Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for NXT. We'll be bringing you full, fight-by-fight coverage of every match on the card. Follow us on Facebook! Facebook.com/FightfulOnline.
- The show begins with an NXT Takeover preview featuring the matches scheduled for this Sunday's Takeover on Peacock.
- NXT Commentator Vic Joseph welcomes the viewer to NXT. The show is coming to us live from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. Joseph reminds the viewer that they are less than one week away from NXT Takeover.
- Malcolm Bivens, Roderick Strong, and Hideki Suzuki are standing in the ring. Bivens says Kushida is a liar and says Kushida does not want to defend his NXT title.
Ilja Dragunov vs. Roderick Strong (w/ Diamond Mine's Hideki Suzuki and Malcolm Bivens)
The bell rings, and both men wrap up; Ilja Dragunov takes Roderick Strong down. Strong and Dragunov are countering each other's holds. They tie up again, and the ref begins the count as Dragunov is on the ropes. Dragunov and Strong begin to exchange some heavy chops. Strong trips up Dragunov and throws Dragunov into the middle rope throat first.
Dragunov recovers and hits Strong with a big chop, and Ilja Dragunov follows it up with a senton. Strong has recovered, and both men again are exchanging heavy strikes. Dragunov hits Strong with a big knee; Dragunov delivers a flurry of strikes to Strong, including a big knee.
Strong sends Dragunov outside of the ropes, Hideki Suzuki distracts Dragunov near the steel steps. Strong capitalizes on the distraction and sends Dragunov face-first into the steps. NXT heads out to their first picture-in-picture commercial break with Strong in complete control.
We return from the break with both competitors exchanging strikes. Strong slams Dragunov in the middle of the ring, and Strong goes for the pin attempt; however, Dragunov kicks out. Ilja Dragunov delivers a series of strikes and then hits two German suplex's and Dragunov is busted open. Roderick Strong's back is covered in blood. Dragunov hits Strong with the Torpedo Moskau and then pins Strong to get the big win.
After the match, Dragunov yells out for WALTER, but no response. They head out to a commercial break.
Winner: Ilja Dragunov
- We see Samoa Joe arriving at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
- There is a short preview of John Cena vs. Roman Reign's SummerSlam match this upcoming Saturday.
- NXT previews the upcoming Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole NXT Takeover match.
- Hit Row now comes out to cut a promo. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott tells Santos Escobar that their battle is "on." Escobar appears on screen and tells him that if he comes out to get the grill for the teeth, he will be a man and give it to him. Raul and Mendoza are behind "Swerve" and attack him. Escobar then joins in on the attack. The rest of Hit Row make it to "Swerve" for the save. After that, Hit Row takes care of Legado Del Phantasma.
- We get short of LA Knight telling Josh Briggs that he will pay him $10,000.00 to fight Cameron Grimes tonight.
- We get a promo from Imperium featuring WALTER, and they explain how they want to win the Tag-Team titles to help restore the honor of this great sport.
Cameron Grimes (w/ LA Knight) vs. Josh Briggs
"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase joins the commentary team for the match. LA Knight joins it as well; DiBiase and Knight bet double-or-nothing on this match between Josh Briggs and Cameron Grimes. The match begins with Briggs hitting Grimes with a huge big boot. Grimes goes on a streak and hits a series of strikes on Grimes. Grimes makes a comeback and destroys Briggs with the Cave In, and Grimes gets the victory. After the match, Knight punches DiBiase and then hits Grimes with a stunner.
Winner: Cameron Grimes
- Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae have a backstage vignette about everything that has been going on. They talk about Austin Theory disappearing and how disappointed the relationship between Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis. Johnny tells Indi that they need to be in a mixed tag-team match.
- Zoey Stark and Io Shirai are being interviewed and asked how their new friendship is doing. Unfortunately, neither Stark nor Shirai were eager to answer as Io walks away.
Jessi Kamea and Robert Stone (w/ Franky Monet) vs. Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis
The crowd is chanting "Happy Birthday" to Indi Hartwell, and they also begin chanting to Robert Stone that he "looks stupid." Robert Stone tries to get away from Lumis; however, Franky Monet grabs him and tosses him back into the ring. Franky Monet grabs the leg of Lumis when he is near her, and Lumis drags her into the ring. The referee then orders Franky Monet to leave ringside as we go to a commercial break.
We come back from the commercial break, and Jessi Kamea accidentally tags in Robert Stone; Stone is dealt with quickly. Lumis hits Stone with Bulldog and then a Spinebuster; he goes for the pin, but Kamea breaks it up. Hartwell goes for the pin now, and Stone breaks it up. Kamea now has Hartwell in the single crab leg. Indi makes it to the ropes, Kamea then slaps Lumis. Indi sees what Kamea did, and Indi grabs Kamea and throws her into the barricade.
Robert Stone goes for the big over-the-top-rope dive but misses badly. Hartwell locks Kamea in the Silence, and Lumis locks in the Silence on Robert Stone. The ref calls for the bell. Hartwell and Lumis get the win. After the match, Hartwell goes over to Beth Phoenix, and Phoenix hands Hartwell something. Hartwell goes back into the ring; she gets down on her knee and has a ring and then asks Lumis to "marry her," and Lumis says, "Yes."
Winners: Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis
- Malcolm Bivens stops an interview with Roderick Strong and says that Strong was promised a Cruiserweight Championship match, and he will get it.
- We get an interview with Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai talking about their upcoming title match at NXT Takeover. Gonzalez says she "knew that eventually, Kai would turn her back on her because she turned her back on Tegan Nox." Dakota Kai tells Gonzalez that she "taught her a lot but did not teach her everything."
NXT Breakout Tournament
Carmelo Hayes vs. Duke Hudson
The match begins with a lock-up; Carmelo Hayes quickly escapes, and they lock up again. Duke Hudson takes down Hayes with ease; Hudson hits Hayes with a big shoulder tackle. Next, Hudson has Hayes in a headlock; Hudson hits another shoulder tackle. Hayes is up quickly and runs the ropes, and hits Hudson with a springboard. NXT heads out for a commercial break.
Hayes now hits Hudson with an enzuigiri, Hudson recovers quickly, and Hudson hits a big clothesline and then a big belly-to-belly overhead suplex. Hayes recovers and sends Hudson out of the ring, Hudson attempts to get back in the ring, and Hayes hits Hudson with a big DDT on the apron outside of the ropes. Hayes goes for the pin, Hudson kicks out. Hayes hits a variation of the facebuster on Hudson. Hayes goes up to the top turnbuckle and comes down and hits Hudson with a top rope leg drop. Hayes pins Hudson and moves onto the NXT Breakout Finals.
After the match, Carmelo Hayes tells Odyssey Jones that he will be the "final boss." Odyssey Jones comes out and has a face-to-face with Hayes.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
- Jacy Jayne Vignette mentions how she and Gigi Dolin were caged far too long.
- We come back from a promo with Cameron Grimes with ice on his head; Ted DiBiase appears and tells Grimes that maybe they bit off too much they can chew. Cameron Grimes is fired up, and he tells DiBiase that he is back and will win at NXT Takeover.
NXT Tag-Team Championship
Imperium vs. MSK (C)
Fabian Aichner and Wes Lee tie up, and Aichner tosses Lee with ease. Aichner surprises Lee; Lee attempts to pin Aichner with a crucifix pin; however, Aichner kicks out. Nash Carter is now tagged in, and Marcel Barthel is in, and he takes Carter down. Barthel hits Carter with a big uppercut. Lee tags in Carter, and both double team Imperium. MSK now goes to hit a dive between the ropes, but Imperium catches them and slams them down hard as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial break. Imperium is in control as Nash Carter is trying to recover.
We are back from the commercial, Wes Lee is trying to get to Nash Carter, but he cannot make it. Imperium is doing everything in its power to keep Wes Lee from tagging his partner. Carter is sent hard into the corner. Carter hits the corner hard, Lee tags in Carter. WALTER distracts the referee, and Imperium is going to finish off MSK. Ilja Dragunov makes the save, and Nash Carter pins Fabian Aichner to retain.
Winners: MSK
- We get a promo from Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland talk about their upcoming match against Thatcher and Ciampa.
- The NXT commentators go over Sunday's NXT Takeover 36 card.
- Samoa Joe comes out for his face-to-face with Karrion Kross. Samoa Joe says he will eviscerate Kross on Sunday. Kross calls out NXT Security to protect Samoa Joe; the crowd is chanting, "Joe is going to kill you:. Kross says he is going to drop Joe real quick on Sunday. Joe hits Kross with a hard right. Kross goes outside the ring, and Joe hits Kross and the other security guards with a suicide dive. They continue to fight around the Capitol Wrestling Center as we go off the air.
