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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: All the fallout from last Saturday’s TakeOver: XXX - including new champs Damian Priest & Karrion Kross. Plus, Imperium defend the tag titles against Breezango, Santos Escobar puts the Cruiserweight championship on the line against Swerve Scott, Io Shirai teams up with Rhea Ripley to face Dakota Kai & Raquel González, Tommaso Ciampa returns, 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 AUG. 26
We start with a video recap of last Saturday’s results, and then the end is here...
Scarlett “sings” a sling-wearing NXT champion to the ring. She takes the belt from Karrion Kross and hands him a microphone. He told us, again and again, that he’d become champ. And he warned us that on his way there, everyone would suffer. He made good on his word at TakeOver: XXX when he ripped the belt from Keith Lee’s carcass. But in war, there are casualties. He knows there’s no way they’ll let him defend the title in his condition. His pain fuels him, but he’s a realist. With that, he lays the belt down in the ring. Scarlett puts the hourglass next to it.
Kross says this changes nothing. Doomsday is still coming. Tick tock. Scarlett turns over the hourglass as they leave the ring.
Beth Phoenix mentions how shocking the opening segment was, then we see Vic Joseph at the desk with Wade Barrett. Barrett says the wind has already been taken out of his sails (no bad news jokes!), because he knows how hard it is to give up a title due to injury.
Breezango vs. Imperium
Tyler Breeze and Fandango attack while Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel are still doffing their warm-up suits. Dango starts with Aichner, but it’s only seconds before the champs make a tag and Barthel gets a takedown. The Deputy fights back, knocking the German down as we go picture-in-picture. The heels isolate and work over the man Barrett calls “The Dangler” while we see some commercials.
Breaking formula a bit, he’s still in peril when we return. After a couple nearfalls, he lands a kick on an Irish whip double team maneuver and gets the tag. Breeze comes in hot, but Barthel stays in control until he leaps in a spin kick from Prince Pretty. That gets two. They hit the leg drop backbreaker combo on Aichner shortly thereafter, but the Italian rolls out to the floor before Fandango can cover. He follows with a dive, but gets blindsided by Barthel as we go to another break.
The champs are in still in control when we return. When Dango gets free, Breeze is not on the apron. Aichner with a spinebuster and Barthel with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall. Barthel puts Fandango in the ropes and then Aichner tags in and they miss the double drop kick in the corner. Barthel helps Aichner into the ring and Breeze tags in. Barthel with a clothesline and they go for the European bomb but Breeze with super kicks.
Fandango tags in and he hits a double leg drop for the three count.
Breezango def. Imperium via pinfall to win the NXT Tag Team titles
McKenzie Mitchell catches new North American champion Damian Priest as he enters the building. The Archer of Infamy says the party is still going on. Timothy Thatcher walks up, and says Priest is already a disgrace to the title. He should get the first shot to show him what a real skilled technician can do. The champ laughs it off and walks off.
We see Triple H, William Regal, Matt Bloom and Shawn Michaels meeting in a conference room about the NXT title situation as we go to break.
Jake Atlas vs. Tommaso Ciampa
The former NXT champ eyeballs Atlas from the start, and Atlas looks a little nervous. He should be, because Ciampa is angry and nails a headbutt, stomps him down in the corner, kicks him in the head, and hits Willow’s Bell.
Tommaso Ciampa def. Jake Atlas via pinfall
After the bell, the beatdown continues. A team of referees swoops in, and the Blackheart seems to agree to back off, but then charges to kick Atlas in the head. He sets the Jake up under the ring, then slingshots him into the metal support! Ciampa jumps up to sit on the apron and watch the medics run in with a stretcher. Drake Wuertz is berating him, but he doesn’t blink. Once Atlas is on the gurney, Tommaso dives and spikes him to the ground before walking off.
We’re reminded of the olive branch Tegan Nox offered Candice LeRae last week, then get a video package with LeRae talking about their friendship. She’s always had Tegan’s back, but she’s not sure Nox has had hers. She’s on the right path now, and Tegan can join her, but she’s done looking out for anyone but herself.
After some ads, Mitchell asks Bronson Reed how he feels about Thatcher calling his shot at the NA title. He starts to talk about his win over Priest when he’s interrupted by a returning Austin Theory. Theory says he finds Reed’s pursuit of glory inspiring, and he thinks if he keeps it up, he might be a champ by the time he’s 55. Auzilla slaps him for the comment.
Mia Yim vs. Mercedes Martinez
Robert Stone & Aliyah stroll down the ramp. Stone says he’s not sending Martinez out here, and her comes Shotzi Blackheart to run him over with a tank... again. She’ll take Mercedes spot.
Mia Yim vs. Shotzi Blackheart
They’ve evenly matched to start, with Shotzi hitting the BALL PIT leg drop. They catch each other’s kicks and respectfully put them down with no cheap shots. But when Blackheart howls, Yim jabs her and shrugs. Shotzi fights back and starts hitting a combination of strikes and kicks before a back suplex gets a nearfall. It sets up a senton off the top for the winner.
Shotzi Blackheart def. Mia Yim via pinfall
William Regal says the executive team has come to a decision on the title, and will tell is after the break. But first, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are interviewed. They’re not worried about their tag match tonight because they’re an actual team. Io Shirai has something Rhea Ripley wants, and she should still be #1 contender anyway.
The General Manager heads out to the ring. He puts over Kross, then reveals that they’ve decided to have a 4Way on next week’s special Tuesday edition of NXT to crown a new champ. All former champs - Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor and Adam Cole. That’s not all... it will also be a 60 minute Iron Man match! Wade says there’s no way he’s missing that, so he’ll be back (the “Super Tuesday” episode was supposedly taped today after this episode).
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Santos Escobar
The Legado Del Fantasma leader is here to defend his Cruiserweight title without his boys. Lock up at the bell, Escobar with control until Swerve gets free with a kick. Springboard arm drag and the champ heads to the floor. Scott teases a dive and Escobar backs up as we go to commercial.
When we return, Santos is in control. Back-and-forth leads to a suplex from the challenger that gets two. He stretches Escobar across his back, but the champ turns that into a backslide to force the break. After another submission attempt, Santos rolls out. When Scott gets on the apron, the champ grabs him to throw him into the plexiglass! Swerve gets thrown into the ringsteps, then Escobar rolls him in before the ref’s ten count. Beatdown is on, running double knees into the corner gets two.
They battle to the top rope, where Scott tries for a rana but the champ turns it into a powerbomb off the top. Another cover, but Swerve kicks out as we get more commercials. Chops, an atomic drop, and a knee when we return, all while Santos talks crap. Scott hulks up while eating kicks, then drives him into the corner with punches, following with a flying European to the back of the champ’s head. Escobar to the outside, then Swerve flies to take him down with a backflip. Back in, connects for two! Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza are here! Escobar with while the ref is distracted.
The new tag champs run in and brawl with Legado Del Fantasma to the back. Swerve with a flatliner, but no! His running back kick follows, but Escobar kicks out again. Scramble in the corner, Scott hits a modified powerbomb but Santos gets the ropes. He rolls out and puts on a mask from under the ring. He hits the challenger with a head butt, mask must have been loaded because Swerve is out cold.
Santos Escobar def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott via pinfall to retain his Cruiserweight title
Johnny Gargano gets a promo. Last week he thought his career might be over, but that would leave his promise of a new NXT unfulfilled. Next Tuesday, he gets another chance in the Fatal 4Way Iron Man. He’s gonna remind everyone who the hell he is.
After a break, it’s Finn turn. Fall & Pray? The Prinxe rises. The four cornerstones of NXT go at it, and when it’s done, we’ll know he’s not a cornerstone. He’s the centerpiece. He’s gonna give the marketing department, the network, and the guy watching on the internet what they want.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Drake Maverick
Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish accompany their Undisputed brother. Brawl at the bell, and Drake uses his speed to trip up O’Reilly and send him to the floor. Maverick flies, but only gets Fish and Strong. Back in the ring, Kyle with kicks, and then sets to working over the former 205 Live GM. Drake fights back, but runs into a high knee. That starts another striking exchange, but KOR ends it with a kick to Maverick’s knee. Enziguri from Drake, but when he runs up the turnbuckles his knee gives. O’Reilly wraps the leg, grabs a heel hook on the other, and Drake has to tap.
Kyle O’Reilly def. Drake Maverick via submission
Roddy & Bobby set to beating down Drake after the bell, but Kyle doesn’t seem to be into it. Killian Dain runs in and makes the save. Maverick goes to thank him, but Dain levels him with a lariat and walks off.
A recap of Saturday’s Women’s title match and aftermath, then we catch up with Rhea Ripley while she’s warming up. She didn’t save Io Shirai, she was sending a message. What Io has is hers.
Adam Cole gets a chance to talk next week’s Iron Man. He says it will feature the Mt. Rushmore of NXT, and now that he put Pat McAfee in his rearview, he’s ready to win the belt a second time.
Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
The Nightmare demands to start. She ragdolls Kai around to force a tag, and squares up with Gonzalez. Headbutt from Ripley, Gonzalez answers a shove that allows Io to tag in. The champ sends the heels to the floor to regroup as we go PiP. Raquel overpowers Shirai quickly on the small screen and she & Dakota start to work Shirai over.
Tag as soon as we return. Rhea blasts Gonzalez off the apron and grabs Kai, but the numbers game catches up to Ripley. Kai & her heater pull her to the floor, and Raquel gets to clubbering her rival. Quick tags for the heels, but the Nightmare finally kicks her way free to bring in the Genius of the Sky. She gets Kai reeling, and when Gonzalez gets involved, she gets double knees. Back-and-forth, Dakota goes for the Kai-ropractor, but Io slips out and delivers a stiff-looking knee to the face. One, two - no! Raquel breaks it up. The larger woman gets in some offense, and a tandem maneuver gets two.
The champ makes a tag, but the ref didn’t see it! As Rhea argues with the referee, Mercedes Martinez shows to yank Ripley down. She bounces off the steel steps. Spinning slam from Gonzalez on Io, but she kicks out! Rhea is somehow back up and makes the tag, but she’s clearly out of it and trips on her way in. She walks right into a huge chokeslam powerbomb from Raquel.
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez def. Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley via pinfall (Gonzalez on Ripley)