Tonight on WWE NXT, Roderick Strong will take on his old Undisputed Era comrade in Bobby Fish. Plus, has Kyle O’Reilly snapped against Adam Cole?
WWE NXT
August 3, 2021, Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, FL
Commentary: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett & Beth Phoenix
MATCH 1
Hit Row (Ashante Thee Adonis & Top Dolla) vs. Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza)
Both Isaiah Scott and Santos Escobar are ringside. Bell rings and Hit Row clears the canvas. The ref tries to get some order. Ashante and Raul go at it as Adonis flings and attacks him in the corner. He nails Medonza with an arm wrench DDT, but Reul gets control and allows Wilde to tag in. Adonis catches Wilde with a neckbreaker. Top Dolla gets the tag and twists the hands of Joaquin. He hoists Wilder up in the air and slams him down. He does it again and props Joaquin up top before tossing him across the ring. A tag to Ashante and they catch Joaquin with a powerbomb dropkick. Adonis flapjacks Wilde. Escobar and and B-FAB hop on the apron. It allows Ashante to get dumped to the outside for some underhanded attack and we head to break.
Back from it, LDF are in control as they unload a flurry of offense on Ashante. Mendoza nails a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Adonis finally gets the hot tag to Dolla and he barrels through LDF. He hits a sidewalk slam on Joaquin, but then Santos smacks him with a chair to end the bout via DQ.
WINNERS: Hit Row
Wilde and Mendoza hold Scott down as Santos jabs him with a chair. They pull out Scott’s grill and wedge his head between a chair, but before Santos can attack, Top Dolla pulls Scott to safety. B-Fab smacks LDF with a chair and Scott nails Mendoza with his package bomb.
Backstage we see Joe pacing backstage. William Regal enters with security to let Joe know that they’ll be monitoring him in order that he and Karrion Kross don’t attack one another before TakeOver.
MATCH 2
Ridge Holland (with Pete Dunne & Oney Lorcan) vs. Ikeman Jiro
Ridge Holland grapples with Jiro who eats a sharp European uppercut. Jiro hits him with a jawbreaker and a flurry of forearms, but Ridge catches him, props him on the ropes and dumps him to the outside. He drives Ikeman into the barricade. Big suplex from Ridge. He rips of Ikeman’s jacket. CWC boos Ridge relentlessly. Ridge taunts him as Jiro tries to fight back. Double underhook suplex. Belly to belly suplex. He sizes Jiro up and headbutts him. He nails him with a modified Thunder Driver for the W.
WINNER: Ridge Holland
Post-match, Pete Dunne and his crew call out Thatcher and Ciampa. He tells Thatcher that Ridge is coming for him as they’re the three most dangerous men in NXT.
Backstage is Robert Stone, Franky Monet & Jessica Kamea. Monet blames Stone for last week’s loss. Monet is not a loser. This group has to be rebuilt under Franky’s way, image and rule. Take it or leave it. Stone is all in.
We see a video package for Trey Baxter before his Breakout Tournament match.
MATCH 3
Bobby Fish vs. Roderick Strong (with Diamond Mine)
“Bobby” chants as the two men tangle against the ropes. Fish goes for a kick but Strong eludes. Side headlock from Fish before he shoulder tackles Roddy down. Strong catches him with a strike and the two rivals take it to the mat. Fish corners Strong and snap suplexes him into a ground sleeper submission. Strong tries to transition into some offense but Fish stays on top with a Spinal Tap kick. They slug it out. Fish once more gets the advantage and drives his knee into the mush of Strong. He sents Strong into the ropes for a very hard knee strike. We go to break.
Back from break, Strong gets the advantage on Bobby. Suplex from Roddy, but Fish quickly gets a shoulder up. Strong hits a uranage backbreaker on Bobby for a two count. He nails another backbreaker. Strong has Fish stretched out on the canvas, and Bobby breaks it with a fish hook. The two trade punches and Fish finds his strikes. He nails Strong with a savate kick and nails him down for a two count. Bobby goes for a rear naked choke, but Roddy hits a belly to back on Fish. Roddy unloads some shots to Bobby and plants him face first for a near fall.
Big spinning calf kick by Fish gets a near fall. Bobby points at Diamond Mine and as Bobby leaps up to the top, Roddy shots him down. Bobby gets a near fall on Roddy with a roll-up, but Strong nails the knees intot the back of Bobby for the W.
WINNER: Roderick Strong
LA Knight wants Cameron Grimes to wrestle in his butler get-up as they tag against GYV tonight. LA is uncertain that Grimes has his back and Grimes feels the same before he shines Knight’s boots.
MATCH 4
LA Knight & Cameron Grimes vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
Gibson and Drake run down Knight and Grimes in a pre-match promo and the bell rings. Grimes is in his butler ensemble. Cameron wrenches the arm of Gibson and Knight tags himself in. He nails Gibson with a back elbow. Drake uses his body to collide with LA and it allows GYV to get on offense. Knight however, flips over Drake and nails a neckbreaker. Grimes gets the tag and cross bodies Drake down. Gibson nails a knee to Grimes and the heelish duo isolate Grimes once more. Grimes dumps Drake, but Gibson grapples in a sleeper. Cameron rolls free, back drops Gibson and as Grimes goes for the tag, Knight leaps off the apron. He’s on his own and Grimes fights the two adversaries. He nails a double rana on GYV and continues to take the two out. He gets a near fall with a flipping fallaway on Drake. The two however, hit their Ticket To Mayhem double team for the win.
WINNERS: Grizzled Young Veterans
Post-match, Ted DiBiase comes out tonight to encourage Grimes who tells Cameron, he’s got to figure out a way to get out of this situation.
Dakota Kai has a video package. She makes it clear that she isn’t no sidekick.
Backstage, Gargano and LeRae say they know what’s best for Indi Hartwell. Tonight, he ends Dexter Lumis.
MATCH 5
NXT Breakout Tournament Round One
Trey Baxter vs. Joe Gacy
Baxter starts with a little offfense, but Gacy exudes his power. Baxter kips up for a kick and escapes out of the grip of Gacy before dropkicking him out. Gacy uses the ropes to catapult Baxter into his forearm on the outside. Back in the ring, Baxter kicks himself free, but gets assaulted against the ropes with strikes. He suplexes Baxter back into the ring. Baxter fights back and nails Gacy with a springboard dropkick. Tope suicida to Gacy before flying through the air two more times. “NXT” chants.
Gacy cannonballs Baxter into the corner. Gacy props him up but Baxter knocks him off for a 450 stomp and the finish.
WINNER and ADVANCING: Trey Baxter
Zoey Stark and Io Shirai are eating at Japanese restaurant in an attempt to bond with one another. Stark hates the food and keeps throwing it on the floor but Io sticks her with the bill. Lighthearted in tone.
Indi Hartwell states she’s going to find out if her and Dexter Lumis is meant to be or not.
Back at the CWC, Karrion Kross hops on the commentary table and asks Joe “who provoked who?” Joe comes out and charges his way down. He fights off security and locks one unfortunate guard in the Coquina Clutch.
A very intense video package promoting WALTER vs. Ilya Dragunov at NXT TakeOver 35 airs.
MAIN EVENT
“Love Her or Lose Her” Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis
Dexter Lumis takes it to Gargano to start the matters off. Gargano gets the better of him on the outside as Indi Hartwellw alks down to the ring. Back in the ring, Lumis catches Gargano with a Lou Thesz press. Big back elbow to Johnny.
Lumis soon finds himself under the ring and Indi gives chase. Candice LeRae comes down and pulls Indi out who is hand in hand with Dexter. We go to commercial.
Gargano is in control when we return from picture-in-picture. Dexter soon fires back with some Kane-like strikes before hitting a running bulldog from the corner. He kips up for a leg drop and gets a two count. Lumis gets sent to the outside and Gargano topes him onto the commentary. Gargano talks smack to Beth Phoenix. Lumis catches Gargano with a slingshot falcon arrow for a two count. Lumis goes up top, but Johnny rolls and hits a superkick for quite the near fall.
Shots are traded as the CWC eats it up. Lumis catches him with a pop-up upperkick and boots Johnny down. He locks eyes with Indi before aiming at his elbow. He goes to slingshot, but Gargano gets out of the way. Gargano Escape locked in. Lumis reaches the ropes and touches the face of Indi at the same time. Lumis almost gets the pin on Gargano and gets shoved into Indi. He fights Gargano off before going to check on Indi. Gargano leaps out and catches Dex with a DDT. He leaps in with a spear to Lumis for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Johnny Gargano
Post-match, despite the result, Indi Hartwell leaps into Lumis and kisses him passionately as the show ends.
