Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE NXT!
- We open tonight's show with a recap of last week's Dusty Classic matches as well as a breakdown for tonight's show headlined by Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa in a Fight Pit match.
- We open in the CWC with our opening match featuring a Dusty Classic First Round Match.
Dusty Classic First Round Match
KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff vs Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory
Beth is shown on the commentary team in person tonight before the match starts before the match starts with Leon and Austin. Austin man handles Leon and drops him before Ruff rocks Austin with a dropkick and dodges a dropkick by Austin before dropkicking him a second time for two. KUSHIDA comes in and takes Austin down onto the mat before transitioning from one submission to the next before Johnny distracts KUSHIDA. Austin capitalizes on the distraction by Johnny who comes in and stomps KUSHIDA before playing to the crowd and Austin gets the blind tag. Austin hits a rolling shotgun dropkick for two before whipping KUSHIDA into the corner and bouncing off of the turnbuckle.
Austin backs KUSHIDA into the corner before he and Johnny drop KUSHIDA with a back elbow and stomp him for two. Johnny hits a snap mare into a dropkick for two before KUSHIDA counters a suplex and tags in Ruff who drops Austin with a flurry of kicks. Johnny then distracts Leon when he's on the second turnbuckle before Austin catches and slams him as we go to commercial.
We come back from the break to The Way in control of Leon before he comes back with a diving cutter and gets the hot tag to KUSHIDA. KUSHIDA comes in and lays into Johnny with kicks before dropping Austin with a springboard back elbow before sending Johnny out of the ring. KUSHIDA drops Austin and takes out Johnny with a suicide dive at ringside before getting back inside and locks in an armbar on Johnny. Austin breaks the hold before KUSHIDA sends Austin out of the ring and Johnny superkicks KUSHIDA for a near fall before KUSHIDA pins Johnny with a bridging suplex for the pin and the win.
Winner: KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff defeat The Way via pinfall to advance to the next round of the tournament.
- Pete Dunne cuts a promo on Finn Bälor and how he's setting his sights on the NXT Championship.
- We get an update on Kyle O'Reilly who's re-injured his jaw last week, but has been medically cleared to compete.
- We get a video package for Karrion Kross and Scarlett who are going to be in the ring up next as we go to commercial.
- We go backstage to Malcolm Bivens outside of William Regal's office before Tyler Rust walks out and informs Malcolm that he's got Regal to give him a match against Bronson Reed later tonight.
Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett) vs Ashante Thee Adonis (w/ Desmond Troy)
Ashante hits Kross which just angers him before hitting Ashante with a suplex into a Saito suplex before Kross hits two more Saito suplexes and pins Ashante with the forearm to the back of the neck.
Winner: Karrion Kross defeats Ashante Thee Adonis via pinfall.
- After the match Kross attacks Troy and puts him in the Kross Jacket before breaking the hold and leaving.
- We get a video package for MSK who had a successful debut in the Dusty Classic last week before we get a graphic for Imperium versus Lucha House Party as we go to commercial.
- Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez cut a promo where they issue a warning to Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter ahead of their Women's Dusty Classic match later tonight.
Dusty Classic First Round Match
Imperium vs Lucha House Party
Lince and Marcel start the match off with Marcel overpowering the luchadore before Lince gets the tag to Metalik who superkicks Marcel. LHP double up on Marcel before Fabian comes in and rocks Metalik before Metalik hits a sling blade and tags in Lince who boots Marcel off of the apron. Lince goes for a tope, but Fabian catches him and drives him into the apron before slamming him onto the floor before Imperium double up on Metalik in the ring as we go to commercial.
We come back to Marcel in control of Lince in the ring before Lince hits a DDT and gets the hot tag to Metalik who hits a springboard cross body. Metalik hits a diving head scissors into a kick and a moonsault for two before Imperium hit Metalik for an assisted DDT for a near fall that Lince breaks up. LHP come back and double up on Marcel before Imperium hit a double suplex and Metalik takes out Aichner at ringside before Lince hits Marcel with a superkick into a shooting star press for the pin and the win.
Winner: Lucha House Party defeat Imperium via pinfall to advance to the next round of the tournament.
- We get the tale of the tape for the Fight Pit match before we see that Tommaso and Timothy near came to blows during the weigh in.
- William Regal is in the ring as he introduces Beth Phoenix who lists off the names of the biggest names in the history of the NXT Women's division, including Asuka and the Four Horsewomen before all of the teams in the Women's Dusty Classic stand on the stage.
Women's Dusty Classic First Round Match
Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter vs Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez
Toni starts the match off with Kayden, the two locking up repeatedly before Toni takes control and dropkicks Kayden for two before Mercedes comes in. Mercedes and Toni double up on Kayden for two before Kayden dodges a strike by Mercedes and tags in Kacy before she and Kayden double team Mercedes for two. Mercedes comes back and drops Kacy before beating and stomping on her on the mat while mocking Kayden on the apron before Mercedes hits a powerslam for a near fall that Kayden breaks up as we go to commercial.
We come back to Toni in control of Kacy, Storm and Martinez isolating Kacy in their corner and cutting Kacy off from Kayden until Kacy counters a superplex into a frankensteiner. Kayden comes in and goes after Toni before dropkicking Mercedes and rolling Toni up for two before hitting a springboard dropkick for two. Kacy takes out Mercedes at ringside before Toni and Kayden exchange strikes until Toni locks in a half crab and Io Shirai shows up and takes out Mercedes at ringside. Kayden then capitalizes on the distraction by Io before putting Toni in a submission and tagging in Kacy who hits a variation of a 450 for the pin and the win.
Winner: Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter defeat Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez via pinfall to advance to the next round of the tournament.
- Finn Bälor meets backstage with William Regal and demands to face Pete Dunne, but first he wants to face Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch for the tag belts before Regal tells him to find a partner. Regal then tells Finn to keep his friends close and his enemies closer.
- Isaiah Scott runs into Bronson Reed as he's making his way out to the ring and says something to him off mic before smiling and leaving as we go to commercial.
- We're informed that Ashante Thee Adonis was injured during his match earlier tonight and that he won't be able to compete in his Dusty Classic match with Desmond Troy on 205. No replacement for Ashante is mentioned before Kacy and Kayden walk by celebrating their big win before they walk off saying that they're going to win the entire tournament.
Bronson Reed vs Tyler Rust (w/ Malcolm Bivens)
The two start off before we see that Toni and Io are brawling backstage before Bronson easily overpowers Tyler and tosses him around the ring with ease. Tyler tries to come back and focus on the arm of Bronson before he's hit with a chokeslam for a near fall. Rust then gets a near fall of his own with an avalanche Samoan drop before Bronson drops Rust, hits him with a senton, and finishes him with the Tsunami Splash for the pin and the win.
Winner: Bronson Reed defeats Tyler Rust via pinfall.
- Finn Bälor barges into the locker room of Undisputed Era and convinces Kyle O'Reilly to team with him to challenge The Kings of NXT for the tag belts next week.
- Legado Del Fantasma come out to the ring and Santos Escobar talks about he's defeated every challenge he's had in NXT since becoming Cruiserweight champion before he talks about Joaquin and Raul winning their Dusty Classic match last week. Lucha House Party then interrupt Santos before they clear the ring with Curt Stallion's help.
- Backstage Killian Dain and Drake Maverick are interviewed about their victory in their Dusty Classic match last week before we're informed that they'll be taking on MSK next week.
- We come back to LHP and Curt being interviewed before LDF show up and Santos tells Curt that he's going to expose and embarrass him next week before giving Curt his title match.
- Kyle and Finn challenging Lorcan and Burch for the tag belts is made official for next week's show.
Fight Pit Match
Timothy Thatcher vs Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso stalks Tim on the top of the pit before they exchange and Tim suplexes Ciampa onto the platform before Tommaso counters a half crab attempt. Ciampa then comes back with chops and forearms before Tim drops him with a stiff forearm before Ciampa slingshots Tim throat first into a railing on the top of the pit as we go to commercial.
We come back to Tommaso throwing Tim around the pit and sending him into the side of the cage before Tim gets out of the way and traps the hand of Tommaso in the corner of the cage. Tim hits a belly to belly suplex before locking in a double wrist lock and elbows Tommaso in mount before snapping his fingers. Tommaso sends Tim face first into the side of the cage before slingshoting him into it and locking in a half crab before breaking the hold and kicking Tim in the spine. Tim kicks Tommaso backwards into the side of the cage before locking in a sleeper that Ciampa gets free of with a low blow. Tommaso hits Willows Bell by draping Tim across the back of the referee before Tim counters the Fairytale Ending and the two brawl.
Tommaso sends Tim head first into the side of the cage before hitting the Fairytale Ending and locking in a choke on Tim. Tim then counters Tommaso before trapping Tommaso in the corner of the cage and locking in a variation of a stretch muffler until Tommaso submits for the win.
Winner: Timothy Thatcher defeats Tommaso Ciampa via submission.
- After the match the two men stare at each other as Wade says that the two men have earned each other's respect as we go off the air.
