:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67125329/20200722_NXT_WDexter_Finn_Thatcher_FC__e1d21f03ef39e0de54e84f0e52bc3ab2.0.jpg)
Here's a place to check results and comment along with the newest episode of WWE NXT, airing live in its regular Wednesday night at 8PM Eastern time slot on USA Network.
Check out our Wednesday morning preview post to get caught up on what's been happening, and what we expect this week.
Advertised for tonight: Finn Bálor, Dexter Lumis & Timothy Thatcher face off in a Triple Threat for a spot in TakeOver: XXX’s North American title ladder match. Plus, Roderick Strong & Johnny Gargano try to settle their issues from last week’s Triple Threat qualifier, Keith Lee reacts to Karrion Kross dismantling his frenemy Dominik Dijakovic, Robert Stone’s new client Mercedes Martinez faces his old nemesis Shotzi Blackheart, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the NXT live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
Enjoy the show!
WWE NXT RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JULY 29
We start with a montage that covers Keith Lee’s relationship with Dominik Dijakovic, and what Karrion Kross did to Dijakovic last week set to the old Armageddon theme “The End.”
We’re right into our opener, and Dakota Kai attacks Io Shirai on the stage! Tegan Nox makes the save! Candice LeRae follows, and they head to the ring as Tom Phillips, Mauro Ranallo, and Beth Phoenix remind us about the history between these wrestlers. The referee calms things down long enough to get things started.
Io Shirai & Tegan Nox vs. Candice LeRae & Dakota Kai
Nox and LeRae start, and Candice takes control to get a couple quick covers. Tegan fights back and both women make tags. Kai grounds the champ and talks some trash, which fires Io up to land a flurry of kicks and gets a cover of her own. After flipping Shirai into the ropes, the heels employ quick tags to keep control for a bit. Back and forth, and the babyfaces employ some tandem offense, snapping off a suplex on Kai. LeRae grabs Io’s feet and drags her to the floor. Tegan & Candice brawl on the floor, and Nox ends up whipped into the ring steps as we go picture-in-picture.
The Welshwoman plays face in peril during the commercials. Tegan and Candice butt heads and both go down shortly after we return. Everybody in, and that ends with Io hitting a dropkick. The champ with another to Kai, then after knocking Candice off of the apron with with the Tiger Feint Kick. Kai nails a Tiger driver and Io hits a back suplex, then Dakota cuts off a moonsault from the Genius of the Sky up top. Io knocks Kai down and puts her in the tree of woe before hitting a diving stomp for two. She meets a returning LeRae with a dropkick. Dive from Shirai, then Nox hits Candice with The Shiniest Wizard while the ref checks on Io and Dakota at ringside. Shirai takes advantage to hit a moonsault (possibly hitting LeRae in the face with her knees) to end it.
Io Shirai & Tegan Nox def. Candice LeRae & Tegan Nox via pinfall
Kai leaves as LeRae is wiped out in the ring and the faces celebrate.
We get a video package on Adam Cole’s appearance on the Pat McAfee show, and the follow-up this week. That takes us into more commercials.
After that break, we get a recap of Roderick Strong & Johnny Gargano’s Twitter beef after losing to Bronson Reed last week. Their match is next.
Roderick Strong vs. Johnny Gargano
Action starts on the mat, and each man gets flash covers and momentarily grabs submission holds before they stand back up. Shoving follows, and they’re back to grappling. Gargano stretches Roddy’s arm and neck, and gets a two count as Strong tries to escape. Right back to the side headlock, then Strong gets free and goes for a DDT, but Johnny slips out. They end up outside, and it looks like Roddy might slingshot Gargano into the floor, but he escapes and slams Strong down by the arm he’s been targeting instead. That takes us to another break.
We’re back in the ring with Gargano still stretching the left arm. Strong gets free with a backbreaker and gets control with strikes with his right. There’s a scramble, and Roddy counter a One Final Beat into another backbreaker. After a fast-paced back and forth, Johnny gets Garga-No Escape, but Roddy slips free. He can’t get Stronghold though, and ends up on his back again. He catches Gargano with an upkick to the face. Each man lands big shots, and the action head to the floor. Outside, Johnny sends Roddy face first into the ringpost, then throws him left shoulder first into the plexiglass. He rolls Strong in, hits One Final Beat, and that’s it.
Johnny Gargano def. Roderick Strong via pinfall
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Dakota Kai, asking her about leaving Candice in the ring after lose. She says she’s not a team player any more, and she’s tired of having to jump through hoops for a title shot. In comes a bleach blonde Rhea Ripley, who says Dakota isn’t next for Io - she’ll have to go through her first. Kai says she’s going to go talk to General Manager William Regal about doing just that. The Nightmare looks forward to it.
After some more commercials, Mitchell is interviewing Timothy Thatcher. Finn Balor and Dexter Lumis are going to get lessons in Thatch is Thatch Can Wrestling tonight. He says last week Balor talked about pushes, but the only push he knows is when he pushes his shoulder into Finn’s knee. And Lumis has a thousand yard stare, but if he thinks he’s a tortured artist, wait until he gets in the ring with him. We see Dexter standing in the corner as Thatcher walks off, and McKenzie looks scared.
Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish are walking backstage, trying to figure out why they’re on a losing streak. Kyle O’Reilly comes into the picture, and tells them to remember who they are - the guys who run this brand and change the business. Cole says he’s right and they follow KOR out of the picture.
Shotzi Blackheat vs. Mercedes Martinez
Martinez enters alone, but then Robert Stone and Aliyah follow. Blackheart’s on fire at the bell, but when Mercedes sends her to the apron, a distraction via taunts from Stone & Aliyah allow her to blast Shotzi in the back of the head. She slams her face first into the apron, then bring her inside the ropes for ground and pound. Shotzi turns a fisherman’s buster into a roll-up, and uses that to get her offense in. Kicks, a bulldog, more kicks then nearfall off a cannonball.
Blackheart charges right into a Martinez spinebuster that gets two. She mounts for more G & P. After another back and forth, Martinez blocks Sliced Bread #2. She climbs and rains down forearms to Shotzi’s torso. After a huge super German suplex from the top, Martinez picks Shotzi up in the middle of the ring and drives her down into the mat. One, two, three.
Mercedes Martinez def. Shotzi Blackheart via pinfall
After some commercials, Finn Balor promising to win tonight, and a hype video for Ridge Holland (Luke Menzies) who will be here next week and says he’s coming for the North American title, we get a pissed off Keith Lee.
He uses Dijakovic’s indie name to say that he’s a grown man and will be fine. Then he turns his attention to someone who thinks sand is a clock. He’s tired of Karrion Kross’ bullshit, so he’s calling him out.
Instead, he gets Cameron Grimes. Grimes says Keith gave away the North American title before he could take it, but he needs to be worried about him taking the NXT title. When he gets to the apron, Lee turns around and slams him into the ring. While that’s happening, Scarlett makes her way to the stage. Grimes uses that opportunity to go for a Cave-In, but Keith catches him for a powerbomb. He turns his attention back to Scarlett, and Kross appears on the Titantron.
Karrion asks what kind of a man stands by and watches his friend get tortured. He’s here to give Lee a different choice - give him his NXT title shot, or everyone suffers. The champ tells him to name the time and place and he will “whip that ass”.
Imperium vs. Ever-Rise
Marcel Barthel and Matt Martel start, and the champs employ quick tags after a takedown. Chase Parker in with a slingshot, and the Quebecers get in some tandem offense, but it’s not long before Martel is sent to the floor and Parker is hung up in a tree of woe. Barthel and Fabian Aichner nail him with tandem drop kicks. Another team move, then the European Bomb ends it.
Imperium def. Ever-Rise via pinfall
Barthel gets a mic, but before he can get more than a few words out, Undisputed ERA storm the ring. All four men put the boots to Aichner & Barthel and leave them laying while Cole reminds the cameras this is their NXT.
Bronson Reed gets a video package building off his big win last week. He puts over how important his wife’s support is to his career. He doesn’t care who else is in the North American title Ladder Match. No one has his size or his fighting spirit. Shawn Michaels once made the boyhood dream come true. At TakeOver: XXX, he makes the Thicc Boi dream come true.
After more ads, The GM sent in a response regarding the Kross/Lee situation. He wants to remind both men he will not be bullied into making title matches. Those are still earned around here. Damn straight, Mr. Regal.
Jake Atlas vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Atlas gets an in-set promo where he says that now that he’s back injury, he’s coming for the Cruiserweight title.
Match starts with an acrobatic standoff. Scott laughs that off, which angers Atlas who takes Swerve down with an armdrag and then lights him up with chops. Scott regroups and knocks Jake down with a kick to the apron as we get some more commercials. They’re still trading moves when we return. They both get up on the top turnbuckle and exchange strikes until Jake hits an avalanche twisting Samoan drop for a near fall. Atlas misses the Rainbow DDT, and ends up hanging from his feet from the bottom rope. Swerve hits the House Call there, and brings Jake back in for a JML Driver.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Jake Atlas via pinfall
McKenzie asks Damian Priest about his spot in next week’s Triple Threat, and she informs him he’s competing against Oney Lorcan and Ridge Holland. He knows not to underestimate Lorcan, and he doesn’t know much about Holland but he seems legit. It doesn’t matter, there won’t be an upset next week. Then it’s smooth sailing to TakeOver where his reign of infamy begins.
We learn there will be a #1 contender’s match between Dakota Kai and Rhea Ripley next week. The winner gets Io Shirai at TakeOver. Bobby Fish & KOR challenge Imperium for the Tag titles next week.
Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher vs. Dexter Lumis
Thatcher goes at Balor at the bell while Lumis stands in a corner and watches. They brawl to the outside, but when they return, he chops both of them. They head to the outside, he pauses and them rushes at them with a tope. They evade, but he lands on his feet. Back in the ring, he puts both men down again, then gets the first nearfall on Finn with a backdrop. Thatcher attacks and ends up dumped over the top rope, but that gives Balor a chance to attack. He targets Dexter’s left leg, and while he’s doing that Thatcher rushes in with a European. He attacks Lumis then, and gets two off a suplex. Wrist lock, but Finn returns and they’re trading shots. Thatcher takes Balor out a the knee, and he’s the only one not selling a leg when go PiP for the last time.
Balor is powering out of a Thatch submission when we return to full screen. Finn jaw-jacks him, but Thatcher stays on his feet and dodges a Lumis drop kick with Balor regroups. Thatcher resumes inflicting punishment on the Irishman, while occasionally knocking Dexter down every time he gets back up. Thatcher gets the better of a striking exchange with Balor, then turns into strikes from Lumis. He knocks Thatch down, but then takes the Pele kick from Finn. Sling blades for everyone, then he takes aim at Dexter. While he’d doing that, Thatcher grabs his legs and pulls him crotch first into the ringpost. He looks to follow up by stretching Finn’s injured leg, but Dexter breaks that up. He gets a spinebuster, but can’t follow up with his submission finisher. Balor tries to get back in it, but Thatcher whips the injured leg.
Lumis then does get Silence locked in, but Finn flies in with a Coupe de Grace. One, two, Thatcher breaks it up! Thatcher gets the leg lock, but while Finn struggles Lumis slides back in and locks in Silence. Thatcher passes out!
Dexter Lumis def. Timothy Thatcher & Finn Balor to advance to the North American championship Ladder Match at TakeOver: XXX.