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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, live from the Capitol Wrestling Center: Adam Cole promises to explain the attack that sent Kyle O’Reilly out on a stretcher last Wednesday, and the superkicks he laid out NXT champ Finn Bálor with on two occasions last week. Karrion Kross and Santos Escobar will face off in a No Disqualification match - and if Escobar backs out again, he’ll be stripped of his Cruiserweight title. Plus, Johnny Gargano against Dexter Lumis in non-title action, Xia Li attempts to “purge” Kacy Catanzaro, Io Shirai takes on Zoey Stark in another non-title match, Grizzled Young Veterans battle Killian Dain & Drake Maverick, 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.
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Enjoy the show!
WWE NXT RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR FEB. 24
Welcome back to the CWC! It’s TIIIIIIME for WWE NXT. Scarlett Bordeaux is drawing tarot cards and predicting the fate of Santos Escobar. To the surprise of no one he prediction ends with “obliteration” at the hands of Karrion Kross on tonight’s show. Tick tock.
Dexter Lumis vs. Johnny Gargano
The Way has a backstage rally chanting “That’s THE WAY, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it!” Austin Theory says “That should be a song.” They all walk out to the ring with Gargano leading the way, and they ALL step through the ropes. Lumis stands there all alone with no backup staring a hole through Gargano as the ref keeps them at all bay.
The bell rings and we’re underway. Lumis scares Gargano by cocking back his fists and Gargano slumps to the mat. He tries to go to the outside and Lumis hits an uppercut. He tries to set up for a slingshot spear but Lumis disappears and reappears behind him for another uppercut. Lumis works the body, whips Gargano, plants him and does a sledge to the head. So far it’s all Lumis despite the numbers advantage. Delayed vertical suplex causes Gargano to crash and roll out of the ring selling his back. Lumis falls for it and Gargano crushes him into the ring apron when he goes outside. Gargano rolls back in the ring to break the ref’s count, misses with a charging boot, and Lumis drops him face first on said apron before throwing him back in. Theory and Hartwell both tease interfering and back off. Candice LeRae with a distraction and Gargano hits a dropkick through her legs and a suicide dive to knock Lumis down before commercial.
We come back from break with Gargano in control, full mount on Lumis back, but Lumis manages to stand up and walk him backward into the turnbuckle. Gargano tries to jump back on and Lumis blocks him and hits a back breaker. We’re back to Lumis using his right hand of doom repeatedly, followed by a bulldog and a slingshot suplex. Belly to back suplex and a kip up. Leg drop for two. Only the Hulkster gets the pin off a leg drop Lumis, you should know that. Gargano fails a roll up and they end up staring each other in the eyes on their knees before Gargano goes for a submission, Lumis counters, spine buster for Lumis, near fall. Lumis climbs to the top turnbuckle throwing rights at Gargano’s head, jumps off for a double stomp but lands on his feet when Gargano gets away. Super kick by Gargano. One, two, NOOO. He should have known that only works for the Heart Break Kid.
Meanwhile Austin Theory sends a chair into the ring while Candice has the ref distracted. Lumis stands on it with a foot to block the usage. Gargano starts selling his leg and while the ref is checking on him Theory teases that he’s going to hit Lumis with the chair. Lumis sees it, throws Gargano into it when he charges, and Lumis puts the squeeze around Gargano’s neck and puts him TO SLEEP. Ring the bell!
The winner of this contest: Dexter Lumis.
William Regal is outside looking for Santos Escobar. If he doesn’t show up tonight to defend the Cruiserweight Title against Karrion Kross, he’ll be stripped of the title and suspended. Vic Joseph throws us to a video package celebrating MSK winning the Dusty Rhodes Cup. Nash Carter (formerly Zach Wentz on Impact) shows off the tattoo he got in honor of his late father: “The Legacy Lives On.” He and Wes Lee (Dezmond Xavier) are appearing NEXT after these commercial messages.
We get a NXT superstar profile for Shotzi Blackheart after the break sponsored by a major fast food chain who is NOT paying us to mention them... so I’m not going to. Before MSK can do their backstage interview they are jumped by Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Refs scream they need medical attention for MSK and the camera cuts away.
Tyler Rust (w/ Malcolm Bivens) vs. Leon Ruff
Before Leon Ruff can even make his way to the ring, we get a cutaway with Bivens goading Ruff into accepting the match “unless Isaiah Scott beat you up too bad.” He also cuts a promo in the ring bragging about his “diamond” of a wrestler before Leon Ruff’s entrance music hits. He hangs upside down from the ropes for his entrance and that was a mistake because ISAIAH SCOTT ATTACKS. He drags a helpless Ruff over to the commentary table, says he deserves HIS time, and then hits a release suplex sending Ruff back first into the apron. Bivens raises Rust’s hand as though he just won something.
This match is a NO CONTEST.
In a segment taped at the Performance Center yesterday, William Regal offers Zoey Stark an opportunity against Io Shirai. Stark tries to give an interview but due to “technical difficulties” she’s cut off. Wait, were those actual technical difficulties? I’m not sure when they’ve been a work so many times before. Stark makes her ring entrance, Shirai is shown walking backstage, and we go to commercial.
Cameron Grimes decides to re-enact the segment with Ted DiBiase offering a kid money to dribble a basketball... but Grimes didn’t watch the segment closely enough because he fails to realize DiBiase kicks it away to avoid paying... so he’s out a thousand bucks! Grimes is beside himself with frustration and anger. If he’s so rich though why would he even care?
Io Shirai (NXT Women’s Champion) vs. Zoey Stark (non title match)
“Queen of the Sky” Io Shirai makes her way to the ring. If you have epilepsy I don’t recommend her ring entrance. Our sponsor of the evening promotes their value menu again even though it isn’t another “NXT Superstar Profile.” The bell rings and our two competitors start going hold for hold and throw for throw. Zoey Stark’s biceps might be bigger than Io Shirai’s head, but Stark eats a drop kick to the face while seated. That’ll negate any physical advantage in a hurry. I’m just glad Stark didn’t lose any teeth! Well that’s the difference between a drop kick and a SOCCER kick I suppose. Stark sends the champ outside but gets caught with a knee before she can follow up with a dive. Shirai goes to the top rope, Stark kicks her off to the floor, and we’re off to commercial land again!
And WE’RE BACK with Stark in control. Shirai kicks her in the gut but Stark hits a takedown, bounces off the ropes, and hits a sliding knee to the face for a near fall. Stark goes out to the apron, jumps to the top rope, misses on a 450 and Shirai collides with her on a double cross body. The ref checks on each of them as they struggle to their feet. Stark goes for a pinfall and a release suplex and another near fall. Knee to the back. Shirai grabs the leg, chops it down, hits an uppercut and flapjacks Stark onto her face. Shirai with the missile drop kick for 2.9! She starts to set up for a Pedigree but Stark fights her way out and sits down on the top turnbuckle. Shirai climbs up to brawl with her. Hurricanrana off the top! Back breaker. Shirai gets 2.9! Stark with a near fall off a German. Shirai counters another German into the bottom turnbuckle, gets up, goes across the ring for running double knees, hits OVER THE MOONSAULT and gets the pin!
The winner of this contest: Io Shirai.
Toni Storm comes out to mock the winner. “Last week I kicked your head off and you didn’t do a damn thing about it. There’s a reason you pinned Mercedes at Takeover and not me and it’s because you can’t beat me.” Io Shirai: “I will fight you, any time, any place, any where!!” Storm: “Will you though? Will you? Surely if you thought so you would have gone to Mr. Regal and asked for a match, but you didn’t because you’re scared. Prove me wrong. Go find Regal, make the match happen.” Shirai: “YOU’RE ON!!!”
Backstage Johnny Gargano lambasts Austin Theory for not hitting Dexter Lumis with a steel chair. Theory: “He’s a misunderstood guy.” Gargano: “He kidnapped you! He’s not misunderstood, he’s a psychopath.” Candice LeRae: “He should be in jail.” Indi Hartwell: “Actually I think he’s kind of hot.” Gargano: “I’m not going to let your weird... whatever that was... and your Stockholm Syndrome get in the way. You, are going, TO THERAPY. It’s happening. I don’t want to hear another word. We’re out of here!” Commercial.
Cameron Grimes says he’s “got it figured out now” because he saw the whole Ted DiBiase segment. He offers a pretty lady a thousand dollars to dribble a basketball. It’s former WNBA star Anriel Howard, a recent WWE signee. “Like that Ed DiBiase thing back in the day?” She’s sitting on the curb and when she stands up she’s taller than Grimes. He tries to kick the ball away but she does a crossover dribble and he FAILS AGAIN. “Ted DiBiase, this ain’t over!!”
Xia Li (w/ Boa) vs. Kacy Catanzaro (w/ Kayden Carter)
Kacy and company enter first before an angry Xia Li shows off her martial arts moves (and fans) then enters the ring to try and attack Catanzaro before the opening bell. Li drops Catanzaro chest first across the ropes and licks her hand. She grabs Catanzaro by the hair, slams her head into the turnbuckle, then stomps on her in the corner. Snap suplex for a near fall. Li grounds Catanzaro as Carter pounds the apron to cheer her friend on. She gets up and Li boots her in the face. Catanzaro escapes a powerbomb and goes for a roll up. Li escapes and kicks her again.
Mei Ying looks on from the entrance ramp with Boa at her side as Li continues her attack. Catanzaro blocks a charge and trips Li into the turnbuckle. Kicks and hands to the body before Li shoves her away (twice). Dropkick. Backflip. Near fall. Li rolls out selling. Catanzaro goes for a crossbody to the outside and Li catches her, throwing her into the steel fencing at the CWC surrounding the ring.Li destroys her right knee and the ref comes outside to check on Catanzaro. Li grabs her and drags her back to the ring apron like a cave woman. The ref calls the match off because Catanzaro is too injured to continue.
The winner of this contest: Xia Li.
Kayden Carter has had enough and tries to go confront Mei Ying. Ying signals to Xia Li and Li hits a spin kick to Catanzaro’s head to drop her. Li gets out of the ring and yells at Carter “YOU’RE NEXT!” She and Boa stand at Ying’s side as she sits in her throne. Watch the throne. Meanwhile Regal is still outside looking for Santos Escobar. No sign of him thus far.
Cameron Grimes has finally figured out a way to win the basketball challenge — punch someone in the face on the first dribble! He’s so excited though that he throws his money everywhere, yelling “Ted DiBiase KISS MY GRITS” and he leaves with all his money on the concrete next to the man he knocked out.
Killian Dain vs. Drake Maverick vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
The Veterans announce that Wes Lee has a broken hand and will be out of action for several weeks. They say that at the Dusty Cup “the better team lost” and only one team deserves a title shot and it’s not “Shrek and DONKEY“ — naturally it’s Zack Gibson and James Drake.
Killian Dain and James Drake start us off before Drake Maverick tags in. If you combine James Drake and Drake Maverick, do you get James Drake Maverick or do you just get one wrestler the size of Paul Wight? Bad News Barrett says he thinks Dain has become a joke in this team and he wants “the Beast of Belfast” back. The action breaks down with everyone getting in the ring, and Dain single-handedly dumps both members of the Grizzled Young Veterans to the outside, then throws Maverick out on top of them! Commercial.
Dain tags in after the break to run over Gibson and Drake again. He picks up both men and throws them over with ease. Our match is interrupted by BREAKING NEWS that William Regal has made Io Shirai defending her title against Toni Storm official for NXT two weeks from tonight. Drake Maverick is firing up, Gibson tags in and gets a near fall before Dain makes the save, Dain pulls Gibson out, Drake does a suicide dive to wipe Dain out. Maverick hits a bulldog on Gibson and goes to the top rope, James Drake grabs his leg, Gibson throws him off, Drake tags in. The Veterans hit TICKET TO MAYHEM for the pin.
The winners of this contest: Grizzled Young Veterans.
Killian Dain carries Drake Maverick to the back while a SUV pulls up outside and Legado step out and stand guard by the passenger door. Is it time for Santos Escobar at last? We’ll find out NEXT on WWE NXT!
(Oh and we’re still waiting on that “explanation” from Adam Cole. No sign of him thus far.)
No disqualification: Santos Escobar (Cruiserweight Champion) vs. Karrion Kross (non title match)
This match starts in the parking lot as Kross runs outside to beat up Escobar’s flunkies (Wilde and Mendoza) from El Legado del Fantasma. Kross throws Escobar face first into a production truck but misses with a right hand and slams his arm into it. Escobar climbs in the passenger door of the truck, so Kross rips the rear view mirror off and pierces the door of the truck with a handy pick axe! The flunkies attack Kross again and one gets tossed onto the hood of the truck. Escobar picks up a trash can and slams it into his shoulder. It’s now a three-on-one assault on Kross. Legado drag Kross into the CWC but he starts firing up and throws Wilde and Mendoza THROUGH the fence to the ringside area. There’s a “N-X-T” chant but there should have been a MUCH MORE PROFANE chant for that spot. Escobar continues to attack the left arm and shoulder he went after with the trash can outside, throwing Kross into the steel ring steps to make it hurt even more. Commercial!!
Escobar with a running dropkick to the corner right in Kross’ face as Scarlett Bordeaux looks on. Kross sells his left shoulder as Escobar goes to get a steel chair, sets it up, and hits a DDT right through the seat. Escobar throws him back into the ring for a near fall. Dropkick to knock Kross back down. Escobar picks him up and throws him out of the ring. Kross tries to fight back and Legado jump him. Escobar hits a suicide dive just when Kross seems to have the upper hand to knock him back down. We’ve got some classic babyface booking her as Kross is having to overcome overwhelming odds, but the truth is, I’ve never thought of Karrion Kross as a face EVER. I suppose against the cocky Escobar and his entire Legado he’d have to be, but from the time he was Killer Kross until now, I’ve never looked at him that way. WWE booking is trying really hard to change my mind.
Kross tosses Escobar over his head, catches Escobar on a crossbody, and throws him again selling his arm all the while. He goes to the outside and Escobar shoves him into the steps and tries to wrench the left arm around the ring post. Kross yanks Escobar forward and his head bounces off said same post. Kross ALMOST destroys him with a chair but Legado makes the save. Kross throws Mendoza and tries to throw Mendoza through the barricade! He gets back in the ring to attack and Escobar rolls out onto some steel steps by an announce table. Kross climbs up on the steps for a Saito suplex through said table!! He throws Escobar back into the ring and singles for the finish, hits an arm to the the back of Escobar’s head, and gets the pin!
The winner of this contest: Karrion Kross.
Adam Cole is backstage and making his way to the ring to a chorus of boos. That’s going to be our final segment of the show after THEEEESE commercial messages!
Before that we get an “earlier today” video package from LA Knight, saying he’ll debut “on my time, on my terms” and even if he debuts three months from now “it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference” because he’ll stomp down every single person on the NXT roster.
Adam Cole answers the questions
The extras outside the steel fencing boo and give Cole a thumbs down as he makes his way down to the ring. He stops to pose for the hard camera before stepping through the ropes. We look up to the video wall to see him leaving Kyle O’Reilly for dead on last week’s show. Cole has a mic now. “I uh... I had every intention of coming out here tonight and explaining why I did what I did to Kyle, but God man, after watching that footage I feel sick to my stomach. Everyone knows the NXT Title is important to me, especially the guys in The Undisputed Era, but I don’t like who I’ve become in the last few weeks. I was pissed that Kyle got opportunity after opportunity and continued to fail, but that does not excuse my actions. After watching that footage I am ashamed of myself. Kyle, Kyle I know you’re sitting at home right now and you’re watching this, and I wish so so badly we could be having this conversation face to face, man to man, but we can’t. And we can’t because of me. Kyle you know me better than anybody, anybody in the world, and I hate to admit when I’m wrong. I’m telling you right now I was dead wrong. Right here right now you should be in this ring, but I made a stupid stupid mistake, and I hate myself for it. Kyle... Kyle I am so, so sorry, and I’m going to do everything in my power to fix this. Damn it I’m going to try.”
Roderick Strong comes out. “Now? Now you feel bad? For the past ten days you didn’t let me know what was going on, why, what you did to us. This whole thing was built on brotherhood. We had each other’s backs no matter what it was, and just like THAT, you shattered that trust. I need you to look at me and I need you to understand this, Kyle is going to heal. When he does heal, I don’t know if I can save you from what HE is going to do to YOU.”
Finn Bálor has something to say too. Well actually he’s not saying it with a mic. He shoves Roderick strong out of the way and takes Adam Cole down! Strong comes in to make the save. Cole lays out Bálor with a super kick! Strong gets back in the ring and Cole says “You’ve gotta listen to me” and Strong lays him out with a clothesline! Cole: “I’m sorry Roddy. I don’t want this any more. I want this to go back to normal. I screwed everything up.” Strong: “WHAT IS HAPPENING!” Strong gets down on one knee and says “you’re my brother and I love you.” They have a big bro hug in the middle of the ring. Strong goes to clasp hands with Cole and pull him to his feet, but Cole UPPERCUTS HIM IN THE BALLS. Cole: “You are STUPID!!” He rips the chain off Strong’s neck and KICKS HIS HEAD OFF. Another loud chorus of boos as WWE NXT goes off the air!