Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 8.9.22

Hello folks, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas just like I always am, and WWE appears to have some momentum behind it the past couple of weeks! Triple H is keeping things exciting, includuing the return og NXT favorite Dexter Lumis on last night’s Raw. Let me just say that if we don’t get an Indi Hartwell reaction to Dexter’s return on tonight’s NXT, I’m gonna be pissed.

But anyway, tonight we have a busy show as Cora Jade does battle with Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons battles Kiana James! Plus Wes Lee and Trick Williams do battle in a Rounds Match, Santos Escobar and Tony D’Angelo have their final accord and more. It promises to be an eventful show, that’s for sure.

Here at the ol’ Thomas household, I’ve been busy as well catching up on movies. The past week saw me watch the Taiwanese found footage horror film Incantation on Netflix which was solid enough, as well as the fantastic Prey which is the best Predator film since the original. Meanwhile, Nope was solid even if it didn’t tie everything together as well as it could have, and They/Them on Peacock is a decent conversion camp horror flick but a bad slasher movie. Finally, I watched DC League of Pets which was enjoyable enough and The Man From Toronto, which is watchable mostly because of Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson.

I also watched The Sandman, which I strongly — STRONGLY — recommend everyone watch. Neil Gaiman’s comic series is one of my favorite reads of all-time (comic or otherwise) and I was exicted but worried about this show. Turns out, I needn’t be worried as it’s pretty much perfect. I understand some will take issue with some streamlining but it was essential to adapt the comic to live-action and the casting was perfect across the board, with episode six “The Sound of Her Wings” legitimately being the best episode of any TV I’ve seen in absolute years. If you don’t check it out, you’re missing the hell out.

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.

Y’all know what the NXT logo looks like, so instead you get a GIF of Desire this week. Enjoy…

Image Credit: Netflix

* We start off a recap of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship match from last week, with Katana Chance and Kayden Carter winning the titles. Then Trick Williams cuts a promo saying tonight’s about the Rounds Match and he’s going to knock Wes out. Lee appears and says he’s going to knock Trick out, while Cora says she’s going to eliminate Zoey Stark from the women’s division. Zoey says Mandy can put up all the roadblocks she wants, and Tony D’Angelo reveals where the face-to-face with Santos will be: at a public park at night.

* Before the first match, Nikkita and Zoey talk about their golden opportunity in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament.

Kiana James vs. Nikkita Lyons

Lockup to start, Lyons ends up in the corner. Kiana shoves Lyons, Lyons shoves back and pushes her into the ropes to run her over. JHames with a kick that gets caught but she hits a back elbow, wristlock and she works the shoulder but Lyons knocks her down. Lyons charges at the corner but James moves and Lyons gets her knee hung up in the corner, James with a leaping stomp on the knee.

James somersault snaps the knee of Lyons and slides to the outside, she grabs the knee and slams it into the apron. She tries to do it again but gets kicked, Lyons out and she goes for a kick but James moves and she kicks the steps. James rolls Lyons in, cover for two.

James continues to work the knee with a toe hold, bending Lyons leg way down. Kick to the back of the knee but Lyons shoves James off. Back elbow and a couple kicks, German suplex! Lyons back to her feet and charges in — she doesn’t quite hit the cannonball but covers anyway and James gets her hand on the ropes at two.

James rolls Lyons up and tries to use the ropes, but Lyons kicks out. SPIN KICK by Lyons! Split-legged ledrop for three.

Winner: Nikkita Lyons (4:10)
Rating: **
Thoughts: It didn’t have a lot of time and that missed cannonball stood out. Match as a whole wasn’t awful though, and the win by Lyons was expected.

James attacks after the bell with her back and stands over Lyons.

* Backstage, Apollo Crews and the Creed Brothers are reviewing tape. Julius thanks Crews for helping out and Crews says he loves what they’re doing. Roddy comes in and asks what the hell is this? Julius says Roddy no-showed last week, Roddy says it was a test and they passed. They retained the titles by themselves and he’s proud. The Creeds say he lied and that’s now what they do in Diamond Mind. Crews says it was shady, and Roddy says he can’t even be in Diamond Mine. Crews suggests they watch the six-man tag match from last week. Roddy wants a match with Creed and says his two new best friends will be in his corner, not Crews’.

* Vic and Wade break down the rules of the Rounds Match, which is next.

* Lash Legend is on the phone with someone asking where they are when Malik Blade walks up. She asks where Edris Enofe is but says she doesn’t care, then talks about looking good for her match last week. We cut off midway through.

Rounds Match
Wes Lee vs. Trick Williams

Round One
The two begin to jab at each other and Trick does some dancing, then takes a couple shots at Wes. Wes dodges a couple jabs and nails some bodyshots, Trick backs up and confers with Melo. They trade jabs, Wes dodges some shots and lays in the bodyshots until Trick takes him down. They jockey for position and then get back up, trading shots to the head. Punch dodges by Lee and a couple haymakers dodged as well, bodyshots by Wes. Trick trabs Lee’s head and hits a knee to the ribs, he goes to town on Lee in the corner but Lee battles back and gets his own shots in the corner. They’re back and forth as we hit 10 seconds on the clock, Trick looses in trouble but the bell saves him.

Round Two
No more gloves, Lee wioth a monkey flip and armdrags to start us off. Big dropkick by Lee and Trick gets clotheslined over the top! Lee leaps over on top of him right in front of Melo, he rolls Trick in and Melo grabs his foot to ditract him, Trick with a big kick for the pin to go up 1 – 0 and we go to PIP break.

Round Three
This took place entirely during the break and no one got a decision.

Round Four
Trick is getting a glove back on (obviously loaded). Lee rolls him up for two and comes off the ropes into a kick, Lee dodges a shot with the glove and takes Trick out. Kicks to Trick’s legs but Trick whips Lee into the corner hard and he goes down. Lee keeps dodging the loaded glove, he hits a crucifix pin for a decision and it’s 1 -1. Trick nails Lee with the loaded glove after and takes it off.

Round Five
Big diving clothesline by Trick for a two-count, then a bodyslam and stomps to the chest. Push into the ropes and Trick shoves him up into an uppercut, cover for two again. Suplex by Trick and another, he goes for a third and nails it. Cover for two again.

1:30 to go in the round, spinning neckbreaker by Trick for two nearfalls in succession. Trick goes for a roundhouse kick but gets hung up on the ropes, running enzuigiris by Lee! Lee with bodyblows, Irish whip into a Euro uppercut. Bulldog! 20 seconds left, Lee gets his glove on, BIG punch! Cover for three.

Winner: Wes Lee (0:04 left in round five)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: A PIP break on a Rounds Match is a bad idea, flat-out. They worked hard to make this work out but I don’t think .

* Adrian Chase is apologizing to someone as Thea Hail walks in. Arianna Grace is angry that she has a black eye because she got hit by a ball thrown by Hail and Chase says they’ll have a match. Grace says she wanted a lawsuit and Chase says she has no choice since it happened on Chase U grounds. Grace is pissed, Hail is WAY too excited.

* Melo is still in the ring after the break, saying they were gonna have an hour-long Melobration but that didn’t happen because Wes Lee cheated, so he’s going to speak. He talks about how last week Nathan Frazer responded to the open challenge and got stepped on, leaving him still the A Champion.

And here comes Frazer! …or not, because Giovanni Vinci is in the ring. He says Melo is a top-tier athlete and makes the NA Champion the most important title in NXT, but he saw his title reign flash before his eyes last week before Nathan Frazer took his spot. He says he’ll deal with Frazer later, but in the meantime…. He takes his jacket off and suggests they compete for the title at Heatwave. Vinci says Melo calls himself the A-Champ, but Vinci just sees A Guy.

Melo says Vinci has it twisted; Frazer saved Vinci from him. He says he sees the potential but he isn’t Him, because Melo is. He says they can compete next week, but he will but Vinci on a T-shirt and it won’t be designer.

Vinci goes for a shot and they trade reversals before officials break them up.

* We get a preview for Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh next week on Heatwave.

* Lash is STILL talking to Malik, who looks bored as shit. Edris walks in and Lash seamlessly transitions to explaining it all to him.

Thea Hail vs. Arianna Grace

Grace takes a swing but Hail dodges and hits an armdrag. She gets knocked down and Grace grabs Hail, dropping her face-first onto the top turnbuckle. She throws Hail but Hail rolls through. Grace takes her down and climbs on top for mounted slaps and tries to force her into a pin for one.

Grace with a shoulderlock and grinds her forearm into the side of Hail’s face. Hail gets to her feet and Grace grabs on, ending up on Hail’s back — Hail drops backward on top of Grace. Grace starts throwing shots and then hits a could diving forearms, then two splashes in the corner and a dropkick to the knee. Spinning neckbreaker off the ropes and a kick to the chest, standing moonsault for two.

Grace tries to nail Hail but Hail dodges and hits Grace in the face. The ref gets involved, Grace with a big boot and Wasteland for three.

Winner: Arianna Grace (3:49)
Rating: * 3/4
Thoughts: This started off bowling shoe-ugly to start and picked up in the last minute-plus, but that wasn’t enough to save it.

* We get a recap of the Falls Count Anywhere match between Solo Sikoa and Von Wagner, which resulted in Sikoa picking up the win. Sikoa is talking with a medical official who says he’s out four to six weeks with a sprained PCL. Cameron Grimes comes in and congratulates him, and Sikoa says that means a lot. Solo says he’s going after the NXT North American Title when he’s back for guys like him and Grimes. Grimes doesn’t look totally happy with that.

Apollo Crews vs. Roderick Strong

Lockup to start, they jockey for position, Strong with a headlock takedown but Crews turns it into a wristlock. Counterwrestling by these guys, Strong with a wristlock and works the arm, another headlock takedown. Crews with a headscissors to escape, Roddy rolls his way out of it and slaps Crews into the head as he escapes; the referee gets involved as Strong escapes into the ropes.

Lockup, Crews with a wristlock and works the shoulder, he slaps Strong in the head and Roddy is pissed. Shoves by Strong, Crews shoves back, Strong charges and gets a wrislock takedown but is shoved off. Strong with a takdeodwninto a chickenwing, Crews rolls him off and Strong goes into the ropes right into a dropkick! Chops by Crews in the corner, Roddy floats out of a suplex and hits a backbreaker. Forearm across the face by Roddy and knife-edge shot.

Crews fights back and they’re trading shots, Strong with a kneelift and then a backbreaker. Crews in the corner, Strong gets shoved out and Crews goes up top to leap, but gets NAILED by a dropkick on the way down! Strong grabs Crews who is on the apron but gets brought out there as well. Crews gets Roddy on his shoulders, Strong slips off and goes for a sunset flip powerbomb to the outside but Crews holds on! Roddy drops to the floor and trips Crews up as we go to break.

We’re back with Strong locked in a carotid hold, which he eventually breaks and stomps on Crews. Strong goes for a suplex setup but Crews nails it instead, both men down. Crews gets to his feet and goes up top, Strong shoves him off and crotches him on the ropes! Strong covers for two and immediately goes for a kneeling abdominal stretch after.

Crews fights out and gets to his feet, Strong with a kneelift and then runs in but Crews moves! BIG clotheslines by Crews, he kips up after the third and charges in for a Stinger Splash! Crews to the second rope, BLOCKBUSTER and cover for two!

Crews back up this feet for two German suplexes, he goes for three but Roddy elbows out. Roddy moves in but is hit with a wheelbarrow suplex for a nearfall. Both men slow to get to their feet, Crews is up first and goes for a back suplex but Strong reverses, Crews sent to the apron and caught with a big knee. Roddy with a back suplex drop onto the apron, cover for two!

Roddy goes for the Stronghold, he locks it in in the center of the ring! Crews fights to get to the ropes, Strong lets it go and gets shoved to the outside. Strong comes in and charges right into a powerslam, Crews picks him up in a gorilla press but Strong slips out for a backbreaker. Crews nails Strong and eventually hits him with a chokeslam for the pin.

Winner: Apollo Crews (15:25)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: It had the time it needed, and these two delivered in a big way. What complaints could you have here?

* Lash is STILL talking to Edris and Malik, and Edris finally interrupts and says “Lash, you lost!” Pretty Deadly walks up and says never interrupt a woman when they’re speaking and they’ll wipe the floor with them. Malik says he has pent-up aggression after hearing Lash talk for an hour.

* Santos Escobar is driving and on his phone to Elektra, he says he’s alright and if anything goes down, he’ll give them the signal.

* Valentina and Yulisa aren’t happy they lost last week and ask Sanga how to improve. Kayden and Katana walk in and say they’ll be fighting champions and they will do battle again, they have no problem defending the titles against them.

Kayden and Katana leave and Sanga says Fernoz and Leon remind him of them and says next week they come with him to find balance and perspective.

* The Creeds and Damon Kemp are watching the tape of the eight-person match from from a couple weeks. They notice something, but Roddy comes in and is pissed. Brutus says it was a test and he “passed.” Julius insinuates what he saw in the match tape and Strong says they shouldn’t be talking to outside people. He smashes the computer and leaves.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci is set for next week.

* Tony D is waiting and complains that Santos is late. Santos shows up in his car and walks up. Tony asks if he came along, Santos says yes. Tony says it’s just them, and Santos extends a hand. “What are you serious? Sit down.”

Tony says Santos is lucky he kept him breathing, and Santos says he and his goon nearly ended his career, but he’s full of surprises. Last week was payback, nothing personal. Tony says he told Santos to stay in his lane but he didn’t. He says Santos works for him, and Santos asks if Tony’s NA or Tag Team Champion. Tony says he’s not the boss but he makes the rules.

Santos says he’s a prideful person and talks about Legado being built. Tony says Santos is walking behind him, but Santos says what’s he going to do. Tony says he called this meeting so he can get his head on straight. Santos says he knows what makes Tony tick; he’s only the Don of NXT because he sent Ciampa packing. Santos says a match next week and if he loses, he’s gone and never seen in NXT again. Tony says he’ll get to keep his three sheep. Santos says if he wins, Legado is free. Tony says he has his match, but it’s gonna be under rules they’re familiar with: a Street Fight. It’s a deal, and they shake on it.

* Tiffany Stratton walks backstage to her dressing room and walks in. Wendy is there and has night vision goggles. Tiffany screams, the lights go out and when they come back on Wendy has destroyed Tiffany. She says this isn’t over, and leaves.

Pretty Deadly vs. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade

Elton is starting off with Blade, lockup into a headlock, Elton off the ropes and runs Blade over. Lockup, Elton with a headlock, he goes into the ropes and gets armdragged down a couple of times. Malik tags in Enofe, who goes up top for a overhead hammer blow to the arm. Bodyslam by Enofe and an elbowdrop for one.

Elton into the hostile corner, he gets drop toeheld down and Malik tags in. He kicks Kip on the corner, but Elton takes him down and tags Kip in, Blade lifted into a Euro uppercut for two.

Wilson with a bodyslam on Blade, a kneedrop follows. Blade in the hostile corner and gets battered, Elton in and he picks Blade up into a gutbuster, cover for two. Kip tags in and they slip out of the ring for uppercuts to Blade similar to Jensen and Briggs’ move. The NXT UK Champs come out and PD escape to the inside but Enofe tags in. Big shot to Kip and Enofe goes up top, BIG Edrie Elbow for two before Elton makes the save.

Elton goes out of the ring and slides a chair into the ring, Kip grabs the chair and Jensen tries to grab it. Enofe ends up colliding with the chair, Kip tags in, Spilt Milk for three.

Winner: Pretty Deadly (4:36)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: As good as a four and a half minute match can be, I suppose.

Lash Legend attacks Fallon Henley after the match.

* Cameron Grimes is sad-walking backstage when someone jokes “careful walking through the door.” Grimes almost attacks but is stopped by security. Joe Gacy asks where he’s going and Grimes says he’s going home. “To who?” Grimes looks hesitant but leaves.

* Nikkita tells Zoey she got her win, now it’s time for Zoey to get hers. Zoey says she’s got this and leaves.

* We get a vignette recapping the NXT Tag Team Title win and Toxic Attraction’s loss. TA say they held the titles so long they felt like home. When you lose something so dear, you can reflect or rebel.

Jacy walks into a record store and talks about why she locks rock music, while Gigi walks into a bar and says she’s never going to change. TA lives the rockstar life and they say they’re wounded, but the most dangerous kind of animals. They shatter our false reality.

* McKenzie is backstage with Crews, who says it was a huge victory and the world saw it. He says he’s stacking up wins and gaining momentum. Waller walks in and says congratulations. He asks why Crews is here: he’s here to take from them and he’s not welcome. Waller says he already ran one guy out of here and Crews is next.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT North American Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci
– Street Fight: Santos Escobar vs. Tony D’Angelo
– NXT Championship Match: Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh
– NXT Women’s Championship Match: Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark
– Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez

Cora Jade vs. Zoey Stark

Mandy Rose is on commentary for this match. Cora shoves Zoey, they talk trash and Zoey knocks Cora over. Rollup by Cora, but Zoey quickly turns it around. Stark with an armdrag, but Cora quickly escapes into the ropes and onto the apron. Cora nails Zoey and comes back into the ring, she stomps Zoey and covers for one.

Stark back up and chops away at Cora, she knocks her down off the ropes and covers for two. Suplex but Cora floats over, she tries to roll Zoey up off the ropes but Zoey holds on. Waistlock takedown by Stark, Cora gets up and is taken down again, Zoey with a suplex and cover for two. She takes Cora down and hits a slingshot senton for two. Cora hangs Zoey in the ropes and kicks her down, and we’re on PIP break.

Cora with a double stomp to Zoey’s back as we come back and covers for two. Short-arm whip into the ropes by Cora, she comes off the ropes for a knee smash but Zoey moves. Cora still takes Zoey down and wraps her up, wrenching the neck. Zoey gets rollup for two, Cora goes for a leaping knee but gets caught and slammed down. Cora crawls to the corner and grabs a pipe! She swings, Zoey ducks and hits a German suplex on Cora!

Both women down and slow to get to their feet, they start to trade shots in the center of the ring. Zoey takes over and clotheslines Cora down, big kick to the knee and a dropkick off the ropes, cover for a nearfall.

Zoey charges in the corner and catches Cora’s foot, big suplex and cover for two. Zoey goes for a superkick, COra dodges and hits the jaw. She goes for a Sliced Bread and doesn’t quite land on the turnbuckle, Zoey with a superkick. Zoey lies in wait, she goes for e slingshot senton, Cora moves and Zoey rolls through. Cora with a big knee strike, hammerlock DDT and cover for two.

Cora grabs Zoey, she goes for Sliced Bread again and connects! But it’s only a nearfall. Cora goes for the pipe — but Roxy has it! Cora turns around, Superkick, flipover Go 2 Sleep for three.

Winner: Zoey Stark (11:04)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Obvious result is obvious, but it was entertaining regardless. Cora continues to look good as a heel and Zoey solidified her status with this win ahead of her match with Mandy.

After the match, Roxy swings the pipe at Cora and chases her to the back. Mandy attacks in the ring but gets nailed with Zoey’s finisher! Zoey poses with the title.

And with that, we’re done for the night!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Solid episode of NXT this week. It was a bit of a letdown from last week as not every match hit and we had some silly stuff like the Lash Legend thing, but everything was building to something. Plus we had a great Apollo Crews vs. Roddy Strong match. Not every show has to be a hit, and this was fine for what it needed to be: sell next week's Heatweave.