WWE NXT live results: Battle royal for Heatwave title shot
Tonight, we’ll find out the next challenger for NXT Champion Trick Williams.
A battle royal to determine Williams’ opponent for Heatwave will open Tuesday’s WWE NXT episode. There will be 25 entrants in the battle royal — and some of them could be from outside NXT. Cody Rhodes announced the battle royal last week and teased that there may be competitors from “different locker rooms.” That could mean we’ll be seeing some more crossover between WWE and TNA.
Heatwave is taking place in Toronto on Sunday, July 7 during Money in the Bank weekend.
After being crowned the inaugural champion at Battleground, Kelani Jordan makes her first women’s North American Championship defense tonight, facing off against Mia Yim.
We’ll hear from men’s North American Champion Oba Femi for the first time since his impressive showing at Battleground. He defeated Wes Lee and Joe Coffey in a triple threat match at the event.
Roxanne Perez & Lola Vice vs. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson vs. Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx is also set for tonight. Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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Opening the show is the number one contender’s battle royal. The show begins with the entrance of Je’Von Evans, who has his ribs taped up selling an injury from a previous episode. Everyone else is already in the ring, except for two more. One is an inter-promotional surprise.
Out comes Joe Hendry, and he gets a good response. Say his name and he appears, Hendry says as on the house microphone. Instead of a 25-man battle royal, Hendry says it is 24 men and one sensation. Hendrys vows to walk to the ring, eliminate everyone, and bring the championship back to TNA. Hendry ends with his catchphrase where he gets the people to believe in Joe Hendry.
Entering next is Ethan Page, and he is the final entrant. Page and Hendry gets face-to-face and jaw at each other. Suddenly, in rushes Oro Memsah in street clothes. He jumps Page, and they brawl their way out of the ring and up the aisle. From there, the battle royal is underway.
Je’Von Evans wins the 25- Man Battle Royal to become the number one contender for the NXT Championship
Hendry isn’t in there long, as his is quickly tossed out but Frankie Kazarian soon after the bell rings to start. Kazarian is another notable name from TNA in the match, lasting until the final four. Hendry was the first elimination. The live studio audience chanted “bullshit” loudly after Hendry was eliminated, but the chants were censored out on the USA Network.
Kazarian would go on to eliminate two members of the No Quarter Catch Crew. That happened after Dempsey gets eliminated alongside Malik Blade. Damon Kemp inadvertently knocks Dempsey over the ropes along with Blade. Dempsey is mad at Kemp, and so is Myles Borne, who is still in the match. Not for long. Kazarian rushes in and eliminates both Borne and Kemp over the top rope, at the feet of Dempsey no less.
The battle royal goes through a commercial break, cutting to a split-screen after Apollo Crews is eliminated by Angel Garza. His tag partner is eliminated by Lexis King, so Garza gets revenge by eliminate Garza. Tank Ledger then eliminates Garza, and King gloats. Ledger is then given an airplane spin by Tyler Bate, and Ledger is out.
Tony D’Angelo gets his moment to shine. He does some high spots with Nathan Frazier. and Frazier eventually eliminates “The Don” himself. Frazier then dangles with Dragon Lee, who eliminated Frazier. Dragon Lee and Bate work together to eliminate Ridge Holland, who got to shine some early on in the battle royal. Bate and Lee start high fiving and fist bumping when Bate drops Lee with a punch. Bate tangles with Spears, and Spears shoves Bate off the ropes. Bate tumbles to the floor for an elimination.
Final four are Spears, Evans, Dragon Lee, and Kazarian. Spears rolls out of the ring after being superkicked by Lee. Evans reverses an Irish whip, and Kazarian takes a bump over the ropes as he is shot into the corner. That leaves Lee and Evans in the ring, with Spears on the floor.
Great sequence by Evans and Lee in the closing moments. Evans is down in a corner, and Lee is going for his signature offense when he is shoved off the middle turnbuckle by Spears. Evans goes for his springboard cutter, but a springboard would be a terrible mistake in an over the top rope battle royal. Spears sends Evans over the ropes, but Evans hangs on like Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble in 1995. Instead of skinning the cat, Evans kicks at Spears and gets back on the apron. Evans then slingshots in the arms of Spears, who is seemingly going for a finisher. Evans gets free and throws Spears over the ropes. Spears barely holds on. Spears goes for a springboard of his own, and he pays for it. Evans cuts him down with a superkick. Evans bounces off the ropes, and Spears eats a kick. Evans then throws Spears clear over the ropes to the floor. Evans wins the battle royal.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez & Lola Vice defeated Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson and Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx in a triple threat tag team match
Perez pinned Jackson to win the match. Perez & Vice worked well together, while also playing up being an odd couple team. Not sure who are the protagonist here. Currently wasn’t Perez & Vice. Perez nails Vice with a back fist after the match.
The match was a basically a melee from the start, and it remained such. Crash TV so far in the matches, with a lot of action. Very little time to breath. The only breather was a commercial break in the middle of this tag bout. The fast pace continues when the show returns from the break.
Lash Legend runs wild at one point, and she cleans house with high kicks. Power spot with Legend suplexing both Vice and Jayne at the same time. Pele kick by Perez lays out Legend. Jackson tries to avenge for her tag partner, but Jackson instead eats a back fist from Vice. Perez is then tagged in by Vice, and Perez executes Pop Rocks and scores a pinfall.
As they rasing their hands in victory after the match, Perez ambushes Vice. Perez then poses with her title belt.
Je’Von Evans and Ethan Page get into an argument in Ava’s office. That sets up the main event. Good thing they had words with each other. Otherwise, there was apparently no main event beforehand. Thank goodness these two could not get along.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Kelani Jordan defeated Michin to retain her title
Jordan pinned Michin after outside interference by Jaida Parker. OTM has a confrontations with The Good Brother before the lame finish. Jordan is the first to win the Women’s North American title, and she wins in her first title defense thanks to outside interference. Is that supposed to be a push?
The Good Brothers are at ringside to support Michin. They catch her on a dive, so that Michin does not crash and burn. Jordan slingshots over the ropes with a twisting plancha, just before the show cuts to a commercial break.
Michin is in control as the show comes back from the break. Comeback by Jordan. They go to trade near falls. Close near fall after Michin takes a posin rana from Jordan. Michin then gets a close near fall.
Out comes OTM for a confrontations with The Good Brothers at ringside, as if this show wasn’t overbooked enough. The referee in the ring is somehow distracted by the showdown at ringside. He is yelling at them while Jaida Parker rushes in on the other side the ring. Parker shoves Michin off the top rope. We have seen a lot of spots so far tonight where someone is shoved off the ropes. It is more common than a wrist lock.
Michin takes a bump in the ring after Parker shoves her off the top rope. Jordan then capitalizes with a split-legged moonsault, and Parker covers Michin for a three count. So, Jordan retained thanks to outside interference. What a novel way to have a the first Women’s North American Champion win in her very first title defense.
Kelly Kincaid interviews Ethan Page. He cuts a promo with on several things, but most importantly he cuts a promo on Oro Mensah. Page claims he was never eliminated from the battle royal, which is true. He blames Mensah. Also true.
Izzi Dame is the focus of a video package that highlights her background as a volleyball player. She dubs herself Izzi “The Great” Dame.
Playing off a spot in the battle royal, Nathan Frazier accepts a challenge for a Heritage Cup title match against Tony D’Angelo. Luca Crusifino interrupts the NXT Tag Team Champions — Nathan Frazier & Axiom — as they are talking in the locker room. Crusifino says Tony D has a contract drawn up for a Cup match, and Frazier signs it no question asked. That upsets Axiom.
Still images from TNA showed Jordynne Grace retaining her Knockout title in match against Tatum Paxley at Against All Odds.
NXT North American Champion Oba Femi comes to the ring for a monologue. Femi waxes about retaining the title at Battleground, and Femi wonders if anyone can beat him.
Out comes Wes Lee to confront Femi. Something happened in the crowd as this is taking place. It appears shoot security rushed in to tackle someone. The live studio audience was distracted, as was myself.
Meanwhile, Lee is detailing his focused obsession with regaining the North American title. Femi tells Lee he is going in circles, and Femi is done. Femi walks past Lee to leave, and Lee screams at Femi to not turn his back on him.
Lee notes Femi has everything going for him, and everywhere he goes Femi is treated as the greatest North American champ. Lee says deep down that Femi knows what Lee is to that title, unless Femi does something about it. I guess that is a challenge of sorts.
Lee cautions Femi that he is facing a different “Cardiac Kid” than before, and Lee vows to prove his name is the record books, not Femi’s name. Femi responds by talking about wanting to change those record books. Femi accepts a challenge for a title match, with the added stipulation this is Lee’s last shot at the title.
Hank Walker tells Tank Ledger he is medically cleared from a shoulder injury. Hank & Tank want to get back on track, so they want to challenge the New Catch Republic for their return bout as a team.
Charlie Dempsey sits down with Tavion Heights, as Dempsey tries to recruit Heights. Dempsey was wacky and he asked Height questions and answered those same questions himself. This skit sets up Damon Kemp against Heights in a tryout match of sorts.
Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe brawl with Gallus in an anonymous cellphone video.
Fallon Henley defeated Carlee Bright (with Kendall Grey)
Henley pinned Bright after a shining wizard. Grey was in Bright’s corner, leading to Wendy Choo appearing at ringside. Choo puts Grey to sleep with a cobra clutch at ringside. Meanwhile, Henley delivers a suplex to set up her finisher. Henley signals for and executes the shining wizard, and she pins Bright.
Eddy Thorpe is stopped in the parking lot for an interview, and he basically wants a title shot at any title.
Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson with Thea Hail & Ridge Holland) defeated The O.C. (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson with Michin)
Hudson rolled up Anderson for a pinfall.
The highlight of the match was Trick Williams texting Vic Joseph that Trick will be on guest commentary for the main event tonight. The show was plodding along at this point, and it keeps plodding through this tag bout.
Hot tag to Hudson, and he cleans house. Hudson had some silly offense. Chase does a somersault senton off the apron on Gallows. In the ring, Hudson counters Anderson with a school boy roll-up. Hudson scores the three count, giving Chase U the “W” on this episode. Vic Joseph on commentary that played up Chase U winning as being an upset.
In a comedic skit, Arianna Grace thinks Kelani Jordan wants Grace to be her next challenger. Grace is corrected that Sol Ruca is the next challenger, and Grace pitches a light fit. Robert Stone suggests Ruca against Grace next week to determine the next challenger. Ava agrees and books the match for next Tuesday.
NXT Champion Trick Williams enters the sound stage looking like a superstar. He is posing in the ring before the show goes into a commercial break.
More tension within Chase U after a backstage skit. More silliness. It is long in the tooth at this point.
Fallon Henley is mad in the locker room. Enter Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyz. They all agree they are sick of the way things are done here. In fairness to them, I did not like the booking on this episode either.
Ethan Page defeated Je’Von Evans
Page pinned Evans after the “Ego’s Edge” finisher. Evans again had his ribs taped up, much like he did earlier in the show. The injury would also play a factor in the match. They did spots based on the rib injury, and Evans later turns the tables on Page by targeting Page’s ribs.
Evans sells a lot and it a babyface in peril. Page countered Evans’ cutter finisher the Harley Race way — he moved. Evans later with a rally and comeback in the closing minutes. He even does a springboard crossbody for a near fall.
Evans is going to the top rope when Page cuts him off. Page executes his Ego’s Edge finisher, and Page covers Evans for a pinfall. The announcers play up Page pinning the number one contender.
Page confronts Trick Williams at ringside. In the meantime, Shawn Spears runs down to attack Evans. Trick hits the ring to make a save, but Trick is ambushed from behind by Page. Spears and Page then stomp and pummel Trick. Evans springboard into a double cutter on both Page and Spears. All four men are down selling on the mat as the show goes off the air.