Here's a place to check results and comment along with the latest airing of WWE NXT in its regular Wednesday night at 8PM Eastern time slot on WWE Network.
Check out our Wednesday morning preview post to get caught up on what's been happening, and what we expect this week.
We'll post match results here, and we will also have our regular reactions post later. In the meantime, and most importantly, this gives you Cagesiders a dedicated place to rave and/or bitch about whatever happens on WWE’s third brand - during its initial broadcast!
NOTE: Spoilers are out there for these pre-taped broadcasts (including here), but many Cagesiders don't partake. If you are going to post or discuss spoilers for this show before they happen, or results of future shows, please use the spoiler bar in your comment.
Enjoy the show!
- We’re barely welcomed by Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness and Percy Watson when a beltless Johnny Wrestling comes down the ramp.
- Gargano on the mic, says it’s been an interesting couple of weeks. Not only has he shown the WWE Universe what NXT is all about as one of the newest members of the Raw and SmackDown rosters, but last week he had one of the toughest matches of his career against Velveteen Dream. After TakeOver: Phoenix, he told the world Johnny Wrestling was back. And he was. He introduced the world to Johnny Champion. But when he had his first test as champion, he failed himself and all of us. And he still feels like a champion, but he is a failure. And he’s come to realize, the only reason he’s had any success around here is... And Ciampa’s music hit.
- Tommy Sports Entertainment is out (and shuts down a pop from Full Sail). He says that whenever they’re together - here, or on Raw or SmackDown, they win. But when Johnny went against Velveteen last week, he offered to help and Gargano chose to go it alone. And he lost. But now, Johnny’s finally realized they need each other. He’s standing there holding a title and Johnny isn’t, but it doesn’t have to be that way. William Regal announced the return of the Dusty Classic last week. And that’s where DIY and their dream started, and this tournament ends with a title shot. That can be their destiny. TakeOver: New York can end like TakeOver: Phoenix did... with the two of them as champions. Ciampa offers his hand as the crowd chants “DIY”. Gargano drops his mic, and he shakes Tommaso’s hand! The champ smiles and leaves, Johnny looks shocked, and follows him out stonefaced.
- Cathy Kelley chats up a bow-tie wearing Ricochet. He’s been making noise on Raw and SmackDown, but he and Aleister Black haven’t forgotten about Undisputed ERA. He’s come to realize when you fight one of the ERA, you fight them all. But with Aleister by his side, that doesn’t worry him. Cathy asks how he plans to deal with them, and he says that if Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly are in the Classic, he’s going to talk to Mr. Regal before he decides on the final teams for the Dusty.
- We see Ciampa & Gargano heading out of the building where Candice LeRae is waiting. Tommaso leaves the couple to talk, and Candice wants to know why her husband is doing this again. Johnny tells her to trust him.
- Vanessa Borne & Aliyah def. Taynara Conti & Xia Li via pinfall (Borne on Li after Aliyah hit a neckbreaker on Xia while Vanessa had her in a backbreaker hold)
Conti starts with Borne, and takes her down with kicks and a press for a two count. Vanessa whips her to the ropes and Taynara steps through and grabs a leg lock through the ropes. She breaks the hold and fights off an attack by Aliyah, but that allows Borne to take control and work the heat. Bronco Buster to the back of Conti’s head, then locks the legs and punches her in the head. Tag to Aliyah for a tandem suplex. Rest holds, but Taynara gets separation so Xia can come in with the hot tag, leveling Aliyah with kicks. Blind tag off a whip, and Li gets a two on an O’Connor roll but is clotheslined by the new legal woman. She knees her, Aliyah
- New North American champ Velveteen Dream runs into an interview on his way into the building. Before he can really discuss his big win, the ERA rolls up. They mock “Mr. Interviewer Guy” for wasting his time with “Velvetta” when he should be talking to them. Cole puts over himself and O’Reilly & Fish for the Dusty, but Dream cuts him off. He’s got a big mouth for a little man, and wonders how big his mouth is when his entourage isn’t around. Roderick Strong says they’re best friends, not an entourage. Velveteen says he doesn’t have time for them and walks off.
- Kelley is outside Mr. Regal’s office waiting for the Dusty bracket when a fight breaks out between Io Shirai and Bianca Belair. Serena Deeb separates them.
- Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic ends in a double countout
Early show of athleticism from both big men with a few stalemates. Lee offers his hand after one, and Dijkovic shoves him away. They trade chops after a DD monkey flip of Lee leads to nothing because Keith landed on his feet. Big boot and elbows in the corner from Dominik. Another big striking exchange when Keith hits a POUNCE. It’s Dijakovic’s turn to land on his feet coming out of a belly-to-back suplex from Lee. Superkick, followed by the sitout chokeslam gets two. Dominik tries coming off the turnbuckles, but leaps into a chop. Lee with a spinebuster for two. They brawl on the apron. A tornado kick sends Keith to the floor, Dijakovic follows with an Asai moonsault. Both men are down on the ramp and can’t get back into the ring before the ten count. They try to re-engage as the crowd chants “Let Them Fight”, but officials keep them apart and the announcers assure us Mr. Regal will look into this one some more.
- The announce team informs us about the final four teams in the Dusty: DIY, Ricochet/Aleister Black, Moustache Mountain and Burch/Lorcan (we’ll post the bracket separately). The tourney starts next week.
- We’re told Mr. Regal has booked a #1 contender for the Mar. 10 episode: Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair
- New Women’s Tag champs Sasha Banks & Bayley are here! Full Sail explodes, Izzy is in tears. They get mics as the crowd chants “WELCOME BACK”. Sasha asks if they missed them, and says damn it feels good to be home. Their belts prove you can’t forget where you came from, because their journey to becoming tag champs started right here in NXT. Bayley asks if we remember the last time they were in a NXT ring together... it was at TakeOver: Respect in the main event of the first ever WWE Iron Woman match. But Sasha’s changed! They hug, and the Hugster says their journey as tag champs has just started. They want their belts to be the most sought after, talked about belts in all WWE. The Boss says they’re taking them all over - including NXT. Bayley says all the ladies in the back better step up, because maybe the next time they’re here, they’ll be defending the tag titles.
- Shayna Baszler def. Mia Yim via submission with a Kirifuda Clutch
The champ is out by herself, and mocks Yim during her entrance by skipping around the ring. The real-life roomies lock up, and Baszler takes Mia down multiple times. The champ smiles and works some ground and pound, but Yim evades a strike and lays in some kicks when Shayna reacts to hitting the mat. Ground and pound from Yim, the champ rolls out, and Mia follows with a suicide dive. Yim stomps on Baszler’s hand on the steel steps, but missed a kick, hitting the steps and and hurting her foot. Back in, the Queen of Spades goes to work on that leg as Mauro reminds us it’s the one Mia broke last year. Shayna goes to lock in the Kirifuda Clutch after a break, but Yim grabs the hand she was targeting earlier to prevent her from locking it in. Baszler counters into a leg lock on the bad leg of Yim, but can’t complete the hold with her bad hand and Mia gets to the ropes. Tornado DDT takedown, Yim tries to charge but her leg gives out! Shayna charges for a penalty, but Mia was playing possum! Roll-up for a nearfall. Seoul Food connects, but she can barely cover. The champ battles back with forearms, hitting a gutwrench buster for two. Baszler with kicks, but Yim blocks one and manages to lift her. Her leg holds long enough for a sitout powerbomb, but can only get two. The champ attacks the knee, and transitions into her finisher. Mia tries to work the hand to break it again, but Shayna uses her legs to trap Yim’s hands, and she’s forced to tap.