Good evening Fight Fans and welcome to our coverage of tonight's edition of WWE NXT headlined by a huge championship match between Roderick Strong and Keith Lee for the NXT North American Championship!
Dusty Classic Semifinal Match
Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) w/Adam Cole & Roderick Strong vs Grizzled Young Veterans
Kyle and Zack kick the match off by grappling before Zack slaps Kyle and Kyle beats him down in the corner before James gets the tag. James gets distracted by Fish on the apron before Kyle hits a dragon screw in the ropes and Bobby hits a slingshot senton once he's back in the ring for two. Kyle lays into James with strikes and kicks before he and Fish hit a double snap suplex into a back drop driver by Fish for one. UE isolate James in their corner and keep him far away from Zack for several minutes all the while focusing on his knee. Zack then gets the tag and GYV double up on Kyle before sending Bobby off of the apron and down onto the floor as we go to commercial.
We return to Fish putting Zack in an ankle lock before James helps him to the ropes from ringside and Fish misses a moonsault which allows James to get the tag. James hits a running dropkick in the corner into Helter Skelter for two before James is sent out of the ring and taken out by Kyle at ringside. UE hit Zack with Chasing the Dragon for two before both sides to back and forth until UE double up on James and are interrupted by Imperium who are on the perch in the back of the arena. GYV then hit Kyle with the Ticket to Mayhem for the pin and the win in all of the chaos of Imperium.
Winner: Grizzled Young Veterans defeat Undisputed Era via pinfall when they hit Kyle with A Ticket to Mayhem to advance to the finals of the Dusty Classic.
-We then get a video package for Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm at Worlds Collide before Toni's match against Io Shirai up next as we go to commercial.
-We come back to a video package for Shotzi Blackheart who will be facing former NXT Women’s champion Shayna Baszler later tonight.
Toni Storm vs Io Shirai
They lock up before Io takes Toni down before they exchange head locks and head scissors. Toni comes back with kicks before Io hits a double back flip into a dropkick before Toni hits a basement dropkick. Toni gets a quick two count before rocking her with uppercuts and Io sends Toni across the bottom rope before hitting a drive by dropkick for two. Io chops Toni in the corner and stomps her in the corner before choking her in the ropes and a rear chin lock. Toni then gets to her feet and gets dropped with a shoulder block before they exchange forearms until Io takes Toni down with a side headlock takeover as we go to commercial with Io in control.
We return to Io in control of Storm, hitting her with knees in the corner before Toni catches her coming in with a boot and hits a release German suplex into a lariat for two. Toni turns Io inside out with a lariat for two before Io gets two off of a crucifix before Toni counters a 619 and Bianca Belair comes in and attacks Toni for the disqualification.
Winner: Toni Storm defeats Io Shirai via disqualification when Bianca Belair interferes.
-After the match Rhea Ripley comes out and Toni takes all three women out before holding up the NXT Women's Championship in the ring and he to backstage to an interview with Undisputed Era about Imperium costing Kyle and Bobby their spot in the Dusty Classic finals as we go to commercial.
Finn Bálor vs Joaquin Wilde
Finn drops Wilde and kicks him in the ribs before hitting him with jumping stomps and chops. Finn whips Wilde across the ring and chops him in the corner before dropkicking him and hitting a shotgun dropkick into the corner. Finn then hits the Coup de Grace into the 1916 for the pin and the win.
Winner: Finn Bálor defeats Joaquin Wilde via pinfall with 1916.
-We get an interview with Shayna Baszler ahead of her match against Shotzi Blackheart up next as we go to commercial.
-We get a video package for Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano ahead of their pseudo-reunion at Worlds Collide.
Shayna Baszler vs Shotzi Blackheart
Shotzi tries to take Shayna down, but gets immediately countered before Shotzi counters her and they chain grapple on the mat. Shayna focuses on joint manipulation before dumping Shotzi over the top rope and down onto the floor before playing to the crowd and dropping her across the apron face first. Back in the ring Shotzi counters a suplex and rocks Shayna with a forearm and several right hands before countering the Kirafuda clutch. Shotzi suplexes Shayna before dropping her with clotheslines and an enzuigiri into a bulldog before hitting a cannonball in the ropes. Shotzi then hits a shiranui onto the apron and goes for a diving senton before Shayna catches her in the Kirafuda clutch and is forced to tap for the win.
Winner: Shayna Baszler defeats Shotzi Blackheart via submission with the Kirafuda clutch.
-We get a video package for the feud between Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai as we go to commercial.
-We get a video package for Moustache Mountain before NXT Cruiserweight champion Angel Garza is interviewed about the Fatal Four Way he has to defend his title in.
Dusty Classic Semifinal Match
Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle vs Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel)
Dunne and Aichner start the match off before Marcel comes in and takes Pete down before Fabian gets the blind tag and hits a deep arm drag into a straight armbar. Pete clotheslines Aichner and tags in Matt who hits an assisted corkscrew senton for two before hitting a dead lift gut wrench suplex to Aichner. Marcel comes in and gets suplexed before getting his knees up when Matt goes for a senton and stomps him in the corner before Pete and Fabian come in. Pete hits a snap suplex and snaps the fingers of Fabian before hitting a crucifix bomb for two before Pete takes Marcel out with a moonsault off of the apron and down onto the floor. WALTER comes out and distracts Pete before Marcel attacks him from behind and Fabian hits a running knee into Pete into the steps as we go to commercial.
We come back to Imperium in control before Pete knocks Marcel out of the air and an enzuigiri before getting the tag to Matt. Matt drops both members of Imperium with punches and kicks before suplexing them and hitting them with running sentons. Matt hits Fabian with a PK into a fisherman's buster before he and Pete hit Fabian with strikes for two before Imperium send Pete out of the ring and hit Matt with a double dropkick for a near fall. Pete gets the tag before Imperium hit a wheelbarrow diving DDT for a near fall that Matt breaks up before Matt is sent out of the ring. Pete and Matt apply stereo submissions to Imperium before Matt sends Marcel out of the ring with a rip cord knee.
Pete takes out Marcel at ringside before Matt hits a jack hammer for a near fall before Fabian hits Matt with a brainbuster and Matt counters the European bomb. Matt then hits the Final Flash into a powerbomb and a knee before he and Pete hit Fabian with an enzuigiri GTS combination for the pin and the win.
Winner: Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle defeat Imperium via pinfall to advance to the finals of the Dusty Classic.
-After the match Zack and James meet Matt and Pete on the stage before Zack says that Pete has always intentionally held them back and tried to stop their ascension before saying that it won't happen again. Matt then says he doesn't know what Zack just said before Pete says that they basically said that every time they faced Pete they lost and they will again next week when he and Matt walk out with the trophy.
NXT North American Championship Match
Roderick Strong (c) w/Undisputed Era vs Keith Lee
Strong slaps Lee who drops him with a right hand and throws him down before chopping him in the corner and dropping him with a stiff forearm that sends him down into a heap in the corner. Keith then throws Roddy across the ring before he rolls out of the ring and regroups with Cole, Fish and O'Reilly at ringside as we go to commercial.
We come back to the action in the ring to Keith man handling Strong before he's distracted by the rest of UE and Strong goes after the taped up ankle of Lee that they injured last week. Back in the ring Lee shoves Strong off with force when he goes for the cover before Strong locks in an ankle lock before Lee kicks him away. Strong hits a chop block and Lee sends Strong out of the ring and down onto the floor. Back in the ring Strong then drops Lee with forearms and a clothesline to the back of the neck as we go to commercial.
We return to Lee in control before spiking Strong down onto the mat for two before Fish distracts the referee and Kyle sweeps Lee and sends him crashing down onto the apron for a near fall. Lee headbutts Strong who catches him ascending the top rope before Lee knocks Strong away and Strong gets back up and hits an avalanche Olympic slam for a surprising one count. A visibly angry Lee gets to his feet and knocks Strong over the top rope and down onto the rest of UE at ringside before turning Strong inside out with a lariat for a near fall. Lee climbs to the second rope and misses a moonsault before Strong locks in a grapevine ankle lock. Lee crawls to the bottom rope for the break right before tapping before dropping Strong with a left hand and dropping the rest of UE off of the apron.
Strong then hits a knee into a single leg dropkick for a near fall before Lee hits a jack hammer for the pin and the win.
Winner: Keith Lee defeats Roderick Strong via pinfall with a jack hammer suplex to become the new NXT North American champion.
-We then end the show with Imperium coming out and brawling with Undisputed Era as we go off the air.
