’t Shayna have her own title match to worry about? Shayna says Liv has already lost and she’s always been the baddest bitch in the game, not it’s up to Mandy to prove she is too and unify the titles. Shayna says if Mandy doesn’t win on Sunday, everything she’s said for the past year has been garbage.
*Jordan Devlin is here but my feed missed most of it (thanks Xfinity). He says agony can be dealt with and internal anger is something that can be dealt with. He doesn’t have a heart rate over 40 or feelings, unlike Wes Lee who is emotionally fragile.
Andre Chase vs. Charlie Dempsey
Lockup to start, they jostle for position, Chase dropped and caught in a headscissors. Chase flips it around into his own headscissors. Dempsey flips out and catches Chase for a surfboard but Chase escapes into a pin for one. They go into a test of strength, Dempsey with a monkey flip and Chase does his own! They both avoid a few pins on the mat as they keep the test of strength going, then Dempsey finally trips Chase before getting sent into the ropes for an armdrag from Chase.
Chase says its a teachable moment and Dempsey charges, getting caught in a wristlock. Dempsey back elbows out, they start trading elbows and Chase gets dropped. Dempsey with a front chancery, Northern lights suplex and bridge for two.
Dempsey goes for the submission and locks in cattle mutilation, rolling around a bit. Kneelift to Chase, Chase dodges a Euro uppercut and nails Dempsey before hitting an inverted atomic drop. Side Russian legsweep, and then Chase U stomps! Uranage, cover for two and Dempsey RIGHT into a submission. Chase escapes but gets caught with an anklelock and then transitions into an STF. Bodhi pep talks Chase on the outside, and Dempsey goes out and takes Bodhi out! Dempsey back in the ring and Chase catches him unaware with a pin.
Winner: Andre Chase (5:18)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This grappling contest didn’t work as well as they hoped, and Dempsey losing to Andre Chase doesn’t bode well for him.
* Meiko Satomura is here! She turns and stars at Alba Fyre, who walks up. She says the title looks good on Meiko. Meiko says she won it from a great champion. Alba tells Meiko to win on Sunday. “I will.”
* Tyler Bate walks backstage when he runs into GUNTHER. Gunther tells Bate that the title has a legacy and says Bate needs to beat Bron Breakker and unify the titles. European wrestling depends on it.
Zoey Stark vs. Kiana James
Kiana dodges a lockup to start and shoves Stark, who shoves back. They go into the ropes and Stark runs Kiana over, then splashes her in the corner. She goes in again and gets sent to the apron, then trips James and hits a slingshot senton for two. James escapes to the outside and Stark goes for a baseball slide. James dodges but gets nailed by Stark, who rolls James in.
James trips Stark in the corner and stomps on her chest, she pulls Stark to the center of the ring for three cover attempts for one each. James with an elbowdrop, cover for two. Seated abdominal stretch by James, Stark gets to her feet and fights out of it before getting sent into the corner but she dodges a splash and rolls James up for one. James takes Stark down and covers for two.
James with another seated abdominal stretch which turns into a chickenwing. Stark gets up and snapmares James, then drops James with a couple clotheslines and some kicks — basement dropkick for two. She gets James on her shoulders, James grabs the ropes and escapes before knocking Stark down and hitting a standing moonsault for two.
Both women up, Stark with a superkick and the flipping GTS for three.
Winner: Zoey Stark (4:22)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This may have had the most pin attempts per capita I’ve seen in a while. But what they did beyond that worked really well.
* James tries to sneak attack Stark after but Nikkita Lyons comes out and makes the save with a spear.
* Blair Davenport is backstage with McKenzie and says NXT UK and NXT were built off their women’s divisions, but of all the superstars and legends no one has done what she will do on Sunday in unifying the titles. The Davenport name will be held where it’s supposed to be and — HERES RHEA RIPLEY! Ripley says this Sunday Blair has the opportunity to make history and unify the titles, and not to screw it up.
* Nathan Frazier has Seth Rollins’ comic book and says he’s excited for Worlds Collide but guesses his fellow reader doesn’t know what it’s like. That reader is Axiom and says maybe they should have some friendly competition at the show. He suggests a British Rounds match, though Axiom may not get it. Axiom is all for it though.
Gallus vs. Diamond Mine
Julius starts with Joe Coffey and they lock up, going into some counter-wrestling. Julius in control until Joe gets to the ropes and calls the break, Julius keeps on him and tags in Brutus, whipping Joe into a fireman’s carry slam. Joe goes to fight out and nails Brutus, tagging in Mark. Double chops to Brutus, Brutus into the ropes but he lays out Mark and then grabs him for a gutwrench suplex.
Kemp tags in and Mark gets a shot in but gets nailed with a fallaway slam. Wolfgang tags in and they stare off before going into it. Wolfgang with a wristlock, Kemp escapes and hits a waistlock takedown. Kemp sends Wolfgang into the hostile corner and Brutus tags in. Big shot to Wolfgang, Brutus sent into the ropes and they collide to no avail. Brutus into the ropes and caught with an armdrag but FLIPS THROUGH! He takes Wolfgang down and the Coffeys come in — so do the Creeds! Triple fists to Gallus, who bail to the outside as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Mark Coffey is battering Brutus, but he takes Joe out and tags in Julius who comes in hot. He suplexes Joe but gets caught with an inside cradle for two. Julius rolls out and picks Joey up for a slam, then goes for an anklelock. Joe grabs the apron and is rescued by his Gallus partners. Julius gets tripped as he tries to get back in the ring and Mark Coffey with a big slam for two.
Mark jumps on Julius’ back, then tags back in Joe who lays knees and elbows into Julius’ neck. Straitjacket submission, Julius gets to his feet and turns it around but Joe backs them into the Gallus corner and Wolfgang comes in for a senton onto Julius for two. Wolfgang with a front facelock on Julius, he’s keeping Julius from making the tag. Kneelift to Julius, Brutus knocked off the apron.
Julius dodges a splash by Wolfgang, Mark Coffey and Damon Kemp come in! Damon is hot in the ring and takes out everyone, big lariat to Joe Coffey! He picks Joe on his shoulders and Roddy is there with his phone with the supposed proof. Damon stomps the phone, Strong loses it, Kemp comes back in and hits a spinebuster on Mark but Joe takes him out for the pin.
Winner: Gallus (10:59)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very good match here as expected. The shenanigans at the end were silly but expected; the sooner this split happens however it goes, the better.
Pretty Deadly attack Diamond Mine after and security comes out to break it up — Briggs and Jensen are here and it’s a full chaotic brawl. The locker room clears out and it’s a full pier-six brawl.
* Bron Breakker is backstage and CIAMPA IS HERE. Ciampa tells Bron to sit and says he’s done a lot of things in his time in NXT, but nothing mattered like his time with Goldie. He says there’s a certain responsibility and passion she has. He says the NXT brand means the world to him, but it’s Bron’s breand now and he’s feeling the pressure but it’s all normal. When the bell rings Sunday, embrace it and represent the brand and NXT Title. Add to his legacy — to THEIR legacy. And more important than anything, Bron — win. Win. WIN!
* Trick and Melo interrupt Vic Joseph and say they’re coming the ring to address that Melo isn’t not on World Collide.
* Quincy Elliot has a confession: growing up, everyone thought they know who he was, and people now think they know who he is, but they don’t. He’s flyer than a reindeer in winter and we don’t live his life.
* Her comes Melo and Trick to the ring. Trick says to cut the music and says every week, Melo comes out and puts out banger after banger but isn’t on Worlds Collide? He says there is no Premium Live Event without the Premium Champion. He tells Melo to tell us what they told him in the back.
Melo says he doesn’t get how the A Champion is being kept off the show and says he unified champions months ago. He’s the greatest NA Champion of all time and when they said it was a secondary title, he said he’s secondary to nobody. So he’s not taking the title to Worlds Collide and he’s not defending the title because there’s no one on his level or the level below him.
The lights go out. IT’S RICOCHET! RICOCHET IS HERE! Ricochet comes out uto the ring and Melo says “Hey Trick, he’s got a microphone. I don’t know if he knows how to use it though.” Ric says it’s good to be back but for the sake of those in attendance and at home, can Melo and Trick shut the hell up for five seconds! The crowd chants “SHUT THE HELL UP!”
Ricochet says he’s here on official business because he thinks they need to throw some Blue Brand on Worlds Collide. He says Melo is doing great but when it comes to the four corners, no one does it like him. They argue about who is the one and only and Melo says Ric’s just one of many to step to him.
Ric says conrgats on Melo’s success, it’s amazing. But it’s not amazing that he’s had multiple title defenses, because no one remembers any of them. He says he’s a giving man and thought he’d come to NXT to give them something to remember. He says he’s held that title before and plans on holding it again after Worlds Collide. Trick tries to sneak attack but gets sent out of the ring, Melo attacks but gets taken down and Ricochet holds the title high, then kneels over Melo and drops the title on him, talking shit to end the show.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
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