Good evening Fight Fans and welcome to our coverage of tonight's edition of WWE NXT headlined by a first time match between Finn Bálor and The Velveteen Dream!
- We open tonight's show with a recap of last week's before we go to the performance center to a video recapping what happened moments ago where it's announced that Finn Bálor has disappeared against his will before we go to the pc where Velveteen Dream cuts a promo before he's interrupted by the NXT champion Adam Cole. Adam says Dream is behind Finn's disappearance before Dream is attacked from behind by Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong. Adam then joins them before they're all ran off by the North American champion Keith Lee who comes to Dream's rescue before we get a graphic for two matches in the interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament and the return of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.
Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Tegan and Raquel start the match before Shotzi comes in and Raquel counters a head scissors before Shotzi hits a shotgun dropkick. Kai comes in and Shotzi hits her with a bulldog before hitting an inverted cannonball with Kai against the ropes before Nox gets the tag and hits an inverted cannonball of her own in the corner. Shotzi then hits an assisted diving cross body to the outside onto Kai and Raquel as we go to commercial.
We come back to Raquel in control of Shotzi before she tags in Kai who misses a running boot in the corner and Shotzi drops her with an enzuigiri. Nox and Gonzalez get the tag for their respective teams and exchange strikes before Nox hits a running uppercut in the corner into an enzuigiri. Nox goes up top and goes for a diving cross body, but Raquel catches her and hits a fall away slam before Shotzi gets the tag and hits a diving meteora for two. Raquel then counters Shotzi and hits a single arm powerbomb for the pin and the win.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai defeat Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox via pinfall.
- After the match we get a graphic for our new main event between Keith Lee and The Velveteen Dream against Adam Cole and Roderick Strong of the Undisputed Era before we get a video package for Drake Maverick ahead of his tournament match against Jake Atlas up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package for Jake Atlas before Drake Maverick comes out to the ring first for their match.
Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Group A Match
Drake Maverick vs Jake Atlas
They exchange holds before Drake rolls out of the way of a standing moonsault and kicks him in the leg before Jake sends him out onto the apron. Drake gets back in the ring and hits a head scissors that sends Jake over the top rope and down onto the floor before rolling him back into the ring. Jake hits a backbreaker for two before whipping Drake into the corner and takes him down with a waist lock before Drake gets free and sends Jake shoulder first into the post. Drake rocks Jake with an uppercut before hitting a drop toe hold and a PK into a missile dropkick before hitting a suicide dive. Drake rolls Jake back into the ring and hits a diving elbow drop for two before Jake counters a shiranui and superkicks Drake.
Jake then hits a cartwheel DDT for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jake Atlas defeats Drake Maverick via pinfall to go up 1-0 and Drake falls to 0-1 in the round robin formatted tournament.
- After the match we get an interview with Jake before we get a graphic for the next match in the tournament up next between KUSHIDA and Tony Nese as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package for Damian Priest before we go to the ring for our next match as KUSHIDA comes out to the ring.
Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Group A Match
KUSHIDA vs Tony Nese
Before the match we get video packages narrated by our two competitors before they start the match off quickly by taking each other down and grappling on the mat. KUSHIDA shows off his superior grappling skills and mocks Tony by flexing before they roll around on the mat and exchange strikes once they get back to their feet. Tony chops KUSHIDA in the throat before Tony snaps KUSHIDA's neck across the top rope and sends KUSHIDA into the barricade. Tony rolls KUSHIDA back into the ring for two before KUSHIDA comes back momentarily with strikes before Tony sends him out onto the apron before KUSHIDA hits a diving clothesline. Tony then blocks a hand spring back elbow before sending KUSHIDA out of the ring and into the barricade as we go to commercial.
We come back to the action back in the ring where Tony has KUSHIDA in a body scissors until he gets free and sends Tony out onto the apron. Tony snaps KUSHIDA's neck across the top rope again before KUSHIDA comes back with a hand spring back elbow into a cartwheel basement dropkick. KUSHIDA drops Tony with a jab and hits a PK to the arm before countering a suplex into the Hover board lock and Tony hits a northern lights suplex for two. Tony then hits a 450 for a near fall before KUSHIDA hits a diving double wrist lock into the Hover board lock for the tap and the win.
Winner: KUSHIDA defeats Tony Nese via submission to go up 1-0 and Tony falls to 0-1 in the tournament.
- After the match we go backstage to an interview with Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher before we get a graphic for Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux before we go to a video package where Johnny Gargano talks about his marriage to Candice as they sit at a dinner table for a candlelight dinner. They then talk about how under-appreciated they are before they talk about tearing down NXT and rebuilding it in their image and that they will become the first married couple to be NXT champions. We then get a video package narrated by Io Shirai in Japanese with English subtitles as we go to commercial.
- We come back to an interview with a visibly upset Drake Maverick in a stairwell after his loss earlier tonight in the tournament against Jake Atlas before we go to the ring for our next match between Mia Yim and Jessi Kamea.
Mia Yim vs Jessi Kamea
Jessi wrings the arm of Mia before Mia drives her into the corner and they run the ropes before dropping each other and Mia hits a PK to the spine of Jessi for two. Jessi comes back with a rolling kick for two before punching Mia in mount and hitting her with clubbing blows before hitting a cravat into a snap mare. Mia then comes back with Protect Ya Neck for the pin and the win.
Winner: Mia Yim defeats Jessi Kamea via pinfall.
- After the match the NXT Women's champion Charlotte comes out to ringside and says that she wants a match with her and hopes Mia accepts before she does and Charlotte leaves as we go to commercial after a video package for Jack Gallagher ahead of his tournament match against El Hijo Del Fantasma up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package for Chelsea Green and Robert Stone.
Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Group B Match
Jack Gallagher vs El Hijo Del Fantasma
Jack is in control early, tearing at the mask of Hijo before hitting a front slam for two and Fantasma comes back with forearms. Jack rocks Fantasma with a stiff forearm that sends him to the outside and drives him into the railing before Fantasma hits an enzuigiri into a crucifix bomb that sends Jack over the top rope and to the outside before hitting a tope as we go to commercial.
We come back to Jack in control, having snapped the neck of Fantasma during the commercial before Fantasma comes back with clotheslines and forearms in the corner. Jack drives Fantasma into the corner before Fantasma superkicks him out of the ring and Fantasma hits a suicide dive. Fantasma tosses Jack back into the ring and hits a running uppercut in the corner into a sunset flip for two. Jack then headbutts Fantasma for a near fall before Fantasma hits a Samoan driver for the pin and the win.
Winner: El Hijo Del Fantasma defeats Jack Gallagher via pinfall to go up 1-0 in the tournament, Jack falling to 0-1.
- After the match Fantasma is interviewed before he replies in Spanish without any kind of English subtitles before we get a graphic for out tag team main event up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a graphic for Keith Lee versus Damian Priest for the North American Championship next week before we go to El Hijo Del Fantasma stopping masked men in an SUV from abducting him before they speed off.
Velveteen Dream & Keith Lee/Dexter Lumis vs Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong)w/Bobby Fish
The four men pair off and brawl as soon as the match starts before Bobby tries to interfere and gets ejected while Priest shows up out of nowhere and hits Lee in the throat with his night stick before leaving. Several officials then come out and check on Lee as we go to commercial.
We return to the ring to Dream now in a veritable handicap match, Dream driving Strong into the corner before hitting him with right hands and whipping him across the ring. Strong hits an Olympic slam for two before UE chain together offense and tags, Strong hitting several backbreakers for two. Dexter Lumis comes out and gets onto the apron before Dream hits a DVD and tags in Dexter. Dexter drops Adam and Roddy with right hands before beating on Roddy in the corner and dropping Adam with a Thesz press. Dexter then takes out Roddy before taking out Bobby out at ringside and Dream hits Adam with the Purple Rainmaker for the pin and the win.
Winner: Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee/Dexter Lumis defeat Adam Cole and Roderick Strong via pinfall.
