Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 2/21/2023 edition of NXT on the USA Network.
We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show.
Preview.
WWE NXT (2/21/2023).
- NXT Championship Match: Bron Breaker (c) vs. Jinder Mahal.
- Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell.
- Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams.
- Ivy Nile vs. Alba Fyre.
- Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson) vs. The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) (w/ Joe Gacy & Ava Raine).
- Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade.
Live Coverage.
- Vic Joseph & Booker T welcomed the audience to the broadcast before quickly transitioning into the opening contest.
Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams.
Williams immediately caught Dragunov with a cheap shot, but Dragunov responded with a takedown before Williams got a rope break. Dragunov kicked Williams in the abdomen, but Williams leaned Dragunov to the corner. Dragunov hit two vicious chops before locking in a headlock on Williams into a headlock takeover. Williams reversed it with a headlock, but Dragunov slammed Williams to the mat before getting another headlock into a shoulder tackle & high hip Headlock takeover on Williams. Williams broke the hold before he hit a jab & a body slam. Dragunov hit a chop, a high knee, a kick to the ribs & a chop to the chest of Williams. Dragunov hit an Irish Whip into a rising knee on Williams before hitting a back elbow on Williams followed by a forearm strike to Williams's back. Dragunov hit another forearm strike on Williams's back before climbing to the middle rope, but Williams slammed Dragunov into the apron as JD McDonagh walked on the ramp to watch the match.
During picture-in-picture, the two got back in the ring before Dragunov hit a leaping boot, but Williams caught him with a jab before stomping away at Dragunov. Williams hit another jab at Dragunov before slamming Dragunov in the corner face-first. Williams & Dragunov exchanged two chips before Williams hit a series of right hands on Dragunov. Dragunov went for a suplex, but Williams reversed it with a ripcord Irish Whip on Dragunov before slamming him across the ring into another corner with a second consecutive Irish Whip. Dragunov hit a back elbow followed by a chop, but Williams responded by tossing Dragunov onto the bottom rope neck-first before hitting a pop-up jab for a near fall.
Back from the break, Williams got Dragunov in a Cravat as McDonagh joined the broadcast team for the match. Dragunov powered off the hold & hit a series of elbow strikes before connecting a rebound lariat on Williams. Dragunov hit three chops, a boot kick, a series of forearm strikes, and a leaping enziguri kick on Williams right to the dome. Dragunov hit a leaping forearm strike before hitting a diving knee-drop on Williams. Dragunov went for a dead-weight German, but Williams evaded and hit a roundhouse kick before hitting a twisting neck breaker for a near fall on the former NXT UK Champion. Williams went for a Tornado Kick, but Dragunov caught him & hit a Powerbomb into a falling forearm on Williams before hitting a Groin Suplex on Williams. Dragunov tuned up the band & hit the TORPEDO MOSCOW on Williams for the pinfall win.
Winner: Ilja Dragunov.
- There was a video vignette of Jinder Mahal ahead of his match against NXT Champion Bron Breakker for the title later in the night. Mahal referenced Dolph Ziggler beating Breakker for the NXT Championship & promised to ruin all the plans & bring a new surprise to win the NXT Title.
- Josh Briggs & 1/2 of the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions, Fallon Henley, were backstage concerned for Brooks Jensen & Kiana James. Henley said that she would confront James in-person to apologize.
- Meiko Satomura hosted a class in the NXT Performance Center with multiple members of the NXT Performance Center, with NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez joining the class. Nearly all members of the class exited the class with the exception of Roxanne Perez. After doing 1000 sit-ups, Satomura stopped her & told her that this was just the warm-up.
- Tyler Bate came to the ring to cut a promo despite the hecklers chanting "WE WANT GOLDBERG/ NO WE DON'T!". Bate said that despite his downs, he was excited as NXT was going to embark on a mystical journey, but The Schism (Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler, Joe Gacy & Ava Raine) interrupted Bate. Gacy said that the journey a man takes matters, it was just a case of whom he surrounds himself with. The four tried to surround Bate, but Chase U (Andre Chase, Duke Hudson & Thea Hail) came to attack The Schism ahead of the match of The Dyad & the team of Hudson and Chase.
Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson) vs. The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) (w/ Joe Gacy & Ava Raine).
Hudson & Chase hit stereo back elbows on Fowler before hitting a drop toe-hold/ elbow drop combo on Fowler for a near fall. Fowler & Reid double-teamed Chasse before Reid hit a snap-mare into a stomp followed by a short-hand lariat on Chase for a near fall. Fowler tagged back in and hit a vicious forearm strike on Chase before stomping his chest & hitting a Tombstone Shoulder breaker on Chase for a near fall. Reid tagged back in and hit a forearm strike on Chase for a near fall before locking in a half-Chicken Wing hold into a wrist lock on Chase. Chase leaped under Reid before Hudson tagged in. Hudson hit two lariats on Reid, the Flip & Flop on Fowler, a Lariat & a senton on Fowler & Fall-away Slam on Reid onto Fowler. Chase tagged in and hit a Thrust Kick on Reid for a near fall. Fowler clotheslined Chase out of the ring before Hudson clotheslined Fowler out of the ring. Fowler pulled Hudson out of the ring in response, which allowed Reid to catch him with a Tope Suicida on Hudson to the outside before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Hudson hit a back-drop on Fowler before Chase & Reid tagged in. Reid hit jabs & atomic drops on Reid & Fowler before hitting a flurry of punches on Reid & connecting the Flat-liner/ DDT combo on Reid & Fowler. Chase hit a spinning neck breaker on Reid before hitting an Asai Moonsault on Fowler to the outside before hitting a diving cross-body on Reid in the ring for a near fall. Reid & Chase exchanged forearm strikes before Chase fired away with punches on Reid before connecting a Russian Leg Sweep & hitting the Chase U Stomps. Thea Hail was chased around by Ava Raine while Hudson hit a German Suplex on Reid. Chase argued with Raine, which allowed Fowler to attack Hudson's neck before he & Reid hit the double-Code Breakker on Hudson for the pinfall win. Hudson & Chase argued after the match.
Winners: The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) (w/ Joe Gacy & Ava Raine).
- Von Wagner & Mr. Stone argued backstage before Tony D'Angelo & Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo interrupted them for stealing D'Angelo's shot against Wes Lee. D'Angelo challenged them to a match, but Wagner declined the match because Mr. Stone asked him. D'Angelo & Lorenzo talked trash to Wagner before Wagner accepted D'Angelo's challenge.
- Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey were interviewed backstage by McKenzie Mitchell. Gulak said that in order to succeed, you needed to not be afraid of snapping people's limbs to win, which described Charlie Dempsey but not his former protege, Hank Walker.
- There was a vignette of Sol Ruca saying that she continues to try new things in order to improve in every aspect possible.
Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell.
The two locked up Hartwell hit two Irish Whips & two short-hand lariats, but Jayne responded with a lariat & two sentons on Hartwell for a near fall. Jayne snapped Hartwell's neck into the top rope before hitting a snap-mare into a front kick & a back kick for a near fall. Jayne got a headlock on Hartwell & tried to choke Hartwell out. Hartwell broke the hold by slamming Jayne into the corner before slamming her onto the mat & hitting two jabs and a Spinebuster on Jayne for a near fall. Hartwell hit an uppercut into a running boot kick on Jayne, but Jayne responded by slamming Hartwell into the ring post before hitting a cannonball & stomping away Hartwell in the corner. Jayne then kissed Hartwell's forehead before connecting a mid-level Helluva Kick on Hartwell. Jayne went for a second, but Gigi Dolin came back to NXT & immediately attacked Jayne from behind, awarding her former tag team partner the Disqualification win.
Winner: Jacy Jayne (via Disqualification).
- Roxanne Perez & Meiko Satomura trained backstage in Satomura's dojo because Satomura told Perez that in order to win, it comes from the heart, not the body.
- Zoey Stark was interviewed backstage & promised that she was done with Sol Ruca before challenging Meiko Satomura to a match.
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade.
Blade & Coffey began the match locking up before Coffey pushed Blade, but Blade responded with a cartwheel & attempted a dropkick, btu Coffey evaded and hit a back drop on Blade. Wolfgang hit an uppercut on Blade before flipping over Blade & hit another uppercut on Blade. Coffey tagged in and hit an uppercut & a jab on Blade before hitting a series of uppercuts into a half-Nelson slam on Blade. Two peeps came to the ringside area with a cake, which distracted Coffey enough to allow Enofe to tag in. Enofe hit a lariat on Coffey before hitting a Tope Con Giro on Wolfgang to the outside connecting a diving elbow ON Coffey for a near fall. Enofe & Blade hit a Falcon Arrow/ Backstabber combo for a near fall. Wolfgang clotheslined Enofe out of the ring before Coffey hit a lariat on Blade. Coffey & Wolfgang hit a forearm strike/ Powerslam combination on Blade for the pinfall win.
Winners: Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang).
- The two peeps brought a cake to congratulate Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) for their 2-year anniversary of losing the NXT UK Championships to Pretty Deadly. Gallus attacked the peeps before Pretty Deadly viciously attacked Gallus from behind with chairs & stairs.
- There was a vignette of Dabba-Kato to remind Apollo Crews who helped him in every big moment and stated that he came to hurt Apollo Crews for leaving him alone in the Main Roster & promised to be the one to take Apollo Crews out of the wrestling world.
- Stevie Turner interrupted the broadcast & debuted the Stevie Randomizer. She talked about Lyra Valkyria & her trajectory in NXT before saying that Valkyria was no match to her.
Tony D'Angelo (w/ Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo) vs. Von Wagner (w/ Mr. Stone).
The match began with the two locking up before D'Angelo hit a series of body shots & a back elbow on Wagner. Wagner hit a series of corner spears, but D'Angelo responded with a ripcord jab before Wagner hit a Scissor Kick on D'Angelo. Wagner hit an Irish Whip into a corner splash, but D'Angelo responded with. a Jack-Knife slam on Wagner. Wagner hit a big boot on D'Angelo before arguing with Mr. Stone. Wagner hit a lariat & hit a series of ground forearm strikes on D'Angelo before connecting a body slam into an elbow drop for a near fall. Wagner hit two knee lifts on D'Angelo's abdomen before hitting two Irish Whips into corner splashes on D'Angelo. Wagner went for a third, but D'Angelo evaded and hit two lariats, a belly-to-belly slam, a lariat & a Spinebuster on Wagner before connecting a Back-to-Belly Slam on Wagner for the pinfall win.
Winner: Tony D'Angelo (w/ Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo).
- Kelly Kincaid (formerly ROH's Quinn McKay) interviewed Tony D'Angelo & Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo after the match. D'Angelo put over Stacks before D'Angelo called out Dijak to a Jailhouse Street Fight for NXT Roadblock.
- Nikkita Lyons was interviewed backstage by McKenzie Mitchell & promised to be back in less than a year. Tiffany Stratton interrupted Nikkita Lyons & called the interview a waste of TV Time, which Lyons called suspicious. Stratton responded that if she was the one that attacked her, she would have laid her out permanently.
- Tatum Paxley & Ivy Nile talked backstage ahead of Nile's match against Alba Fyre. Paxley hesitated but promised Nile she would join her at ringside for her match.
- Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams talked backstage before Tyler Bate congratulated Williams for his efforts against Ilja Dragunov earlier in the night. Hayes praised Bate's abilities but told Bate to keep his lane away from the NXT Championship because that was his.
Ivy Nile (w/ Tatum Paxley) vs. Alba Fyre (w/ Isla Dawn).
Nile & Fyre began the match locking up before Fyre slammed Nile onto the mat. Fyre hit a chop on Nile, but Nile responded by slamming Fyre to the corner before hitting a forearm strike on Fyre for a near fall, Fyre slammed Nile to the middle rope before stomping away at Nile before hitting a facebuster & a Penalty Kick on Nile for a near fall. Fyre slammed Nile into the corner before hitting a lariat on Nile. Fyre got a Hammerlock on Nile before headbutting Nile's shoulder, but Nile slammed Fyre into the corner before firing away with punches & connecting a Hurricanrana on Fyre. Nile hit a leaping dropkick & went for a move, but Fyre reversed it with the Gory position, but Nile reversed it with a Code Red for a near fall. Nile got Fyre in the Dragon Sleeper, but Isla Dawn distracted the referee. Nile accidentally pushed Paxley to the outside of the ring before Fyre caught her with a Thrust kick. Fyre ended proceedings by hitting the Gory Bomb on Nile for the pinfall win.
Winner: Alba Fyre.
- There was a video package of NXT Champion Bron Breakker ahead of his match against Jinder Mahal in the main event of the show.
- Kiana James was in her office before Fallon Henley entered. Henley apologized to James for ruining her Valentine's Day incident, to which James accepted as long as she believed that she had Brooks Jensen's best interests.
NXT North American Champion Wes Lee was interviewed backstage by McKenzie Mitchell, with Wes Lee saying that he would do an Open Challenge again next week.
NXT Championship Match.
Bron Breaker (c) vs. Jinder Mahal (w/ Veer Mahan & Sanga).
Mahal & Breakker began the match locking up before Mahal hit a takedown into a shoulder tackle on Breakker. The two locked up again before Mahal hit a back elbow & another shoulder tackle on Breakker. Mahl hit a gut kick & a series of forearm strikes, but Breakker leaped over Mahal before hitting two shoulder tackles & a takedown on Mahal. Veer & Sanga pulled Mahal out of the ring, but Breakker responded by hitting a Tope Con Giro on the three to the outside. Back in the ring, the two laid each other out. Sanga & Mahan tried to get involved, but The Creed Brothers attacked Indus Sher to send them to the back.
During picture-in-picture, Mahal & Breakker exchanged chops before Breakker got a hammerlock on Mahal & slamming him to the corner. Breakker hit a series of corner spears before hitting a body slam on Mahal for a near fall. Breakker got a wrist lock on Mahal, but Mahal slammed Breakker into the corner before Breakker hit a Belly-to-Belly on Mahal. Breakker got another wrist lock on Mahal after the commercial break before hitting a T-Bone suplex on Mahal for a near fall. Mahal hit a big boot on Breakker to send him to the outside before slamming his head into the broadcast table & slamming Breakker's shoulder into the stairs. Back in the ring, Mahal got a single-leg hook on Breakker for a near fall before firing away with punches on Breakker. Mahal went for a suplex on Breakker, but Breakker blocked the move. Mahal responded by dropping him to the mat. Mahal went for a Suplex on Breakker, but Breakker responded with a suplex on Mahal.
The two exchanged punches before Breakker two German Suplexes & a Spinebuster on Mahal. Breakker pulled down his straps & aimed for the spear, but Mahal immediately rolled out of the ring. Breakker slammed Mahal into the broadcast table before sending him back into the ring. As Breakker slid back into the ring, Mahal hit a rising knee strike & a Gutbuster on Breakker for a near fall. Mahal slapped Breakker's face three times, but Breakker responded with two cornrr spears. Mahal went for a top rope move, but Breakker responded with a Frankensteiner before Breakker hit a Release Suplex on Mahal for a near fall. Breakker went for the Diving Bulldog, but Mahal caught him with a boot. Mahal went for the Kallas, but Breakker reversed it with an arm drag before connecting a Spear on Mahal for the pinfall win.
Winner: Bron Breakker (AND STILL NXT Champion).
- Carmelo Hayes was on the Raven's Nest, but the Peacock broadcast was cut by Grayson Waller because he stormed the production truck. Waller called out Shawn Michaels & invited him to a special edition of The Grayson Waller Effect to end the broadcast.
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.
