WWE NXT live results: Battleground challengers decided

Title challengers for Battleground will be decided tonight on WWE NXT.

Jordynne Grace vs. Giulia headlines tonight’s card in a number one contender’s match. The winner earns a shot against NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer later this month at Battleground.

A number one contender’s battle royal is also set for tonight. The winner challenges Oba Femi for the NXT Championship on Sunday, May 25 at the Battleground PLE in Tampa, FL.

TNA Champion Joe Hendry is back in NXT for a six-man tag match. Hendry teams with NXT Tag Team Champions Hank & Tank against DarkState. The match was set up last week when DarkState attacked Hendry.

Kelani Jordan has her sights on challenging NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca, and she’ll attempt to move one step closer to making that a reality when she faces Ruca’s tag partner Zaria.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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The show begins with footage of wrestlers arriving at the building that houses the Performance Center in Orlando, where NXT is filmed before a live studio audience.

Arriving is Jordynne Grace and Giulia, ahead of their number one contender’s match. Also arriving are male wrestlers in the scheduled battle royal. A group from NXT is met by wrestlers from LFG and TNA.

Opening the show is a trios match.

DarkState (Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin & Cutler James with Saquon Shugars) defeated TNA Champion Joe Hendry & NXT Tag Team Champions Hank Walker & Tank Ledger in a six-man tag team match

Cutter James pinned Tank Ledger to win the match, after interference at ringside by Trick Williams and Shugars. Trick brawls with Hendry to further their feud. Likewise, the finish in this trios match seems to set up DarkSate getting a title shot, since the tag champs dropped a fall to the heel faction.

Hendry poses with Hank & Tank before the match starts as part of their entrance, and they also strike a pose during the match as well. Smart booking to partner an over Hendry with a team looking to get over.

Whatever mystique DarkState had since their unique debut is fleeting fast the more they wrestle on television. They are now just another faction in NXT, albeit with a good push.

Hendry joins Hank & Tank in cleaning house before the show cuts to its first commercial break. The babyface trio strikes a pose as the show cuts to picture-in-picture. Momentum shifts, and the heels are working over Hank as the show returns from the break.

Hot tag and Tank runs wild, and he gets a near fall. Bedlam erupts and everyone gets involved. Melee with all six, when Shugars interferes at ringside. Shugars posts Hank, and Hank sells it the rest of the match.

Hendry is signaling for a finisher when Trick Williams runs down and trips Hendry. Trick and Hendry brawl their way off stage, which leaves Tank alone in the ring against DarkState. Triple powerbomb on Tank, and Cutter James hooks a leg to cover Tank for the pinfall.

Thea Hail is talking with Karmen Petrovic in a locker room skit when Jaida Parker eavesdrops on them. Parker chimes in and cuts a promo on Petrovic, which sets up a singles match between the two.

Shiloh Hill and Chris Island from LFG are seen warming up for the battle royal. Meanwhile, Timothy Thatcher (making his return to NXT television) and Sean Legacy are also warming up as they represent Evolve in the battle royal later tonight.

Kelani Jordan vs. Zaria (with NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca)

Zaria pinned Jordan to win after a stunt where Zaria speared Jordan through a section of the barricade.

The match goes through a commercial break with picture-in-picture. Jordan as a babyface in peril fought from underneath. She makes a comeback on Zaria, and they trade near falls.

Jordan gets a near fall with a tornado DDT. Jordan leaps to the top rope like Rob Van Dam by jumping from the mat all the way to the top rope. Jordan then goes for a 450. No water in the pool, but she rolls through. Zaria then cuts off Jordan with a spear.

Near falls continue in the closing moments. Jordan does an Asai moonsault. She overshoots Zaria, but Zaria sells it nonetheless. At ringside, Zaria shoves Jordan towards the barricade. Jordan is inadvertently saved by Ruca, but Zaria still spears Jordan through a gimmicked section of the barricade. Ruca acts shocked at the stunt, but Ruca cheers on Zaria as she gives Jordan the F6 finisher. Zaria then scores a pinfall.

Tony D’Angelo and Wes Lee exchange tense words in a locker room skit, which sets up a singles match between the two for next week on NXT. That bout is later made official for next Tuesday.

Trick Williams gets a full entrance before the show cuts to a commercial break. The battle royal is “next” on the show, but first another skit.

Lola Vice talks with NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a skit, and Giulia interrupts with a word of warning to the champ.

Ethan Page gets a full entrance for the battle royal.

In a surprise, “The Drifter” is back in NXT as a returning troubadour. Elias is back in WWE, although he is now billed as “Elijah” from TNA. Of course, Elijah has his guitar. The arena lights dim and a spotlight shines on Elijah as he performs a song on his way to the ring. Big pop for Elijah, and the studio audience chants “welcome home” as the troubadour himself does his catchphrase. In the form of a question: “Who wants to walk with Elijah?”

Ethan Page confronts Elijah as the bell sounds to start the battle royal.

Myles Borne wins a 25-man battle royal to become number one contender for the NXT Championship

Borne out of nowhere becomes the number one contender with the upset win, as Borne last eliminates Ethan Page and Shawn Spears en route to winning the battle royal.

The battle royal ran through two split-screen commercial breaks. An inter-promotional gimmick match, participants are from TNA and three WWE brands — NXT, LFG and Evolve. It was indie-rific at times and over-booked, but the battle royal has lots of action.

Joe Hendry gets an entrance with his theme song during the middle of the match, as Hendry confronts Trick Williams. Distracted by the entrance of Hendry, Trick is then eliminated by Elijah. Trick and Hendry then have a pull-apart brawl.

Shawn Spears eliminates Elijah, leaving five men in the ring. Je’Von Evans and Sean Legacy get to shine in a series of high spots and sequences between the two. Legacy is then eliminated by Evans, with some help from a low-bridge courtesy of Ethan Page.

Final four is all NXT. Comes down to Page, Evans, Spears, and Myles Borne, as they run through a series of entertaining spots. Borne shows fire as he gets to shine in the closing minutes. Borne then takes a springboard cutter from Evans. On a second springboard attempt, Evans goes for a double cutter on both Page and Spears. Instead, they eliminate Evans by tossing him out of the ring.

Page and Spears make a pact to team up on Borne, but Page immediately double-crosses Spears. Holding on to the top rope, Spears tries to skin the cat. Meanwhile, Borne dropkicks Page, and Page goes sailing over the ropes. On his way down, Page catches Spears with a cutter on the floor. Borne is the last man standing in the ring, and Borne wins the battle royal to become the number one contender.

No Quarter Catch Crew storms the ring to celebrate with Borne after his win. Tavion Heights rushes in to hug Borne, with Wren Sinclair in tow. Charlie Dempsey is dragging up the rear, as Dempsey looks less than thrilled with Borne getting the spotlight.

Sarah Schreiber is interviewing Jordynne Grace when they are interrupted by Izzi Dame. Lash Legend also arrives to interrupt Dame. When she becomes the number one contender, Grace will see them on the other side. Whatever that means.

Jaida Parker defeated Karmen Petrovic

Parker pinned Petrovic after a running knee strike. Setting up the finish, Petrovic misses a kick. Parker then lands the knee strike, and she covers Petrovic for a clean pinfall.

Parker jumps Petrovic after the match, and Parker signals for her signature hip attack. Thea Hail runs down to take a bullet for Pertrovic. Hail takes the hip attack from Parker, which sets up a match between Parker and Hail.

TNA Champion Joe Hendry is in NXT General Manager Ava’s office, where she announces Hendry is defending the TNA Championship in a title match against Trick Williams at Battleground. Ava notes this is the first time the TNA world title is on the line at a WWE PLE. Ava also announces a contract signing for next Tuesday on NXT.

A vignette featuring OTM is part of a promotional tie-in with an insurance company. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price cut a promo within a music video.

Wes Lee is on a phone call as Lee is flanked by Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe. Lee apparently has a match booked, and he is thrilled with the news. Remarking to Dupont and Igwe, Lee borrows from Ted DiBiase’s catchphrase. “Every man has a price,” Lee says with a smirk.

Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura talk as part of a backstage skit. Inamura apologizes to Briggs for failing him, and Inamura informs Briggs he is heading back to Japan. Inamura gives Briggs his vest, and says “goodbye my friend.”

As Inamura leaves, up walks Brooks Jensen and The Culling. Jensen is a former tag partner of Briggs, and Jensen makes a sarcastic remark about being there before in this same position. Jensen blames Briggs for being the problem.

Charlie Dempsey, as leader of No Quarter Catch Crew, tells the group he needs their help to get ready for his match at Battleground against NXT Champion Oba Femi. Myles Borne, who actually became number one contender earlier in the show, takes exception to Dempsey claiming the title match. Insisting Borne won for the good of the group, Dempsey also insists he himself gets the title shot.

In walks Femi, and he congratulates Borne. Dempsey chimes in to again insist he will face Femi in the title match. Borne says the match is his, but he basically calls out Dempsey in front of Femi. This sets up Dempsey against Femi in a non-title match for next Tuesday on NXT.

Jordynne Grace defeated Giulia in a number one contender’s match

Grace pinned Giulia to win what was a really good bout. Clean finish and a strong match to determine the number one contender to Stephanie Vaquer, who came out after the match with her NXT title belt for a stare down with Grace.

Giulia and Grace start the bout with a safe version of Frye- Takayama, before they settle into a match. Grace and Giulia work well together, and they have a good match.

They wrestle through a commercial break, with Giulia giving Grace a neckbreaker on the floor just before the show cuts to its last break.

They trade near falls on the home stretch. Grace executes a delayed vertical suplex off the middle rope. Grace holds on, rolls through, and she powers up to deliver a jackhammer. Giulia kicks out at two and a half. Moments later, Giulia spikes Grace with a DDT. Giulia with a pump handle into a Norther Lights driver for another near fall.

They counter each other several times as they go home. Overhead suplex by Grace, only for Giulia to hulk up. Fighting spirit exchange before Grace delivers Beast Mode. Grace then hooks a leg to cover Giulia for the deciding pinfall. Grace is now the number one contender for the NXT women’s title.

NXT Women’s Stephanie Vaquer enters the ring after the match. The show ends with a staredown between Vaquer and Grace.