Posted on 7/08/126 by Bob Magee
NXT is back on the air in front of a live studio audience
from a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando.
Kali Armstrong is in the ring with the house microphone as
the show opens. She cuts a fiery promo where she basically
tries to put herself in the title picture against Kendal
Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship. Armstrong talks about
turning on Grey, and how everyone was talking about her
instead of the champion after the attack.
That brings out Lola Vice, who advises Armstrong to slow her
roll. Just because she jumped Grey does not mean she is next
in line for a title match. Vice wants her rematch regardless
of who wins tonight.
Kelani Jordan is out next to interrupt. Of course, Jordan
wants a title shot. This leads to them bickering until a
fight breaks out. Armstrong dodges both and runs the ropes
before knocking both Jordan and Vice off their feet with a
double flying shoulder tackle.
Birth Right (Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo & Uriah Connors) vs.
DarkState (Cutler James & Osiris Griffin) vs. Dorian Van Dux
& Sean Legacy vs. Out the Mud (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price)
in a number one contender’s match for the NXT Men’s Tag Team
titles
First to score a pinfall wins the match. Tons of action
throughout the match with all of these teams involved, and
it goes through a commercial break. Parade of high spots at
times, especially in the closing minutes.
Saquon Shugars teases doing a run-in with a baseball bat,
which prompts Dion Lennox to run down and confront Shugars
in a standoff. Meanwhile, bedlam at ringside with bodies
laid out everywhere.
Also at ringside is members of Birthright, including Charlie
Dempsey, Arianna Grace and WWE Speed Champion Lexis King.
Dempsey and King help Stack with pulling OTM out of the
ring, and OTM begins brawling at ringside with Birthright.
They brawl their way off the sound stage, exiting stage
right.
In the ring, Stacks is double-teamed by the winning team.
Van Dux lands on Stacks with a flying body press, and Legacy
follows up by springboarding into a 450 splash. Legacy then
hooks a leg while covering Stacks for a pinfall.
Match results: Dorian Van Dux & Sean Legacy defeated Stacks
& Uriah Connors, Cutler James & Osiris Griffin, and Bronco
Nima & Lucien Price to become number one contenders to the
NXT Tag Team titles
– Jaida Parker cuts a really good promo about her loss to
Nattie Neidhart. She says the loss brought her some clarity.
– Saquon Shugars is interviewed by Emily Agard on a
backstage set. He talks about his strategy in playing mind
games with Darkstate. He also briefly mentions needing to
find some new friends for his feud with Darkstate.
Tank Ledger vs. Keanu Carver
This bout stems from Carver injuring Tank’s tag partner
(Hank) in an angle at The Great American Bash. Last Tuesday
on NXT, Tank cost Carver a match. Thus, they meet this week
in this grudge match.
The match is a hoss fight, and they kept it short being as
they are green. Carver lands an odd-looking dropkick to set
up a spinebuster on Ledger. Carver then scores a three
count.
Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Tank Ledger
– Naraku is the focus of a pre-taped video package where
Naraku does an “evil” promo about continuing to chase the
NXT Championship, despite losing to Tony D’Angelo at Great
American Bash. The promo did a decent job of getting
Naraku’s heat back. He does a sinister laugh again, which
seems to be a catchphrase of sorts for his new persona in
NXT.
– Kam Hendrix and Tate Wilder were in the trainer’s room
watching on a monitor. They are chatting when Hednrix begins
cutting a promo on Mason Rook. Hendrix, who is wearing a
brace on his leg, has apparently been blaming Rook for his
injury. On cue, Rook comes in to confront Hendrix. The
acting here was terrible, and this got no one over.
– Natte Neidhart is backstage with her cohorts Nikkita Lyons
and Karmen Petrovic. Nattie tries to give Layla Diggs a pep
talk, but Diggs wants to do it on her own. Nattie is visibly
taken aback. She asks Lyons and Petrovic if they will still
be in Nattie’s corner. They assure her they will. Nattie is
great in this role.
Lizzy Rain vs. Izzi Dame vs. Layla Diggs vs. Thea Hail in a
fatal four way number one contender’s match for the NXT
Women’s North American Championship
Much like the other fatal four way on the card, lots of
action with so many involved in one match. Far less people
in this bout compared to the four way tag match earlier on,
but both matches have a plethora of high spots. Limited
psychology at times, just spots for the sake of action. Near
falls galore, and breaking up pinning attempts or submission
is prevalent, especially after the match goes through a
commercial break.
The closing minutes are pretty good, and the studio audience
is hot. Parade of spots and near falls. Lizzy Rain and Thea
Hail got to shine during the match, and Izzi Dame was
effective in her heel role. As they go home, Lizzy and Thea
have a great sequence that ends with Izzi jumping in to hit
Lizzy with a flying knee. Both tumble out of the ring with
Hail still in the ring. Diggs comes off the top rope with a
beautiful moonsailt press, and Diggs scores the second upset
on tonight’s card.
With two upsets and all the segments with newer talent, NXT
is clearly trying to get new characters over.
Match result: Layla Diggs defeated Thea Hail, Lizzy Rain and
Izzi Dame to become number one contender for the NXT Women’s
North American Championship
– Reina Volcan is featured in a personality profile where
she cuts a promo introducing herself to the audience.
– Tavion Heights comes to the ring for what is supposed to
be an impromptu promo. Heights wants to apologize to NXT
North American Champion Myles Borne for their recent
friction. Instead, out comes Vanity Project to cut a promo
on Heights. This seems to set up both singles and tag
matches.
Heights eventually decks Drake with a punch, and the NXT Tag
Teams Champions Swipe Right both jump Heights. Borne runs in
for a save. He and Heights clean house, and they hug.
– Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy bump into Noam Dar and
Romeo Moreno in a silly skit.
Shiloh Hill vs. Niko Vance
Izzi Dame is in Vance’s corner, and she is still selling her
match from earlier. She does not play much of a factor, but
someone else provides outside interference. Tristan Angels
shows up at ringside to taunt Hill.
Both Hill and Vance look green in this match as it plods
along. The highlight might have been Hill reaching for his
false teeth like Ricky Morton trying to tag Robert Gibson.
Soon thereafter, Angels appears at ringside and he grabs the
false tooth. Hill is of course upset with Angels. Distracted
by Angels, Hill is the victim of Saito suplex from Vance.
Hill is then nailed with a sickle lariat, and Vance covers
him.
Post-match, Hill chases Angels up the ramp and out stage
right. Vance and Dame are posing in the ring when Spears
ambushes Vance with a chair shot. Spears then glares at
Dame.
Match result: Niko Vance defeated Shiloh Hill
NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey defends against Nattie
In the champion’s corner is WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren
Sinclair. In Nattie’s corner are Karmen Petrovic and Nikita
Lyons. When Nattie’s cohorts look to interject, Sinclair
rushes over to start a brawl with them. Lola Vice runs down
to ringside to help Sinclair fight off Petrovic and Lyons.
Great match with nifty grappling and good psychology.
Nevertheless, the match was too short, even with it going
through a commercial break. The brawl at ringside led into
the final commercial break on the show.
Nattie is working over Kendal as the show returns from the
break. Kendal fires up with strikes before leaping off the
top rope with a missile dropkick.
In the closing moments, Nattie goes for a series of
submission holds, but the champ escapes. In a callback to
earlier in the match, Kendal goes for another missile
dropkick. She is blocked this time, and Nattie puts her in a
sharpshooter. Kendal struggles and crawls for a rope break,
but Nattie pulls her back into the center of the ring.
Eventually, Kendal gets a rope break.
They trade near falls with them reversing rolls ups. Kendal
catches Nattie with her Shades of Grey finisher, and the
champion scores the deciding pinfall. And still…
Match result: NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey defeated
Nattie to retain her title.
In a post-match angle to end the show, Jaida Parker
confronts Nattie in the aisle. Out comes Petrovic and Lyons
to ambush Parker, but Parker decks both. Parker then has
words with Nattie, which clearly seems to set up a return
bout.
**********
Overall, the show was a mixed bag. Some good matches, and
some not so good. Lots of green talent, but they are at
least trying to get new faces over with the audience. The
backstage skits were arguably the worst part of this show,
with maybe a few exceptions. Not thinking too much about any
of the flawed logic in storylines is the best way to digest
the show.
**********
Next week:
Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice vs. Kali Armstrong in an NXT
Women’s Championship #1 contender’s match
Zaria vs. Layla Diggs for the NXT Women’s North American
title
Vanity Project vs. Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux for the NXT
Tag Team titles
NARAKU vs. Tate Wilder